They communicated primarily through gestures and sounds.
The social worker in charge of the case was Margaret Dunn, a seasoned child protection professional who had spent sixteen years working with neglected and abandoned children.
She had already dealt with difficult cases.
She had seen poverty.
She had seen families in difficulty.
She had seen children who had endured terrible circumstances.
But she later
described Hollow Ridge as a one-of-a-kind experience.
The first thing she noticed wasn’t the children.
There was silence.
The place was strangely quiet.
No animals nearby.
No noise from everyday life.
There is no sign that the outside world has ever reached this place.
In his notes, Dunn describes the children as cautious but observant.
They were monitoring every move.
Every single gesture.
Anyone who entered their space.
