Gabriel left the house, following instincts honed from years of military service.
He asked neighbors quietly, but no one had seen Sophie in months. He visited the school—her name was no longer on the list. The principal said Rachel had withdrawn her months earlier, claiming homeschooling.
Each answer cut deeper. Where was his little girl?
By evening, Gabriel wandered past the edge of town. His boots carried him to the old garbage dump at the outskirts—a place he used to avoid showing Sophie. The stench hit first, but then he heard it. A faint cough.
He turned, and his heart nearly stopped.
In the corner, beside a stack of broken crates, a small figure crouched, trying to cover herself with a thin, tattered blanket. Her hair was tangled, her cheeks hollow, but her eyes—those wide, brown eyes—were unmistakable.
“Sophie…” Gabriel’s voice broke.
The girl looked up. For a moment she froze, as if unsure if this was real. Then she bolted into his arms.
“Daddy!” she sobbed, clinging to him with desperate strength.
