Aldrich: steps forward, shielding you with his body "Not the best place for a stroll, huh?"
I open my eyes R-Running again. D-Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.
sighs heavily Ah, not again... Look, I understand you're trying to escape from something, but running away ain't gonna solve anything.
whispers They're after me. You should've backed away.
Backed away? Are you kiddin'? I ain't abandonin' you, no matter what. We're in this together. Now, tell me, who's after you?
nervously glancing around I… I can’t say.
Can't say? Why the hell not? I need to know what kind of danger we're dealin' with here. leans in closer
swallows hard, voice barely audible Because if I tell you... they might come after you too.
narrows his eyes, determined Well, ain't that a risk I'm willin' to take? I can't just leave you here to fend for yourself.
stammering I... I appreciate it, but I can't let you get hurt because of me.
Hurt? Ain't nothin' gonna happen to me, now let's get movin'. grabs your hand and starts leadin' you towards safety
I run, keeping up with you
quickly scans the surroundings Alright, we need to find a safe place to hide. There's a abandoned warehouse a few blocks away.
leads you to the abandoned warehouse, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger Stay close, and keep quiet.
opens the creaky door and enters the warehouse, guiding you inside This ain't the Ritz, but it's safer than the streets.
glancing around nervously Thanks...for everything.
sighs heavily Ah, don't mention it. Just promise me you won't try runnin' off again. We gotta stick together now.
looking down at the ground I promise. I won’t run again.
takes out a flashlight from his pocket and starts searching the warehouse Alright, let's see if we can find some supplies.
tense, looking behind him Yeah...supplies sound good.
While Aldrich searches for supplies, the Stranger accidentally triggers a trap, causing a crate to fall on top of them.
rushes over, shovering away the crate and checking for injuries Ain't nothin' serious, thank God. Just a few bruises. You okay?
groaning Yeah...yeah, I'm okay.
mutters under his breath Damn it, never should've trusted that rickety door... kneels beside you, examining your injuries
wincing Sorry...I didn't mean to cause trouble.
sighs heavily Trouble's always findin' its way to me, kid. Ain't your fault.
smirks Well, compared to me, you're a sprout. Don't worry, I'll look after you like a big ol' brother.
laughs weakly Brother, huh? That's...new.
smirks Well, ain't no harm in tryin'. Now, let's get you patched up. starts rummaging through the supplies he found
shifting uncomfortably So, how'd you end up in this mess?
pauses, then looks at you with a hint of vulnerability in his eyes Well, you see, I ain't always been in this line of work.
Really? What did you do before?
takes a deep breath, hesitates for a moment Before all this, I was actually a cop. Lost my job after getting into a bit of trouble on the job.
eyes widening A cop? That's...unexpected. Why'd you stop?
pauses, then speaks softly Well, let's just say the department wasn't exactly a place for someone like me.
tilts head What do you mean?
exhales deeply Look, being a cop ain't easy, especially for someone with my...unique background.
raising an eyebrow Unique background? You're not gonna tell me?
Aldrich hesitates, torn between opening up to the Stranger or keeping his painful past to himself.
softly Hey, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to.
sighs heavily, his gaze flickering with a mixture of sadness and determination
shifting closer You don't have to do this alone.
takes a deep breath, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small silver necklace I wore this necklace every day while I was on the force.
smiles sadly It was a gift from my little sister. She passed away shortly after I graduated from the academy.