Extra Space

Mama had always picked Timbershy up when it was time to leave their territory in the forest. At first, when Timbershy learned this, she was finicky and unhappy, trying to kick away from Mama as much as she could so that the pack could stay; she always made little animal friends in the different spots of the forest, like the little bear cubs and squirrels that wouldn't let her catch them, so why couldn't she stay and talk to them? It wasn't fair -- it was their territory, Mama had told her so. Why were they leaving like this? It wasn't until Mama started to growl warnings and bite down a little harder that Timbershy stopped resisting.

She still didn't understand it, though. Not until everyone started getting hungry.

It wasn't bad, at first, for Timbershy. Some nights she would curl up next to her mother like she always did, and yawn against Mama's hard, wooden skin like normal... only Mama's stomach would growl. She didn't mind or worry much... but eventually it got to the point where Timbershy's stomach started doing that too. And then, suddenly, everyone's was. It wasn't much, just a little bit of hunger... really, Timbershy hadn't noticed it until her stomach started to cramp all the time, and her Mama always barked at her because she was tired and sore. Then it was bad.

But not horrible. It wasn't horrible until a long time later. That night, things were just... awful. It was normal, at first, like a lot of things but... it was so sudden, and Timbershy still didn't understand it...

Timbershy sat by her Mama, behind her large, wooden leg, staring out at the pack. Some of the younger pups were playing in her peripheral vision, pouncing on each other and chewing roughly on each other's ears while the eldest of the pack watched them, laying on their stomachs and panting after a long days work of scouting for food. Mr. Omega, even, was tired and sore, though he was usually playful and loud. Everyone else was gone. Mama hadn't told her where they went, and only told her that they weren't coming back. Ever.

Timbershy missed them.

She looked up at her Mama, so she wouldn't be so sad. And Mama was beautiful. She was a dark brown, rings cut into her wooden bones to show that she had been alive for years on end, twigs breaking upwards into an upside-down arch on her head to form a crown. Her tail was cut short and stubby, more than half of it snapped off a long time ago, and a blue-green light shimmered off of her body and eyes, sparkling and bright. Eyes which were now staring out into the distance, lost in thought. To Timbershy, she was stunning.

Mama caught Timbershy staring, and looked down at her from the corner of her eye. Timbershy, in turn, yelped, and turned to the boys playing to her left. She didn't want to make Mama angry. It was rude to stare.

There was silence, and then, "You can go and play with them."

Timbershy looked to the ground, her ears flattening stiffly against her face. The boys were always rough, pinning her and scratching her face. "Oh... um, it's okay. I'll just stay here... I-if that's alright, Mama."

Mama gave a sharp growl. "You won't be able to hunt if you don't learn to play and pounce."

"B-But... hunt? I... I don't know if I can, Mama."

"You can't hunt?" Mama asked, standing from her place and clamping her teeth down on the back of Timbershy's neck. She lifted her from the ground with a slight grunt, and Timbershy whimpered silently to herself at the act. They were leaving again... like always... had Mama told her they were leaving soon? She couldn't remember. She probably had.

"I... don't know."

Mama stared into space for a few seconds, once again lost in thought and letting Timbershy take in her features. Mama seemed troubled, her ears fidgeting stiffly and the light of her eyes and limbs dimming to a glow. Timbershy thought she almost looked sick... and then Mama was putting Timbershy down again. Maybe they were staying after all...?

"You always wanted to stay?" she barked. "Then stay."

Mama walked away from her, a limp in her step, and slowly began to saunter towards the trees. Everyone in the pack noticed this, their heads turning to attention and their bodies snapping upward and the boys stopping mid-pounce to stare at her. Where was Mama going? Timbershy wished that she knew. All she knew was that Mama was getting everyone to stand up and stay awkwardly still, wondering what was happening. Mama always picked Timbershy up when it was time to leave, so what was she--

"Come on," Mama howled, twisting her head to look at the pack. "We're heading East. There's supposed to be food there, but not much."

Everybody whimpered, looking back and forth between Mama and Timbershy. Their faces were drawn up into confusion and pity, and Timbershy didn't understand why. She still didn't understand when everyone stopped and followed Mama, looking back every few seconds. The pack was staying... wasn't it? Where were they going? To hunt again? That had to be it, right? There was no other explanation -- Mama hadn't carried Timbershy away yet, like she always did. Maybe Mama just wanted her to follow?

Timbershy got up, seeing an older Timberwolf struggling to walk while he panted and limped against a cracked and splintery paw. She bounded over to him, digging her claws into the dirt nervously. He hadn't left yet, maybe he wasn't going to. Maybe she could ask him where the others were headed.

"Oh, um, Mr. Omega?" she asked, her voice a hushed bark. "Wh-Where are you going... if I can ask that, I mean. Am I supposed to go too?"

Mr. Omega, wincing in pain, looked back at her with pity as he curled his paw lose up to his chest. He looked away from her, his eyes brought up to the sky and away from her. "Uh... kid, ah... no, I don't think so," he whimpered, slowly twisting away from her.

"Oh? Are you going out to hunt again? Will Mama be back?"

Mr. Omega didn't look back, instead staring forward, to where Mama was disappearing into the bushes and trees. He opened his mouth a few times before closing it again every time. Did he not know? How did he get hurt? Timbershy didn't know anything anymore. "I... kid, listen, I..." he stammered. He let out a heavy sigh, turning back to look into her glowing eyes. "No, kid. I don't think so. I'm sorry."

She didn't understand anything. Know anything. Why? Why was Mama leaving without her? She wasn't. She couldn't have been. It was a mistake. Mr. Omega didn't know what he was talking about, and Mama would be back. They were just hunting. She just had to stay there. There, like Mama told her.

"Oh," she said. "Thank you, Mr. Omega."

She hated Mr. Omega. He lied. She knew he lied. That's why she didn't try to help him while he limped away. That's why she sat down in that spot when she couldn't see him anymore. That's why she kept sitting there. For hours. Maybe days, she couldn't tell -- it was always dark in the forest.

She didn't know anything. Like what time it was. Or where the pack went. Or why she was waiting for so long. Everything started getting blurry after a while, and she couldn't think. Her throat was dry and scratchy, her stomach cramping and growling painfully. Where was the food? The water? They just repeating, her thoughts, and her mind felt like it was scrambled all throughout her brain.

Where was her Mama?

She wasn't coming back.

Why?

She didn't know. She never would. Is that even how that day happened, or did something else happen? Did she forget.?She didn't know that, either, or anything. She just remembered that she went to sleep, and when she woke up, there was a river and a dead, bloody squirrel in front of her.

And the pack hadn't caught it for her.