Chapter 1
The day I came home from school and saw my stepfather hurting my grandmother, I thought I was going to lose the two people who loved me most.
I was only nine years old.
My name is Maya.
And until that afternoon, I believed the worst thing that could happen after school was forgetting my homework.
I was wrong.
The moment I opened our front door, I heard my grandmother scream.
"DEREK! LET GO OF ME!"
I froze.
My purple backpack slipped down my shoulder.
The house looked normal.
Sunlight poured through the tall windows.
My school shoes squeaked against the polished floor.
But near the staircase, something terrible was happening.
Derek had both hands wrapped around Grandma Evelyn's arms.
He was pushing her backward.
Grandma was trying to pull away.
Her orange blouse was twisted.
Her face looked frightened.
And Derek was shouting so loudly that I could barely understand his words.
"You think you can tell me what to do in my own house?"
Grandma shook her head.
"This isn't your house!"
Derek grabbed her harder.
I stopped breathing.
My grandmother was fifty-nine.
She was the person who made my favorite pancakes.
The person who braided my hair every morning.
The person who sat beside my bed when thunderstorms frightened me.
And now a grown man was hurting her.
"LET HER GO!"
My scream surprised even me.
Derek turned.
His eyes widened.
For one second, his hands loosened.
I dropped my backpack.
Then I ran toward them.
"MAYA!" Grandma cried.
I didn't stop.
I pushed against Derek's side with both hands.
"STOP HURTING HER!"
He barely moved.
He was much bigger than me.
His teal T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders.
He looked down at me with a face I'd never seen before.
Cold.
Angry.
Almost unrecognizable.
"Get away from me, girl!"
Grandma finally pulled free.
She grabbed my arm and pulled me behind her.
"Don't touch her!" she shouted.
Derek stepped closer.
"Then stop interfering in my business!"
Grandma looked at me.
Her voice changed.
It became urgent.
Terrified.
"Maya, run upstairs."
I shook my head.
"No, Grandma!"
She gripped my shoulders.
"Listen to me."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"Go to your room. Lock the door. Call your dad."
My stomach tightened.
My dad?
Not Mom?
I looked toward Derek.
He was breathing heavily.
His hands were shaking.
Grandma leaned closer.
"Now, sweetheart!"
I wanted to stay.
I wanted to protect her.
But something in her voice told me I had to listen.
I ran.
My feet pounded against the staircase.
Behind me, Derek shouted.
"GET BACK HERE!"
Grandma yelled something.
Then I heard a loud crash.
I almost turned around.
But Grandma screamed again.
"KEEP GOING, MAYA!"
I ran faster.
I reached my bedroom.
Slammed the door.
Turned the lock.
Then dragged my little desk chair toward it.
My hands shook so badly that I could barely move.
I stumbled behind my bed.
My purple school polo was damp with sweat.
My heart was pounding.
I reached beneath my pillow.
My phone was there.
Daddy had given it to me for emergencies.
He told me to call whenever I needed him.
Even if it was late.
Even if he was working.
Even if someone said I shouldn't.
I pressed his name.
DADDY.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then he answered.
"Hey, princess!"
His voice sounded happy.
Normal.
Like everything in the world was okay.
I started crying.
"DADDY!"
His voice changed immediately.
"Maya?"
I could barely breathe.
"Daddy, please come!"
"What happened?"
"Derek hurt Grandma!"
There was silence.
Then Daddy spoke sharply.
"Where are you?"
"In my room!"
"Is your door locked?"
"Yes!"
"Stay there."
I heard movement on his end of the call.
A chair scraping.
Footsteps.
Then Daddy said something to someone nearby.
"Call 911. Now."
I pressed the phone against my ear.
"Daddy, Grandma's downstairs!"
"I know, baby. Help is coming."
Then I heard footsteps outside my room.
Heavy.
Fast.
My stomach dropped.
Derek.
He stopped at my door.
"MAYA!"
I covered my mouth.
The handle rattled.
"OPEN THIS DOOR!"
I started shaking.
Daddy heard him.
"Maya, listen to me."
I pressed myself against the wall.
"I'm scared!"
"I know, sweetheart."
Derek slammed his fist against the door.
BANG!
I screamed.
Daddy's voice became louder.
"Stay away from the door!"
Another bang.
Then another.
Derek shouted, "WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?"
I curled into a ball.
"Daddy!"
"I'm here, Maya."
The door shook again.
I thought the lock might break.
Tears poured down my cheeks.
I remembered something Grandma always said.
"When you're frightened, remember that being brave doesn't mean you stop being scared."
I tried to breathe.
I tried to be brave.
But I was only nine.
And I wanted my dad.
Suddenly, Derek stopped pounding.
The house became quiet.
Too quiet.
Then I heard something outside.
A siren.
At first, I thought I was imagining it.
But the sound grew louder.
Then red and blue lights flashed through my bedroom window.
I crawled toward the curtains.
Three police SUVs were pulling into our driveway.
Officers were getting out.
I stared.
Downstairs, Derek shouted something.
Then I heard a door slam.
My heart pounded.
"Daddy?"
"I'm here."
"The police are outside!"
"Good, baby. Stay in your room until an officer tells you it's safe."
I nodded even though he couldn't see me.
Then I heard someone shouting downstairs.
"POLICE! OPEN THE DOOR!"
For the first time, I thought I might survive the afternoon.
But Grandma was still downstairs.
I didn't know whether she was hurt.
I didn't know whether Derek had reached her again.
And I didn't know why he had been so angry.
I lowered the phone for a moment.
On my screen, I noticed the recording application was still open.
I'd been making little videos for my cousins that morning.
I turned the camera toward myself.
My cheeks were wet.
My braids were messy.
My hands were trembling.
I looked straight into the lens.
"Want to see what my dad is gonna do to them? Hit like and check out part two in the first comment."
The words came automatically.
I'd heard older kids say them in videos.
But the moment I finished, I wished I hadn't.
This wasn't a game.
This was my grandmother.
My family.
My life.
I stopped recording.
Then I pressed the phone against my ear again.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, princess?"
My voice broke.
"Please don't let Grandma die."
There was a long silence.
Then my father whispered, "I'm doing everything I can, baby."
I started crying harder.
Because I heard something in his voice I'd never heard before.
Fear.
My father was afraid too.
Then footsteps approached my bedroom.
Someone knocked.
Three gentle knocks.
"Maya? It's Officer Harris."
I froze.
"We're here to help."
I looked toward the door.
Then heard Grandma's voice.
"Maya, sweetheart?"
My heart nearly stopped.
"GRANDMA?"
"I'm here, baby."
I crawled toward the door.
But before I could unlock it, Grandma said something that made my blood turn cold.
May you like
"Stay inside, Maya. They haven't found Derek yet."
And suddenly, I understood that even with police officers standing inside our house, the danger wasn't over.
