The bell rang again and again, loud and sharp, repeating a few more times before it finally stopped.
Soon, the hallway filled with running feet and loud voices. Children shouted and laughed as they rushed past each other, the sound bouncing off the walls.
It was built like a church, but this one was full of children.
Outside, the playground was empty. A single tree stood at the edge, its leaves rustling with a soft hush, dancing in the gentle wind. A dark patch of shade pooled beneath it, and there, a small girl trembled.
"So pretty," the kids said, surrounding her. They leaned in close, circling her until the playground disappeared.
The girl was fairer than any doll they had ever seen, but it was her hair where their eyes were.
It shone in the sun, silver and bright, with red at the ends. When the light hit it, it looked like it was burning.
She was like an angel from the picture books.
A girl with freckles reached out and clasped a hand onto that hair, pulling it taut.
