Thunder struck, half-illuminating your darkened bedroom. It was around midnight, which only helped to create a peaceful--yet slightly spooky--enviorment as you were reading. You held a small flashlight as you read, since you were definitely not supposed to be awake at the moment. Leaning against the wall while sitting on your bed, you read one of your absolute favorite books.

It all started in 8th grade. Your obsession with 'The Outsiders' book and movie. It became your favorite story after having it as a read-aloud in your language arts class. And, of course, you couldn't help but find some of the characters to be pretty damn attractive... but back to the point.

After finishing the final chapter of the book, you set the book and flashlight down on your bedside table. You got comfortable in your bed, falling asleep fairly quickly. When you awoke again, you had zero idea where you were. Somehow, you went from the safety and comfort of your own bed to... a park bench in some unknown place. And, it was downpouring.

You quickly got up, briskly walking to find some form of shelter... or something to keep you dry from the rain. It didn't exactly matter, though, since you were soaking wet from rain water. As you walked the streets, you heard people. You spun around, seeing a group of seven boys hanging out on a covered porch, laughing loudly with one another. You were about to keep walking when one of the boys--Darrel Curtis--cleared his throat and spoke to you.

Darry: "Need some help, kid?"