1-Taken
"Dawn!" yowled Night, my brother. We had been playing peacefully when some two-legs had come barreling through the undergrowth. Now, the pair of them had cornered us, our backs to an old tractor. One of them had reached for Night. I ducked and bit the two-leg's paw, and it threw its head back and yowled. The other two-leg lunged, and we made our escape. I jumped swiftly around their legs, my brother on my heels.
"Dawn! We have to get back to Sky before those two-legs get her!" I nodded my agreement. My paws flew over the ground, and I felt like a wind had lifted my soul. Night and I had left our little nest in the abandoned house when we heard Sky yowl in agony. There are these mean two-legs that come around every once in a while to our nests and throw cans at us, try and catch us. They aren't really kits but the two-legs were younger than their parents. We skirted the canopy of leaves and emerged on an open plain. We were near our nest; you could see it close to the horizon. As we ran toward the house it got bigger and bigger, and I could hear the two-legs giving pursuit. I pushed myself. Not a hundred fox-lengths to go. I felt my brother's strained breathing behind me and looked back at him. He was bleeding from a cut over his eye and it was blocking his right vision. I reached the house and ran around to the other side, and what I saw made me suck in a breath and stop short.
Two-legs covered the area, as well as the entrance, and they were accompanied by a big white van, with lettering across the sides. They were talking on devices. I saw a glint of metal in the van, and I ducked behind a bush and squinted. I saw rows upon rows of cages… They were taking another cat to the car. She had a light tan body. She looked back with pleading and desperate eyes… Sky! Without thinking I darted out from the cover of the bush and threw myself at the attacker. I clawed his legs and blood welled up in the path of my claws. He dropped the cage and Sky fell to ground with a yelp. The impact had bumped the latch and the door sprung open. She raced out, and the two-leg shook me off. I hit to the ground, dazed. He muttered something that sounded like a curse and picked me up by my scruff.
Move! Move! My brain yowled at my limbs, and I watched, uncomprehending as they took Sky's open cage and stuffed me in it.
"No!" like a rush of cold water I started struggling. I bit the hand that was holding my scruff, and I sunk my claws in his skin. He pulled his paw back taking me with him, but another paw came out of nowhere and grasped my scruff.
"Dawn!" yowled Night. "Don't let them take you! Don't-" he was cut short when a two-leg shot at them with a gun. When I looked at the space Night had been not a moment before it was imprinted by a feathered dart. The two-leg pulled me off him and I felt a needle insert between my haunches. I yowled my discomfort. The world was moving slower. It was a mix of blur and sound, and I saw a black shape hurtle toward me.
"No!" It felt like I was yowling, but I must have whispered. "Night, Sky… Go. I will find you." My eyes drooped and I saw Night stop short. The last impression I had of him was his grief-stricken face, helpless to defend me.
"I… I will find you," I repeated. I was vaguely aware of the cold metal bars trapping me. Sky and Night retreated, and I saw them over the horizon as my cage was being swung from side to side. I collapsed, my legs giving way. I saw them both stop short. As the sun cast a scarlet ray on the world they yowled their anger, frustration, and grief as I was carried away.
Night… Sky. I will find you someday. I will. Mark my words… My eyes closed on the note of grief and anger they yowled to the heavens above, my body giving in. My mind shut down, and the world swam.
I will find you…. Someday. Somehow.