Prologue
"Sunny!"
"Shine!" she shrieked, staring after her sister, who was being carried off by Twolegs. "Shine, come back!" she yowled.
The rain pattered down onto Sunny's head, and she cringed in the cold. The Twolegs were already padding farther away. "Shine!" she screamed. She heard her sister's cries, but there was no use. She couldn't do anything about it.
Then there was a roaring noise, and Sunny shuddered. She had heard about the roar of the water, the way it swiftly swallowed everything in it's path. A flood!
Sunny hurried up a tree, her claws blunt and useless. She clawed at the bark, but it was slippery and too smooth for her to climb. Too late, Shine was swept off her paws and was left in the swirling waters to die. "Sunny, save me!"
Sunny faced the churning water, her heart set to save her sister. She dove into the water, but the wave of icy cold river water hurled her about, causing her to lose her sight. "Sunny!"
The small she-cat was dunked under the surface, and she gulped down water. Coughing and spluttering, Sunny emergerd from the flood and searched for Shine. "Shine, where are you?" the she-cat cried, horrified.
The water kept coming, faster than ever. Sunny was swept off her paws once more, and she struggled to stay afloat. Shine emerged farther ahead, her breath coming in gasps. Sunny spotted her and swam desperately for her. "Shine, I'm coming!"
But the pale she-cat cried out as another wave caused her to tumble long the river side. Sunny gritted her teeth as she paddled forward, only to be swept right past her target.
Breathing hard now, Sunny tried to relax and let the flood sweep her along. But the water was greedy, and it swirled around her, attacking her and pushing her down. Sunny screamed as the water pulled her underneath the surface. She closed her stinging eyes, and pushed upwards.
She could no longer breathe. There was nothing around her to help her stay afloat, and she was too small to even get up.
Laying limp, she heard a soft cry of dismay. Shine! Sunny thought desperately. Her sister needed her help. Launching herself upwards, Sunny fought for air. Erupting from the freezing torrent, Sunny searched the banks for Shine.
"Shine?"
The rain had slithered to a stop, and the flood gradually stopped flowing. Sunny lay limp on the shore, her breath coming in gasps of horror.
Her sister was nowhere to be seen, and Sunny gulped back a wail or sorrow. She struggled to stand up, her legs soaked and her fur plastered onto her side. Where are you? she thought desperately, her amber eyes frantically darting around.
Then she saw her poor sister. Shine was stretched out a few feet away, her body still and small. Sunny let out a cry of dismay and staggered over to her.
"Oh, Shine…" she whispered. "It would have been better if you stayed with the Twoleg." Tears sprung to her eyes. "We both should have stayed as kittypets…"
She bowed her head, her tears staining the sodden ground. Shine's body was still, and her flank no longer moved. "Shine!" Sunny wailed, throwing her head up to face the dark, dreary sky. Tears stung at her eyes and she didn't even bother to try and hold them back as her cracking voice split the cold air.
"Why did you have to die?"
And the rain came down
Like tears of the sky
But there was nothing left
In the world left to die