The departure board flickered red: DELAYED AGAIN. Leo's ears drooped as he thumped his suitcase against his legs and slumped onto a hard plastic chair. A clerk slid a colorful voucher across the counter with a firm nod.
Leo picked up the paper. 'Mountaineer Trail Pass,' it read. His whiskers twitched. He looked out the window at the distant blue ridgeline and thought — this might actually be better than the beach.
Outside, the air changed. Engines faded. Pine scent hit his nose like a cold splash. Leo zipped his backpack higher and pushed through the exit doors, his claws clicking on the first stone step.
Up he went. The valley shrank below like a quilt folded by invisible hands. A wide grin tugged at his mouth with every click of his claws on stone. This was his kind of delay.
Halfway up, the trail split three ways. Faded wooden signs pointed left, straight, and right. Leo scratched his head, tail flicking. The sign for the steepest path was almost covered in bright orange lichen.
He chose the steepest path. Rocks glowed orange with lichen under his paws. The climb was harder, but the view kept getting better — and Leo didn't mind a little effort.
A white mountain goat appeared on a ledge above, chewing loudly. A tuft of golden fur drifted down like a tiny parachute. Leo froze, paws raised. The goat blinked its rectangular pupils — completely unimpressed.
Leo scrambled the last few feet and burst through a curtain of wild rose branches. The clearing opened wide — mountains in every direction, snow peaks glittering like towers of crushed glass.
He stood perfectly still. Wind ruffled his stripes. Sunlight turned the distant snow peaks into glittering towers. The stone beneath his belly held the day's warmth. He didn't want to move at all.
Leo sat on the overlook edge and flipped open his voucher. On the back, someone had drawn a small map — his path marked in neat ink. He traced the winding line with one claw.
He snapped a photo with his parent's phone, then tucked the voucher away. A satisfied purr rumbled in his chest as he turned toward the trail down. The connection flight could wait.
Down the stone steps he went, claws clicking the same rhythm as the climb up. He'd already be counting the days until his next adventure — and this time, the delay had been the best part.
