Straw stood in front of Berryanna's office, holding a tray of food. The tray felt heavier than it should. For a moment, she stood there waiting, rethinking her decision and wondering if Berryanna would want to see her face since she had said last night that she did not want to see her face.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the tray. The plates rattled softly against each other. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
She took a deep breath, then proceeded to knock. The sound echoed once and disappeared into the quiet. There was no answer for a while. The hallway felt longer. The silence stretched.
She swallowed.
She turned her back to leave, feeling that Berryanna did not want to see her, when she heard a meow.
She froze.
She paused, then slowly turned back to the door and placed her ear against it to listen. Her heart beat against the wood. The meow came again. Clearer this time.
