Precious Pet

I got my cat when I was seven, and when I turned sixteen, she ran away. I came home from school ready to watch the latest episode of Friends and snuggle with her, our daily ritual. I scoured the house looking for her in all of her favorite places, then headed out to the yard calling her name. She didn't come, and I knew something was wrong. The laid awake all night hoping I'd hear her at the door. The next day I overheard the neighbor telling my mom about the coyotes he'd heard killing something in the woods the night before.