a.lone

[snowmist]

we're just going for a ride. steve had told nurse sackow, coughing in the middle of every word. he had left the house, his face red, and cringed when the warming rays of the sun touched his skin. he had clambered into the car, sweating already.

D-dd-d-d-d-r-sssssssssssssssss.

the car started up, smoothly running along the road, dirt rising up behind it. opal cloudpatch sat in te passenger's seat, her gray, fluffy tail curled neatly around her paws. she flicked her tail at the flies, muttering. steve was so sick he could hardly drive. suddenly, huge, globby, tears started running down his face. opal licked him, but it didn't work. her owner started crying uncontrollably.

oh, just shut up. a cat can't live like this! opal mewed playfully, leaping onto his lap, where she curled there, purring. steve stroked her fur with one hand.

goodbye, opal.

opal snapped up at once, her head smacking steve's burning chin. what? goodbye? what do you mean goodbye? you must be kidding. she sat down.

then it hit her.

NOO!! NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! you can't leave me there, you just can't. i'm your cat! even if you're about to die, you can't just leave me on the road! she screeched, scrambling to her paws, it just can't happen! her voice turned pleading. please steve? PLEASE? i'm your girl. you're supposed to love me.

you can do it. steve yelled as in reply. you have enough stuff in your to become one of....them. he stopped the car at the side of the road. he picked her up, furry paws dangling down, and dropped her on the side of the road.

and then something came that she would remember forever.

scat, vermin! he shouted, hurling something after her. it crashed into her tail. rearing in surprise, she bounded to the other side of the road. steve kicked up dirt at her. it stung her eyes, contaminating the air she tried to breathe. she was choking....it clouded her vision.

HELP! she yowled. even if you didn't understand her, the message was clear; this was a kitty in distress.

but steve just drove away.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

A little bundle of multicolored fluff made its way up the road, fascinated on what sights were around him on the old road. He had never, never in his life ever traveled so far. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, pushing him forward, one pawstep at a time. As he went, he thought about how much his sisters would be envious of him on how he had escaped his parent's watch that never seemed to dissapear. Still, a fear still made him weary of his surroundings. What if he were to never find his way back to his mother and father? Father. Father would be furious on how he had left his mother without her consent. That was the kit's greatest fear- upsetting his father. He could picture his father- the look of dissapointment plastered all over his green optics.

The little kit shivered in the autumn wind. It was getting colder, day by day. Mother had told him of the days of winter- the days of when the cold white fell from the sky. Although his siblings were overjoyed to hear of such wonderful white fluff, Pistachio had heard about the terrible cold that ripped through your pelt and left you freezing to the bone. Also, the prey was gone during such times, making it even harder for a cat to live. He was not looking forward to the winter, but knew better than to make a judgement right away. Shaking away his thoughts, he treaded on. Maybe he could find a small warm shelter, then return to his parents in the morning. After all, Minny and Pecan had gone away on trips of their own, and his parents were getting used to it. Still, the dissapointing look of father made him want to turn back.

HELP!

Silver ears swiveled towards the oubreak. Who was there? Could they help him? Maybe it was someone who could bring him to a nice warm shelter, filled with prey waiting to be eaten. Quick as a fox he dashed towards the sound and was greeted with a large cloud of dust. His petite mouth opened in a large cough, but he pressed on. In the middle of the cloud was a silver tabby, much larger than him. Her orbs were shut tight to escape the dust. Grunting, he gave her a hard puch in the flank and proceeded to guide her out of it. After a few hard pushes, they were out. The kit coughed again, making his body shake. The cough hurt, and his throat felt a bit raw. Still, he planned on talking to the other cat and figuring out what happened.

What happened here?

He asked in his kit tone. His voice might still be small and of a kit, but he had learned to properly speak a while back, and now only occasionaly stumbled over words. Shaking his pelt of any free dust, he sat down and proceeded to give himself a good wash. His mother wouldn't be happy if he came back dirty.

[snowmist]

opal shut her eyes quickly, and was surprised to feel a push. Once the storm no longer swirled around her fur, she started licking it, her small pink tongue running over the streaks of dust like a wipe. She flicked her ears, her green eyes staring at the new cat. Waiting for him to say something.

"what happened here?"

she gave herself a last shake. Well, hello, i guess. i'm opal. opal cloudpatch. i used to live with steve, but he just drove off. she pointed her tail down the road. he put me here because he didn't want me anymore. i used to belong to him. anyway, he kicked up a huge cloud of dust and i almost drowned in it. and, thanks for helping me.what's your name?

she studied the tiny kitten. small. silver torbie. green eyes, with the radiance of the sun. she would've expected an adult cat. it must be harsh for this kitten. even in her warm, thick, silver fur, she was freezing in the autumn winds. she wondered what she would do. ideal for him to leave me here just when winter is starting. she thought, her nose twitching. her belly rumbled. ah, well, she would have to wait for prey.

the tiny kitten seemed freezing in his fur, so opal mewed gently, do you want to hunt with me? i'm pretty good. and afterward, we can find someplace warm to eat our prey. or...i bet your parents are expecting you.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

The small torbie tom listened carefully to Opal's story. Humans never changed. In his life, he had only seen a couple, but it was still too much for him to handle. He'd never liked the furless pink blobs who walked on two large paws and used the others for carrying instead of their odd-shaped mouth. Why any cat would want to live with them, he hadn't the vaguest idea. But, he shouldn't be a hippocrit, as he has never experienced having to live with one of those weird beasts.

My name's Pistachio Brokendaze. It's nice to meet you.

He said and smiled lightly. He was proud of his last name- after all, it was the same as his father's and mother's. His last name reminded him that he was a somebody, someone with a future and a family that still cared for him. The gray tabby continued to talk and Chi tried to listen, but found his mind wandering in some places. Something about hunting, and his parents are probably looking for him. He opened his maw in reply, and shut it closed again. Mother had always said not to talk to complete strangers without her approval, but looking in her green orbs, very much like his own, he pushed the rule aside and replied as modestly as he could.

That's quite alright; I can hunt pretty well by myself. Mother said that I'm going to be just as great as Father one day. But, if you want, I can help you find some prey to hunt. You seem pretty new to this area yourself.

It was true; he was getting to be a pretty good hunter. His silver, black, gold and white pelt didn't stand out as much as a ginger cat in the green grass. The only thing that gave him away was his tail, as he was not used to bringing it in constantly. Other than that, the tom was a natural born hunter. Breaking his gaze with Opal he tasted the air for any signs of prey. The scent of bird, three days stale, was the first of the many scents in the air. He pushed it aside, and kept searching. A shrew had passed through the grasses to its burrow only a moment before. The kit made a mental note to himself to remember where it was before continuing his search. There- in the grass behind him, a plump mouse shuffled through the grass. It was much larger than the mice he had been taught to caught, but size might not be an issue. Or would it? Maybe he should ask for help...no, he wouldn't be a coward. He scented the air once more and an unfamiliar scent hit his nose. Turning his gaze towards it he saw that it was merely a rabbit.

There's a rabbit in the brush behind you, on the other side of the road. There's also a mouse in the grass behind me. Which one do you want? I can catch both...

Tail wavering, he awaited his reply.

[snowmist]

opal listened to the other cat. well, hello, pistachio. she mewed with a friendly smile. she liked this cat. he seemed very fun. she wondered what all the other cats would do to her. would they shred her? probably. she didn't know how to fight. as she listened carefully and took a note of everything, she noticed that pistachio displayed a touch of pride when he mewed his last name. who wouldn't be proud? she thought, shifting her tail.

she listened carefully as he spoke. oh, yeah. i don't any place in the streets except for right here and the city. i know the city really well, but that's about it. it would be wonderful if you could help me hunt. after meeting this cat, pistachio, she felt almost giddy, and energetic. this was definitely the start of something. maybe not so good.

she looked around, uncertainly sniffing the air. first, two scents hit her nose: shrew and mouse. after that, she noticed a rabbit near her. she was about to state it, but chi beat her to it. i'll just take the rabbit. she mewed. she glanced across the road. she could see the rabbit, nibbling. suddenly, her heart sped up as she saw a car. she jumped back, as scared as if she were a fly from a swatter. you can't be so scared of cars, opal. you'll see a lot of them. some will probably even try to run you over. she told herself, calming down as quickly as she could.

a cold breeze ruffled her fur, almost knocking her onto her side. she dug her claws in the ground. the sooner i hunt, the sooner i get food. she thought, darting across the road with lightning speed, yet so silent it did not alert the rabbit. she crouched into a perfect hunting crouch. the grass tickled her long, gray belly fur, but she did not laugh or giggle. slowly, she crept forward, until she was within striking distance from the rabbit. then, she leapt forwarde, holding the rabbit down with her front paws. she hesitated before she killed it - she really loved nature - what if the rabbit liked its life? it took thatmoment to try to escape, but opal was on it with one small jump and growl of frustration. she killed it quickly, then darted back across the road, the prey dangling from her jaws.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

The silver tabby nodded at the torbie's request to hunt with him, then set off in the direction of the rabbit. The kit watched as she crossed the road just as a car passed by, but she quickly jumped out of the way before any harm was done. She seemed to be afraid of the car, but Chi wasn't one to talk about it. Instead, he quietly turned around and searched for the mouse once more.

There it was! It had moved from where he had last seen it, but thankfully in favor of him, it had come closer. Bending into a crouch, the kit tried his best to be as light on his toes as possible. He hadn't hunted without his parents watching him before, but was glad for a first chance. Slowly but surely, he crept towards his prey. He was downwind, and he knew that he would soon have his prize. His petite silver toes had gone numb from anticipation and his saliva glands had decided to kick in. The tom could just taste the delicate flesh of the mouse in his mouth, the blood dripping from his muzzle.

In his trance-like stage, he hadn't noticed that his tail was sticking up. He quietly crept closer, but the mouse turned in his direction and saw that patched tail. It let out a loud squeak and ran away, the seeds still in its mouth. Pistachio grunted, then gave chase. He ran after the mouse, who was surprisingly much more agile than he had thought. He took an opportunity, and leaped towards the mouse, landing on top of it and bringing up the grass and earth below. Dust rose from the ground and the mouse faught for his life and he fought for his meal. The kit dug his nails onto what seemed to be its stomach and tore down, hard. The mouse emitted a long and painful squeal before going limp. Panting, the hunter looked down at his prey.

It wasn't his stomach that he had attacked; it had been its face. Its eyeballs were scratched right through and its face was completely stripped of skin in most parts. The bone shone through from a scratch from the nose to the neck. Pistachio winced; he had not meant for the mouse to have had so much pain as it left this world. Maybe it was because he wasn't much of a meat eater, but he could feel his stomach flip. The urge to retch was overwhelming, but he kept his composure and dug in after a moment's hesitation. Meat was nessecary if he were to be strong, and without strength he would never get far in the world he lived in. Picking the last of the meat in, he swallowed and looked around for his new friend. Sure enough, she had caught the rabbit, but the bite marks on the neck reminded him of the brutally massacred mouse. Quickly, he darted into the grass and retched out some of his meal. He shuddered before turning around and washing off the bile that was on his muzzle. Then, he sat across from Opal and continued his clean wash. What was with him? Why couldn't he handle the meat? It was as if he was eating his own kind, as if he was a cannibal. Breaking the awkward silence, Pistachio said quietly

How's the rabbit?

---

Word Count: 562
Muse: Normal-low.
Comments: Chi's somewhat a vegeratian. He doesn't mind meat, he just doesn't like the sight of the brutal kills that he makes. You can choose if you want Opal to see him throw up his meal or not XD

[snowmist]

((opal's kinda like that too. she loves nature. and....wow. WHERE DID YOU GO, MUSE?))

opal watched quietly from beside the road. her stomach flipped as she glimpsed the brutal death of the mouse, but she didn't say anything, instead just turning to look the other way. she started munching on her rabbit. it was delicious. the warm flavors seeped through her mouth. she had never tasted rabbits before. in steve's garden, there was just bugs and mice, and nothing else. She had loved sucking onion grass, though. it tasted sweet.

she turned to look at chi, who was, at the moment, throwing up his meal. opal winced and started padding toward him. he was washing his whiskers now, like nothing happened. he was probably embarrassed. she knew she would be, if she had thrown up in front of another cat.

how's the rabbit?

opal poked her meal with one paw. it went well. do you want to eat some? she meowed gently. i can catch something else.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

The kit shook his head. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to keep it down in his topsy-turvy stomach. Instead, he just nudged the lump that was a rabbit back to Opal. Flicking his tail, he spoke, his voice somewhat raspy.

You need to keep your strength up to live in this place. It might be the only piece of prey that you get in a couple of weeks.

Autumn was on them, and prey was getting scarcer and scarcer. Pistachio was not looking forward to the cold white that fell from the sky, as Mother had said. The cold white meant a time of little prey, of little warmth. It meant an empty stomach and the cold seeping through his every bone until it became his nature, to live throught the cold or risk death. The thought made him shiver, as if the white had started to fall just as he thought. Gazing around, his green optics picked up the same sights as before- dead grass, fallen leaves, trees. A pool of water sat a few feet in front of him, surrounded by long dead grasses swaying in the chilling breeze. The small ripples broke the otherwise clear surface, reflecting the large cumulus clouds in the sky.

There's a pond over there. I'm going to get a drink.

Without waiting a reply, he quietly padded over to the pool. He looked down at his reflection- a soft-pelted silver kit with large bright green eyes and ears too larger than his head, and pondered. Would he ever look mature, or would he be stuck as the 'cute little kit' for the rest of his life? Sticking his petite muzzle in the water, he broke the picture like a piece of glass and gulped greedily. He wasn't aware of just how thristy he was. Sitting back up, he licked the last water droplets from his long whiskers before walking back towards where Opal sat, his green gaze twinkling in the sun.

[snowmist]

Opal felt a chill at Chi's words. WEEKS? She was used to being fed every single day. She had never even been out in the cold. Steve had always kept her indoors during the winter. She shivered at a cold breeze blowing past. She had often looked out of her window to see a cold, white, blanket over the ground, glistening in the sun. Steve had called it 'snow', then dressed up in about three layers before he went outside. She gave another shiver, not from the wind, but from thoughts. Winter....being ripped to shreds....too much, too much. She gave a little hiccup of fear. She quickly reassured herself, though. I have a warm coat. she reminded herself.

She glanced down at the rabbit. It was a cold white lump on the ground, twitching in the harsh wind. The thought of no food for weeks made her pick it up and wolf it down as fast as she could. Later, she regretted doing that. She should've eaten it slower and saved it. Pistachio's words about getting a drink merely passed through her head. She gave a little look at him, then jumped up with realization. Soon, ponds would freeze and her stomach would get stuck to the ice if she touched it. She quickly darted over. "I think I'll get a drink, too.

Opal's reflection was disfigured by the breeze. The water rippled like an ocean. She bent down to take a sip. The fur on her chin hung down, wet, and the water on it dripped. She licked her paw and rubbed it on her chin. She was being extra paranoid because she didn't want to starve to death this winter - in fact, she quite wanted to stay and meet new cats. She bounded back to Pistachio, when she remembered one thing. She meowed it quickly.

"Do you want to get that shrew that was near you earlier? she mewed, tipping her head to one side. "I can catch it if you don't feel like hunting anymore. All of this hunting and eating reminded her of all the prey; eating and eating so they as round as barrels, then sleeping all winter. Her whiskers twitched once, then she glanced back at Pistachio.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

The torbie once again shook his head. Although he found it somewhat on the odd side to be saying no to a cat of an older age than him, he felt that in this forest he might know more. Swishing his tail from side to side he pointed out the land.

No thanks. As you see, the land is getting colder. But, that doesn't mean we should overhunt, or we risk starving ourselves in the future.

Although he didn't say it, he wasn't nessecarily very starving. In fact, throwing up didn't help his dry throat at all. At least he had found the water. He turned his mint coloured eyes back on his new friend.

So, how long have you been living with this Steve person? He didn't seem like the nicest guy.

Then again, how would he know? He'd never liven in a human's house, enclosed by the weird flat walls. He'd never had to eat the dry and tasteless food that was given to him. He never had to worry about the slightest speck of dust in his pelt. No, he liked his life here in the forest so far. It was alot better than being enclosed to such tight quarters. But, as Father had told him, he shouldn't be so hypocritical. It could cost him dearly later in life.

[[My muse left me in this post. Sorry X3]]

[snowmist]

Opal nodded. So....how long is it usually cold, out here? I've never been out during winter - well, I tried once, but I got snowflakes in my fur and they melted and I was so cold I got sick. Does it get much colder? She was getting more uncertain by the second. She thought of running back to Steve's house, but she didn't know the way. Frantically kneading her paws on the hard, cold dirt, she looked at the sky. Oh, help! I've never been in winter before, and I've never been a stray. HELP! She needed someone to take care of her. She had never, ever, been on her own in her whole life. Then, she remembered Steve's words: "You can do it. You have enough stuff in you to become one of....them." And she felt a surge of pride. I am independent. I can do it. I will survive on my own, even in winter. Her green eyes shown with a proud, alert light.

She listened to Chi's question and was shocked. Oh, he was far from mean! He was the nicest being I ever knew. Other than you, but I didn't know you back then. Anyway, he always fed me and pet me and kept me safe. It's just that...he can't care for a cat anymore. He has some sickness called the 'flu'. Nurse Sackow said it would get worse, and that he would probably die. She lay down miserably, her head on her paws. Hm....I miss him already.

{It's allright lol same here.}

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

Pistachio listened to Opal speak. Her voice was so sweet and melodic, like the bell collars that some of the housecats wore. But, her tone slowly grew darker and as the kit opened his eyes he noticed that she kneaded her paws to the ground as if it would supply some comfort. The kit sighed.

Well, to tell you the truth, I really don't know. I've never seen the white come down to the earth. But, from what Mother says, it gets cold fast. You've gotta make sure that if you go out you keep your pelt dry and wash off the water quickly if it touches your skin. There's no people to heal your hurts here. It must be nice to have someone be able to do that...

He thought about the stories that he had been told. Of the large white room with the weird table in which when you sat on it magical healing powers made you better. When you walked out, your pelt shone like the sun and all the hurts had magically disappeared. It seemed like walking up to heaven and returning once more. But out here in the wild, there was no such place. Infection raged, and without the proper knowledge of the natural plants as herbs you wouldn't live long at all. He flicked his ears around to pick up the last of Opal's words.

From the sound of it, this Steve was a pretty nice guy, until he got the 'flu'. It seemed to be a disease of some type, unknown to him, but Opal seemed pretty miserable as she laid her head on her paws.

There there, it's alright...

Pistachio stepped gingerly and with caution towards Opal before resting down beside her. She was much larger than him, as he was only three months old, but he would soon grow larger. Maybe then he wouldn't feel so small. The breeze continued to ripple through his pelt and Chi asked absentmindedly

..Are you cold?

[snowmist]

Opal Cloudpatch listened carefully to Pistachio. Her ear twitched. Am I hearing right? There's nobody to heal you here? How do you cats survive? Do you guys like....never get hurt or something? she wondered out loud. Really. She couldn't imagine living without visiting the vet every month. She kept listening. So if the mysterious white touches your fur, you have to lick it off immediately? she echoed, her eyes wide. Wow. How many complications are there here?. She gave a sigh. It was nice to have someone heal me like that.

She felt comforted when Pistachio tried to cheer her up. She answered his question qiuckly. Yes, in fact I'm REALLY cold. Let's go find some shelter. It'll become nighttime soon. She meowed, glancing up at the darkening sky. She twitched her tail, remembering the Chi was still a kitten. But I suspect you have to go back to your mother and father. They'll be worried about you, no? She would definitely miss this kit. He seemed warm and friendly.

[Pistachio Brokendaze]

It seemed to Pistachio that Opal did not have very much experience living out in the wild. Sure, she could hunt her food and such, but on other things it was almost sad. Pistachio was younger than she by what, 7 months? And he still knew more about his surroundings. I guess that's what you get for staying inside one of those metal houses for your life. But, that healing white room did sound friendly... Chi laughed and smiled at Opal's comment, his small white canines shining. He was glad that this new friend had at least a sense of humor that wasn't too cheesy. When she repeated what he had told her, he nodded.

"You don't have to lick it off right away, but if it touches your skin you could get a cold pretty fast. Just try and be careful and you'll be alright."

He was secretly relieved that she wanted to find somewhere warmer. He was getting pretty cold, but the kit had been raised not to fuss and show any weakness. The crickets had started to come out and sing one of their last symphonies before the frost came to the forest, and stars had started to shine on the darkening horizon.

Night was always one of Pistachio's favourite times. He loved and lived in the night, where he could see quite clearly. There were no worries of things that happened on during the day, only a fresh start in the night, when the world is finally at peace. It brought him quiet hope and peace during the night, but he knew that he couldn't just leave this cat here when she had never endured such 'freezing' temperatures.

Chi remembered his parents. Would Father be angry? Would Mother punish him? No, they probably hadn't even notice his departure. They were way too busy running their own lives to watch over their kits every heartbeat. And, he was three moons old! He could do whatever his little mind possesed him to do!

"Don't worry about it. Mama...I mean Mother... is too busy watching over Pecan and Minny to worry about me. So. where to?"

He scanned the clearing searching for some kind of shelter, but found none. But, this cat would be of his assistance...right?

[snowmist]

Opal nodded. But you should wash it off quickly, because being cold is bad, right? she mewed in a soft, innocent, kittish tone. She would hate being cold, but then again, she had never been cold.

She tipped her head to one side. Who are Pecan and Minny? Her voice was curious this time, questioning. Are they your brothers or sisters? Or brothers and sisters? She noticed Chi glanced around to look for a shelter. She glanced around herself, but found none. Do you want to search a little away from this road? she mewed, padding a little away.

[[OOC| sorry, I had no muse while making this post xD]]