Her boots squelched as she moved across the damp grass, pulse racing, the wind now cold against her ears. Only when she’d closed the door behind her did she finally stop. She hurried to the window, heart pounding with hope—but what she saw made her shoulders fall.
The harness was off, unstuck from the fence post. But the dog’s leg was still trapped—bent awkwardly through the fence slats. It was wriggling, struggling, trying everything. Nothing worked. Maya looked at the ruined plushie, torn open and scattered like feathers. The sky darkened further. And she felt her resolve break.