Charlotte and Henry Tomes stormed towards the alleyway, their faces full of concern. Ryder, emerald eyes filled with remorse, stood there, and Lily Mitchell, guilt etched across her features, stood beside him.
"Ryder! Lily! What on earth happened here?" Charlotte yelled with fury, but a bit of worry was present, too.
Henry's voice was angrier, but hinting at urgency. "Did you two hurt that old lady? Is she alright?"
Ryder quivered as he glanced at Lily, his enemy. Lily's voice was barely a whisper as she answered, "We didn't mean to hurt her, Mr. and Mrs. Tomes. She stumbled, and... and we were just playing, and..."
A distant sound of sirens grew closer and closer, destroying the silence in the alleyway. Turns out, while nobody was looking, the old lady called an ambulance for herself. The wailing suddenly filled everyone's hearings as an ambulance appeared in view. Paramedics rushed towards the bleeding woman, their expressions concerned and hopeful.
"Her heart rate is dropping! We need to work fast!" One of the voices cried out. Fear swept through the small group, all of their gazes on the paramedics' attempts to rescue the old lady. Each second felt like an eternity, anxiety slowly filling up their hearts.
With a tremor in her voice, Charlotte whispered, "Do you think she'll survive?"
A shiver of terror echoed through the air, creeping into the hearts of everybody present. The paramedics exchanged worried glances, and their efforts became more intense.
"She's not stabilizing! We're losing her!" One of them yelled to another.
Silence consumed the alley, broken only by gasps of disbelief and the mother's sad cry.
"No! Please, don't let her... don't let her..."
Amidst their sorrow, a faint gasp floated in the air. Everybody's eyes turned towards the old lady, her pale body twitching, her pale face finding strength.
A ray of hope pierced the darkness, creating a bit of faith in the group.
The old lady's eyes fluttered open like a butterfly, her voice hoarse as she whispered, "Did someone mention tea?", which was quite weird, as nobody had mentioned anything that even remotely sounded like the word 'tea'.
Relief washed over the group, mingling with joy and gratitude.
Relieved tears drizzled down Lily's cheeks, and even Ryder let out a relieved sigh.
The old lady was going to be okay!