She ended the call and posted to Facebook: “Organizing a search party. Meeting at my house. If you can help, please come.” She felt ridiculous, like shouting into a storm. But within minutes, the responses came in.
Strangers. Neighbors. Old faces she hadn’t spoken to in years. They arrived one by one—some with flashlights, others in jackets and boots, all of them ready to help. They gathered in her front yard as dusk crept in, murmuring ideas and possibilities.