Is he going to CoOk Me???!!

Gabriel used to run from everything. Something would trigger him to run and there was no way to stop him. Gabriel was a fast five year old who would dash without any warning. We had two other children, a baby and a 3 year old making it even more challenging to know when he would take off.
Once he could open doors, we had locks at the top of every door. Anyone who entered our home was warned about the necessity of the locks at the top of door. Every exit had extra locks in order to keep Gabriel safe in our home.
We were able to add a tracking device to his ankle when he was in kindergarden. Somehow he was able to get outside of the school twice, one time it was winter and freezing. He didn't have a jacket on and he was found the playground. Once he ran away from me at my parent's house. He ran full force toward my parent's horses and grabbed their electric fence. I am grateful that my parents had it set on a low setting. I still called Gabriel's cardiologit to make sure that his little zap wouldn't make his heart condition worse.
The plastic anklet was free through a grant given to the Sioux City police department. I checked the battery every evening and a police officer went to the school to change the battery once a month. If Gabriel was missing more than five minutes, all the adults in Gabriel's life knew to call 911 if he was missing more than five minutes. Once the police departmen was alerted, they guaranteed that he would be found in 30 minutes or less. They used volunteers who were trained in search and rescue as well as a helicopter.
When we went on trips to Omaha or Sioux Falls, out of state, I had a lump in my throat. The program wasn't necessarily available in those locations and the risk of losing him seemed even higher.
We had locks on all of the doors in Celebration last year but Gabriel has outgrown his need for running. He no longer leaves the premises without letting us know. We can even allow him the freedom to walk outside without hovering over him. Gabriel takes the trash to the unattached garage and comes back in the house without a problem. This really is an incredible development for him. I keep an eye on him and remind him about busy roads but I no longer feel like I'm going to puke every time we are near those busy streets. I am comfortable about him being at the school and no longer fear any escape route.
A year ago, I visited many private and public schools. At each school, I surveyed the escape route risk factor. Where were the fences? Were they on busy road? Was the school a closed in building or one with classroom doors facing the outside?
While I am ecstatic that things have changed in regards to Gabriel's running, he now has new fears. Strangers make him fearful. His reaction to strangers is extreme.

At the library one day, Gabriel was nervous about the older librarian I was talking to. He started asking if she was going to cook him. I told him no she wouldn't but it wasn't enough. He shoved his head in the back of my shirt, rearranging my clothing completely. She asked how old Gabriel is and seemed surprised that he is 8 years old.
It seems to be happening in any situation where he is nervous. Gabriel makes a little screeching sound and then yells, "Is he/she going to COOK ME?!!" I think this idea came from Hansel and Gretel but I'm not entirely positive. It's an odd thing to yell in public, no matter where the idea originated.
I explain that Gabriel is nervous and introduce the person to Gabriel and he seems to be better at that point. So far it has been working but this new anxiety has created some awkard moments.