The little girl is back again.
This time, she’s curled beneath a massive wooden bedframe, her knees hugged tightly to her chest, just as her mother told her to. Her wide eyes brim with fear, darting toward every shadow. But how long has she been there?
The room is cloaked in darkness now—no sliver of light from the doorway, no warmth from a lantern or candle. Just silence. The kind that makes your chest tighten.
Her small hands press against her belly as it growls with hunger. She shivers and whispers, “Mum?” But there’s no reply.
She waits a little longer. Her stomach growls louder this time, and she flinches at the sound. Hunger begins to outweigh fear.
Slowly, she crawls out from beneath the bed, dust clinging to her clothes. Her bare feet pat softly across the cold floor as she pu
