'How long has it been since I last ate.' I asked myself as my skinny form moved forward without my consent; I haven't seen my mother in a while. The weather was getting colder as of late, leaving me to wonder how I’d survive. My bony tail dragged upon the ground in which I walked on and my paws felt heavy and numb to the point I wondered if they were even mine. I hurt all over, and I didn’t know why. 'What happen to my family? Where are they? Where am I?' I had wondering about for days, the last thing in my memory was red and then black. When I snapped out of the daze I had been in I was all alone, and not in the den I could have sworn I fell asleep in; close and warm to my younger brother, mom, and dad.

My pelt of night and ash hit the ground, as all energy seemed to drain from my body in a second, my amber eyes were left staring at the sideways world blankly. My sides heaved painfully as I breathed, my throat felt as if it was breathing down sand. The world weaved in and out of focus causing my mind to whirl with it; I closed my eyes in attempt to ease the spinning within my head. My silver tipped ears pricked that sound, 'water,' he thought, 'surely I’m imagining it.' as slowly, painfully I dragged myself up. I stumbled towards the source of sound that I hoped beyond hope was real.

I stood shocked at my appearance when I found what I was looking for, I stared at my reflection in the creek; my fur was ruffled more than usual and had red spots that weren't there before, and some of them seemed to be growing. The one on my cheek and the other on my scruff leaked the red into the water below; it had the metallic smell that had surrounded me since I woke the day I was without my mother. With little more to do I bowed my head to the reflective surface and watched as my tongue disrupted the reflective surface, after I drank my fill I hobbled over to the shade of a nearby pine and laid down. ‘it seems I finally found a small heaven in the hell that I have been living in,' before closing my eyes I had one last thought, and that thought was, 'is this my last day upon this earth.'