Fresh snowfall dusted the ground, but beneath it, Manny spotted faint footprints leading deeper into the forest. They were lighter, uneven strides that suggested exhaustion or injury. He crouched, tracing them with gloved fingers, imagining a boy stumbling through freezing darkness alone.
The dog whimpered softly and nudged a hollow tree trunk. Manny knelt to look inside. There, half-hidden among dead leaves, lay an old shoelace and a small folded piece of paper. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he reached in, fingers brushing the cold bark surrounding the precious clue.