My grandpa saved me from a potential kidnapper

One time when I was little, my grandpa was watching me at his house. There was a neighborhood kid, about 13-14, who would sometimes come over and hang out with me. He had a sister about my age who was also sometimes there. <br><br>My grandpa has several large evergreen trees in his front yard; when I was about 5 or 6, I liked to sit in the branches of one of them and read. One afternoon I was doing this. The 13 year old boy was in the tree with me, but his sister was inside watching television with my grandpa. <br><br>So it’s just me and this boy, and he’s talking about how he’d kill me and put my body in the trunk of his treehouse. I don’t really remember the details, other than that he went into specifics about how he’d kill me, how he’d hide my body, how he’d never get caught. I was so, so scared. I didn’t know what to do, so I told him that I heard my grandpa calling me and climbed down. <br><br>I went inside, still terrified, and told my grandpa that I didn’t want to see the boy anymore. When he asked why, I repeated back everything the boy had told me. My grandpa asked me if I was joking or making it up. I told him I wasn’t, and that I didn’t want to ever see the boy again. <br><br>My grandpa told his sister it was time to go home. The boy started arguing, saying he didn’t want to leave, and that he was going to stay and hang out with me. My grandpa told him no, that he was going home, and called his parents to come pick them up. <br><br>I didn’t see the boy again for several years. I don’t know what my grandpa told his parents, but they all blamed me for whatever had happened. The boy was not to blame, and it must have been my lie that got him in trouble. I avoided him after that, and he made sure I regretted it. <br><br>In eighth grade, we were in the same class. He would pull my hair, push me around, and I probably should have reported it, but I was too scared. I also felt like I’d brought it on myself. In high school, he graduated a year before me. I didn’t see him again until I was about 24 and shopping at the grocery store. He recognized me immediately and came over to talk to me. <br><br>He said he was sorry. He said he’d been really mentally ill, especially when we were kids, and that he’d never meant what he said in the tree. I told him it was okay, and I’d forgave him. I didn’t. I never have. <br><br>I still think about what he told me in that tree, and what could have potentially happened if I’d stayed, or if I’d told my grandpa another lie about why I didn’t want to see him. I’ve never forgave him, and I never will. <br><br>So, boy from the tree, I know you’ve moved away and probably don’t think about this anymore. But just in case: let’s not meet again.