I never thought a simple trip to the grocery store could turn into a nightmare. It all started when I grabbed a cart and headed towards the produce section, my mind preoccupied with my never-ending to-do list. Little did I know, my life was about to take a sudden turn that would leave me questioning everything I thought I knew.
As I reached for a ripe avocado, I heard a commotion coming from the other end of the aisle. Curious, I peered over the display of apples to see what was going on. That’s when I saw him — a man, frantically running towards me with a look of panic in his eyes. Before I could react, he crashed into me, sending us both tumbling to the ground. And that’s when I noticed it — the gun hidden in his jacket.
[Story]
As we lay tangled on the linoleum floor, my heart racing in my chest, the man whispered urgently in my ear, «Please, you have to help me. They’re after me.» My mind was a whirlwind of confusion as I tried to process what was happening. I could feel the weight of the gun pressing against my side, a stark reminder of the danger we were in.
Without another word, the man pulled me to my feet and urged me to follow him. Instinctively, I did as he said, my body moving on autopilot as we weaved through the aisles of the store. I could hear the sound of footsteps echoing behind us, getting closer with each passing second. Panic clawed at my chest, but I focused on keeping up with the man in front of me.
Finally, we burst through the back entrance of the store and into the alley behind it. The man stopped suddenly, causing me to collide into him once again. He turned to face me, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and gratitude. «Thank you for helping me,» he said softly, before disappearing into the shadows.
Left standing alone in the dimly lit alley, I felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through my veins. Who was that man? What had I just gotten myself into? Questions swirled in my mind, but one thing was clear — my mundane trip to the grocery store had turned into something out of a movie.
Days passed, and life returned to normal. But I couldn’t shake the memory of that fateful day. And just when I thought I had put it behind me, a knock on my door late one night changed everything. I opened it hesitantly, only to come face to face with the man from the grocery store.
With a small smile, he handed me a plain envelope before disappearing into the night once again. Trembling, I opened it to find a single piece of paper with a simple message — «Thank you for saving my life. You’ll always have a friend in me.»
