The laughter that followed was like a dagger to Nora's heart. She loved reading. The books had amazing pictures and stories. And she loved them.
But now, even that was being used against her, twisted into something to mock and ridicule.
"Maybe she thinks she's too good for us," another boy suggested, his tone mocking. "Always hiding away with her nose in a book. What's the matter, Nora? Are we not good enough for you?"
Nora wanted to say something, to defend herself, but the words caught in her throat, tangled up in the knot of fear and shame that had lodged itself there. She felt small and insignificant, her voice swallowed up by the overwhelming noise of their taunts.
The group of children seemed to grow larger, their voices louder, their words harsher. They moved closer, their faces twisted into cruel smirks. Nora felt trapped, like a small animal cornered by predators, with nowhere to run and no one to turn to.
