Disclaimer: I don't own CATS!
This is an idea I had, but I'm really going to need reader input for this one. What I need is ideas, I want to know what others have experienced losing friends or family because I want this story to seem realistic. It's pretty much a story of not knowing anything about somebody until after they die, and then regreting it and trying to use their life as an example to grow and change.
It begins with the funeral.
Tumblebrutus sat in the clearing, the voices of those speaking ringing through his head, not a word registering. Instead he just starred, starred at the body wrapped up and ready to be buried, it seemed very surreal.
"Admetus was a wonderful mate and friend..." the speakers went on, Tumble didn't listen because he never knew Admetus.
The death had been sudden, Admetus was attacked by a pollicle on his way back to the yard. Tumble had seen his mother, Jenny, trying to save Admetus's life. He saw the jellicle's blood on her paws through the cracked door and saw the look on his mother's face when she came out of the room. There was a look of anguish on her face, in the room she had just left, was something once alive. Tumble was kept awake that night by his mother crying, and he couldn't go into her office for days afterwards.
Now here he sat, he didn't know anything about the cat whom he was now supposed to be mourning, he didn't even know half the cats who were speaking. He felt numb, it was cold and he just wanted to go inside, but he had promised his mom he would sit through the service. He was surrounded by strange faces, not one of his friends was there, none of their parents had dragged them to this.
The service felt very long, during that time Tumble just sat and thought, something he normally avoided doing. He didn't cry when everyone was crying, he didn't applaud the speakers, all he did was starre at the body and look around at all the sad faces.
Tumble hadn't thought much about death, none of the kittens really did, they just assumed each would go heaviside and that way nobody had to die. Nobody...
Eventually they got up, Tumble thought maybe it was over, but his mom made him follow the crowd. He didn't know where they were going, but Old Deuteronomy led them to a secluded area of the junkyard. Tumble soon realized that they were going to bury Admetus, there was already a hole and a little tomb stone ready. A twinge of guilt hit him as they came upon the grave site, knowing he and his friends had used to make fun of Admetus.
There was a dark brown queen, who's name he didn't recall, walking close by him. She was crying, what relation did she have to Admetus? He didn't even know what Admetus was to himself.
Tumble just went with it, looking down at his feet as they lowered the body into the ground, not knowing how to feel at all. How should he feel about this cat, whom he had laughed at but never really known? What ate at his soul was that he didn't know how he was supposed to feel.
Tugger played 'Amazing Grace' on his bagpipes, he was actually pretty good here. Everyone perked up their ears and listened to the music as the body of Admetus was placed in the ground and buried, the brown queen crying harder as the song progressed.
Tumble watched her weep, he wondered if he would be crying as hard as her if he had known Admetus. Some queens came and put their arms around her, wanting to help her, Tumble felt useless and stupid being there, at the funeral of a cat he knew nothing about.
Soon the burial was over, the lid was placed on the grave, and the cats slowly departed, leaving the dark queen alone.
As Tumble left, he turned one more time and watched the dark queen weeping, standing over Admetus' grave. If anything, watching a queen he didn't know cry so hard had left an imprint on him.