About a year ago, the night had been restless, full of strange noises threading through the woods behind her small cottage. Elise woke to a low, high-pitched cry—almost like that of a baby. Against her better judgment, she pulled on a coat and followed the sound down the muddy path toward the edge of the woods.
Under the skeletal branches, a shape trembled near a pile of leaves. Tiny, slick with rain, it mewed again. Elise crouched, brushing debris aside to reveal a black kitten, no bigger than her palm, shivering violently. Something in its eyes—fierce and bright—made her hesitate before scooping it up.