Alone

Four

...
Twist and Dart stood silent, gazing down at the small hole that had been their home. Nothing remained of it. The dirt roof of the structure had caved in, destroying the space. Twist couldn't even see a trace of what it used to be. Silent tears fell from her eyes.
This was our home. Now it's nothing. She thought sombrely. Dart glanced over at her sister.
"We could dig it out..." she said. It was clear from her tone however, that she didn't really believe that. Twist glanced over at Dart and shook her head. Dart frowned.
"We could! Just watch." Dart launched herself at the dirt and started scraping at it with her paws, frantically tossing dirt and stones everywhere. Twist stumbled as a dirt clump flew by her.
"Stop!" She shouted at her sister. "Please stop.. it's no use.." Dart turned around to stare at her sister. Fresh mud and filth caked her front paws.
"I..." she seemed lost for words. Twist paused for a moment.
Dart always has something to say.. she thought to herself. Did I really startle her that much? She swallowed.
"It's clearly too late. You can't fix it.." she said in a hollow tone. Dart frowned and stood up, padding over to sit beside her sister.
"I'm sorry." She mewed. Twist turned to look at her.
"What?" She sputtered. "Don't apologize!" Dart let out a small laugh.
"Okay then."
"Seriously! It's okay!"
Dart laughed some more. Twist frowned.

...

The two sisters sat by a small pond, looking at the insects that would dance across the water. Twist seemed at ease. Dart wished she could feel the same. Although she would never say anything, she longed to return to their home and continue digging. She longed to repair the place and live there for the rest of her life. But Twist didn't. Twist wanted to move on, to find a new home. She had first mentioned the idea while they were walking in the woods, looking for food.
"There's no more prey here. It's all gone." She had said. "So is our den." She paused. "Maybe we should find another."
Dart's eyes had widened in surprise.
"What? Another home? But the hollow is our home!" She had mewed, turning to face Twist.
"Not anymore." Twist had responded. Dart had thought back to the remains of their den, and couldn't think of anything to say. So here they were now. Looking at a pond and deciding where to go.
"I think we should travel in that direction." Twist proposed, her tail tip flicking to point North. Dart looked over. She could see nothing special about the trees there. It looked ordinary. But if Twist saw something in it, she would have to trust that.
"Okay." She responded.

...

Twist's paws ached. She and Dart had been slowly travelling for what felt like an eternity, and the sun was getting low. Twist was travelling at a fairly slow pace , and Dart had slowed hers to match.
"Do you want to stop?" Dart asked, a look of concern on her face. "Are your injuries hurting?"
Twist looked down at her scorched legs, and admitted to herself that they were. The idea of resting appealed to her. She glanced around, looking for some sort of shelter they could stop at. There was nothing. Just tall trees. Twist sighed.
"Do you see anywhere to rest?" She asked. Dart's gaze swept the area.
"No."
Twist sighed again. "I guess we have to keep going then." Dart frowned and laid her tail across her sister's back.
"I guess."

...

Dart was concerned. More than that, she was scared. Twist had started to limp, and looked to be in pain. They had to stop. Dart consistently looked for a resting place, her urgency growing as time went on. After an eternity of searching, she came across a small tunnel. It looked just big enough to fit a full grown cat inside.
"Twist! I found shelter!" Twist turned to look at Dart when she spoke, eyes shining with relief.
"Where?" She asked, her voice weary. Dart led her slowly to the tunnel, gesturing for her to go inside. Twist did as she was told.
"It's too small for both of us!" She called out from inside. It was true. The hole could only fit one of them. Dart paused.
"Um, don't worry about me. I'll go up a tree or something." Twist didn't look convinced, but at the same time looked too tired to argue.
"Okay... please stay safe." She responded, her eyelids drooping.
"I will. Goodnight, Twist." Dart whispered. Her sister was already asleep. Dart cast one final look at Twist before turning her gaze to the trees. Only one looked sturdy enough for her, and it was far away from the den Twist was in. Dart shook her head. She had to stay close. She looked around for any other suitable resting places. There seemed to be none. Dart started to panic, as the sun had almost set.
Okay... where to go.. think, Dart, think! She tried frantically to come up with a good idea, but none came to mind. The sun had set. It was dark. Dart was unprotected. Her panic grew into full fledged terror. She sound of owls calling to each other echoed through the air. She had to do something, and quick. Dart tried the only idea she could think of. She curled up in a ball and covered herself with leaves. She felt so exposed, the cold air biting into her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for sleep. It never came.