“Get out of the car and walk. Maybe that will teach you to listen.”
The words hit Lily like a slap.
“Grandma… please…” she whispered.
But the older woman had already made up her mind.
“Out. Now.”
Slowly, confused and embarrassed, Lily stepped onto the wet pavement. Her school backpack felt unusually heavy on her small shoulders. Her thin sweater offered almost no protection against the cold rain pouring from the sky.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something—anything—but the words never came.
The door slammed shut.
Inside the car, the adults chuckled awkwardly. Margaret crossed her arms, convinced she had taught the girl a valuable lesson.
“Kids today need discipline,” she muttered.
The car began moving again.
But just seconds later, something happened on the road that made every person inside the vehicle freeze.
Lily stood alone beneath the thick gray sky. Rain mixed with small pellets of hail that bounced painfully against the pavement. Within moments, her hair and clothes were soaked.
Her shoes slipped slightly on the wet asphalt as she took her first step.
She hadn’t even walked five feet when headlights suddenly appeared around the corner.
A car was speeding down the street.