You get up from the ground. Your belly fur is wet and muddy. You can feel the dirt and the water weighing you down as you slowly trudge back home. You do not see where the bird and the baby bird go, but you hear its screech again. When you turn back, they are both gone.

It takes awhile to get back to your cave. You step over puddles and mud and more rain to get there. You are cold and a mess when you finally arrive home. You rest your achy, tired body on the cold rock floor. The rain and the thunder get worse.

You do not sleep.

It is too cold to sleep.

You think about whether or not the baby bird will remember you.

You choose to…

• …let go.