Fhilcar Faunillani 
The cemetery was quiet, heavy with the weight of unspoken grief. A small cry broke the stillness, sharp and trembling, like a heart cracking open. It came from a puppy, barely bigger than a hand, curled in the grass between weathered headstones. Her fur was matted, her eyes wet with something more than tears. She …
The old dog sat by the roadside, his eyes fixed on the empty street. Rain fell, but he didn’t move. His fur, patchy and thin, clung to his bones, and his few remaining teeth ached with every breath. He was waiting. Always waiting. For someone who never came. A man lived nearby, in a small …
The old house stood empty, its windows dark. A mother dog lay in the dust, her pups beside her. Her eyes caught the morning light, tired but fierce. She’d been waiting, guarding, hoping for someone to come. Three pups curled close, their bellies swollen, their fur patchy. They were hungry, always hungry. She licked their …
The rain fell soft, soaking the leaves. A small shape huddled beneath a roadside tree. She was a cat, curled tight, her fur matted with mud and leaves. Her eyes, wide and green, held a quiet ache. I stopped my truck, delivery forgotten. She didn’t move, didn’t meow. Just looked at me, shivering, as if …
The kitten’s cry was faint, trembling under the porch. I stopped, my keys still in hand. After work, the house felt too still. That soft mewling pulled me back outside, down the steps, toward the overgrown bushes by the fence. A tiny black shape huddled there, barely bigger than my palm. Her eyes caught the …
The gray cat’s paws stirred the dust. His friend lay still, her breath shallow. He nudged her, urgent but gentle. The road was quiet, the air heavy with summer. Her fur, soft and dappled, caught the fading light. She didn’t move. His eyes, wide and green, held a fear that needed no words. He pressed …
Her eyes caught mine through the frost-covered alley, wide and shivering. A broken leg dangled, useless, as she crouched in the snow. She was so thin her ribs pressed against her skin, her fur patchy and shaved by the winter’s cruelty. Yet she didn’t run. She looked at me, trusting, as if she knew I’d …
The kitten lay still under the car. Its tiny body barely moved, eyes clouded with pain. A man crouched low, his breath catching. He saw the matted fur, the trembling leg. The kitten didn’t run. It just stared, wide-eyed, too weak to flee. He wanted to reach out, but hesitated. Two cats waited at home. …
The cat lay stiff on the leaves, eyes shut tight. Her small chest heaved, each breath a struggle. A stranger’s voice broke the silence. “Hit by a car. Left here to die.” My heart sank. I knelt beside her, the forest floor cold under my knees. The kitten, barely more than fur and bones, seemed …
The river moved slow, its surface catching the late afternoon sun. A cat sat on the far bank, thin and still, staring at nothing. His fur was matted, gray like old stone. I wondered if he was hungry, if he chased fish that slipped away. His eyes, wide and yellow, held a quiet question. I …
The children’s voices carried across the empty lot, soft and urgent. They huddled in a circle, their small hands pointing to something hidden in the grass. I stood at the edge of the lot, watching. The kids noticed me and waved me over, their eyes wide with worry. “There’s a kitten,” one said, pointing to …
The cat’s eyes gleamed in the dawn light, alone against a pack of stray dogs. Her claws flashed, defiant, holding ground on a cracked sidewalk. She was small, her fur matted, but she stood tall. The dogs circled, barking, their breath steaming in the cold morning air. I stopped, my work bag heavy on my …
The cat’s cries pierced the silence of the abandoned tin shack. Her eyes, wide and glassy, held a plea. On July 10, I found her amid rusted metal and scattered debris. Her front paws, twisted and useless, trembled as she tried to move. Each step was a wince, a soft wail escaping her throat. She …
The black dog barked until his voice cracked. His cries echoed across the rural yard, desperate. Yango’s eyes were wide, searching for someone to hear. Tied to a short, rusted chain behind a sagging house, he stood in dirt and scattered trash. The other dog, Boris, crouched under a flimsy roof, silent. His chain was …
The cat’s eyes tremble. She drags her broken front legs across the cold pavement. Her body is small, fragile, like a leaf caught in a storm. She doesn’t cry out. She never does. The street is quiet, save for the distant hum of cars. She inches toward a scrap of food, her breath shallow. Pain …