ᴛʜᴇ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴅʏ.  ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ᴡᴀs ʀᴀᴄɪɴɢ.  ɪ ᴄᴏᴜɢʜᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ. ғᴜᴍɪᴏ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀs ɪғ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴅ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ.  ᴀᴋɪ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀʀᴜ ғɪɴᴀʟʟʏ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀᴘsᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴏᴏʀ. ᴍʏ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴘᴜsʜᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴀᴡᴀʏ.

"ᴡʜʏ ᴅɪᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʜᴏᴋᴇ ʜɪᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ?"

"ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ,  ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ."

"ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʜᴏᴋᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ɴᴏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ."

"ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴀʏ,  ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴜɴᴄʜ."

"ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴏᴛʜ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ."

"ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴀ ʙᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ. "

ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅs ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴɴᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ. ɪ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ sᴛᴏᴏᴅ ᴜᴘ,  ᴡᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ,  ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴍɪᴏᴄʜɪ ɪᴄᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ.  "ʜᴀʀᴘᴇʀ?! ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴏɪɴɢ?!" ᴊɪʀᴏ ʏᴇʟʟᴇᴅ.  ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡᴀᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪᴍ ᴜsɪɴɢ ᴍʏ ғʀᴇᴇ ʜᴀɴᴅ.  ɪ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ʀᴜɴ.  ɪᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴇ 5 ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇs ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙᴀɴᴅᴏɴᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ.  ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴀɴʏ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ᴏʀ ʙᴜsɪɴᴇssᴇs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ.  ɪ ᴛʜʀᴇᴡ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴇʙʙʟᴇs ᴀᴛ ʜɪs ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ.  "ɪ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴᴇ. ᴡʜʏ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴇʀᴇ?" ɪ ʜᴇʟᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀɢ ғᴜʟʟ ᴏғ sᴡᴇᴇᴛs.  "ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ?" ɪ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ.  ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ʜᴇsɪᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴀᴛ ғɪʀsᴛ ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʜᴇ ᴡᴇɴᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ɪɴ ʜɪs ʀᴏᴏᴍ.  ɪ ʜᴇᴀʀᴅ sᴏᴍᴇ ɴᴏɪsᴇs ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴄʟᴜᴛᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ sᴜᴄʜ.  ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ʙᴜᴄᴋᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜ.  "ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀᴇ. " ɪ ɢᴀᴠᴇ ʜɪᴍ 3/4 ᴏғ ɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ.  ʜᴅ ɴᴏᴅᴅᴇᴅ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ sᴀᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡsɪʟʟ,  sᴀᴠᴏʀɪɴɢ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ʙɪᴛᴇ.  ғᴏʀ ᴀ ғᴇᴡ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs sɪʟᴇɴᴛ.  ɪ sᴀᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇɴᴄʜ ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ. "sᴏ,  ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴇxᴘʟᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴡʜʏ ʏᴏᴜ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ʀᴏʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴅɪʀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴇʏᴇ? ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ғᴏʀɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴅʀᴏᴘᴘɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ." ᴛʜɪs ᴋɪᴅ,  ᴍᴀɴ....  "ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ғɪɢʜᴛ. " ʜᴇ ʀᴀɪsᴇᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴇʏᴇʙʀᴏᴡ.  "ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ?" ʜᴇ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ. "ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. " ɪ ᴡᴀʀɴᴇᴅ.  "ᴏʜ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏ. " ʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ.  "ᴡᴇʟʟ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴡᴏ ᴛʜɪɴɢs.  ᴏɴᴇ,  ᴍʏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ sᴍᴀᴄᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴀs ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴏғ. . . ʏᴏᴜ. " ɪ sᴀɪᴅ sʟᴏᴡʟʏ. "ᴍᴇ?" ʜᴇ ᴇxᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇᴅ,  ᴀs ʜᴇ ᴅʀᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏᴄʜɪ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ. "ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅɪᴅ ɪ ᴅᴏ?" ʜᴇ ʏᴇʟʟᴇᴅ.  ". . . ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ɪs sᴀʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴇᴠɪʟ ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍɪsᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴏᴏᴅ. " ʜᴇ ᴄʟᴇɴᴄʜᴇᴅ ʜɪs ғɪsᴛ. "ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ?! ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴡʜᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇs ʏᴏᴜ! ɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ! ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʟᴏɴᴇʟʏ!" ʜᴇ sʟᴀᴍᴍᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡs sʜᴜᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ᴀᴡᴀʏ. ɪᴛ sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʀᴀɪɴ.  ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʏ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ᴅɪsᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ.