Sadie, a wiry girl with bright eyes and quick limbs, laces up her worn sneakers. The village is alive with chatter, excitement buzzing in the air as neighbors greet each other and children chase stray dogs. The athletics tryouts are about to begin, and a sense of hope mingles with the scent of dewy grass. "If I win today, maybe Ma can smile again,"

The Strange Lady, pale and watchful, blends into the crowd but her gaze lingers with unsettling intensity. She claps politely with the others, but her thoughts are clouded with something secret and sinister. The villagers remain oblivious to her interest, but Sadie catches a glimpse of her and feels a chill run down her spine. "You must be Sadie. I know your family well,"

The lady moves gracefully through winding alleys, her silhouette sharp against the deepening orange sky. Sadie presses herself against walls, careful not to make a sound, her eyes locked on the bags swinging from the woman's arms. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread wafts through the air, tugging at Sadie’s resolve. "If I could just get one loaf, Ma wouldn’t go hungry tonight,"

A single flickering candle illuminates the room, casting monstrous shadows on peeling wallpaper. Sadie’s breath catches as the lady and her withered mother speak in hushed, urgent tones about a ritual to keep the old woman young. Suddenly, a faint, trembling voice squeaks for help from below, piercing the silence. "What are they planning? I need to get out of here,"

She bursts out from behind the house, racing up the steep hill. Puppies dart in front of her, barking and circling as if to block her path. Sadie’s speed and determination propel her forward, heart thundering as she leaps over the wriggling traps, never daring to look back. "I must warn Ma! I can’t let anyone else disappear,"

The officers nod gravely, recognizing Sadie’s description of the strange lady. Sirens wail as police cars barrel toward the shadowy house. The villagers gather anxiously, clutching lanterns and murmuring prayers. The skinny girl is found and rushed to the hospital, her life hanging by a thread. The lady and her mother are arrested, their secrets unraveling as dawn breaks, painting the village in hopeful gold. "She’s safe now, Ma. We stopped them,"