The cat collapsed.
tick
tock
She pushed herself up and continued, watching longingly as the hens slept soundly, their eggs tucked safely beneath them.
tick
tock
She passed the clothesline with the farmer’s freshly washed clothes hanging, refusing to play with the fringe of his quilt.
tick
tock
She climbed into the pitch black of the loft. The eerie flickering of the light cast a monstrous shadow.
tick
tock
She climbed into the hay and set the tiny bundle of her last kit down next to the cold bodies of his littermates, whispering her goodbyes.
tick
tock
And she left.