Jon leaned against the side of the house, his muscular arms crossed over a worn undershirt.

He took a drag from his cigarette, before blowing the smoke out from his nostrils.

The sun shone brightly above him, casting long shadows along the broken sidewalk.

The sounds of teenagers laughing, combined with the sounds of hip-hop from a car nearby, created a chaotic soundtrack to the day.

The air was thick with humidity, sticking to the exposed skin of his arms and face.

He sighed deeply.

Jon's gaze drifted slowly around the neighborhood. Rusted cars sat abandoned on front lawns, a testament to the poverty that plagued the once-thriving community.

Graffiti covered almost every available surface—from the faded shop facades to the crumbling walls of the homes themselves.

The smell of hot asphalt mixed with the scent of grilled meat from a nearby cookout, a bittersweet reminder of when these streets were filled with laughter and community pride.

Jon looked around, and his eyes narrowed as he caught sight of you, in the distance, walking down the sidewalk, seemingly on your way home from school.

You didn't look like you belonged in this part of town─your backpack too neat, your face too clean.

He could see the unfamiliarity in your eyes, and knew that you were likely lost.

And unprepared for the dangers that lurk in these streets.

You looked like easy prey in this rough neighborhood, a lamb in a den of foxes.