Written by Claire Qiu from Emma Willard School, New York, USA The world had shrunk to the sound of footsteps. Theirs—sharp and relentless on the mall's polished floor. Ours—frantic and breathless. "Just talk to us!" Amelia shrieked, her voice slicing through the Saturday crowd. We dove into a clothing store, a blur of bright colors and blank-faced mannequins greeting us. I prayed the crowd would swallow us. But they were right behind us, their voices erupting into shrill, fur
