Emma stopped dancing, her heart still pounding in her chest, but now for different reasons. Relief washed over her in waves as Ms. Thompson reached her side, enveloping her in a warm, reassuring hug.

“Are you alright, dear?” Ms. Thompson asked, her voice a gentle balm to Emma’s frazzled nerves.

Emma nodded, her eyes still wide but her smile returning. “I remembered what my daddy told me,” she said proudly. “To make light and noise when things feel wrong.”

The neighborhood soon buzzed with the response of concerned parents and law enforcement, but the immediate danger had passed. Emma’s quick thinking and courage had turned a potentially dire situation into a lesson in vigilance and resourcefulness.