The Weird guy on my frontyard

When I was 9, I was home alone for an hour after school. One day, I heard a cat-like noise from the patio. I went to check, thinking it was my missing cat, but instead saw a tall man with long black hair covering his eyes. He was standing on my patio, making high-pitched meowing sounds, and eating cigarette butts out of the ashtray. A brown liquid was running down his chin.

Terrified, I ran upstairs, locked my door, and called my mom. The police arrived and tried to talk to him, but he didn't respond. When they jumped the fence, the man charged a female officer and knocked her out cold before being tased by her partner.

Later, the police explained that the man, Tom, had severe autism and had escaped from a nearby facility. He used to live in my house with his mother before she died, and he was just trying to go "home." Years later, as an adult, I saw him again. Instead of calling the cops, I invited him in to watch cartoons. Now, Tom and his caretakers visit me every Sunday. It started as a "Let's Not Meet" nightmare and turned into a lifelong friendship.