- short story... although the premise isn't too original, and I'm not sure if it'll go anywhere, this is to try to write differently... exploring, I guess... any pointers most welcome :) ... 

"The boy and the girl, are they ok?", he asked Pauline.  They'd come across the two children hiding in the shed when the little girl tripped over the drill's cord.  

"Yes, but they're clearly scared.  I can't get a peep out of them both.", she said frowning in concern.  Matt was deeply thinking it over, too, you could tell from the expression on his face. 

After a few moments, he inquired, "Shouldn't we be calling someone?  Seems to me that's the kind of thing you do if you find errant, seemingly afraid, children in your shed, no?"

At that moment, the little boy who couldn't have been more than eight years old, appeared in the doorway of their living room, consequently disrupting the conversation before Pauline could answer.  He hesitantly said, almost in a whisper, "Can you help us hide?  We mustn't be found.  Please?"

Something about the look in his eyes, and the way he said it, somehow made the hairs on the back of their necks unexpectedly prickle up.  Like an alarm bell imminently about to be triggered off, but without any clear justification.

Matt and Pauline averted their gaze to one another as the strange feeling took hold in the room.  And, in the softest of voices and smiles, Pauline approached the boy saying, "Can you tell us what's going on, sweetheart?  What's your name?  I'm Pauline, and this is Matt.  We want to make sure you're ok.  Can we call anyone for you?  Your parents? ..."

At the mention of calling their parents, there appeared a wave-like rippling along the whites of his eyes and across them, a red light almost like a flash that had an intensity which was very sharp.  Pauline recoiled as quickly as the flash came, and suddenly became fixed on the spot from being stupefied. 

Feeling fear tightening a grip on his throat, Matt bolted grabbing Pauline's arm to quickly drag them out of there.  His mind was racing, wondering if he was imagining it all, but he could reassure himself on that one, 'cause Pauline had seen it too. Look at them running now.

Matt looked back at the house to see if the children were there.  Both of them were standing on the porch, looking at them run away while giving a little wave.  He was thinking to himself, if red eyes and all that, whatever that was, are possible, the question would be, what else is there about these kids that's possible.  It wasn't a soothing reflection.

They ran about ten minutes to the next door neighbor who was the closest.  That would be Georges, a great fellow who's getting on with the years, as people say.  He was a much beloved neighbor and man of the community.  If there was ever anything the matter, you could always count on Georges' big heart to be there to help out in any way he could.  

Standing on his porch, Matt and Pauline rang Georges' doorbell, and stood there waiting while hoping he was home.  They weren't sure how what they were going through could be explained.  Georges might come to believe they'd finally lost their marbles.