“One, two, three, four…” Bill started counting aloud, unable to believe what he was seeing. Something felt wrong immediately.
He realized it at once—every morning, the first thing he did was check for Daisy, his favorite cow. They shared a bond that was hard to explain. Over the years, it had become a morning ritual: the moment their eyes met, they would run toward each other, a joyful greeting that never failed to lift his spirits.
But this morning, there was nothing. Silence stretched across the pasture. The cows were unusually quiet, and Daisy… Daisy was gone. Bill’s heart began pounding, a cold sense of dread crawling into his chest. He counted again: “One, two, three…” until he reached the last cow. “Fifty-three.” It was true. Daisy, his favorite, was missing.
With a tight knot in his stomach, he rushed to the barn, hoping to find her there, safe and unharmed. But the space where she usually rested was empty. The barn, usually cheerful and lively, felt heavy and still. The straw remained untouched. The air was silent. There was no sign of Daisy.
Determined not to give up, he made his way to the fields she loved to roam. Every inch of the pasture was scoured by his anxious eyes, searching for a glimpse of her familiar white coat. But Daisy was nowhere to be found. What could have happened?
As the sun dipped lower, streaking the sky with orange and pink, Bill stood alone in the empty field. A deep sense of loss settled over him. His beloved Daisy was gone, leaving behind only unanswered questions—and a farm that suddenly felt hollow.
As the day wore on, worry gnawed at him. As a small-time farmer, he understood how vital his cows were—not just for work, but as companions, the backbone of his farm. He cared for each one, but Daisy held a special place. The thought that something terrible might have happened to her was unbearable.
She had been the first calf he raised when starting the farm, growing over the years into a friend and constant presence. Losing her would be heartbreaking. Had a predator snuck in and frightened the herd? Or maybe he had neglected to secure a gate properly? He couldn’t bear to imagine it, yet every possibility raced through his mind.