A Small Brown Discovery

A soft breath slipped into my chest. I blinked, and the towering green pine forest came into crisp focus. I tested my paw—it moved. Slowly, deliberately, I reached down toward the pine needles right between my feet. There rested a smooth, round chestnut. I extended a claw and gently nudged it. It rolled half an inch, settling softly against dry leaves. My binoculars clinked against my chest. Everything is quiet, steady, and very real.