Beginning of Essay
Ryan and I were the closest of friends. Our childhood lives were filled with a never-ending number of adventures. Getting out of the house was our favorite thing to do, not because we were avoiding a fear from being inside or because we were prisoners of any sor ....

Middle of Essay
.... the old man, stomping out the screen door with his fist raised and yelling at us, threatening to call our mother. Eventually he'd go back inside after he realized he couldn't find us, even though we were crouching behind the nearby pines at the edge of his yard. Still waiting at least ten more minutes (to see if the old crab would emerge from his door) Ryan and I would plan our escape route. A quick sprint down the road would bring us to our destination: the backyard tree fort. It was a plan. A decent plan. The tree house was where we spent most of our time. It served as our very own private room and office. There we'd plan "attacks," brush u ....