Alone

Five

"Twist! Get up!"
Dart's familiar voice roused Twist out of her dreamless sleep, and she blinked awake.
"Now?" She said in a groggy voice. Twist felt like she hadn't slept a wink. Dart nodded.
"Yes, now. It's sunrise." She flicked her tail impatiently. Twist stood up, immediately hitting her head on the low roof of the tunnel she was in. The corners of Dart's mouth twitched up into a smile.
"Need some help?" She asked in a light tone. Twist nodded. Dart reached her head into the tunnel, grabbing Twist by the scruff. With a grunt, she heaved her out of the space, dropping her right outside. Twist smiled.
"Thanks."
"No problem." Dart responded in a weary voice. Twist took a moment to really look at her sister. She looked exhausted and filthy, leaves caught in her fur. She swayed a little on her paws. Twist narrowed her eyes.
"Are you okay?" She asked. "You look like you were dragged through a bush." Dart's eyes widened, as if she wasn't expecting her condition to be so clearly noticeable.
"Yes, I'm okay." She responded after a moment. Twist wasn't convinced.
"Are you sure?" She asked again, a tone of accusation in her voice. "You-" she was cut off as Dart slapped her tail to Twist's mouth.
"Sush, no more questions." Dart said. "We have a long day ahead of us, and talking is just a waste of energy." Twist narrowed her eyes further, but didn't question her sister any more. She clearly didn't want to talk.

...

Dart trekked through the woods on sore paws, forcing each step. Every once and a while, she would glance over at Twist, who seemed to be doing fine. Dart still felt a little rattled from her sister's earlier accusations, and although she was able to dodge the questions, she felt that her sister was not convinced. It concerned her, as she hated seeming weak in front of Twist. She always wanted to be strong for her.
They had been walking for what seemed like an eternity, endlessly moving forwards only to see more trees and shrubs. Every area they passed looked exactly the same. Dart was beginning to lose hope of ever finding another home. Unfortunately, nothing more was found that day.
The two sisters decided to stop for the night at a tall pine tree, the circling branches providing just enough shelter. Dart was relieved, she didn't think she could take another step. They settled down on the soft pine needles, Dart tucking her tail over her nose. She was about to close her eyes and drift off to sleep when she heard Twist's familiar voice.
"Dart... do you think we'll ever find another home?" Her voice shook. Dart tried to keep her reaction as subtle as possible. Twist had put words to the cold feeling she had had in her gut the whole time. Dart attempted to put an air of confidence into her response.
"Of course we will. All this," she gestured with her tail to their current shelter. "Is just temporary. We'll find a home in no time." She forced a smile, and hoped she sounded reassuring. Twist nodded.
"Okay. Thanks." Dart frowned, as her sister didn't sound quite convinced. She decided to move closer to Twist, resting her tail along her back.
"Hey. It's all going to work out. Just you wait." She mewed. Twist smiled.
"Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Dart." She rested her head on her paws, closing her pale eyes. "Goodnight."
Dart smiled. "Goodnight."