The Storm and Victor Halloway by Alisa Yunes

Victor Halloway was the sort of man people crossed the street to avoid.

Harsh, cold, and carrying himself with an air of superiority, he had a sharp tongue and bad reputation for making others feel small.

The neighbours whispered about him—how he never smiled, never helped, never let anyone close. The old woman at the corner store once claimed that when she fell in the snow, he walked right past her.

Then came the storm.

It was through all the town, flooding streets and knocking out power. Through the chaos, seven-year-old Emily Carter went missing. People were in a panic, rescue team went to search for a girl.

Hours later, Victor walked into the town square, soaked to the bone, carrying Emily in his arms. She was hugging him, sobbing. "She was in the river," he said. "I just followed the sound."

The town stood in stunned silence. Victor had risked his life—alone. Someone handed him a blanket, another a cup of tea. For the first time, people saw him in another way, as a man—exhausted, his hands were shacking.

Whispers spread. A veteran, they said. A man with no family left. The old woman admitted she had later found a bag of groceries on her doorstep, already paid for.

Victor never explained himself, never asked for understanding. But the town gave it to him anyway.

And on stormy nights, no one crossed the street to avoid him any more.