"Boo!"
"Seriously? That is getting so old," I scoffed, flicking my tail across Desertpaw's muzzle. He had jumped out of a bush in attempt to scare me again. He looked like a frustrated kit when he was upset, it was awfully cute. Desertpaw stomped his paw on the ground and groaned.
"No fair! Come on, I want to scare you at least once!" he said.
I lifted my chin up to the sky and shook my head. "Not a chance, you big badger."
He feigned a look of shock. "Badger?! You're calling me a badger? I'll show you a badger..."
I rolled my eyes, not bothering to look at him again. I knew what he was going to do, but I didn't have the time for play fighting. I was busy. Desertpaw crouched down, raising his haunches, before pouncing on me. At least, he tried to. I sidestepped, and he landed in the dirt beside me. I shook my head in amusement.
"When are you ever going to learn?" I asked him.
"Learn what?" he asked me in a low voice, probably irritated that he wasn't able to scare me, or pounce on me.
"That you could never beat me in wrestling," I stated cockily.
"Psh, whatever. Like you could take me."
I raised an eyebrow. Then, I crouched down, my nose right in front of his. "Oh yeah? Is that a challenge?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Is it?"
"Well, if it's not a challenge, then you are wasting my time," I said, standing up.
"Well, I didn't really come to fight you. You're mom is looking for you," he said. "Something about a broken paw..."
I gasped. "Oh no!" I said, and then hurriedly whipped around and darted off through the trees.
"Never..." I said. Whitebelly was the enemy, why didn't I see it before? He was going to betray me like everybody else. But I wouldn't let him. His expression, his fear, filled me with an energy that I didn't have before. It was exciting. My nostrils flared menacingly as I slowly stepped forward. Whitebelly's eyes were wild, filled with so many emotions. Fear, confusion, betrayal, and then more confusion. He backed up into a bush as I gained on him. And just as he was about to turn around and run, I lashed out with my front claws, my claws leaving score marks in his neck. With a choked gurgle and pained gasp, he fell to the ground with a thud. The deed was done.
Whitebelly was dead.
Vinetooth let out an approving chuckle. "Very good, Twistedpaw. I knew you had it in you."
My expression darkened. I knew I did too, but I never wanted to kill him. My paws were heavy with his blood, and my stomach was heavy with regret. My shoulders slumped a bit as I took in the mangled sight of Whitebelly's throat. He was staring with wide, lifeless eyes. They were glazed over, I suspected that he was already in StarClan.
"Twistedpaw, at this rate, you'll be the greatest warrior that ever lived! Next to me, of course," Vinetooth sneered. She wrinkled her nose at the stench of his blood. "Come on, let's go," she said, turning tail and padding through the trees.
I glowered at Whitebelly once more. Not because I didn't like him, but because I didn't like myself. What had brought me to do this? The voice in my head. My mentor. All the traumatizing things I'd seen when I was little. Myself.
It was my decision to hurt these cats. I was under the influence of the voices and Vinetooth, but I was the one who made it happen. And, surprisingly, I didn't feel guilt about that. I just hated looking at their bodies.
That's right. Make excuses. You know what you've done, and you will take this to your grave. Death awaits you around every corner. I thought to myself. I started to shake. My legs wouldn't stay still, and my body shook with some unrecognizable emotion. But another voice broke into my thoughts, stilling me with it's comforting words.
Don't be afraid.
And I wasn't. I was never afraid to die. But it didn't mean I wanted to die. I would rather not.
"Are you coming or not? Our former Clan mates will soon find us if we aren't fast to get out of here," said Vinetooth.
I slowly nodded before turning to pad after her. As we walked through the forest, I recalled so many things that had happened here. My first catch of prey, my first won battle, my first time out, the first border patrol I was ever on… I even remembered little things that happened, battles, hunting, hard times in leaf-bare and much more. But the biggest memory was that of my kin...
