The midday sun beat down, but Matilda felt a chill deeper than any winter's frost. Her breath hitched in her throat, a ragged gasp caught between fear and defiance. She stumbled backward, her eyes wide with terror as Stella’s cruel smile stretched across her face.

"How dare you?" Matilda’s voice cracked, a thin thread against the overwhelming dread.

The words hung in the air, unanswered for a heart-stopping moment before Stella’s chilling laughter shattered the silence.

"Are you… ...