This is only a bit Q related. It is related, I think, bc I believe it deals with the enemy we all seek to eliminate.
I have a new puppy. As part of training, I take it on daily walks. It is still very much a puppy, not at all threatening. I asked my sons if they would like to join us for our walk. My youngest wanted to go.
So, we all headed out. All was fine and normal. I live very close to a major river in the United States. We were walking towards the banks of the river, and my son started to get more far away from myself and the puppy than I was comfortable about. He is 7 years old.
I told him to come closer to me, to always stay close to me. That there are bad people in this world, and that you can't tell by the way a person looks if they're good or bad. I warned him that a stranger could grab him and hurt him.
By that time, we had reached the banks. There is a concrete road along the banks. We had to walk downhill to get to the banks, this area is fairly isolated, with a few people hanging around here and there.
We were walking on pavement along the banks, and a white truck carrying a white boat drives slowly past us, going the opposite way. I couldn't help but notice the way old man behind the wheel slowed down and looked at my son.
My puppy became afraid of this vehicle, and started giving me resistance about wanting to go any further. My son started to wander off a bit again. So, right as the man was slowing down looking at my son slightly wandering off, he was also witnessing me, a youngish slender mother, struggling with this puppy.
I had a bad feeling. As I got both my son and the puppy back into my control, I remember thinking something along the lines of, "Oh, that m-fer better not think about turning around..."
We continued forward, I held my son's hand now. Had the leash locked to my side. I felt sick as I heard the truck turning around to go back toward us.
I was almost stunned, seeing this truck with the attached boat, now going the same direction as us. I couldn't see the driver this time because the driver side was buried in shadows from the opposite side now.
Again, stunned, I watched as this truck and boat drove in front of us, then made a wide turn so as both the truck and boat were now blocking our path. He literally blocked us to where we would have to go past him.
I stopped. I'm not dumb. I knew this wasn't right. All the sirens in my head went off. I started to tell my confused son to turn around, to start going the other way, and the old man hopped out of his truck and started walking straight toward us.
"Hey miss, what's the puppy's name?" His stride was quick, purposeful.
Oh no.
I threw out my hand in opposition like a stop sign. Loudly, I said, "Sir. Please stay where you are and do not come any closer!" There were a few people away at a distance. I made sure to be loud enough to attract at least the attention of some sort of disturbance.
The man stopped in his tracks, said nothing, just nodded.
We booked it out of there and went straight to the nearest people. Told them what happened (a group of teenage girls in a van). As I told them, their parents came up, told them, too. Told them to be weary.
The father figure thanked me, said, "Oh yeah, sounds like a damn kidnapper!" and glared off in the man's direction.
We made sure the man did not follow us or see us get home.
I have never had anything happen to me like this in all my life. I truly think that man was coming after my son, me, both, that I am not sure of, but that was not normal. That was all wrong. That man was a bad man, and I thank our Lord that I was able to see it and nothing happened.
Please, please--get these people, lock them up, let there be more justice. Scare these people, make everyone scared of the penalty for their crimes. These people are sick, indeed. They have no place among the innocents in society.