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Max. I had to find Max.

I ran. My feet carried me before I found the direction.

Down again. Through briars.

Across a dry wash. Up—

No. Wrong. I cut sideways instead.

Higher was wrong.

My thighs burned. My mouth was dry.

Sweat ran into my eyes.

I wiped it away and left blood across my temple.

I didn’t know that until I saw it on my fingers.

Keep moving. I ran.

The woods opened.

Not much. Enough.

I saw him.

I stopped.

Everything stopped.

Max lay beneath a cedar.

For one stupid second, joy hit me so hard it hurt.

There. There you are. “Max.”

He didn’t move. I took one step. Then another.

My legs shook. “Max?”

Nothing.

I knew before I reached him. I still dropped beside him.

“Max.” His fur was dirty. Cold. My hand moved over his side.

Nothing rose beneath it. No breath. No heartbeat.

No annoyed little sound because I was bothering him while he slept. My fingers dug into his fur.

“No.” His face was still his face, his eyes empty. That was somehow the worst part. I bent over him.

For the first time since the porch, I wasn’t moving.

My body didn’t seem to understand what to do with that. My legs trembled beneath me.

My lungs kept trying to run.