Why didn’t I go to school that day? I know I should have, and if I had this maybe they would have never come, and the doors would have been locked. I told my mom I didn’t feel well, so she let me stay home while she took my sister to school and went to work for the day.

I heard a knock at the door as I was lying in bed. I slowly got up out of my bed and tiptoed to the hallway. Who was at the front door? I wondered. I crept into my parents’ bedroom; their window had a straight-shot view to the porch. I moved the curtain away with my hand. The light blinded my vision for a quick second until I could readjust to the brightness. A huge African American man was standing outside my door. He was wearing a black and yellow checkered hoodie, black jeans, and black shoes. I had no idea who he was. I felt frozen with fear, staring at him like I wanted to do something but I couldn’t. The only thing I could think about doing was calling my mom. I ducked down from the window and crawled across the floor to grab my phone off the nightstand. The knocking became more constant; it wouldn’t stop. I didn’t know what to do at this point: was he going to come into my home and kill me? My mind was spinning with questions that I couldn’t answer. I didn’t know what would happen next. I was thinking about my family, my friends, my life, all wrapped up into one collection of memories flashing before my eyes. I could be dead or kidnapped in the next five minutes. I felt helpless and afraid.
“Mom, mom” my voice quivered into the phone.

“What’s wrong?” I could hear a little bit of panic in her voice.

“There is someone at the door who just keeps on knocking. He won’t stop!” Talking to my mom, I didn’t notice that the knocking had stopped.

“I’m calling the police.” My mom said. I felt safer after I got off the phone with my mom knowing the police were coming. I emerged slowly from where I had crouched and peered out the window again. The man was gone but what I hadn’t noticed before but a white Toyota was sitting in the driveway, which I assumed was his. Where did he go? I wondered with panic. My hands started to get clammy and I could feel myself sweating. I had no idea what to do. I had no idea where he was or what he was doing. I heard my dog’s collar jingling like she was running around. I had shut my parents’ bedroom door when I came back into the room. I couldn’t think straight my mind felt like it had fallen to the floor. I started to move slowly toward the door, which seemed to be a mile away. My feet felt like concrete bricks. I extended my hand from my side and unhurriedly put my hand on the silver doorknob turned it and pulled open the door. I didn’t even have time to peek my head out the door: I was already face to face with another man. This man had big long dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail I could tell he had as much fear in his eyes as I had in mine. Even in that one second we made eye contact, it felt like a lifetime. I felt my adrenaline rushing through my body. I grabbed the doorknob with all my might and threw the door shut, screaming with its slam. Are they still in the house? was the only logical thing I could get through my panic-stricken mind. I could hear the burning of rubber against the asphalt of my drive way and with a loud screech it sped away, I ran out of my parents’ room and out the front door. I was sweating now as I ran across my lawn and into my neighbor’s.

“Help! Help!” I screamed as I banged on their front door. No one was home. Tears were streaming down my face; I knew I had to keep running to another neighbor’s house so I could find someone to help me.

“Help!” I screamed into the other neighbor’s door.

“Who’s there?” A deep voice from behind the door called back.

“There was someone in my house! I need help! Please help me!” My voice kept on cracking and I didn’t know if he could understand me. The door started to pull open and before he could even get it far enough I push the door in and hugged a man I barely knew.

“Do I need to call the police? Are you all right? What happened?” I didn’t know how to respond I just kept sobbing and hugging him. I finally let go as I relaxed a bit, I could now hear police sirens becoming more distinct. We poked our heads out the front door and I could now see police cars speeding down the street with their red and blue lights flashing. We started to walk down towards the police cars, the closer I got to the police the more safe I felt. As I start talking to one of the officers about what happened I could see my mom rushing down the street in her car as she got out of the car she ran toward me with a big embrace. I couldn’t help but start crying again, but of joy this time.