Chapter 4 — Shifting Sands

Lila

The gym was quiet, save for the faint hum of the overhead lights and the occasional creak of the bleachers. Lila Mareen set her backpack down carefully, the sound of the straps clinking against the polished wooden floor echoing in the vast space. She glanced at the banners hanging from the rafters—faded relics of the volleyball program’s past glory. *1987.* The year Seabrook High last won a championship. The year everyone in the town seemed to remember with wistful pride.