Came Back
Elsie set her backpack on the ground and moved closer.
“Sir,” she whispered. “I’m going to help you. Please don’t move if you can hear me.”
The man let out a low sound but did not speak.
Elsie studied the rope before touching it. Her grandfather had taught her never to fight a knot blindly. Every knot had a direction. Every rope had a weak point.
She found a fallen branch, wedged it carefully beneath the rope, and used her small body weight to ease the tension.
