Far From Earth

"Silent Voice,,

The voice seemed to tear through the forest. A moment of silence fell. Then, from a distance, Sofiya's voice was heard: - I'm here!

Fredrik's heart felt slightly relieved. He looked toward the direction of the voice. - Sofiya! - he called again.

Movement was seen between the trees. Sofiya ran out. Mark and Tomas appeared behind her as well. They were running quickly.

- We're here! - said Mark. - Fredrik, what happened? - Tomas said, catching his breath.

Fredrik looked back. Toward the place where the dark thing had been.

But... it was gone.

There was nothing left in the air. As if it had never existed.

Fredrik stayed silent. His eyes searched that spot.

- There was... something there... - he said quietly.

Sofiya came closer. - What?

Fredrik didn't answer.

Mark looked around. - We were calling you, but you didn't respond.

Tomas shook his head. - There's nothing here.

Fredrik looked at the same place again. Now only trees. Silent. Ordinary.

But he knew - a little while ago, this place was not ordinary at all.

Fredrik was silent. He was still a little scared. Mark came closer and lifted him up. Fredrik did not resist.

Mark held him tightly and walked. - Don't be afraid, I'm always with you, - said Mark.

Sofiya and Tomas walked side by side. - Everything is fine, - said Sofiya. Tomas nodded. - There's nothing.

Fredrik stayed quiet, but slowly began to calm down. Mark carried him and slowly walked toward home.

- We're going back now, - he said.

Fredrik sat quietly in Mark's arms. He still kept looking around, unable to forget the dark place.

Then Sofiya came closer. - Fredrik, what did you see there? - she asked softly.

Fredrik didn't answer, only slightly lowered his head.

Sofiya placed her hand on his shoulder. - Don't be afraid, everything is fine now.

Fredrik took a slow breath, but his eyes were still uneasy.

At that moment, a strange sound came from the forest: - ing... ing...

Everything froze for a moment.

Tomas looked around. - What is that sound?

Mark looked in that direction without putting Fredrik down. - Did you hear it?

Sofiya nodded. - Yes...

The sound came again. This time closer. - ing... ing...

Fredrik pointed in that direction. - There...

Mark walked slowly. Sofiya and Tomas followed.

As they entered between the trees, the sound became clearer. Now it sounded like a weak, broken whimper.

Sofiya bent down. - Looks like someone is there...

Tomas leaned forward. - Here...

In the shadows, a small puppy appeared. It was trembling, too scared to move.

Fredrik said quietly: - A wolf cub...

Tomas smiled. - That's just a puppy, and you were scared of this?

Sofiya gestured for silence.

The puppy slowly approached them. It was small, with dark, slightly dirty fur, big scared eyes, and lowered ears. Its legs were shaking.

It stopped, then slowly came closer to Fredrik.

And suddenly touched his hand. Then gently licked it.

Fredrik stayed still.

Sofiya smiled softly. - Poor thing...

Tomas nodded. - It's lost.

Sofiya looked around. - It's getting late. We should go home.Fredrik immediately said: - We should take the puppy.

Mark shook his head. - No. My father won't allow it. If we bring it, he won't let us come to the pine forest again.

Fredrik stayed silent.

Tomas shrugged. - But we can't just leave it here.

Everything went quiet for a moment.

The puppy stayed close to Fredrik again, pressing against his hand.

Fredrik gently picked it up. It was light, warm, and trembling - as if afraid of being left alone again.

- I'll carry it, - Fredrik said firmly.

Mark looked at him but said nothing. Sofiya sighed softly. - Fine, but let's go quickly.

They set off.

On the way, they started talking.

Tomas said first: - Maybe its mother is looking for it?

Sofiya replied: - No, it's too small. Its mother probably didn't leave it there.

Mark thought for a moment: - Maybe we can hide it in the old barn and find shelter for it in the morning?

Fredrik held the puppy tighter. - It shouldn't be alone.

Everyone fell silent.

Then Tomas said quietly: - Maybe we can bring it into our house?

Sofiya shook her head. - No, if my father finds out, he won't allow us to keep it.

Mark warned again: - But it shouldn't stay outside too long.

Fredrik walked forward. The puppy in his arms had calmed down.

Now it was only breathing softly.

As they walked home, one question stayed in everyone's mind: "Where can we keep it?"

Their steps slowed but did not stop. Fredrik carried the puppy tightly. It occasionally whimpered.

Mark walked ahead, knowing the way. Sofiya beside him, Tomas slightly behind.

Darkness had completely covered the forest now.

The trees were tall, straight, and dense - as if closing in and narrowing the path. Shadows replaced light.

Then the wind rose.

At first, it was barely noticeable. Then it moved deeper into the forest, no longer just wind - it sounded alive.

Branches rubbed together, producing a soft, unsettling whisper.

Leaves were not just moved - they were pulled through the air.

Fredrik felt it.

The air touching his face was not cold, but penetrating.

Tomas said: - The wind is getting stronger...

But it was not just stronger.

It moved unpredictably, as if the whole forest was breathing.

Sofiya looked around. - This place sounds... strange.

The wind carried distant bird-like cries, broken and distorted.

Fredrik held the puppy tighter.

For a moment, the wind seemed to whisper his name.

But it was unclear - only a feeling.

The forest felt alive with it.

Finally, they left the dark forest behind.

As they stepped into the open path, the atmosphere changed - the cold pressure disappeared, and a sense of relief returned. Their house could be seen in the distance.

The castle stood in evening light.

Tall, wide, and silent. Warm yellow lights glowed from its windows, making it feel safe and calm.

The road leading to it was straight and clean, surrounded by tall fences separating it from the forest.

Behind the fence was a well-kept garden.

Flowers of white, yellow, and light purple glowed softly in the evening light, moving gently with the wind as if breathing with the house itself.

On the side of the castle, a greenhouse could be seen...

The glass walls of the greenhouse softly reflected the light coming from inside, glowing gently in the evening darkness. Inside, plants were arranged neatly, and the green leaves looked sharper and more vivid under the lamps. A warm atmosphere filled the greenhouse - completely different from the cold outside world.

Next to the greenhouse stood the servants' house. It was a simpler but well-kept building, also lit with warm lights. Movement could be seen through its windows - as if someone was coming in and out, as if evening work was still going on.

The castle itself rose above everything. It looked not just like a house, but as if it were watching over the entire area. The lights in its windows were connected like a chain, making it seem alive. Higher up, open balconies faced the darkness, while below, soft lights glowed near the large main entrance.

Fredrik stood there with the puppy in his arms, looking toward the castle.

Behind him was the dark forest. Ahead of him - warm light and home.

The children had already come close to the castle gate. Darkness was slowly swallowing the courtyard, and the old iron gate was creaking in the wind.

At that moment, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of them.

- "Stop..."

It was Hugo, the gardener.

As always, he was dressed simply: mud-covered boots, an old coat. He had a shovel in his hands and a half-full sack hanging over his shoulder. His white hair swayed slightly in the wind, and the moonlight reflected in his eyes with a strange warmth.

In this cold castle, he seemed like the only warm person.

- "Well, children... how did your evening walk go?" he asked with a calm but observant gaze.

The children looked at each other.

Silence.

There was a hidden fear inside them.

Fredrik stepped forward, but before he could speak...

Woof... woof...

A low, muffled sound was heard.

Everyone froze.

The sound was coming from inside Fredrik's clothes.

Hugo's eyes narrowed, and he immediately looked down.

- "What is this?.." he asked suspiciously.

Fredrik slowly put his hand inside his coat... and pulled out a small, trembling puppy. Its fur was covered in mud, and its eyes were wide with fear.

- "Please..." Fredrik said quickly, "we couldn't leave it. It was alone... it would have frozen..."

The other children joined in:

- "Please, Hugo..."

- "Don't tell anyone..."

- "Let us keep it..."

Hugo said nothing for a moment.

He looked at the puppy.

Then at the children.

A hesitant expression appeared on his face.

- "If the master finds out..." he said quietly.

- "He won't!" Fredrik said firmly. "We'll hide it."

Silence again.

The wind grew stronger.

Hugo took a deep breath.

- "Follow me," he finally said.

Relief appeared on the children's faces.

They carefully walked around the castle so no one would notice. Hugo led them toward the servants' house.

Behind it, there was a small shed...

Behind the castle, there was a small shed - its wooden walls were old, and the ceiling carried the damp scent of moisture. Hugo slowly opened the door. A wave of dusty, warm air rushed out and hit the children's faces.

- "Come in," he said in a low voice.

The children hesitated, then stepped inside. The shed was filled with old ropes, sacks, and stacks of dry firewood. In one corner, there was a small space covered with old cloths.

Hugo leaned his shovel against the wall and took the sack off his shoulder.

- "This place is safe for now," he said, looking around. "But no one must know about it."

Fredrik carefully placed the puppy on the ground. The little creature trembled at first, then slowly lay down on the cloth. Its breathing was fast, but there was now a little calm in its eyes.

- "We need to give it food," said Mark quietly.

Without saying a word, Hugo picked up an old bucket by the door and went outside.

Silence filled the shed again.

Thomas leaned toward the puppy and gently stroked its head.

- "You're not alone anymore," he said in a very low voice, almost unsure if he even believed it himself.

At that moment, footsteps were heard outside.

Tap... tap... tap...

The children froze.

Hugo had not returned yet.

The sound was getting closer.

Someone stopped right in front of the shed door.

And then a calm voice was heard:

- "Who is there...?"

Fredrik's heart froze.

The silence inside the shed suddenly grew heavy. The children held their breath, not even having time to hide the puppy behind the cloth.

The door creaked open.

Mr. Steven entered.

He was around 28 years old, tall and well-built. His thick eyebrows gave his face a serious expression, while his long eyelashes covered sharp eyes that noticed every small movement. His black jacket and shiny black shoes gave him an even colder and more formal appearance.

He paused for a moment.

His eyes locked onto the children.

- "What are you doing here?!" he said sharply. "I've been searching for you everywhere!"

The children froze. No one could speak.

Mr. Steven stepped further inside and carefully looked around. The messy shed, the sacks, the cloths... everything seemed suspicious to him.

- "Breaking castle rules... this is not a joke!" he said angrily.

Mark tried to speak, but no sound came out.

At that moment, soft footsteps were heard outside.

Hugo entered.

He was holding a small container of warm milk. But when he saw Mr. Steven, he stopped for a moment.

His eyes quickly assessed the situation.

Without saying anything, Hugo quietly hid the milk behind him, near the old sacks.

Mr. Steven noticed this movement.

- "So you are here too, gardener?" Mr. Steven said coldly.

Hugo looked calm.

- "The children were lost... I found them," he said in a calm voice.

Mr. Steven narrowed his eyes.

- "Lost, you say..." he replied suspiciously.

At that moment, a small rustling sound came from under the cloth.

The puppy moved.

Fredrik's heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

Sofia and Mark looked at each other, trembling.

Thomas tightly grabbed Fredrik's hand.

Mr. Steven immediately looked in that direction.

- "What was that sound?" he said sharply.

Silence froze the shed again.

Hugo stepped forward.

- "Probably rats..." he said calmly, though his voice carried slight tension.

Mr. Steven looked at him as if he didn't believe him.

He stepped closer...

Then another step...

The air grew heavier.

The children stood frozen in fear.

At that moment, Hugo coughed slightly, drawing Mr. Steven's attention.

- "Mr. Steven, Marta is looking for you," he said calmly.

Mr. Steven fell silent for a moment.

Something suddenly came to his mind, and he quickly turned, rushing toward the shed door. He looked back and said firmly:

- "Alright, children, come to dinner. This place is not safe."

The children looked at each other-they relaxed slightly and followed Mr. Steven.

Fredrik looked back one last time...

The puppy was still there.

Hugo gave him a small wink and smiled.