The event was filled with music, laughter, and community spirit.
Sarah Moore had spent weeks helping organize the program.
Parents chatted.
Children played.
Families celebrated together.
Nobody noticed anything suspicious.
Nobody imagined evil might already be lurking nearby.
After the event ended, Mary Katherine invited two friends to spend the night at the family home.
Twelve-year-old Lena Stillinger and her younger sister Ina May happily accepted.
The girls walked home with the Moore family under a calm evening sky.
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