Clara opened her eyes to see a crumpled, dirty piece of paper being pressed into her trembling hands. It was her missing cat poster. The bold header read MISSING: BUBBLES. “We found him after continuous searching,” the boy panted, his voice tight with anxiety. “But he’s in trouble. He’s stuck at the very top of the old nature reserve oak, and the branch is splitting. We tried to climb it, but we couldn’t reach him—it’s too high, and the wood is cracking under his own weight. He’s going to fall!”
“Take me to him,” Clara demanded, moving before they answered. The teenagers guided her toward the greenhouse while explaining quickly. Bubbles had climbed an ancient oak beside a ravine. Storm damage had cracked the branch beneath him. The boys had called rescue services, but nobody knew whether they would arrive before the branch broke.