It was a dark and dreary night in the city of Manhattan. Tim, a 10-year-old boy, was walking down a lane quivering due to the cold of the winter. He was depressed because he knew that it was going to be a bitter winter season, his clothes were tattered and didn’t offer him warmth. Tim wandered around the city searching for a shelter for the night. He kept knocking on doors even though he knew that the majority of people were asleep. The night was getting colder and darker each passing movement. The only thing that guided him through the night was the meek street lamps. Then, a sudden gust of wind arose and swept the few dollars he had in his pocket. He tried to chase the money, but soon gave up hope. “Why me?" he cried in grief. He decided that he would resume his search for a place to stay and buy a meager meal with the few pennies he was left with as he hadn’t eaten anything since morning. Sadly, the problem was that not many stores were open at that time. When he reached a dark alley, he turned right and took a few steps forward, but then he heard an unexpected, "thunk, thunk, thunk" behind him. He took a few more steps into the light and saw a silhouette of a man behind him. He did not even dare to glance back and quickened his pace. Then, he broke into a sprint. He ran until his legs were tired and went into a shop. He told the shopkeeper that someone was pursuing him, but when the shopkeeper went out, there wasn't a sign of a single soul. Tim thought that he must've hallucinated due to his hunger and weariness. So, he bought a bottle of water and a protein bar with all his leftover money and exited the shop. Now, he had to find a place to rest for the night. He kept walking around, knocking on door after door but, everyone was sleeping. After about an, he was tired and cold. So, he decided to find some newspapers which he could use to keep himself warm. He remembered that he had seen a dumpster at the shadowy alley where he had been earlier. He went back to the alley and started checking the dumpster for newspapers. He found some papers and decided to sleep at the far end of the alley but, right when he was about to go there, he saw the silhouette of a man walking towards him. He quickly got out of the dumpster and searched for a way to escape, but the alley was a dead-end. He waited as the man came closer. Tim was scared because he did not know the intentions of the mysterious man. But, as the man came closer, Tim wasn't scared because he looked friendly. "Why are you following me?" Tim asked. To which the man replied, "I just want to return your money". The man told Tim that he was returning from work when he saw Tim chasing after the money and collapsing due to fatigue. Then the man told him that his name was Mr. Danson and that he found Tim's money and wanted to return it to him. Tim thanked Mr. Danson for returning his money, bid him farewell, and walked away.

“Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it… that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.”
— Dale Carnegie