Little Girls Alone In The Woods

In an ordinary street, in an ordinary suburb, in an ordinary town, something is amiss. It’s not the maths exam the teens are about to fail, or the overdue essay. It’s not global warming or fast-fashion sweatshops. It’s a low buzz of anxiety, a quiet terror in the middle of the night ... because girls have been going missing.

Have they walked off into the bush to live out some wild fantasy? Are they building utopia or plotting a coup?

The adults aren’t taking any chances. All young women are required to be registered with authorities. And now a high fence is being erected. And now all females under the age of 18 have to wear a tracking device. And now they have to beware what they say or do in case it puts them in mortal danger. They will be controlled, and they will be safe. But like a sliver of glass lodged under a manicured nail, this…