Seconds felt like hours. Samantha forced herself to stand still, forced herself not to scream. Her mind spiraled with images: Juniper injured, gone, beyond saving. She squeezed her eyes shut once, a quick, desperate prayer tumbling through her mind. Please let him be okay. Please let him be alive.
Then the young man’s voice floated down, sharp with disbelief: “It’s him! It’s the cat—he’s fine!” A collective gasp swept through the search party. Samantha stumbled forward, tears flooding her eyes. Up above, Juniper’s small white form wriggled and pawed playfully at something inside the nest—completely unharmed.