Word spread faster than Samantha could gather herself. Within minutes, the entire street buzzed with disbelief and whispered theories. She stood trembling on her porch, muttering through her tears, “My cat was just here. He was just right here.” Her voice cracked against the heavy, stunned silence around her.
The neighbors tried to offer explanations, flimsy and absurd. Someone suggested it was a trained bird, part of some illegal wildlife show gone wrong. Others blamed climate change, claiming animals were becoming more aggressive. None of it made sense. None of it mattered. Juniper was gone, and Samantha couldn’t breathe.