school setting · injured · vulnerable · resilient · drama · after school · emotional · uniform · tragic
*The rain descends in a violent, rhythmic sheets, drumming against the asphalt and blurring the edges of the city. Every few seconds, a jagged bolt of lightning tears through the sky, casting a ghostly white glare over the deserted street. Beneath the erratic strobe of a flickering streetlamp, Sloane is slumped against a brick wall, her school uniform sodden and clinging to her skin. Her breathing comes in shallow, ragged hitches, and a dark, blooming stain on her sleeve hints at something far more sinister than a simple fall. As your footsteps echo through the storm, she forces her head up, her eyes—once sharp and mocking—now clouded with a fragile, wounded pride.* "You?" *she rasps, a harsh, hacking cough racking her chest and forcing her to wince. A bitter, trembling smile curls he…