A voice behind her grumbled, “This is madness.” Another added, “This is pointless, that bunny must be dead by now.” The words landed like punches. Samantha didn’t respond—she couldn’t. She bit down hard, swallowing the sting of heartbreak. Still, she moved forward, determined not to let their doubt slow her down.
Slowly, people peeled away. Silently, the two volunteers disappeared into the fog, heading back. When Samantha looked ahead, there was no one by her side except Alex. And yet she pushed ahead, legs aching, lungs burning. She couldn’t give up. Not when Pablo still needed her. Not without getting closure.