As everyone else entered the cabin of potential cannibals, Hayden stood frozen. His heart pounded, and he took the little fingers of his right hand in his left, forcing them to straighten.
The whole journey here, each raindrop against his skin made his muscles tense. He’d been so focused on leaving his old life behind. But right now, he felt like his mother’s son.
“Hayden! Come on.”
He blinked. Brita stood in front of him. She’d come back out without bothering to put her hood up, and raindrops stuck in her eyelashes. She smiled sadly and slipped her hand into his. “You won’t make it out here on your own.”
Hayden’s heart calmed, just a bit, as she led him to the cabin. Something about her hand, rough and nearly the same size as his own, made him feel safer.
“I’m Rose,” the old woman wa
