text: I respond hesitantly, "hello," after a few seconds pass with neither a response from myself nor the feline creature watching me. "My name is Kaitlyn." In the dim light given by the setting moon, which has just started to descend behind the treetops in front of us, her white fur gleams like silver. Her ears slightly pricked forward into a triangle form. Despite being so close to where I am frozen in place, she seems quite at ease. Her large, round, emerald eyes almost appear luminous against her pale face. She doesn't do anything more than turn slightly away from me before finally turning to gaze over her shoulder once more. Although it's unclear if she's signaling yes or no, her tail slowly flicks side to side. Just as I begin to believe our conversation is over, she abruptly hops down from the stump and calmly strolls past me while keeping her feet silent. I walk after her and wonder what exactly brought us together out here in the middle of nothing. "Snowball!" Since she looks to be the only other person in the area beside me, I shout in an attempt to catch her attention. The cat comes to a complete halt, turns, and looks at me with a curious expression. I'm left wondering if Snowball is really her name; perhaps her owner gave it to her based on her answer. With how fluffy and white she appears, it sounds like a fitting nickname! Snowball begins to meow quietly but soon starts to walk backward toward me while keeping her eyes firmly fixated on my face. She moves forward onto my palm when I extend my hand, then curls up into my arms and purrs happily. I feel the warmth emanating from her body and run my fingers through the silky fur covering her head. "Why are you here by yourself in these woods?" We're standing there talking so close to each other that I inquire gently in case any other animals happen to walk by and are startled. A gunshot somewhere nearby is followed by another and a few more rounds are fired considerably closer than the ones that came before, cutting off our chat. We both leap almost immediately apart as a result of the unexpected noise startling us both. Although it's unclear what might be wrong, Snowball nips at the hem of my jeans and tugs on it as if attempting to warn me. I scan the area for anything unusual or harmful, but I'm not sure what I would do if I did, especially if it were a wild animal or perhaps a dangerous predator lurking in this forest...or worse yet, a person trying to hurt either myself or Snowball! Voices can now be heard moving toward us; they are speaking softly, but due to the distance between them and us, as well as the fact that the speaker is too far away to fully understand what they are saying, their words are not quite making sense. Even though Snowball has just been shocked, she still maintains a fixed gaze on me with her green eyes wide open. Rather than showing fear, she looks curious. She meows at me once more before looking back in the direction of a narrow trail that appears to be leading deeper into the trees away from the sound. I trail behind her, wondering why she seems so determined to go down there when I have no idea where we are going or whether I should even go there since I don't know anyone else who lives in this area, let alone getting lost and having to rely on someone like Snowball who may very well be the guide I need to return home safely. As we continue through the underbrush and over tree trunks that have fallen and are laying scattered across the forest floor, the ground beneath my feet is uneven and rocky. Compared to the trees that are close to my house, these trees seem to be much older. They're gnarled and twisted, appearing to have lived a long life, whereas those that surround my property seem young enough that one day they might even reach up high above me, blocking out most of the sunlight that enters them during summer, casting long shadows that stretch from one side of the yard to the other, and giving me shade whenever I choose to sit outside reading a book or writing in my black journal while savoring a cool drink. I accidentally run into her back when Snowball abruptly stops. She turns around and gives me a look that is akin to the expression you would expect any cat to have after learning something new while exploring the outdoors. "Snowball, what is the matter? What have you seen?" Given the scant details she has given me about our current position so far, I ask curiously but don't expect an answer that would be helpful. "Do you know of any additional trails that may branch off and go in a different direction?" She doesn't answer but instead stares attentively into whatever she saw before halting abruptly once more. She gestures with her paw for me to halt as well, then she tilts her head slightly to the left, then to the right, and eventually she fixes her focus once again on me. When I see her tail moving quickly back and forth, I start to wonder if this feline creature is actually a dog in disguise. "Is anyone there?" I stutter, hoping that by making so little noise in these woods, where everything seems so quiet in comparison to where we currently reside, I won't scare anyone who is around. Snowball slowly nods a few times as if trying very hard to convey some kind of message without words, but no matter how much time passes, there is still no additional interaction between us. She makes it seem as though she knows exactly where she's going and wants me to follow her. Snowball navigates the path through the trees until ultimately the undergrowth becomes more sparse and more light can enter through the canopy above. The terrain here becomes less rocky, making walking easier, though it still feels quite muddy and wet from recent rain. This is evident from all the puddles that are lying scattered across the ground among fallen leaves, twigs, and other debris from nature that has been washed down from higher on the mountainside during heavy rainstorms like those experienced during the autumn months in Lynsid. After we arrive at a deserted street with buildings on either side and a little park with a huge fountain in the middle, the road opens up significantly. At one end of the road, there is a signpost with a map of Lynsid's city, complete with streets and landmarks, nailed to it. Snowball pauses at this point, turns around, and then briefly glances back over her shoulder before turning back to face me. I'm not sure why she would do this considering that we had only just met, but it almost seems as if she's asking if I'm ready to follow her again. She continues to stare deeply into my eyes for several long seconds, pointing in the direction of an incoming truck headed our way. Because I've lost track of where I'm supposed to go or what road we should take to get there in the first place, I tear my gaze away from her and wave at the driver to stop his vehicle in case he might be about to help us find our way home safely...or maybe even because Snowball is telling me something important but I don't know how else she could communicate her thoughts without using gestures. Snowball gestures her paw back and forth, as the truck driver slows and pulls onto the pavement. Then he exits his vehicle and moves over to where we are standing. He bows and says, "hello," holding out his hand as if to say something in the way of a greeting, but neither myself nor Snowball seems too keen on accepting a greeting at this point because we're not sure whether we can trust him despite being so close to one another that we might run into each other if we try anything stupid like trying to push past each other. "Jack is my name." I cautiously smile back at him after he says this and gives me a warm smile. He asks Snowball, this time directly, "are you still looking for your owner?" Snowball nods slowly once more before gently tilting her head to the left, then to the right, and then back to me. "You are the first person to stroke her fur since she went missing here a few days ago, and she already appears to like you," Jack says as he casts a curious glance my way. I turn to face Snowball with a smile on my face and ask Jack , "do you know the location of her owner? Maybe if she's nearby?" "No one knows where she is after her sudden disappearance, but it's thought that someone took her away from these parts by force, with her destination unknown." Jack shakes his head in response, his face etched with worry. Snowball responds by rubbing up against me and purring softly. I softly stroke her white coat, giggling as I do so. "Snowball, I have wonderful news for you; you've found a new home!" I say softly. "I'm going to take good care of you, my little Snowball, and you'll be staying with me for good."