The town awoke to news that broke the rhythm of everyday life. A five-year-old child was gone—abruptly, inexplicably, and far too early. In a place where neighbors still greet each other on the sidewalk and notice when a porch light burns longer than usual, the loss struck with a force that left everyone breathless. No one knew how it happened. No one understood how a lively, joyful child could vanish in an instant. But the silence that followed was enough to bring the entire community to its knees.
