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"Chris, I swear to God--" Matt stared at his computer screen in horror. The video he'd spent six hours editing was gone, replaced by a clip of Chris doing an interpretive dance to "All Star" by Smash Mouth.
Chris was doubled over with laughter in the doorway. "You should see your face right now!"
"Please tell me you backed up my original file somewhere." Matt's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Of course I did, I'm not completely evil." Chris wiped tears from his eyes. "It's in a folder called 'Matt's Precious Baby.'"
"That's not funny. I have a deadline for this video."
"Come on, it's just a prank. Nick thought it was hilarious when I showed him."
Matt's hands clenched into fists. "You showed Nick before you showed me? So you both were in on this?"
"Well, yeah. His reaction was priceless too—"
"Get out." Matt stood up so quickly that his chair rolled back and hit the wall. "Both of you just... I can't deal with this right now."
"Matt, it's not that serious—"
"Not that serious? I've been editing all day! Do you have any idea how stressful this week has been? The algorithm's been trash, our numbers are down, and I'm trying to get us back on track while you two just..." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "You know what? Never mind."
Matt grabbed his light jacket from the back of his chair, shouldering past Chris.
"Where are you going?" Chris called after him, the laughter finally gone from his voice.
"For a walk!" Matt slammed the front door behind him.
The woods behind their house had always been his refuge. The early evening air was cool against his face, and the familiar crunch of leaves under his feet helped calm his nerves. He didn't notice the darkening clouds rolling in from the west, too lost in his thoughts about the video. He'd have to check every clip now to make sure Chris hadn't hidden any other "surprises."
The first drops of rain were gentle, barely noticeable through the canopy above. Matt turned to head back when a sound caught his attention — a desperate meowing coming from somewhere nearby. He paused, listening. There it was again.
Following the sound, he spotted a small black cat perched about ten feet up in an oak tree. It wasn't quite full-grown, but definitely past the kitten stage. The cat looked at him with bright yellow eyes, letting out another plaintive meow.
"Hey there," Matt said softly, approaching the tree. "Let's get you down from there."
The rain was picking up now, but Matt was already committed. He found a foothold and started climbing. The bark was slick under his hands, and twice he nearly lost his grip. The branches were thick but slippery, and his heart pounded as he made his way up. When he reached the cat, it hissed at first, scared and defensive.
"It's okay," he coaxed, holding out his hand. "I'm trying to help."
After a tense moment, the cat allowed him to pick it up, though it dug its claws into his arm through his jacket sleeve. Matt winced but managed to unzip his jacket one-handed and tuck the trembling animal inside.
Thunder cracked overhead as Matt started his descent. The rain was coming down in sheets now, and he could barely see. His foot slipped on a wet branch, and he scrambled to catch himself. The sudden movement startled the cat, who clawed at his chest in panic. Matt gasped in pain, losing his concentration for a crucial moment.
He thought he was closer to the ground than he actually was and let go too soon. He dropped about four feet, landing awkwardly on his right leg. Pain shot through his ankle like lightning, and he crumpled to the ground.
The cat squirmed inside his jacket as he tried to stand, the wind now whipping through the trees with frightening force. Each step sent shooting pain up his leg. The storm was in full force, rain coming down so hard it felt like needles against his skin.
Matt could barely see ten feet ahead of him. He limped under a large pine tree, trying to shield himself and the cat from the worst of it. The wind howled through the branches, and lightning flashed across the sky. His clothes were soaked through, and he was shivering violently. The cat pressed against his chest, its warmth barely noticeable through his wet clothes.
Time seemed to blur. Matt's teeth chattered uncontrollably, and his thoughts began to feel fuzzy around the edges. He tried to remember which direction the house was, but everything looked different in the storm. Was it left of the big oak? Or right of the fallen log?
"Just need to rest for a minute," he mumbled to the cat, sliding down to sit at the base of the tree. His ankle throbbed, and the world seemed to tilt sideways whenever he moved his head too quickly. "Just... just a minute..."
.
Chris paced in Matt's room, guilt gnawing at his stomach. The prank didn't seem so funny anymore. He checked Matt's computer — the original video was right where he'd hidden it, but Matt hadn't come back to find it.
"Hey, have you seen Matt?" Chris asked, shaking Nick awake.
Nick blinked groggily and checked his phone. His eyes widened at both the time and the weather alert notification. "Wait, he's not back yet?"
They rushed to the window. The storm was raging outside, trees bending in the wind. Without a word, both brothers grabbed their rain jackets and flashlights.
"He probably went to his usual spot," Nick said as they headed out into the storm. "You know how he gets when he's upset."
The rain hit them like a wall of water the moment they stepped outside. Chris's flashlight beam barely penetrated the darkness, the rain distorting the light into weird patterns.
"This is my fault," Chris shouted over the wind. "I shouldn't have messed with his video."
"We shouldn't have," Nick corrected, scanning the treeline. "I helped, remember?"
They pushed deeper into the woods, calling Matt's name. The wind threw their voices back at them, and thunder rolled overhead. Chris's stomach churned with worry as they passed Matt's favorite thinking spot with no sign of him.
"Maybe we should call for help," Nick suggested, his voice tight with concern.
"Give it ten more minutes," Chris replied, though the idea had crossed his mind too. "He has to be out here somewhere."
They pressed on, soaked to the bone despite their rain gear. Chris's light caught something reflective — a fresh footprint in the mud, slowly filling with rain.
"This way!" Chris pointed left, where more footprints led deeper into the woods. They followed the trail until the prints became erratic, like someone stumbling.
"Matt!" Nick's voice cracked as he called out. "Matt, where are you?"
A weak voice answered, barely audible over the storm. "Here..."
They found him huddled under a pine tree, shivering violently. His lips had a bluish tinge, and his eyes were unfocused.
"Jesus, Matt." Chris dropped to his knees beside his brother. "What were you thinking?"
"Found... found a cat," Matt mumbled, opening his jacket slightly to reveal a small black bundle. "Stuck in... tree..."
"Of course you did," Nick said, his voice somewhere between exasperated and relieved. "Can you stand?"
Matt tried to push himself up but cried out when he put weight on his right ankle. Chris and Nick exchanged worried looks before positioning themselves on either side of him.
"On three," Chris said. "One, two—"
They hauled Matt to his feet, supporting his weight between them. The cat, surprisingly, stayed tucked in Matt's jacket, as if knowing it was safer there.
The journey back was slow and treacherous. Matt seemed to drift in and out, sometimes mumbling about the video, other times about the cat. His skin felt ice-cold where it pressed against Chris's neck.
As they neared the house, the rain finally began to let up. The wind died down to a gentle breeze, and the thunder became distant rumbles.
"Almost there," Chris encouraged, though Matt seemed barely conscious enough to hear him. "Just a little further."
Inside, they helped Matt onto the couch. Nick ran for towels and dry clothes while Chris carefully extracted the cat, which was somehow completely dry despite everything.
"I'm sorry," Chris said quietly, helping Matt out of his wet jacket. "About the video, about all of it. I didn't think—"
"S'okay," Matt mumbled, his teeth still chattering. "Just... don't do it again."
They got Matt into dry clothes and wrapped him in every blanket they could find. The cat, once released, didn't run away but instead curled up on Matt's chest, purring loudly.
"What are you going to name it?" Nick asked, returning with hot chocolate for everyone.
Matt looked down at the little black cat, its yellow eyes half-closed in contentment. Despite everything — the cold, the pain, the fear — a small smile crossed his face.
"Niki," he said, scratching behind the cat's ears. "Her name is Niki."
Chris sat down next to the couch, still feeling guilty but relieved. "That's... actually a pretty good name."
"That's because it's basically my name," Nick laughed, settling into the armchair.
"Hey," Matt protested weakly, but he was smiling. "I'm the one who rescued her, I get naming rights."
The three brothers sat in comfortable silence, listening to the rain tapering off outside and Niki's steady purring.
Tomorrow, Chris would help Matt with his video. Tonight, they just needed to be together, safe and sound, while their newest family member made herself at home.