Chapter 3 - THE TICKING CLOCK
"Stay with me, sweet boy. Look at me," Nia commanded, her voice steady despite the violent shaking of her hands. Sirens began to wail in the distance, summoned by screaming pedestrians. By the time paramedics arrived, Nia’s blouse was soaked through, the expensive silk ruined with bright, sticky blood. The EMTs pried the crying child from her arms, loading him onto a stretcher. "Are you family?" a medic barked. Nia shook her head, glancing at her shattered watch. It was 7:55 AM. The ambulance doors slammed shut, leaving her shivering on the street. She had five minutes. She was bleeding, filthy, and trembling from adrenaline, but the thought of missing the one opportunity that could pull her out of poverty pushed her forward. She grabbed her scuffed portfolio and ran toward the towering glass doors of Sterling Education Group.
