Song of the Winter Solstice
Nature itself seemed to hold its breath, as if expecting the world to unfurl its frozen wings in a dance of vitality once more.
"I can't give up, not now," I muttered, as I extracted the final drop of water from its reservoir, cupping it with my finger. Abandoning my vigil would mean hunger for my two younger siblings, a fate I couldn't bear. I'd even promised Cali, the youngest, a feast tonight. But my trap remained empty, despite the encroaching dinner hour. None had succumbed to my meticulously set trap—designed for restraint, not death. In usual circumstances, no creature escaped my snare—jaw-curved, leg-hold traps that usually ensnared coyotes, wolves, lynxes, and even the rare jaguar.
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