A Blind Step on the Yellow Line
A black and white cat stumbled blindly along the double yellow line of an asphalt road, its entire head wedged deep inside a tin can.
Its front paws tapped the ground hesitantly with each step, veering toward oncoming traffic lanes in the mountain pass.
Dozens of feet away, a gray SUV pulled abruptly onto the gravel shoulder, its hazard lights blinking against the mountain backdrop.
An older man in a denim jacket threw open the driver’s door and sprinted forward across the roadway, followed closely by a woman.
Securing the Frightened Stray
The man slowed his pace as he neared the center line, dropping low to the ground to keep his shadow from startling the feline.
He extended both palms, moving his fingers forward until they hovered inches above the cat’s trembling back.
With a smooth motion, he closed his hands around the animal’s midsection and lifted it away from the highway surface.
The cat kicked its rear legs once against the air before relaxing as the man tucked its torso firmly against his chest.
He carried the cat across the asphalt toward the roadside slope, where the woman had already spread a thick green jacket across the grass.
Freeing the Trapped Head
The man knelt on the dirt, pressing the cat gently against the soft fabric while securing its shoulders between his forearms.
The metal cylinder was stuck fast around the cat’s neck, covering its eyes and ears completely.
The woman knelt opposite him, retrieving a pair of heavy shears from her pocket.
She placed two fingers between the sharp edge of the tin and the cat’s fur to protect its skin from the metal rim.
Working slowly, she cut through the tin casing, prying the bent edges outward with deliberate pressure.
With one final outward pull, the metal split open and slid free onto the dirt.
The cat blinked against the bright afternoon daylight, twitching its white whiskers as its green eyes adjusted to the open air.
A Drink by the Roadside
The man kept his hands flat against the cat’s sides, running his palms down its spine to keep it calm on the folded jacket.
The woman stepped back toward the vehicle and returned carrying a wide blue plastic dish filled with clear water.
She set the dish on the grass right in front of the cat’s paws.
The feline leaned forward, lowering its pink nose to the water and lapping steadily as the man continued to stroke its back beside the open car door.
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