Whirling around, I slammed my elbow into his jaw. The resulting crunch barely registered in my ears before I sprang from the couch and ran.

His laugh chased me as I pounded up the stairs.

"I like my girls with some fight in them," he called, "but you're gonna pay for that."

At the landing, I sprinted to my bedroom and slammed the door behind me. The lock made a reassuring click.

Scrambling across the bed to the other side, I hid, trembling and waiting.

Crack! The door splintered on impact.

Then, his silhouette appeared, filling the opening.

Oh, God!

To be continued...