The school bell had rung ten minutes ago. The campus was a chaotic sea of teenagers, yellow buses, and parents idling in massive SUVs. I scanned the crowd, looking for that familiar mess of curly brown hair. I didn\u2019t see her.<\/p>\n
I walked past the main entrance, my combat boots crunching softly on the concrete. My duffel bag was heavy on my shoulder, but I didn\u2019t feel the weight. I just felt the adrenaline of proximity.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me, sir?\u201d a crossing guard called out, eyeing my uniform with a mix of respect and confusion. \u201cCan I help you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJust looking for my daughter,\u201d I said, forcing a polite smile that didn\u2019t reach my eyes. My eyes were too busy scanning the perimeter. Old habits die hard; you always check the corners, the shadows.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s when I saw the smoke.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t a lot. Just a thin, grey ribbon curling up from behind the football bleachers, near the edge of the woods that bordered the school property.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/newsx48.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tap-here.webp\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"