Chapter One: The Cat Went Here And There
'This war will never end will never end, will it?' I pushed the hair out of my pale face as I readied my gun.
"Stupid. Freaking. War." I grumbled as I lay down low on the ground. I readied my gun, position ready, target locked, "Ready... set... fire."
The thick, grey air that was filled oh so many with corpses, lit up with the bullets I shot. I stood up and saw the soldiers from my country. Most were alive. I looked around the field. So many dead bodies... I saw a man trying to crawl away. I slowly crept towards him, and pointed my machine gun at him. He looked at me slowly, eyes wide with fear.
"Pl-Please have m-mercy!"
"The Lord has anything but mercy." The smell of fresh blood filled my nostrils and the sound of bullets rang in my ear. "That is why you will join him in the sky." My knees buckled under me, and I felt as if I were to collapse.
"Hey, soldier, c'mon." Another soldier, a male named Zander, told me. He put his arm on my waist and I put my arm over his shoulder and limped towards the base. I looked up towards the pale moon, and whispered, "I wish I could join you."
"Hey Kitty, stop that, you're eyes are weirding me out." He said. "Why is that Zan?" I asked. He stared at me for a moment longer, and then shook his face. "Never mind." He said.
"So we're heading to the base right?"
"Mhmm."
"Awesome." I said as we entered a comfortable silence.
"Hey Kitty, cigarette?" Shiva asked me. "Nah man, I may die in a war, but I'm not killing myself with that cancer on a stick." I said looking at the cigarette with disgust.
"What ever." Shiva replied while rolling his eyes.
"Tch." I said while taking of my helmet and letting my long black hair fall down to the back of my thighs.
"Hey Kitty, why do you wear that weird...cat hat... on your head all the time?" Bishop asked. Bishop was another soldier who has been in war for 6 years, since he was 12. Many people here are just like him, though, having been in the war since they were young. Most still never get the chance to go back home…
"What this," I asked point to my hat on top of my head. My hat was black and had black cat ears and green cat ears that matched my own eyes. "Well this here buddy is my little secret." I said.
"You're really weird, do you know that?"
"Why, yes, I do."
Few people chuckled while others continued their conversations with other soldiers, while I saw something move outside of the base. I drew closer to the window to see what it was.
"Hey, Zander, Zeke. Come with me for a minute." I said while holding my machine gun in my hand. "Now please."
I heard shuffling behind me and when I felt the twins, Zeke and Zander behind me, I walked out of the base.
"Hey Kitten, what's up?" Zeke asked.
"I... I think I saw something." I said heading into the forest. I heard someone sigh.
"And so the cat went here and there." Zander said. "Way to incorporate poetry into our situation. Tch. Nerd." Zeke said, laughing at Zander. I kept walking on until I heard shuffling and a few, "Ow!" and "Quit it!" and not to mention a few curses here and there. I finally had and turned around.
"Shut up you- you bakas!" I snapped. They looked at each other and burst into laughter. They kept laughing until I said, "Wait... SHH! Do you hear that?" I asked quietly. More rustling was heard.
"It could just be an animal y'know." Zeke said and Zander nodded.
"Shh." I asked and tilted my head to see if I heard any better.
"This way.'' I said and crept towards our borderline. "So what are we looking at, oh great panther of the night." Zeke said sarcastically. I gave him a look and he just raised his shoulders while saying, "What?" I shook my head and looked off in the distance.
"Alright guys, on my mark: ready. Set. Go!" I said as gunshots were heard. A man ran out from behind some bushes. He looked backed and started to run.
"Hold your fire!" I said as I ran towards the man and jumped on his back. "Who the hell are you?" I said pulling at his... very greasy... hair.
"Aaah!" I heard from the man and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground and my back aching.
"Son of a-"
"Hey Kitty, you 'kay?"
"That motherf- Ahh! I'm gonna get you!" I yelled running full speed behind the man. I was behind the man in no time. I pulled my gun back and then-
"Ah!" The man yelled at he fell to the ground. Zeke and Zander caught up with me after a few minutes.
"Damn, Kitty, you run fast." Zeke said.
"Like a cheetah, rawr." Zander said while moving his hand as it he were scratching something like a cat.
"Stupid." I muttered looking back down at the unconscious man.
Zeke and Zander started to walk around him, inspecting him.
"Man, that's gonna hurt in the morning."
"Kitty?"
"Yeah?"
"I think you hit a poor, defenseless hobo in the head with the back of your gun." Zeke said.
"That's just wrong." Zander added.
"Yeah we'll see about that." I said searching his pockets.
"What the hell?" I muttered when I pulled out pictures from his pocket.
"Jamie Nickels, Rebecca Sue, Fan Brooks, what the fu-" Zander said looking at the pictures.
"Why do they all have red X's on them?" Zeke asked.
"Guys... look at this..." I said opening his sack that he carried with him.
"Holy-" Zander started to say. "Shit." Zeke finished for him.
I stared at the sack, and backed up a little bit. Torture weapons of all sorts were found. I looked back at the man and saw something under his hand.
"What's this?" I asked to myself while moving the guy's hand with the tip of my gun and pulling to picture from underneath him.
"What's that?" Zeke asked softly. I gasped. "What is it?"
"I-I know her! I know her guys." I said, my eyes wide with fear.
"Who is she?" Zander asked as I collapsed to the floor on my knees, sobbing.
"She's next. She's next, she's next she's next." I cried while clutching the picture of the girl that was circled red.
"Who is she, dammit!" Zander yelled pulling my up by my shoulders and shaking me. When he finally stopped I barely whispered the name out.
"Alice Liddell."