Four years after Maggie’s husband vanished during a solo hike, she had made peace with his absence. But when their dog, Scout, returned with her husband’s worn jacket, Maggie followed it into the woods—and found a truth she never expected.
I remember the day Jason left. He’d been struggling with depression, but that morning, he seemed like himself again, packing for a hike with our dog, Scout. “I need this, just me and Scout,” he said, smiling.
He never came back.
The search went on for weeks, but eventually, they declared him dead. I clung to small things he left behind—the kids and I kept his memory alive. Slowly, I accepted he was gone.
Then, one quiet Saturday, everything changed. Scout appeared, thin and ragged, with Jason’s jacket in his mouth. When I called to him, he turned and trotted into the woods, as if wanting me to follow.
I grabbed my phone and keys, telling the kids to stay put, and hurried after Scout. He led me to a hidden cabin, with clothes hanging outside and a faint smoke trail in the air. My heart raced—I looked through the window and saw him.
Continue reading on next page…