Scary Stories

A girl is sitting wrapped up in blankets in front of the fireplace. It is dark and cold, and she is scrolling on her phone when she comes across a heart-stopping article: “Van prepped for kidnappings stopped by police in Eindhoven; Two arrests so far”Politie rijdt kidnapbus klem in Eindhoven en pakt twee mannen op. She immediately calculates where she was during the arrest; she lives only three blocks away from where it happened. Apparently, the van is suspected of having been used for kidnapping before. The girl turns off her phone and leans back in her chair. Stories about kidnappings and rape always seem like things that would never actually happen to you, things your parents warn you about but that you never paid any heed. But two people being arrested so close to home has served as a wake-up call: it can happen to anyone, at any time and place. The next time she is out on the street alone, she will make sure to be careful, watchful. Always let someone know when she is going out on her own, especially at night, when there are often very few other people around. You never know.