I recently wrote about the sex trafficking issues in my college town. Now I'm writing about meeting traffickers face-to-face in my hometown — and I had absolutely no idea.

My boyfriend and I were recently at the outlet mall near my hometown in the suburbs of Chicago. It was a weekday evening, but the outdoor mall was still busy and full of people. As we were making out way towards the exit, we were approached by two women who asked if they could have a moment of our time. I think they thought I was alone until my boyfriend came up beside me. Being the people we are, my boyfriend and I said sure. It didn't seem too off-putting.

It was just two women, right? Wrong.

These women talked to us about some random "God the Mother" religious belief. They asked us if we were over 18. They never said their names. They never mentioned what church they were from or even their religion. One of the women looked so uncomfortable and nervous the entire time the other woman talked to us. The woman who did all the talking then invited us to an address to "join their bible study."

My boyfriend and I politely declined. The women seemed nice enough, just a bit strange. Plus, we are Catholic and not looking to change that (especially to a belief as strange as God being a woman). We said our goodbyes, even as the woman continued to try to talk to us about our personal lives, etc., and walked away.

The vibe I got off them wasn't necessarily bad. It was just... weird. I felt in my gut that something was off, but I just couldn't place it at the time, so I let it go.

Fast forward to today, about a week after this encounter. I came across this thread on Twitter and my heart about stopped.

At first, I thought, "No way this is true." But then I did some research. Not only is this "church" often referred to as a cult, this ploy is a suspected trafficking scheme. After talking to my mom, a trauma coordinator at a local hospital, she informed me that her team works with the local county police force and our health department with these issues because sex and human trafficking has tripled in my county within the past year.

To say I am unnerved is an understatement. I read through the comments on this girl's Twitter thread and encountered some truly horrifying stories about encounters other women have had. It makes me sick to think that had I not been with my boyfriend or had I been naive enough to go to that address under the guise of a "bible study," I wouldn't be writing this article.

I think the lesson here is that you can never be too careful or cautious. After going back and forth with getting a gun for the past year or so, this experience has convinced me that it is a necessity and I will be concealed-carrying when I head back to school. While these women didn't seem inherently creepy or pushy, they gave off an odd vibe that I could not place. Always go with your gut. If you think something is off, it probably is and you need to do something about it.

If you or someone you know is a victim of human or sex trafficking, please call or text the sex trafficking hotline.