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Prologue

"You can't catch me!" Jack said as he was running from me. I knew he was right, I probably wouldn't catch up to him.
"Come on, Annie!" Chad laughed. "You're such a slow poke." Jessica and Emma laughed in agreement with him.
They were right. I was the slowest out of my friends, which made me the worst at tag. I stopped running and sat down on the park bench, a tear rolling down my cheek. I looked up to see my friends leaving the park.
"Hey! Where are you going?" I shouted.
"It's 7 o'clock, Annie. It's time to go home." Emma said to me. "We'll play again tomorrow, you're still it."
"Right." Emma, who also happened to be mylittle sister, was waiting for me at the gate of the park as she does everyday. We usually walk home together, but I didn't feel like leaving just yet.
"I'm going to stay a little while longer. You can go ahead without me, Emmy." I kicked a stone on the ground.
"Are you sure?" Emma seemed to worry.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." She seemed to buy it, and walked out of sight. Finally, I let the tears fall.

I stopped crying when I felt the presence of something next to me. It was a man. I looked at the man. I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where.

"What are you doing out here alone?" The man said to me. I knew better not to talk to strangers so I just sat there in silence.

   "Are you not going to speak to me?" The man asked.

      I hesitated.
"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."
    The man threw his head back and laughed.
"Oh, I'm no stranger." The man turned his head to look me in the eyes, with a smile on his face. "I've been watching you for a long time now, Annie."