Why Meeting a Stranger at the Bar Was the Scariest Thing That Happened to Me

So, I was at this bar one night, just unwinding after a long day, when I struck up a conversation with this random guy. Seemed like a 'really nice guy.' You know, just one of those people you can talk to easily. We ended up hanging out a few more times at that same bar, drinking, chatting about random stuff—nothing too serious. I thought I’d made a new friend. But then, one day, the guy just stopped showing up. I didn’t think much of it—people move on, right? A few weeks later, though, I get this jury duty notice in the mail. I show up, thinking it’s just another boring civic duty. But when I get to the courtroom and see the defendant... my heart nearly stops. It's the guy from the bar. My ‘really nice’ drinking buddy. Turns out, the guy was Derrick Todd Lee—yeah, the Baton Rouge Serial Killer. I couldn’t believe it. I had been having drinks with a cold-blooded killer. They obviously dismissed me from jury duty, but the thought still haunts me. How close I had been... to real darkness. You never really know who’s sitting next to you, do you?