The Boy in a Redhood

Perth notices him on a night when nothing should have stood out.

A boy in a red hood.
Always alone.
Always leaving before anyone thinks to stop him.

Santa doesn't speak much. He doesn't explain himself. He appears in the same places at the same hours, like a habit the city refuses to break and yet no one seems to remember him the way Perth does.

Curiosity turns into vigilance.
Vigilance turns into something dangerously close to attachment.

The more Perth watches, the more he realizes Santa isn't hiding from the world
he's protecting himself from being known. From being found.

But mysteries don't stay silent forever.

As fragments of Santa's past begin to surface, Perth is forced to confront the line between noticing someone and claiming them, between protection and possession.

Because some boys aren't meant to be chased.

And some are worth staying for.