Colleagues bustled around, laughter rising from the breakroom, but she remained distant, unsettled. She reminded herself she’d seen people abandon clothes, toys, and even mattresses on the roadside. Nothing unusual. And yet, her stomach twisted at the memory of that dog’s desperate crouch.
By lunch, she couldn’t resist pulling out her phone, absently searching local animal shelters. She wondered if anyone had reported a missing pet. The act calmed her slightly, but did little to shake the feeling that she’d overlooked something urgent.