> > > >> Subject: scary > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > 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 > > > >ran the rest of the way to her house. Once inside, > > > >she leaned against the door for a moment, relieved > > > >to be in 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 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: We are the Canton Cats. We have tiger > > > >paws on our uniforms. They are really kool. > > > >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 came 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 seventh 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 the ball park 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 > > > >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 > > > >moved cautiously to a chair across from the man > > > >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 find 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 give out too much information > > > >to people on-line. You told me enough about yourself > > > >to make it easy for me to find you. Your 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 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" > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > >"I won't," Shannon promised solemnly. > > > >"Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?" > > > >"It's a promise!" > > > > > > > >That night Shannon and her dad and Mom all knelt > > > >down together and prayed. They thanked God for > > > >protecting Shannon from what could have been a > > > >tragic situation. > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > ********************* > > > >Please send this to as many people as you can to > > > >teach them not to give any information about > > > >themselves. This world we live in today is too > > > >dangerous to even give out your age, let alone > > > >anything else. > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > >EVEN FORWARD THIS TO PEOPLE WITHOUT > > > >KIDS SO THEY CAN SEND IT TO FRIENDS > > > >