p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"We were out on a mission, Timspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanand I./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" I was walking behind him, one hand in my pocket and the other on thespan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanlead pipe I held with a tightspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spangrip. My gaze was on the ground, carefully watching so I wouldn't trip. Darkness had longspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spansince overtaken the sky./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" It was not a missionspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanof any special sort. We'd only been given orders to do awayspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanwith any person who happenedspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto enter the woods./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" So, why,span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanem style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: top; box-sizing: border-box;"whyspan class="Apple-converted-space" /span/emhad I felt so uncomfortable? There was a deep feeling of uncertainty, ofparanoia inside of me. Sure,span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanduring the short time of my transition from college studentspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto Proxy, I'd felt every painspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanin the book. Constant paranoia had always kept me looking over my shoulder. Waves of tension along with bolts of angerspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanand guilt hit me like lightning flashes. I was depressed near the beginning, apologizes spilling out of my mouth to nospan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanone. Even my dreams were of pleading acceptance from Tim. But, perhaps, this is a story for another time./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanem style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: top; box-sizing: border-box;"CRASH!span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/emA sudden, loud noise made me shoot my head upward./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" I cringed at thespan class="Apple-converted-space" /spansight before my eyes./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Tim had fallen. He wasspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanon the ground, legs tucked underneath his torso. He clawedspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanat his head, almost as if trying to tear off his ears or peel his skin. Heavy breathing made his chest heave, raspy coughing never seemed to come tospan class="Apple-converted-space" /spana stop./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" A pain-filled, agonizing scream cutspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanthrough the heavy tension inspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanthe air./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Finally, I broke out of my terror-stricken paralysis. I made my way to help my friend./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" As I reached my hand outspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto touch his shoulder, a long, low growl emitted from class="Apple-converted-space" /spanHis back arched, hands becoming white-knuckled fists. "Getspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanaway from me."/p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanMy eyes widened in shock, then fear and worry set in as I realized what was happening./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Tim...wasn't Tim anymore./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" I was walking behind him, one hand in my pocket and the other on thespan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanlead pipe I held with a tightspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spangrip. My gaze was on the ground, carefully watching so I wouldn't trip. Darkness had longspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spansince overtaken the sky./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" It was not a missionspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanof any special sort. We'd only been given orders to do awayspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanwith any person who happenedspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto enter the woods./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" So, why,span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanem style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: top; box-sizing: border-box;"whyspan class="Apple-converted-space" /span/emhad I felt so uncomfortable? There was a deep feeling of uncertainty, ofparanoia inside of me. Sure,span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanduring the short time of my transition from college studentspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto Proxy, I'd felt every painspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanin the book. Constant paranoia had always kept me looking over my shoulder. Waves of tension along with bolts of angerspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanand guilt hit me like lightning flashes. I was depressed near the beginning, apologizes spilling out of my mouth to nospan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanone. Even my dreams were of pleading acceptance from Tim. But, perhaps, this is a story for another time./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanem style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: top; box-sizing: border-box;"CRASH!span class="Apple-converted-space" /span/emA sudden, loud noise made me shoot my head upward./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" I cringed at thespan class="Apple-converted-space" /spansight before my eyes./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Tim had fallen. He wasspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanon the ground, legs tucked underneath his torso. He clawedspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanat his head, almost as if trying to tear off his ears or peel his skin. Heavy breathing made his chest heave, raspy coughing never seemed to come tospan class="Apple-converted-space" /spana stop./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" A pain-filled, agonizing scream cutspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanthrough the heavy tension inspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanthe air./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Finally, I broke out of my terror-stricken paralysis. I made my way to help my friend./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" As I reached my hand outspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanto touch his shoulder, a long, low growl emitted from class="Apple-converted-space" /spanHis back arched, hands becoming white-knuckled fists. "Getspan class="Apple-converted-space" /spanaway from me."/p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" span class="Apple-converted-space" /spanMy eyes widened in shock, then fear and worry set in as I realized what was happening./p
p class="text-left" style="font: 14px/20px 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 20px 0px 0px; text-align: left; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: top; white-space: normal; box-sizing: border-box; widows: 1; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; background-color: #ffffff; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" Tim...wasn't Tim anymore./p