My 10-year-old daughter always rushed to the bathroom as soon as she came home from school. When I asked, “Why do you always take a bath right away?” she smiled and said, “I just like to be clean.” However, one day while cleaning the drain, I found something. The moment I saw it, my whole body started trembling, and I immediately…

me, thick and suffocating.

I entered the building and walked down the narrow hallway that led to the office. The fluorescent lights overhead hummed faintly, and the quiet seemed to stretch endlessly. I passed the lockers where students had once filled the hallways with chatter and laughter. Now, the silence felt deafening.

When I reached the office, continue reading …