The night was dark and bitterly cold, the kind that crept into the bones and silenced the world. Thin mist hovered in the air, and the wind whispered through empty spaces like a warning.
A dusty street stretched ahead, lined with packed-up wares on both sides of the road, old wooden stalls and covered tables, silent remnants of a small market that had long closed for the day.
A little boy in long, thatched trousers and a loose top ran through the darkness as if his life depended on it. Dirt covered his clothes, though it was barely visible in the night. His shoes were too small for his feet, worn thin at the soles. As he passed a covered stall, he suddenly stopped, glanced around, and quickly ducked underneath it, disappearing into the narrow space.
Moments later, two men came running from the same direction and halted abruptly.
"Where'd he go?" the younger one asked breathless.
"We can't lose him," the other said sharply. "Check around."
They began tearing through the covered stalls, throwing things aside without care.
The boy curled tighter beneath the covered stall, forcing his breathing to stay quiet. His eyes, sharp and alert, watched them through a tiny gap.
As one man neared his hiding place, the boy's breath hitched.
"Wait,"
the man said suddenly, raising a hand.
"What?" the other asked, stepping closer.
"I think I heard something."
They stood still, listening.
In the heavy silence of the night, the faint cry of a child could be heard.
"Mommy…"
The two men exchanged a look.
"She's close," the younger man said eagerly.
The older man frowned, glancing back at the stalls. For a brief second, his eyes lingered, too long.
"Smart little rat," he muttered. "Knows how to hide."
He glanced down two diverging paths.
"If we stick together, we lose both," he continued.
"We split."
He pointed down the market road. "You follow the girl. She'll keep calling."
Then he turned, eyes narrowing. "I'll hunt the boy."
The men split without another word, footsteps retreating in opposite directions.
Silence fell again.
The boy stayed frozen long after they left.
Only when the sounds completely faded did he crawl out, breath shaking.
I finally lost them.
He turned to leave.
Then,
"Mommy…"
The sound was faint. Fragile.
His steps slowed.
He clenched his fists and shook his head.
Not my problem. If I stay, they'll catch me.
He took another step away.
The night swallowed the sound again.
The boy cursed softly under his breath.
"Stupid," he muttered.
Changing direction, he ran, faster than before, toward where the sound had come from.
Sally walked alone through the cold night, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her bare feet were bruised and aching. She sniffled from the cold, her body trembling.
"M-mommy…" Sally called softly.
She stopped, stared at her feet, then lifted her eyes to the empty road ahead, silent, deserted, devoured by darkness.
I don't know where to find Mommy…
And I don't know the way back.
Suddenly, a small figure burst out from a narrow street beside her.
Sally gasped and stumbled back.
But before she could scream, the boy grabbed her hand and pulled her into the pathway he had come from, running.
"Let go!" she cried
The boy pulled her a few steps forward, then stopped when she yanked her hand free.
She backed away, eyes wide.
The boy froze.
For a second, neither of them moved.
Footsteps echoed faintly somewhere far behind.
The boy's eyes flicked past her, panic flashing across his face.
"They're coming back," he whispered urgently. "There are bad men roaming around, men who steal children.If we stay here, they'll find you. We need to hide."
Sally hugged herself tighter.
She didn't know him.
Her mommy always said never follow strangers.
She flinched as he tugged at her hand again.
But..seeing that he was also a child like her, small, scared, her fear wavered.
Her small hand slowly reached out and grabbed the edge of his sleeve.
"O-okay," she whispered.
They kept running.
Just as they disappeared, the younger man appeared on the main road, walking past the small street without noticing anything.
After several turns, the boy slowed, glancing around carefully to make sure no one was watching. Finally, they stopped in front of a small, abandoned wooden shop. Half of its hay roof had collapsed, and the door hung crooked on its hinges.
He pushed the broken door open and gestured for her to enter. She did. He followed and quietly pulled the door back into place.
Inside, he moved the fallen hay aside and made a small space to sit. Sally stood, watching him nervously. When he finished, he gestured for her to sit beside him.
"Let's stay here for the night," he whispered. "So the bad guys won't find us."
After a moment, Sally shuffled forward and sat beside him.
He relaxed slightly, adjusting his position, then closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.
The shop was colder than it looked.
Sally's teeth chattered softly as she sat, arms wrapped around herself. She tried to stay quiet, but a sniffle escaped.
The boy noticed.
He didn't say anything.
After a moment, he reached down and pulled a loose bundle of hay closer, pushing it toward her feet.
"Put your legs here," he whispered. "It's warmer."
She hesitated, then obeyed.
The hay scratched, but the cold eased a little.
The boy rubbed his hands together, then tucked them under his arms, shoulders hunched. He shifted closer, not touching, just close enough that the space between them felt smaller.
Sally stared at him for a long moment, squinting like she was solving a very serious puzzle.
Then she spoke.
"Why are you outside too? Are you lost?"
She tilted her head. "Or did your legs take you the wrong way home?"
"I don't have a home," the boy said casually.
She blinked at him. Once. Twice.
"…Oh."
Then the questions came.
"What about your parents?"
"Are you looking for them too?"
"What about your aunties?"
"Or grandmas? Everyone has at least one grandma."
"Close your eyes and sleep," he said, shutting his own eyes and resting his head back.
It was quiet.
Very quiet.
Then,
"I'm looking for my mommy," Sally said softly. "She went out and didn't come back. Auntie said she'd take me to her tomorrow, but I heard Auntie and Uncle whispering. Grown-ups whisper when they're doing bad things."
She sighed. "They said they're taking my mommy away. I want to find her, but I don't know where she is."
The boy opened his eyes and looked at her.
Every family had its own problems,
"Your mom is a grown-up," he finally said.
"She'll find her way back."
"But Mommy is sick," Sally said quickly. "What if she gets tired and can't find me?"
He paused. "…Still. Stay with your auntie and uncle. Bad people might take you if you keep walking around."
Sally gasped.
"I don't like bad guys."
"No one does."
She stared at him again.
"Will you come with me?"
He looked at her.
"You trust a stranger you just met?"
She nodded seriously.
"You're small like me. Bad people are usually big," she said with a smile.
He sighed. "Sleep. Tomorrow I'll take you to the station. Your family will be looking for you."
Quiet returned.
For about three seconds.
"What's your name?" she asked.
He hesitated.
"…Damon."
"My name is Sally!" she said proudly. "It's a pretty name, right?"
"A name is just a name."
"My mommy says it's pretty."
"Your name is nice too," she added. "It sounds like a dragon."
"It does not."
"It does a little."
He lifted his hand and gently covered her mouth.
"Children are not supposed to talk this much at night. Sleep."
She froze, then nodded obediently. He let go and leaned back.
Then she whispered, "You're a child too."
He turned his head.
Sally squeezed her eyes shut.
"Good night!"