Words snagged in her throat, consonants turning to panicked squeaks. The air, once plentiful, grew thin, squeezing her lungs in a tightening vise. The world narrowed to the unforgiving gaze of the audience, a thousand eyes boring into her, stripping her bare. Panic, a ravenous beast, had her by the throat, and in its chilling grip, Ava forgot everything but the primal urge to flee.