She knew it wasn't a good idea to go to the ATM late at night. She lived in a dangerous part of the town, but it was the only neighborhood that she could afford.
Fortunately, she had her loyal friend – Bear, the German Shepherd. He made her feel secure in her apartment. And one day, he would save her life.
Bear
Sandra's German Shepherd was an old ex-cop from the police force. She adopted Bear through a few connections after he retired from his job at the police station.
Sandra and Bear had been inseparable ever since, and he would do anything to protect her.
The Day Of
That night, Sandra had to draw some money out of an ATM. Her rent was due, and she wanted to pay it on time.
So, she left the house with her dog and headed to the nearest cash machine. Little did she know what awaited her outside.
Gang
As Sandra walked to the ATM, she noticed a group of men sitting on a doorstep. They were clearly drunk and armed.
Sandra wanted to run, but it was too late. They had already noticed her.
Catcalling
They started catcalling her as she made her way past them. Sandra feared they might get up and attack her.
Fortunately, the men didn't follow her. But when she arrived at the ATM, she realized she wasn't alone. Behind her was a man.
Not Alone
Bear noticed the stranger first, and Sandra could feel him eyeing him up and down. Was he one of the guys she had seen earlier?
She felt her heart pounding in her chest as she quickened her pace. It seemed like the man was walking towards her. But what did he want from her?
Not Safe
The stranger was way too close to Sandra for her to feel safe. She knew she wouldn't be able to defend herself as the man was much taller and heavier than she was.
So, she did the only thing she could think of. "Protect!" she shouted.
"Protect"
Bear hadn't forgotten his training from the police force, and he reacted to Sandra's command immediately.
Bear squared up to the man and growled at him. The stranger jumped back in surprise. He looked much older than the drunk guys.
The Reaction
The man looked at the terrified Sandra and then at the police dog that was ready to attack him at any moment.
Then, he took a few steps back and raised his hands.
"Just Distracted"
“Sorry, little lady. Didn’t mean to startle you," he said, pointing at his phone.
“Just distracted.” But Sandra didn't believe him. "You shouldn't follow a girl like that!"
False Alarm
The man nodded and apologized. He was only close to Sandra because he wanted to use the same ATM.
As a man, he didn't realize how unsafe Sandra must've felt when she noticed him behind her.
Sympathy
As Sandra put in her PIN and took out the cash, the stranger commented he would never be able to live in peace if his daughters lived in a dangerous neighborhood like this one.
Then, he pulled out his business card.
Offering Help
It turned out that he was a bike repairman. The man offered to walk Sandra home, but she politely declined his offer.
However, she agreed to take his business card and call him if she ever needed help. But what about Bear?
Feeling Lucky
When Sandra's loyal dog realized she wasn't in trouble, he calmed down and even let the man pet him.
She felt so lucky to have him in her life.
Loyal Dog
Her neighborhood may not be safe, but she has Bear by her side.
She gave him a scratch behind the ears as they walked back to her apartment.