I was patrolling at night when suddenly a call came over the radio: strange noises were reported in an abandoned house…

😱😮 I was patrolling at night when suddenly a call came over the radio: strange noises were reported in an abandoned house…

I shouldn’t have gone there; that area wasn’t part of my route, but my heart tightened with an inexplicable feeling.

The house stood dark and lifeless, but as soon as I stepped over the threshold, a faint, muffled thump came from the basement. I removed the chain from the door and went down.

In the dim light, my flashlight revealed the silhouette of a child. He wasn’t crying; he was only trembling, as if suspended between fear and hope.

I picked him up and took him to the hospital. There, everything immediately went into motion: doctors, nurses, police. No one could believe that someone was capable of such cruelty. Everyone was tormented by the same question — who had locked the boy in the basement and how long had he been there?

When his condition stabilized, he still remained silent. The next day I returned, introduced myself, and sat beside him. He looked at me and quietly said, “Hi.”

I told him he was safe and could tell what had happened to him. His face turned pale, his gaze dimmed.

😱😨 I took his hand and promised that I would not let anyone hurt him. He remained silent for a long time, then slowly began to speak — and each word seemed to burn the air around him.

Continuation in the first comment.👇👇

He spoke softly, as if afraid the walls might hear him. His hands trembled, his eyes darted, his breathing was uneven. I sat beside him, feeling a cold rage rise within me.

He explained that the man who had locked him up came multiple times. He simply called him “uncle.” Sometimes other children appeared in the house. Some were taken away at night; others he never saw again. This went on for weeks.

Experts found children’s belongings in the basement. On the old computer — dozens of files with lists, dates, and brief descriptions. Each line — a child’s name.

In the news, it was called “the Black House case.” The city was in shock. No one could believe this was happening just a few kilometers from the road we traveled every day.

Later we also found him — the one the boy called “uncle.” He had tried to escape across the border but was caught. During questioning, he said almost nothing. He just smirked and asked:
— You think I was alone?

Investigators determined he was involved in child trafficking. The network extended far beyond the country’s borders, and the house on the highway was only one of the points.

When I heard this, I returned to the hospital. In the room, he was no longer alone — his parents sat beside him, pale, exhausted, but with eyes in which the light had returned.

The boy quietly looked out the window, holding his mother’s hand. I stepped closer, paused at the door, then took a step forward.
— It’s over, — I said softly. — Now you’re home. You’re free.