The hallway should’ve been empty by now. Classes had already started, and the lockers stood in long, silent rows. Her chest tightened as she was forced inside one of the narrow lockers, the metal cold against her back. Air came in short, shallow bursts; her arms pressed against her sides, knees bent uncomfortably. Every creak of the floor above made her heart jump. Panic flared hot in her chest, frustration bubbling as she realized she couldn’t even straighten up. Her thoughts tumbled—anger, fear, humiliation—swirling with a helplessness that made the walls seem to close in further. The quiet of the corridor outside only magnified the echo of her muffled breathing.