I stare at the man in front of me, his eyes boring into mine and I don’t know what to do. His hair is as dark as the night sky and his eyes are as mysterious as a gloomy forest. His gun was…it can easily take me out with one blow.

I nearly choke on my own saliva because I don’t swallow….

“Listen very closely…you’ve seen my face and you know I have a weapon. So, I’ll kill you because I know you’ll run to the cops as soon as you’re able to.” The man replies. I try taking a deep breath but the tears start moving so it comes out as shaky.

The man puts the gun toward my head.

“Quit whining!” I decide that if I wasn’t going to try and make him feel bad, I will have to try a different strategy.

“W-what’s your name, sir…?” I ask. The man growls under his breath. I can tell he wants me to not know anything else about him. “I already know what you look like a-and you’re going to kill me.” I try to laugh to get rid of the thought that he was going to take my life.

The man doesn’t lower his gun but I can tell he is thinking….

“Grayson…my name is Grayson.” He says warily.

I nod with a light smile. He eyes me closely and I clear my throat and speak.

“My name is Madelyn.” I say. “So…what are you doing here?”

“I’m trying to get away from some moron.” He says, too loud and too quickly. He keeps turning his head toward the wooden door with eyes of insanity.

“Umm…so, Grayson…where are you from?” I inquire. He turns his head toward me and bares his teeth together. His gun is forcefully set on me again and I manage to gulp.

“I know what you’re doing, you ignorant woman! You’re trying to get on my good side!” I wave my hands halfway in the air.

“No no! I promise I’m not! I just…I just want to make the last few minutes the best that I can make it. I promise!” I exclaim. The man sort of lowers his gun but doesn’t let his guard down. He goes to a corner and sits there, keeping his eyes on me.

I am shaking so badly, I don’t think I could be able to sit still.

“_Sit_!” Grayson snap and before I know it, I am on the ground, trembling in fear. I look at the ground…praying that I would come out alive but my chances of living were pretty slim…. I slam my eyes shut like a door to prevent any tears dripping but I can’t help it.

A river of tears come racing down my cheeks and it creates an ocean. I think it was the end…there is no way out except the door and he’s resting right beside it.

I observe the shed…it isn’t a normal shed with tools and rakes. It has my sleepinbag and clothes. This shed is fairly large with one window. I recently moved in here to escape abusive foster homes. Now I’m thinking living in a stranger’s house is much better than living here and being vulnerable.

My eyes wander all over the place. The walls are crusty and wooden, the floors have a few loose floorboards, and the window is slightly cracked and is rather small. Great. This is the end….

“Springfield, Illinois.” Grayson says, half mumbling. I am about to ask what he meant but then it clicked. He stares at me with emptiness and I can tell he didn’t know what to do with his life.

“Are you okay…?” I thought he was going to lose his temper again but he doesn’t.

“Life is getting too rough for me and Springfield has too much violence.” He replies. He is drawing something in the dirt with his pistol and for a second, thought that it was perfect to run but I don’t move. He can aim at me at any moment and I don’t want him thinking no one cares about him.

“You don’t have to do this.” He says, lowering his voice a bit more.

“Eh, what do what?” I ask.

“Trying to befriend me. I know you’re just looking for a way to escape.”

“That may have been true in the beginning…but I feel like we’re strangely getting along well.” Grayson shrugs.

“Well I—“ I hear a boom and think for a second it was fireworks…and then I see Grayson slump to the ground. I scream and that was when I see him. A man with overalls and a cowboy hat stares at me. I can’t move…I feel like if I do, he will kill me. Even if I take one single breath, he might probably shoot me.

“What’re ya doin’ in my shed?” The man asks and I gulp.