> > Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward home.
> > The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster. "You're being
> > silly, she told herself, "no one is following you." To be safe, she
> > began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with her pace. She was
> > afraid to look back and she was glad she was almost home.
> Shannon >said a
> > quick prayer, "God please get me home safe." She saw the porch
> >light burning and she leaned against the door for a moment,
> relieved >to be i n the safety of her home. She glanced out the
> window to see >if anyone was there. The sidewalk was empty.
> >
> > After tossing her books on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack
> >and get on-line . She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.
> >She checked her Buddy List and saw GoTo123 was on. She sent him an
> instant message:
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > Hi. I'm glad you are on! I thought someone was following me home today.
> >It was really weird!
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > LOL You watch too much TV. Why would someone be following you?
> >Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > Of course I do. LOL I guess it was my imagination cuz' I didn't see
> > & nbsp; Anybody when I looked out.
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > Unless you gave your name out on-line. You haven't done that have you?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > Did you have a softball game after school today?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > Yes and we won!!
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > That's great! Who did you play?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > We played the Hornets. LOL. Their uniforms are so gross! They
> >look like bees. LOL
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > What is your team called?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > &nb sp; We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger paws on our uniforms. They
> >are really cool.
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > Did you pitch?
> >
> > ByAngel213:
> > No I play second base. I got to go. My homework has to be done
> >before my parents get home. I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
> >
> > GoTo123:
> > Catch you later. Bye
> >
> > Meanwhile......GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to
> >search for her profile. When it cam! e up, he highlighted it and
> >printed it out. He took out a pen and began to write down what he
> knew about Angel so far.
> >
> > Her name: Shannon
> > Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
> > Age: 13
> > ; State where she lived: North Carolina
> >
> > Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
> > Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she
> >had just told him. He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m.
> >every afternoon until her parents came home from work. He knew she
> >played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the
> >team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7 was printed
> on her jersey.
> > He knew she was in the eighth grade at the Canton Junior High School.
> > She had told him all this in the conversations they had on-
> line. >He had enough information to find her now.
> >
> > Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way
> home >from th e ballpark that day. She didn't want them to make a
> scene and >stop her from walking home from the softball games.
> Parents were >always overreacting
> > and hers were the worst. It made her wish she was not an only child.
> >Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her parents wouldn't be so
> >overprotective.
> >
> > By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following her.
> >
> > Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone
> staring >at her. It was then that the memory came back. She glanced
> up from >her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
> >
> > He was leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled
> >when she looked at him. He didn't look scary and she quickly
> >dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.
> >
> > After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the
> >coach. She noticed his smile once again as she! walked past him. He
> >nodded and she smiled back. He noticed her name on the back of her
> >shirt. He knew he had found her.
> >
> > Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind her. It was only a few
> >blocks to Shannon's home, and once he saw where she lived he quickly
> >returned to the park to get his car.
> >
> > Now he had to wait. He decided to get a bite to eat until the
> >time came to go to Shannon's house. He drove to a fast food
> >restaurant and sat there until time to make his move.
> >
> > Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices
> >in the living room.
> >
> > "Shannon, come here," her father called. He sounded upset and she
> > couldn't imagine why. She went into the room to see the man from
> >the ballpark sitting on the sofa.
> >
> > "Sit down," her father began, "this man has just told us a most
> > interesting story about you."
> >
> > Shannon sat back. How could he tell her parents anything? She had
> > never seen him before today!
> >
> > "Do you know who I am, Shannon?" the man asked.
> >
> > "No," Shannon answered.
> >
> > "I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
> >
> > Shannon was stunned. "That's impossible! GoTo is a kid my age! He's 14.
> >And he lives in Michigan!"
> >
> > The man smiled. "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true. You
> > see, Shannon, there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I
> >was one of them. But while others do it to injure kids and hurt
> >them, I belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from
> >predators. I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is
> >to talk to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself to make
> >it easy for me to find you. You name the school you went to, the
> >name of your ball team and the position you played. The number and
> >name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
> >
> > Shannon was stunned. "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
> >
> > He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh. It made you feel safe to&nbs p; think I
> > was so far away, didn't it?"
> >
> > She nodded.
> >
> > "I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky.
> >
> >
> > The guy found her and murdered her while she was home alone.
> Kids >are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet they do
> it >all the time on-line. The wrong people trick you into giving out
> >information a little here and there on-line. Before you know it,
> you >have told them enough for them to find you without even
> realizing >you have done it. I hope you've learned a lesson from
> this and won't >do it again. Tell others about this so they will be
> safe too?"
> >
> > "It's a promise!"
> >
> > That night Shannon an d her Dad and Mom all knelt down together
> >and thanked God for protecting Shannon from what could have been a
> >tragic situation.
> >
> > *****NOW*****
> >
> >
> > Please send this to as many people as you can to teach them not
> >to give any information about them selves. This world we live in
> >today is too dangerous to even give out your age, let alone
> anything else.
> >
>
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Lucky Days??????????
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