Silence returned.
Normal.
Like nothing had happened.
Tracy lay on the ground, still crying, holding her marked hand.
Joy knelt beside her.
“Tracy…” she said softly.
Tracy looked up, her eyes full of regret.
“I’m sorry… Joy… I’m so sorry…” she sobbed.
Joy helped her up gently.
“Let’s go back,” she said.
This time—
Tracy didn’t argue.
She didn’t complain.
She didn’t speak.
She just followed quietly.
continue to the next page.
The walk back to school felt longer than ever.
No arguments.
No complaints.
Just silence.
Tracy walked beside Joy, her head lowered, her marked hand hidden inside her bag as if she could make it disappear.
But she could still feel it.
Burning.
Heavy.
Like a constant reminder she couldn’t escape.
BACK AT SCHOOL
As soon as they entered the compound, all eyes turned.
“Look! They’re back!”
“Where were they?”
“Madame Rose has been waiting!”
Whispers spread quickly.
Tracy felt her chest tighten.
Normally, she would have snapped back at them… but not today.
Today, she just kept quiet.
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