A thought flashed in her mind: “Light! Noise!”
She suddenly switched on all the lights on the landing, illuminating the dark stairwell, and banged with all her strength on the nearest door. — Help!
Help! — her voice cracked with panic. The echo spread through the building.
The man in black froze for a moment, as if he hadn’t expected the child to act so decisively. At that instant the door flew open, and in the doorway stood a strong man in home clothes. Behind him appeared the figure of a woman.
— What’s going on here? — he asked sternly, glancing first at the girl, then at the strange man. The man in black flinched, his eyes widened in surprise.
He turned and almost ran out of the entrance, disappearing into the darkness of the yard. The girl was still trembling, clutching her school bag tightly, but inside she felt a spark of pride. She remembered her father’s words and did exactly what she needed to do.
And that saved her life.
