Alone

Three days. Three agonizing days I've spent with my father holed up in the cramped cave, our once vibrant lives reduced to a desperate struggle for survival. The forest, once a source of peace and tranquility, now felt like a prison, every rustle and chirping of birds amplified the fear in me.

I had long lost hope but Dad felt like something was going to happen, the hope he had clung to, was starting to flicker and fade.

The weight of our predicament pressed heavily on me. I missed the warmth of a bed, I missed being in a pack, the camaraderie, the feeling of belonging. Now, we were rogues, hunted fugitives living in fear and uncertainty.

But everything has worsened in the past few days, something had taken a toll on Dad, more so than I had initially realized. The lines on his face seemed deeper, his once vibrant eyes dull with fatigue. Most alarmingly, streaks of silver were rapidly replacing the dark brown of his hair, an unsettling sign of accelerated aging.

I woke up this morning