[Author's Note: Yep, I'm back. Many apologies for the late update. School has been insane lately. I've had two huge projects due just this past week, and two more due next week, plus I've had two birthday parties to go to recently, and I also had to work on the next chapter of my other fanfic. So I hadn't had alot of time to work on this. But, anyway, here it is, Chapter 4! Enjoy!]
The blackness was the first suprising thing. This blankness was not an elusive haze that was neither real nor fake, light nor dark. This was true-blue black, inky darkness. A real color, before the cat's eyes.
Eyes. The thought was alluring, truly knowing that the cat's anatomy was really there, not just a wisp of thought in a dream-world. Eyes as in seeing. I can see! And then the cat felt what was probably the best feeling to feel: Touch.
It was more like acknowledging the presence of some force holding the cat to the earth, whatever earth there was to speak of, the cat still wasn't sure where it was. In fact, this cat had no clue where it was. A minute ago that hadn't really mattered, but now the cat felt a pressing urge that knowing its location was of utmost importance.
So, for the first time in who-knows-how-long, the cat blinked its eyes open.
It was not a reassuring sight. Colors, lights, shadows, swirled around and around and up and over and around until the cat wanted to shut them again in terror. But a nervous fascination kept its eyelids from even blinking, and then, reassuringly, the seemingly random flashes of light and dark and color slowed and calmed and blurred together, becoming sharp corners and solid hues and slightly flickering shadows.
The cat let out a slow breath, relishing the feeling of control in inhaling and exhaling.
A paw twitched, involuntarily, muscle spasm, across the surface below. The cat jumped with a start and, after a slight hesitation, ran the paw across it again.
It was cool and light and slick, but not wet. The cat stared at it, hard, until it came into focus. It was...the cat hesitated. Colors, colors...brown! The cat was elated at this realization. It looked up. Four walls, all tall and flat, surrounded it. The cat was confused, but wasn't quite sure what to do about it yet.
Only then did it notice the second set of breathing in the small enclosed space.
It's head snapped around, painful after being still for so long. The world began to swirl and blur again, and the cat groaned, squeezing its eyes shut tightly, trying to ignore the throbbing banging in its head, like the thrumming of a drum.
Its eyes opened carefully, and the world settled into place. It swallowed, sighed, and turned its head slightly.
A mound of...white fur was balled in one corner of the space, flank rising and falling evenly, snoring slightly in its sleep. Who was that? Why was he/she there?
The cat blinked. No, wait. It knew who this cat was. Of course I do. There's always been another cat here. How could I forget that? The cat winced as information began to flood its head, memories leeching back through the cracks in its mind, making the banging harder and harder against its brain.
Struggling through the headache, the cat stumbled to its feet with more than slight difficulty. It's legs were like wet noodles, soggy and floppy and lifeless. Is it always this hard to walk? The cat wondered. Wait...no. No it's not. It's usually easier.
The cat staggered over to its sleeping companion and swung a paw, remembering at the last second how to unsheathe claws. It struck what was probably a shoulder.
There was a snort mixed with a cry of pain, and suddenly a head was lifted from the ground, eyes swimming with confusion. A scarlet liquid oozed steadily from the cut, and the cat winced apologetically when it remembered what happens when you put too much force into a smack.
"Wake up." The cat stuttered. Talking was awkward and clumsy. It was almost as if his tongue had licked a nettle plant, turning it numb and swollen and useless in its mouth.
"Why?" The other cat's voice was just as bad, husked and forced, like trying to talk through a closed throat.
The cat took a shaky breath and sputtered out, "Because I don't know where we are."
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Two hours earlier...
Meadowsplash yawned and sighed, Her paws skimmed tiredly over the stacks of herbs she was rearranging.
She should be asleep, and she knew it. Darkstar had practically ordered her to get rest. But, regardless of what Darkstar had told her a little while ago, the medicine cat knew she needed to get herbs ready, because chances were that come morning Darkstar wouldn't remember half of what she'd said and would yell at Meadowsplash for not giving the kittens herbs.
Meadowsplash yawned again and sighed, reached out a paw to begin making another herb-wrap. She tilted her head slightly to peer back at the Twoleg box, still sitting motionless and imposing off in the corner of the den, mashed between a brambly thicket and a rock.
The medicine cat's paws itched to go over and poke the kittens awake, ask them about themselves, get them some food, and welcome them to ShadowClan. But, in fear for her life, she refrained. They would wake up on their own eventually, though who knew when, and she could talk to them then.
Meadowspalsh's eyes started to droop, blurring her vision of the leaves under her paws. She fumbled and dropped the pawful she was folding, sending them scattering across the den floor.
Her heavy eyelids finally slid shut, and, with barely a sigh of resistance, the grey and orange she-cat slipped to the ground and settled into sleep, sprawled out amidst the leaves and petals.
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Two hours later, she didn't notice the soft scraping sounds of claws against cardboard, or the two sets of thumps that landed lightly on the den floor.
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[Author's Note: Well, there you go. Kinda a short chapter, sorry. Next one will be longer and be up faster. Please leave a review, thank you! :3 Till next time!]