Matthew Callahan adjusted the strap of his weathered backpack, his boots crunching against the frost-covered underbrush. The mountain trail, his usual retreat from the chaos of the outside world, seemed quieter than usual. The silence was thick, heavy, and unsettling. He paused, his sharp blue eyes scanning the forest. Then he heard it a faint rustling, followed by a muffled whimper.
Matthew followed the sound, pushing aside low-hanging branches until he stumbled into a small clearing. His breath caught.
Two children stood in the center of the clearing, their small forms illuminated by a beam of sunlight piercing through the canopy. The girl, no older than five or six, had long silver hair that shimmered like spun moonlight. Her golden eyes were wide with fear. Beside her, a boy slightly older, with wild orange hair and piercing amber eyes, stood protectively in front of her. His stance was defiant, even though his small frame trembled.
"Hey there," Matthew said, crouching down to appear less threatening. His voice was calm, steady. "What are you kids doing out here? Are you lost?"
The girl clutched the boy's arm, shrinking behind him. The boy glared at Matthew, his eyes unnervingly intense for a child.noveldrama
Matthew raised his hands in a placating gesture. "It's okay. I won't hurt you."
The children didn't respond, their silence unnerving. They were dressed in strange, tattered clothes, the fabric rough and oddly styled, as if from another time.
Matthew's instincts, honed from years of living off the grid, screamed at him to be cautious. But something about the children stirred a deep sense of protectiveness within him.
"You can come with me," he said gently. "I've got a warm cabin not far from here. You'll be safe."
The girl glanced up at the boy, her golden eyes filled with uncertainty. He nodded slightly, and she stepped forward, still clutching his arm.
"Alright then," Matthew said, standing. "Let's get you out of this cold."
As they began walking, Matthew couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He glanced over his shoulder, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. The forest was still.
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