By late afternoon, a drizzle returned, forcing her back toward home. Her clothes clung to her, and she clutched the flashlight as if it might ward off despair. Passing by a grocery store, she overheard two shoppers whispering. “Is that the girl with the missing cat?” She felt her face flush, embarrassment mingling with hopelessness.
At her doorstep, she realized how exhausted she was. Inside, she found her answering machine blinking with a single message. Heart pounding, she fumbled to press play, expecting news of Orion. A gentle voice crackled.