After Aminda spied Kary hurrying down the street from school that afternoon, she dashed from the house wearing a backpack. She'd left a note for her father on her pillow after he left to do some research at the Acosta Public Library.

     Dashing around the side of the house, she jumped on her bicycle and rode to the sidewalk in front of the Peters home just as Kary approached.

     "Come on, Kary, go pack a few things … no food, just some clothing. I'll wait for you here."

     "What? You want me to run away?"

     "There's no other choice. We can't do anything here. I've done some research on the Internet, but I need to do a little more."

     "I can't run away."

     "You've got to do something, because doing nothing isn't working very well. Just come on. We can discuss later what there is you can do about it."

     "Hey! You!"

     Aminda spun around and her stomach plunged down to her feet as she watched Mr. Peters rush from his house carrying a belt. She turned back to Kary. "Quick, jump up on the seat and hold onto my backpack. I'll ride standing up."

     Aminda watched confusion dance in Kary's eyes as her father reached the front gate.

     "I-I-I-" Kary muttered.

     "You stay away from my daughter!" Mr. Peters howled.

     "Come on, Kary." Aminda pleaded, slapping the seat behind her. "Jump on!"

     Kary snatched her glasses away from her head, and Aminda watched as the terror grew in her eyes. She could see that Kary wanted to go with her, but something stopped her-a power stronger than her own common sense-stronger than her sense of survival-a power driven by fear-the fear of more senseless pain dished out by a father who appeared to be mentally disturbed.

     "Hurry, Kary!"

     Mr. Peters, opened the gate and dashed over to them, but Aminda held her ground. She felt reasonable safe since Mr. Peters wasn't her father.

     "You're a bad influence on my kid," he barked in Aminda's face. She leaned the bike away from his searing bad breath that smelled more like beer than anything else. He had gotten too close for her comfort, and Aminda could feel the ache of fear shake her insides. This, she reminded herself, is what Kary faced almost every day.

     Mr. Peters shoved the hand with the belt into Aminda's face. "You get away from her."

     Aminda cringed back as far as she could but maintained a cool face. She figured it would be better if she didn't show the fear that raged inside her.

     "You going to beat her again?" Aminda asked.

     Kary's father pushed the belt inches from Aminda's nose. "Stay out of our business, do you hear?"

     "Are you going to beat her again?"

     "You're damn right. She's getting a good licking. One that will keep her away from you." He aimed his belt at Kary as she threw her glasses back on, her eyes shedding tears like a torrential waterfall as they stay glued to the shaking belt strap. Fear pockmarked her face like earth scars pockmarked the open pit copper mine just outside Acosta.

     "No, Papa, please!" Kary begged.

     Every muscle in Kary's body seemed to tune itself to her fear. That was how Mr. Peters controlled her. She couldn't make a move or a decision without first fearing more licks from the belt.

     Aminda's fear stepped aside for the moment and allowed disgust to lunge forward. Is that any way to live?

     Mr. Peters poked the belt back into Aminda's face. "I heard what you did in your bedroom with my daughter, you filthy little pervert. I ought to have you arrested."

     Caught by surprise, Aminda never dreamed Kary would have told her father, but maybe he beat it out of her. After all, torture methods were used in war to force the enemy to talk. Too bad Mr. Peters thought of his daughter as the enemy. Then a light popped on in Aminda's head.

     "Kary," she said. "Your father hates you. There's nothing to stay for. I can help."

     Mr. Peters exploded and shoved Aminda. She tried to thrust the front wheel of her bike in the direction of the fall to keep her balance, but after the bounce off the curb, she crashed in the street. A pain rushed in from all along the side of her leg that had hit the pavement. When she rose and examined herself, she discovered several scrapes up and down the right leg, and blood oozed out in a few places.

     A strange feeling descended over Aminda. Her remaining fear evaporated replacing itself with a stubborn determination. She yanked the bike back on the curb and guided it to Mr. Peters. Then she offered him a fiery glare.

     "Mr. Peters, you may think that you can hurt your little girl anytime you want, but go ahead and sic the police on me. Just try to have me arrested for child pornography, and I'll have you in jail for this." She pointed to her bleeding leg.

     Aminda watched rage flare up in Mr. Peters' eyes. He grabbed her, yanked her away from her bike, and threw her up against the fence. Her backpack tore loose and tumbled across the ground.

     "Daddy!" Kary screamed. "Don't!"

     Mr. Peters wrapped the belt around Aminda's neck and squeezed. Panic replaced her rekindled fear and Aminda realized that the unthinkable had happened. In all her wildest imaginings, Aminda would never have guessed that he would strangle her to death in front of all the neighbors.

     Aminda's eyes bulged with disbelief as she struggled to breathe. She thrust her hands out desperately to push her attacker away, but his strength overpowered her. Aminda now knew what it felt like to be helpless-helpless to the point of having another control the destiny of whether she lived or died.

     "No! Papa, stop!" Aminda heard as her vision blurred. Her huffing could not supply her with enough air, and she started choking.

     "Daddy! Stop!" Kary cried, while Aminda fought for her life. When it reached a point where Aminda wasn't breathing in any oxygen, she thrashed about losing control over her actions. Her body reacted automatically to the crisis, but she soon realized that it would not be enough against the brute strength of Kary's father. Her body suddenly surrendered and waited for the end.

     A loud thud sounded followed by a slightly softer one, and Aminda felt the pressure release from around her neck. When her vision cleared and she had gasped several times to fill her lungs again, she spied Mr. Peters lying on the ground moaning.

     "Oh, no!" Kary said, drawing her hands to her face. "I hit my father. He's going to kill me now for sure!"

     Kary had snatched up the backpack and clobbered her father with it, and now he lay on the ground in a daze.

     Lifting the bike, Kary straddled one leg over the seat. "Come on. Let's go before he wakes up."

     Aminda stepped forward rubbing her sore neck. "The backpack?"

     "Leave it. We've got to get out now."

     "I can't. There's something I need in there, if it's not already broken."

     Darting to the backpack laying next to the groaning Mr. Peters, Aminda snatched it up and spun around. Then she felt something wrap around her ankle. She twisted around and discovered Mr. Peters glaring up at her.