The unease spread to the school the next day. Uniformed officers addressed the students in stiff voices, warning of arson’s consequences. Some boys feigned innocence with exaggerated shrugs, while others slouched deeper into their seats. Rumors buzzed like flies but soon faded into weary resignation—no one had seen enough, and nothing could be proven.
By the week’s end, the incident dissolved from urgent crisis into neighborhood memory. The charred house stood as a silent reminder, blackened and empty. Life resumed its patterns: routines returned, suspicions cooled. Magnolia swept her porch and watched from behind her blue eyes.