My alarm was set for 6:00 a.m., but sometimes I ignore it and drift back to sleep until 6:30, when my mother gets impatient and urges me to get up and have breakfast before she leaves for work. This particular morning, I quickly had my breakfast and stepped out of the door. As I locked it and turned around, I saw a man just a few feet away from me.

This was the same man I had seen on the news just the day before, and the sight of him left me wide-eyed with shock. The middle-aged man was wanted for a series of cruel crimes. According to the report, he pretended to be kind and innocent to gain people’s trust, then suddenly kidnapped them. I felt rooted to the spot, and the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

“Good morning!” he said cheerfully, his smile a little too wide, almost unsettling.

“Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could help me out. My dog ran off, and I think he wandered into your backyard.”

My heart pounded in my chest, a frantic drumbeat of panic, and my mind was racing.

“S-sure, I’ll check,” I said, my hand clammy and my smile forced as I tried not to show that I recognised him.

He was still outside, I quickly shut the door, and locked it with my trembling hands. I needed to figure out what to do before he tried something else. Calling the police was the obvious move, but the thought of him hearing me and realising that I knew who he was sent a chill down my spine. Fear gripped me like a vice, tightening with every passing second, but I had to be brave.

I spotted the landline on the kitchen counter and darted towards it. I dialled the number of the police as fast as I could. I told them about the man outside, and they immediately assured me and told me to keep him distracted while they arrived.

Meanwhile, I heard him say, “Hey, little girl!” The man called. “Everything okay in there? Do you want me to help you look?”

My blood ran cold as I thought of a response. “Just a second!” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Thinking of a plan to buy time, my eyes landed on the pan in the kitchen. I held it tightly behind my back and went back to the door. I slowly opened the door.

“I found him. Take him back, please!” I lied to him. He looked confused and hesitated, but then nodded as he entered the house. When he had his back towards me, I got the chance, I quickly swung the pan on the back of his head as hard as I could, the metallic clang echoing in the room. He fell to the ground, and soon the police arrived. The officers quickly arrested the man and took him to the car, thanking me for catching the criminal.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the officers left with him. I was finally safe now.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 21st, 2025