There were sharp pieces of metal placed right under my tires. Nails, broken blades, and bent iron. If I had driven away, the tires would have burst. I could have lost control of the car.
I stood up fast. “Who did this?” I asked.
Lily looked around before answering. “The old man from that house,” she whispered, pointing down the street.
I followed her finger and saw a small house with dark windows.
“He does this a lot,” she said. “When people park near his house, he gets angry.”
I felt shocked. “Why doesn’t anyone stop him?”
She shrugged. “People are scared. He yells. Sometimes he throws things.”
I looked back at the metal under my car. My hands were shaking. If Lily hadn’t stopped me, something terrible could have happened.
“Thank you,” I said. “You saved me.”
She smiled a little, but her eyes still looked sad.
“Why were you here so late?” I asked. “Where are your parents?”
She hesitated. “My mom works at night,” she said. “I wait for her.”
“Where?” I asked.
She pointed to my boss’s house.
Suddenly, everything made sense.