Trading My Next Life For You

Summary

I was scrolling through a private, dark corner of an online pet forum when the headline stopped me cold.

“5 Days Left. How do I say goodbye so she won’t break?”

Below it, another line.

“Should I just vanish? Pretend I ran off and die somewhere private?”

The comment section was full of little dog avatars.

“No, seriously, don’t do that,” one replied. “Your human will spiral. Last time I accidentally slipped my leash, mine took two weeks off work to hunt for me. Don’t you dare leave her with that guilt.”