[EXT. ABANDONED BUILDING – EARLY MORNING]
The wind whistles through broken windows. Trash rustles in the weeds. From a cracked vent, a faint sound rises—a soft, desperate meow.
Inside, hidden beneath a collapsed shelf and tangled wires, a mother cat curls tightly around her four tiny kittens, all thin, scared, and clinging to each other.
[INT. ANIMAL RESCUE VAN – MOMENTS LATER]
A call has come in. Someone heard the crying. MARIA, a volunteer rescuer, and her partner DAN, pull up in a marked van, armed with gloves, blankets, and gentle patience.
MARIA:
That meowing hasn’t stopped since 4 a.m. They’re cold, Dan.
[INT. ABANDONED BUILDING – CONTINUOUS]
Flashlights sweep across the shadows. Maria kneels down, following the sound. She freezes when she sees them — five sets of frightened eyes.
The mama cat hisses softly, shielding her babies.
MARIA (whispers):
Shh… I’m here to help, sweetheart.
She extends a hand, letting the mother sniff. A slow moment of trust passes. Then, gently, Maria lifts each kitten into a crate, warm towels lining the inside. The mama follows without a fight.
[INT. ANIMAL SHELTER – LATER THAT DAY]
The family is cleaned up, fed, and resting under a heat lamp. The kittens, once shaking, now snuggle and purr.
A small sign is taped to their enclosure:
“RESCUED: Mama + 4 — Safe. Loved. Waiting for home.”
DAN (smiling):
She didn’t just protect them from the cold… she held them together with everything she had.
MARIA:
Now it’s our turn.
