So just to let you know, this is pretty much BS'd for English class.
Because I'm tired and need to get everything done as fast as I can.

There's no absolute clear moral to this story, so feel free to think up your own.
But overconfidence is part of it... at least. To me it is.



	A young man, quite skilled in persuasion and deception, set out to achieve fortune
and status. For years, he persuaded those with a large influence in the community to
do him favors—to get him a well paying job, to supply him with money when he was
out of work—anything he really wanted. Unfortunately for this man, they started
catching on; they realized they would never be repaid for their help, and he would
soon abandon them. All of his financial support was cut, and he was left with
nothing but some clothes and an unloaded gun. He had no money, no shelter, and no
food.
	He resorted to living in the cramped alleyways, eating food that had been thrown
out. Though, it only took him a few weeks before he came up with an idea. He had a
gun. He didn’t have enough to buy bullets, but no one had to know that.
	He wandered from city to city. Under the secrecy of the night, he would sneak into
the residential areas nearby and scare the families into giving him money and
valuables. He always took a child as a hostage, in case they wanted to attempt to
call for help. They wouldn’t know if the gun was loaded or not. He knew no one
would risk their child’s life to find out.
	He did this for months without ever being tracked down by the police. What a
great idea, he would think. I could live like this until I accumulate enough
to survive on my own. No one can catch me. I’m invincible. House after house
after house were struck, his attacks unpredictable. He would cover his tracks by
hitting a house, or maybe a few, and then disappearing for days or weeks. No
investigators were able to find any visible pattern as to where he hit and how often
he hit.
	He soon let it get to his head. He knew he was superior. He knew he could run
forever. Or at least, he thought so. One evening, he came to find that he was
running very low on money. He had gone about a month without attacking so he would
lose anyone who was on his tail. His idea was to walk and scope out potential houses
to hit, and he found one that caught his eye. It was secluded, stocked with
valuables, and the only one who lived in the house was an elderly lady. This would
be the biggest hit yet. He went back to his motel room, which he placed under an
alias, to set up for this hit. Within a few hours, he was ready. It was getting
dark, the perfect time to set out.
	Staked out in the back of the house, he waited for an opportunity to slip in. And
he found it. A window on the first floor was open, and he made his way through the
house. First step, find the hostage. The elderly lady was found in her room
upstairs, and he quickly led her by gunpoint to show him where she kept her most
valuable possessions. Unfortunately for him, he overlooked the fact that this house
had a security system, and the police had already been notified and on their way. He
was able to collect up a good amount of gold jewelry and cash before sirens were
heard outside. “WE KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP. YOU ARE
SURROUNDED.”
	It’s good, you got this. They won’t move if you’ve got the hostage. He slowly
moved to the front of the house, stepping out with the elderly lady at gunpoint.
“YOU MOVE, AND I SHOOT. ARE YOU GOING TO RISK HER LIFE, NOW?”
	The police hesitated and lowered their guns. They would get in serious trouble with
the department if she died because of their actions. They talked between themselves,
trying to figure out what to do next. To their surprise, one officer stepped up and
raised his gun. They shouted at him, “Stop! What are you doing? You idiot!”
	“HEY, I WARNED YOU. SHE’S GOOD AS DE—“ 

--CRACK--
	“Sometimes, you just gotta take that risk. He wouldn’t have the guts anyway;
it’s all bravado,” the officer said, as he lowered his gun. “Now go see if she
needs medical attention.”
	The police all rushed up to the front to mark off the scene and help the elderly
lady to somewhere safer. With gloves on, an officer picked up and examined the gun
for evidence. 
	
	“Sir… it’s unloaded.”