The moment Leonard stepped into the school cafeteria, he felt it. The energy was off.
Instead of the usual buzz of laughter and chatter, the room was unusually quiet. Children sat frozen at their tables, forks paused midair. Some stared wide-eyed toward the center of the room. Others covered their mouths as if afraid to speak.
Then he heard it.
A small, trembling sound that cut through the silence like a blade. A soft sob, shaky and unmistakable.
Lily.
His heart lurched. He pushed forward, gripping the lunch container so tightly his knuckles whitened. Parents know the sound of their child’s distress the way sailors know the sea. It needs no explanation.
As he reached the center of the cafeteria, the scene before him made his breath catch.
A Moment No Child Should Endure
Lily sat stiffly at a table, her shoulders drawn inward, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her small hands were clenched together in front of her, as if she were trying to disappear.
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