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I still couldn't process what was happening through my brain. I felt confused and disoriented until I put my experiences into sentences.

"My mom thinks I'm a criminal so I ran away. After I ran into the woods, I came face-to-face with the real criminal."

Ima smirked at me, and waited for my reply. I began to back away, but suddenly I stopped. That smirk... it was so familiar. Was it my own? Or.... had I seen this girl before but never noticed her? I washed away my previous thoughts and reminded myself that this girl could kill me any second.

Ima's expression didn't change; I could tell she was planning something... and that plan most likely involved me.

Now I had a couple of choices. I could go along with her and follow her plan, I could run back inside and beg for my mom to forget what just happened, or I could run away.

I chose running away. Ducking past low branches and trying not to trip on the fallen leaves and wood pieces, I tried to run as far away from Ima as I could. I didn't want to get tangled up in any kind of mess involving her. Who knows, I could probably end up in jail sitting next to this kid.

Ima didn't seem surprised. She sped past my house, ducking and jumping in the places she had to, just like me. Finally she seemed to have caught up to me, and she stood in my way. I stopped right in front of her; I had almost run over Ima.

"You know, the police may be after me, and I do have a criminal record, but that doesn't mean I would go off killing anyone I see. And I certainly wouldn't want to kill anyone who looks exactly like me," Ima said wittily.

I decided to stop running and just stay there. All my fear was dissolving into curiosity. What was Ima going to do? Why was I the only one she could use? Why was my mom so weird about this case? And most of all, why do I look exactly like Ima?

"You don't have to pretend that you don't know what's going on." Ima spoke. She was so clear, so loud, as if she owned the world. "You already know that I'm trying to kidnap you."

Kidnap me! That's what she was going to do! But what benefit was she going to gain from kidnapping Dakota Winfrey?

"I have something to show you." Ima lead me through the woods, and I had just realized that I had not spoken a word so far.