Her father waited beside her.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded slowly.
“I remember standing here.”
He looked toward the trees.
“That morning?”
“Yes.”
“What were you thinking?”
She gave a small smile.
“That I needed to get home before dinner.”
Mahmoud swallowed.
Neither spoke for a while.
Then they began walking.
They followed the marked trail until they reached the stream where the wooden owl had been found.
Layan recognized the surrounding landscape.
The sound of flowing water was familiar.
So was the narrow path between the rocks.
But the place looked different in daylight, surrounded by people she trusted.
She approached the tree stump.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Then she noticed something.
A small wooden figure rested in a protected hollow near the base of the tree.
It resembled the owl found during the original search.
Its carved wings were worn, and its surface had darkened with age.
