Unexpected

Story 1 "Midnight Snacks"

I was glued to the TV watching cartoon late one night when my mom walked over and asked me to run down to the little market next door to our house and buy her some chocolate. Now during this time sending your small child to go to the store wasn't something crazy or unheard of especially in the area I lived. She gave me a couple bucks and told me I could pick out a candy. I got dressed and skipped over to the store right by my house. I skimmed for the candy she wanted and began to look at the selection of candies they had. I spotted one I wanted that had just one bar left. I placed my hand on it when suddenly I see an old wrinkled looking hand go on top of my hand. I looked up to the side to see this old lady smiling at me. I smiled back and said, "Do you want the last piece? I'll let you have." She didn't respond back she simply just stared at me. My heart slowly started beating faster. We were pretty far back in the store, but I could barley see the man behind the counter's face. I glared at him hoping he'd see the look of distress on my face. Before I could mouth any words out her other hand covered my mouth as she began to pull me out of the store. At this point my heart was ready to come out of my chest. My eyes darted around frantically trying to find a way out of this situation. She got me out of the store and I saw a small car with tinted windows. I bit down on her hand and kicked her in the knee. She let out a scream and let go of me. I bolted away looking for the next store that was opened. I ran into a pharmacy and hid behind the counter. The man looked down at me and right away understood I was in danger. The women walked in asking if he'd seen a little girl around. The man said no and told her to leave before he called the cops. She shot him a dirty look and stormed off. He looked down at me and told me to hurry and get back home safely. I ran home and cried to my mom. I don't know if those people were ever caught, but know I could've been taken away so close to home scares me.

Story 2 "Front Yard"

I was in my front yard waiting for my friend to come out and play. She had her front door opened and I could see her scrambling around to clean the living room before coming out to play. I watched and waited patiently as I played with the grass in front of my house. When I looked back up to look at my friend this limousine parked in front of me and a man opened the door. He stuck his hand out and had 5 dollars. He looked very well dressed and asked me if I'd run down to the store and buy him a soda and I could keep any change left. During the time this happened wealthy people would pay little kids to get something from a store for them because where I lived at the time was a place full of poverty. The wealthy people that came to visit would be to paranoid to leave their cars anywhere so they'd often pay someone to get something for them. Doing something like this wasn't something out of the ordinary. I was reluctant at first, but I had time to do it while my friend finished cleaning. I jumped up to grab the money. While I was getting closer his face turned into this very sinister grin and it immediately clicked in my head that this man wanted to kidnap me. I stopped and took a big step back. His expression changed and looked very angry. I started to run into my friends house since my parents weren't home to let me inside. The man started up his car and almost threw his car at me. I managed to leap into my friends home and locked the door shut. My friends mom came out and asked what was wrong. I told her there was a man outside trying to kidnap me. She peeked out of her curtains and saw the man staring right back at her with this crazed look in his eyes. He turned away and drove off. I stayed at her house until my parents arrived back home.

Story 3 "Lights"

I was out on a date and came home one night. My parents knew I would be coming home during the night so they left the lights on to be sure I didn't trip over anything while coming back inside. I parked in front of the house and started walking up to the door. I was about to enter inside when suddenly my mother calls me. I answered and she told me she was out with the others about to watch a movie in the theaters. She was checking up to make sure I made it back home and ensured me that she left the lights on. When she said that looked at the door that had a small glass frame at the top. Inside it looked pitch dark. I stepped back to get a good look at the house and all the lights were off. My voice started to shake as I told my mom that none of the lights were on. I could hear the panic in her voice as she asked my dad if he had turned off the lights since he was the last one out. He said he left them on and I immediately felt my stomach drop to my heart. I could feel tears forming in my eyes and my mom told me to drive over to the theaters right now. Throughout the whole time on the phone I could feel someone staring at me. I looked to the left and saw a dark figure standing at far end of my house. It began walking closer to me and I screamed hanging up the phone. I ran to my car and thankfully I left it unlocked. I could hear his footsteps going faster as I jumped into the car and hit the gas. I took a quick glance over at the passenger seat and saw his face pressed up against the window I screamed and drove away almost hitting another car. I met up with my family and called the police. There was no sign of forced entry, but the backyard was opened. My dad forgot to close it, but the last time he remembered opening it was early in the morning. It's possible the intruder was waiting for my family to leave to enter inside or maybe he arrived as soon as my family left. Had they stayed inside there's the chance the person would've walked inside without everyone else inside and who knows what would've happened.

Story 4 "Carry Out"

I was working at a grocery store. It was probably my first month working there and on occasion there will be some people who request a "carry out." This means you have to help them carry their groceries back into their car. Usually these are old folks, but sometimes there will be a customer with a fractured wrist or hip, etc. I was doing the usual when I hear a call for a carry out. I rush over to the register and see this tall chubby man around his 30's with a black band around his wrist. I walk over and help him set his groceries into his cart and push the cart for him towards his car. While we head there he begins some small talk about how he hurt his wrist and can't lift heavy objects. I sympathize with him and we arrive to his car. It was a big white van with tinted windows. Right away the appearance of the car seemed very unsettling and I make it a rule to never lean into the trunk of the car while putting groceries back. I make sure my feet are ready to turn back and run if the time ever comes to. I stay to the side of the car and from a distance place the groceries inside. The man asks me to push them more into the far back, but I know that's what he wants so he can toss me inside. I ask him to step back a little explaining that he isn't leaving me enough room to push them back. He steps back and I push a couple back. I feel his hands grab my shoulders and I turn and kick him in the privates. He kneels down and I run back into the store and tell the manger. They come out, but he drove off and I was put to throw returned items back in the shelve to make sure they don't return while I was outside. This is a lesson to any bagger or anyone who does a carry out. Never turn your back on them no matter how friendly or whatever gender the customer is. Always have a plan and be prepared to run if you need to.