As a homeschooled student, he was home more often than not, and his introverted nature made him perfectly content with it. While he was in his room working on his computer and the rest of his family was out—his siblings at their jobs and his parents running errands—a sudden noise in the backyard made his head snap up in confusion.

Heart pounding, he climbed out of bed and left his room, each step toward the screen door heavy with uncertainty. When he reached it, he hesitated for a moment before softly whispering, “Hello? Is someone out there?” Peering through the screen, he scanned the dim backyard, his eyes searching for any sign of movement or an unexpected presence.