The quiet

‘Shrrrrrrt’ a muffled noise in the finely trimmed bushel across the school hall as she walks back to her hostel jolts her heart out of place. The tingling feeling on her toes says something is wrong.

Source[Image by fanjianhua on Freepik]

She tightened the grip on her single strapped backpack across her shoulder, biting against her lips with the sound of her heart racing and thumping so loudly she could barely hear her thoughts.
I wish I listened to my mum's warning, she thought. ‘Keep to your 9:00 pm curfew even more so that you are far away from home.’
‘I am grown now, mum!’

Brgghht!
Another sound in the low bushes makes her increase her steps so lightly so they won't know she is scared to her bones.
‘Who is they?!’
‘When I make it to my room unscathed I promise to listen mum!’
‘I value daylight noise now’ she said quietly to herself getting ready to run if her shaky legs permit.