Shadow
and the mystery of the midnight wanderer
BY: Lucy Nelson
Chapter 1
The sky turned a dark shade of purple as the sun said it's goodbye by casting a shadow over the hills. At the same time the moon bloomed and took its spot in the sky signaling that it was time for all day creatures to go to sleep. Not for me, the moon's light shines in through the den opening casting light on my face telling me it is time to wake up and hunt.
I am a cat. A fluffy jet black she cat named Shadow. I was in a small meadow draped with moonlight. The soft grass whipped against my paws as I chased after a rabbit on the other side of the clearing. The rabbit darted towards its burrow but I blocked its path, when it saw me turned to run but it was too late. I tensed my legs ready to spring. Now! I jumped landing on top of it, pinning it to the ground with my paws. I quickly made a killing bit to the throat. I could feel the rabbits warm blood in my mouth when I picked it up, the whole world tipped on its side and in moments, I fell into a deep state of unconsciousness.
When I regained my consciousness I felt dizzy, I focused my eyes and looked closely at the rabbit i had caught, it had this clump of purple stuff where I had picked it up. "It must be poison I said to myself. "I picked the rabbit up with my mouth, careful not to touch the strange purple goo, and carried it to a stream that ran down to the lake. I soaked the rabbit in the cold sparkling water and watched the purple substance wash away. I took the rabbit in my mouth and slowly walk back to my cave to waited for it to dry.
As I waited I realized that my fur was dirty . So I went to the back of the cave where a small stream ran I slowly waded in careful to not step on the sharp rocks that lined the edge of the stream. I heard the sound of paws on the cave floor. I hopped out to take a look when I rushed in I saw a gray-white cat rush out the cave opening. My first thought was "did he steal my fresh kill?" I darted over to the place I had left it. It was still there, then what could have he taken. I looked around nothing was missing. Then I saw something laying on the floor that had not been there before. I walked over to where it was lying, it was a piece of gray fur resting on a gray stone. The first thought that come to mind was Graystone, I wondered what it meant.
A couple days later I was in a hilly clearing I had just caught a mouse when I saw a rabbit darting across the field, I quickly scraped some dirt over the mouse so I could come back for it later I slowly went into a crouch and the darted after the rabbit, when I caught up to it I tensed my legs and leaped towards it. I was about to land on top of it when I plummeted into a gray cat. We rolled down the hill a ball of fur and claws. I landed at the bottom on top of the gray cat. I immediately sprang to my feet and started licking my fur.
"Sorry" I mumble, "didn't see you there". Then I realized who I had bumped into. And instead of being surprised I was now shocked. It was the cat I had saw run out of my den. When I looked back to him, about to speak I saw him running away across the clearing," wait, come back I'm not going to hurt you!" I said. He stopped in his tracks and sat down.
I slowly moved towards him, he slowly backed away but he stumbled on a rock and fell on his back.
I am not going to hurt you I say. He jumps to his feet licking his chest fur obviously embarrassed and lays back down. This time when I take a step forward he does not back away. I slowly come closer and sat down in front of him. " Why were you in my den?" I asked. "What makes you think I was in your den? no one was there."he replies
"Hah, I knew it was you, and you just admitted that you were in my den." I say.
"Fine I was in your den" he admits. "But why?" I ask. "Well it's because…" he stammers and I know he is trying to think up an excuse. "You know I can tell when you are lying. Why were you really in my den?" I tell him. "Fine I will tell you" He says, "but first let me tell you my name."