Her colleagues scattered, but Tina, trembling and breathless, forced herself to focus. Survival instincts overruled fear. She gathered her students, guiding them back into their classroom with calm authority.
“Inside, everyone—quickly!” she urged, locking the door and wedging a chair beneath the handle. Tina hurried from room to room, repeating the process and barricading each door with anything she could find—desks, chairs, cupboards.
The children’s pale faces watched her every move, their fear matched only by the steadiness in Tina’s voice. “Stay together and stay quiet,” she instructed, determined to keep them safe no matter what.