melancholyThe body was still on the asphalt, but even as I passed it, I was able to tell that it hadn't been a ferel. I quickly flipped two U's, pulled up behind it, hit my hazards, and got out.
Her body was still warm, her eyes still clear, the drop of blood on her lip was still wet, and her body was utterly limp. No insects, no stiffness, no bloating. It had probably been minutes before.
She had been well fed with high quality food. Glossy coat, clean claws, pink pads. A housecat, mostly indoors.
No tags. No collar. No tattoo. No microchip.
I set her off onto the side, where her body wouldn't get mangled by some tires, and then drove home, felling sad for her extinguished life, and wondering who out there was missing her, and hoping in vain that she would come home soon.
When I got home, I washed my hands and arms past the elbows, and then stroked my own cats for a long time.
