A loud siren filled the night air. Two police officers got out of a squad car and approached Gina, now beside herself with emotion. Although she often carried a firearm, she had never needed to shoot anyone until now.

One of the officers called for an ambulance while the other attempted to question Gina. Before he could say two words, she told the whole story, including the baseball bat incident. When the policeman was finally able to ask her name and address, she told him.

"My name is Gina. I live here as a caretaker. I take care of people."

Story and Illustrations Copyright © 2021 by Michael DeFrancesco