The backyard stretched out like a pale sheet, soft mounds and darkened corners scattered beneath the trees. Raymond narrowed his eyes, trying to spot movement. At first, there was nothing. Just the rush of wind, the creak of branches, and the relentless quiet of winter.
Then he saw it. Near the far fence, half-buried in a drift, something twitched. He took a few slow steps forward. The shape was indistinct, but it was definitely there. An irregular bulge in the snow, barely visible but undeniably out of place.