Florence and her adopted brother had been evacuated to the quiet valleys of Wales, far from the chaos of the city. Life in the countryside was still unfamiliar, but they found comfort in their daily routines and occasional walks with Ronnie and Jimmy, two local boys who had quickly become companions.

One overcast afternoon, as the four of them wandered along the edge of the forest trail, they spotted something unusual—a boy they had never seen before. He didn’t wear the standard evacuee tag, nor did he look like he belonged to any of the nearby schools. There was something off about him.

He was about their age, but there was a strange emptiness in his eyes—blank, unreadable. He didn’t speak, didn’t even glance at them, as though they were invisible. What made the encounter even more unsettling was the enormous dog by his side. It was a towering, muscular beast, with matted fur and sharp, watchful eyes. The dog walked without a leash, yet remained perfectly in step with the boy, almost as if it could read his thoughts.