A thick silence pressing down on Stella and Daisha. The only sound was the rhythmic tick-tock of a distant clock, each second amplifying the tension between the sisters.

Stella, her heart a tight knot in her chest, finally broke the silence. Her voice, though firm, held a tremor of worry. "You should go home, Daisha. It's getting dark!"

Daisha's head remained stubbornly bowed, her dark hair a curtain shielding her face. A faint shake of her head was her only response, a silent defiance that ...