Midnight. Midnight. A windless, calm September night. The starry sky blanketed the entire city, the moon shining brightly like a beacon for ships.
The streets are almost deserted, with only a few people still returning home. A group of friends are chatting heatedly after a fun night at a bar. A young couple is strolling along the road after their first date. Across the street, a sullen man is trying to hail a taxi after a hard shift at work. In the distance, near a nearby park, a woman with a dog is hurrying home after a night out.
Within minutes, not a single soul remained in the area. The city had fallen asleep.
"Grandma! Grandma!" A child's ringing voice filled the entire street.
A fair-haired girl of about six walked down an empty street. She was dressed inappropriately for the weather: a T-shirt, denim shorts, and sneakers. Confused and frightened, she clutched a stuffed red cat in both hands.
"I need to go higher. That way I'll definitely find her," she thought, noticing an iron ladder leading straight to the roof of one of the houses.
At that moment, a sharp crash was heard somewhere nearby, as if something metallic had hit the pavement. The girl, frightened, ran up the stairs and ran as fast as she could. Without looking back due to the fear that had overtaken her, she ran to the very top. Catching her breath, she realized she was standing on the roof of a building. The girl became even more afraid. Then she clutched her plush companion tighter and tried to get closer to the edge of the roof, looking for her grandmother. After taking a few hesitant steps forward, she stopped. Fear completely paralyzed the little girl. Dropping to all fours, she looked around. Spotting a stairwell with a metal door in the center, she slowly crawled toward it, holding her faithful friend with one hand. Reaching the coveted door, she stood up and tried to open it. But the door was locked from the other side. The girl fell to her knees and began to cry, hugging the toy tightly. Tears of despair and fear dripped from her rosy cheeks onto the plush friend she held tightly to her.
“Hello,” a child’s voice was heard from somewhere behind me.
The girl looked up. A dark-haired boy, slightly tousled, stood before her. He looked to be about ten years old. He was dressed in a dark blue hooded coat, pants a few shades darker, and brown shoes. A dark red sweatshirt was visible beneath the unbuttoned coat.
"Why are you crying?" the boy asked without waiting for an answer.
“I’m lost,” the girl answered with a slight degree of disbelief.
