FIONA
I couldn’t feel my hands.
The hallway felt too bright, too loud, like everything had been turned up too high.
But my mind was painfully clear.
We can’t locate Flavian.
“I need to see the footage,” I said.
My voice didn’t shake. I was proud of that.
The principal nodded and led us down the hall. I walked fast, forcing my legs to keep moving. Falling apart wouldn’t help my son.
Not right now.
We stepped into a small office. A laptop sat open on the desk.
The screen flickered.
And then—
There he was.
My baby.
Sitting on the bench outside the school with his backpack at his feet like it was any normal afternoon.
My throat tightened, but I didn’t look away.
I couldn’t afford to look away.
The footage continued.
A man walked into frame.
Everything inside me went cold.
E
