I stretched my limbs and rolled around lazily as I felt the sun slowly warming up the hollow in which we slept. While yawning I reluctantly stood up and opened my eyes. Lately mother had been in the habit of nibbling me if I took too long to get up which then encouraged brother to bite my tail. It’s not that I’m angry with him, he just has a bad tendency of biting too hard.

Strangely enough when I opened my eyes I didn’t see either mother or brother. Did I oversleep?

I slowly walked outside and even though my eyes were still not adjusted to the light I knew they weren’t there, but their scent still lingered in the air. I had never been apart from mother before, so I hesitantly stayed in place and tried meowing.

I don’t know for how long I stayed like that, but I slowly started to feel anxious. Their scent still lingered, perhaps I could follow them? With little hesitation I dashed into the forest following the trail as fast as my legs could carry me.

I didn’t pay attention to anything around me, simply focusing on the trail that got weaker as I went and at last I couldn’t smell them anymore, instead I could smell the scent of something else.

My feet finally found rest and my tongue hung out of my mouth panting, as my eyes fell on a clearing. This clearing we had been at yesterday, and sure enough in the center was the remains covered in scavengers. The trail I had been following had been from yesterday.

At a considerably slower pace I made it back to the burrow where I ran in circles for a while, desperately searching for something, anything. The sun set and I found nothing, and I knew I had to go back to the burrow, so with my head hanging down I walked inside and curled up by myself, alone in the dark, cold night.

Early the next morning, I awoke in the same manner as yesterday. Except this time I kept my eyes shut, waiting for mother to nibble me and brother to bite my tail, desperately trying to convince myself that yesterday had been a dream and nothing more. Even without opening my eyes I knew I was lying to myself. I couldn’t feel mother’s warmth or smell the scent of family.
Where was my family?

Did they leave me?

Do I have to be alone?

Didn’t they want me?

Is it because my coat is white? I opened my eyes and threw a depressed glance at my white fur. Mother loved me, so why would she leave me? Why am I alone?

Can a tiger cry?