Every night my neighbor’s son flashed SOS from his window—until one message forced me to run across the street and uncover a terrifying truth.

a flickering light from Leo’s bedroom window.

Three short flashes.

Three long flashes.

Three short flashes.

S.O.S.

Morse code.

My pulse immediately quickened. At my age, surprises like that aren’t exactly healthy.

I stood up slowly, joints cracking like dry wood, and moved toward the window.

The neighborhood outside was perfectly calm. No screams. No danger.continue reading …