CRYBABY CHAPTER TWENTY: RAMPAGE

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CHAPTER 20: RAMPAGE

As Ahanna, Rahul, Raj, and the rangers neared the village, an ominous sense of dread gripped them. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning wood and oil, and dark plumes of smoke spiraled above the treetops, smudging the blue sky. The festive clamor they had expected — the cheerful laughter of children, the crackle of fireworks, and the lively bustle of activity — was conspicuously absent. Instead, an eerie silence hung over the village, broken only by distant wails and muffled cries of anguish.

“Oh my God.” Ahanna whispered sharply, her heart sinking as she motioned for the group to move faster. They sprinted from the dense undergrowth, across the open field, and into the heart of the village. The sight that met them was one of devastation.

What had been a vibrant celebration was now a scene of utter ruin. Stalls that once overflowed with sweets, decorations, and handmade garments lay in splinters. Food carts lay overturned, their contents smeared and trampled into the dirt road. Strings of bright, festive lanterns hung limp and broken, swaying in…