He wasn’t aiming at you,” said a voice behind me. I spun around, heart pounding, to see who had spoken. Standing in the shadows was a tall figure, his face hidden in the darkness. He raised his arm and pointed a gun directly at me.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help.” He stepped forward into the light, revealing a face I recognized. It was my old friend, who I hadn’t seen in years.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“I’m here to protect you,” he said. “There are people out there who want to hurt you, and I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
I looked at him, unsure what to say. He smiled, and lowered the gun.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone.”
I nodded slowly, and he turned and walked away, back into the shadows. As he disappeared, I felt a chill run down my spine. I knew that I would never forget the sight of him, standing there with a gun in his hand.