Nathan's voice trembled slightly as he voiced his concern. “I don’t think we should be here. This feels wrong, Clara. Let’s leave now before we get into trouble.”
Clara frowned, her determination battling against Nathan’s unease. “But we might miss our chance to find something important! What if the key leads us to something that explains everything?”
He shook his head, taking a step back. “I get that, but there’s a really heavy feeling in here, like we’re not supposed to be snooping around. Besides, if Mr. Smith is really connected to those cries in the woods, what if he… what if he didn’t want anyone to find out?”
Clara’s expression wavered. “You might be right. But I can’t shake this feeling that we’re getting closer to uncovering something big.” She looked around, her eyes scanning the shop one last time, as if searching for the answer to an unasked question.
Nathan took a deep breath, contemplating their options. “Maybe we could come back later with someone else—someone who can help us if anything goes wrong.”
“Okay,” Clara agreed reluctantly, her voice softening. “Let’s not risk it then. We can meet up after school tomorrow and plan our next steps. But promise me, if you hear those noises again, we’ll investigate together.”
Nathan nodded, the tension in his chest easing just a bit. “I promise. I’ll let you know. It’s just… it feels like something is hiding just beneath the surface.”
They swept back toward the entrance, but as they stepped outside, a sudden rustle in the nearby bushes grabbed their attention. Nathan froze, his pulse quickening again.
“Did you hear that?” he whispered, hardly daring to breathe.
Clara nodded, her expression shifting to one of alarm. “We need to get out of here—fast!”
They hurried from the shop, urgency propelling them into the cold evening air. As they reached the edge of the town square, Nathan scanned the area, feeling a swell of foreboding rise inside him.
“Do you think someone saw us?” he asked, glancing nervously over his shoulder.
Clara’s determination was rekindled. “Let’s meet at the library tomorrow after school. I can dig up some information about Mr. Smith, and maybe we can uncover more about those strange noises.”