Each and every day, children, teenagers, and adults are being abducted. According to a report from the FBI's National Crime Investigation Center, there were more than 800,000 active missing person reports in the U.S. at the start of 2015. Thinking about the reality of kidnappings is more than just scary: it's horrifying.

Recently, I was at work following my normal routine. I was sweeping the floor, rearranging products, cleaning shelves, and then in walked a man. I proceeded to speak to him and ask him how I could assist him, and that's when the gut-feeling hit me. Something was not right. He questioned me about a beauty product that I use and asked if I could come outside for just a second and check out all the products he has. I instantly thought of what I was taught as a child in elementary school about never following a stranger to their car to see a puppy.

I instantly began to tell this man that I couldn't leave the store unattended and that he should come back by the store later in the week when the owner would be present to check out his products. He kept insisting that I come outside and I kept telling him to come back later. He finally left and I sat there thinking about how I could have been his next victim and how making up a quick lie, I could have possibly saved my life.

I know when someone comes into the store and is being honest about the products he or she is asking us to promote at my workplace. We allow a lady to sell soaps and bath salts in our store, and the first day she walked in asking us to sell her goods, I was not approached in the way this man approached me. The way he approached and questioned me is what caused me to believe there was more to the story than what he was actually telling me.

I have never actually been abducted, but this situation made me realize that abduction is becoming more and realer every day. The world that we live in is rapidly changing, and crazier things happen each day. Whether you are the victim of a kidnapping or you are the victim of bullying, being the victim is not a joking matter. You have no control over the predator's actions and you are helpless.

So, next time you are put in a situation at your work, school, home, or even Walmart, never let your guard down. Always trust your gut instinct, because your gut really does know what is the best solution. If I would have let my guard down and went to see what "perfumes" this man had, I could have possibly been the victim and could have never gotten to finish school and get my degree, go home and see my family, or grow up and start a family of my own.

With this being said, don't be afraid to go places. Although the world we live in seems to get a little crazier each day, we must be steadfast in our every duty. We should go and experience things like we wish to do--we just need to be aware of our surroundings and understand that abductions happen daily and we must continue to find ways to stop them.