Shattered glass lay scattered on the damp floor. Three dogs growled from the darkness. Threatening every move I wanted to make. I stood petrified, staring into their eyes. I should have known that staring at a dog aggravates them. A lot. They charged at me. I turned quickly, scurried out of the window, and bolted down the street. The vicious animals chased after me, biting at my ankles. Fear raced through my mind. Food raced through theirs. I should have been more careful. I should have investigated the place before I broke in. Me and my careless ways.

The dogs were still directly behind me. They were going to run the life out of me. I had to make a decision. Either fight the dogs or find a way to escape. I chose escape. I turned into an alleyway and ran towards a rickety fire escape. I was almost there. The fire escape was in reach. I was going to make it. Think again. One of the dogs bit my shoe. I struggled and was able to free myself from the dog’s tight grasp. My shoe was gone! The dog still held it in his drooling mouth shaking it vigorously. I ran, my foot stinging from the pain. The other two dogs, unlike the other, didn’t get distracted by a mere shoe. They continued the chase. I jumped onto the fire escape and made my way up the metal death trap. One dog fell behind, but the third one was picking up in pace. I reached the roof and rolled over a cement block. The dog jumped for me, but was hit to the ground by a stick cracking down on its neck. The dog backed down and whimpered away.

I brought my head up to see a shadowy figure of a man standing above me. Gripping a long stick in his right hand. He wore a tan trench coat buttoned all the way to the top. A hood covered his head and most of his face. I could only see the mouth of his dark façade.

“Who are you?” I asked as I stood up from the roof.

“That doesn’t matter!” the man yelled, “Come with me!”

The man turned around and walked over to a fire escape on the other side of the building.

“Why should I follow you?” I questioned.

“You need to follow me Timothy because I can help you,” the man stopped and replied.

“How’d you know my name?” I asked yet another question.

“I know a lot about you, Timothy. Now come with me,” the mysterious man commanded.

“Give me one reason why I should follow you,” I interrogated.

“You should follow me Timothy because… I know your father,” the man stated.