Chapter 4: Hazel Came Back Alone
On the fourth morning, I saw a flash of orange near the bus stop.
Hazel sat beneath the bench, perfectly still, her torn ear tilted toward me. She did not run when I stepped closer. She did not hiss or hide. She simply stared with an intensity that made my breath catch.
It felt like a summons.
“Where is he?” I whispered.
Hazel turned and walked away.
I followed her through alleyways glazed with old ice, past dumpsters, brick walls, and forgotten corners where the city’s clean face ended. She kept looking back, making sure I was still behind her.
At the edge of the park, where the trees leaned over a strip of frozen ground, she slipped beneath a makeshift lean-to of cardboard, plastic, and torn blankets.
There he was.
He was lying on his side, pale and barely moving. His breath came shallow. Hazel pressed herself against his chest, then looked back at me as if to say, hurry… Continue Reading ⬇️