Hey, everyone! I hoped you liked the last chapter! I just wanted to say that story writing was one of my dreams! Well… is.
I hope you enjoy this chapter! On with the story!
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Bloom's POV
It was dark. Perfect. I stretched in my nest of twigs, flowers, and grass. The abandoned Twoleg nest was a perfect home for me, and a good hunting place. My black pelt blended in with the shadows, and my ginger patches were just a good addition. Rays of sunlight peaked in through holes and crackes in the walls and roof, just making me seem like the dusty, dark floor myself. I lifted my nose and sniffed the air. Mouse. I stalked out of my nest and towards the mouse, not making a sound, my pelt blending in with my surroundings. I never knew my real parents, they died before I could remember them.
My foster parents, Lily and Goose, were the only parents I've ever known, but they also died when I was ten moons old. I was thirty moons old now, a loner. Lily, my foster mother, was a white cat with blue eyes. Goose, my foster father, was a ginger tom with thin legs. His eyes were pure amber.
I stopped, listened for the mouse, and tracked it. I was a tail-length away now, and I lashed my claws out, drawing the mouse in closer, then gave it a clean bite to the spine. I gulped it down hungrily, then decided to go out.
As I padded, slowly, out, I blinked against the harsh sunlight before my eyes adjusted. Dogs barked in the distance. Such a nuisance, but best to stay away from them. I leaped onto a crumbled wall of another abandoned nest and picked my way up, and stepped onto the steep roof, digging my claws in so I didn't fall off. As I dragged myself across, two dogs, both big, one a black-furred, and one a brown-furred, came barking from another nest, way down three sets of Thunderpaths.
"Shut up, mange-pelts," I yowled. I quickly leaped onto the rotting fence and ran towards a big apple tree. The flea-brains gave chase, barking their heads off, and running about the speed of a squirrel. I raced past old nests, a small meadow, and, finally, the apple tree. It was taller than anycat could imagine. Having left the dogs way behind me, I leaped onto a branch and bounced a little on it. The apple were tasty, and were always a good treat. Once I got a bunch of apples off the tree, I dug my claws into the trunk and began scaling down it, hooking nots and branches to help keep my balance. I, finally, landed on the ground, finding an apple to carry back to the nest. It was a big apple, just small enough to where I didn't tumble over. I leaped back onto the fence and started walking towards the nest, slower this time.
The apple was a big weight, almost knocking me over. I creeped over the fence, the wood driving splinters into my paws, unlike when I came. This was a different route, passing by a pond. The fence soon turned to stone slabs, each almost as long as I was, and forming tall walls. A bramble hedge ran along one side, while on the other Twoleg nests were placed everywhere, most still in use. As I padded along the stone, a black and white rabbit bounded out of a hole on the bramble side. I purred. That side was a big meadow, flowers and grass growing all around it. At least, if it was new-leaf there would be. Now that it was leaf-bare, the grass was brown, the flowers, dead, and the rabbit looked skinny, I could see it's frame through it's pelt. I sighed. Even in Twolegplace leaf-bare was bad.
I padded along, and dirt soon made way to mud. The pond was in sight, and the reeds around it were still beautiful. The water was clear and there were fish swimming in it. Then, the fence took a sharp turn and stone slowly turned to wood. Apple still in my jaws, I could barely balance, if it wasn't for my tail.
The nest came in sight, and there was still a lingering trace of the dogs. But those nasty yappers were gone by now. I just hope they didn't come back. I jumped down from the fence and found the entrance, which was just a small hole. I squeezed in and went to my nest. Once I settled in, I took a bite of the apple. It was delicious. I quickly gulped it down and heard barking again. Not again, I thought. I went back out to see about thirty big dogs! All mean-looking, slobbering, crazy dogs. They gave chase.
I let out a yowl of pain as a scrambled under the fence, almost being squished. As I looked back, I could see the dogs leap over it. I panicked. Not knowing what to do, I leaped onto another, sturdier fence, and leaped back down. More barking. More dogs. I ran past Twoleg nests in use, a giant oak tree, and through a hedge out to the side of a Thunderpath. I could still hear the dogs behind me, and there were more dogs with them. The monsters were going this way and that, tugging at my fur, and almost knocking me over. There was a break, and I ran strait across. The first dogs broke through the hedge, and ran across for me, the others following. I gave a small yelp, and went into action again. I twisted more ways than I could count, and ended up at the edge of a forest. I didn't care, the dogs were still on chase. I raced through the forest, and I heard the dogs slow down, giving up. I didn't stop until I almost crashed into a river, it's currents sweeping everything away. I looked around and realized… I was lost. A breeze blew by, and I heard a mouse squeak. Where was I?
I walked along the river bank, soon coming across a fallen log. I leaped up onto it and crossed the river. A musty scent reached my nose. Vole. I creeped over the forest floor, and right when I saw the vole, leaped. The vole scurried away right before I landed. I looked up to see what time it was. It was past sunhigh, and the mouse I ate that morning felt a moon away. My stomach grumbled, aching for something to eat. My legs were sore from the running, and the oaks in this forest were too high for me to climb. I mumbled, stalking further into the forest. I reached a small clearing, protected by the oaks, and I found moss on one of the trees. I hastily cobbled up a nest together and laid down on it, but I couldn't close my eyes. I was starving.
I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and went into the forest. A bird flew around the tree tops, and a thin squirrel climbed up one. A rabbit bounced around on the ground, looking for food. I crouched down instinctively. My paws lifted up one at a time, barely making a sound. Then, my tail rustled some bracken, alerting the rabbit. I yowled in frustration, and bounded after it, my paws pounding on the dead leaves. I got close enough, and I lashed out my claws, hooking the rabbit and giving a messy bite.
I stood up, the rabbit in my jaws, and ran towards the clearing. That was a messy catch, I thought. No matter, though, I still caught it. The rabbit was small and measly, something that wouldn't give me a lot of energy. And I was right. As I sat down and ate the rabbit, I felt like I just ate a seed. When I was done, there were fur scraps and rabbit leftovers everywhere. I licked my muzzle, wondering how I was going to survive in this place. The full moon was rising, the light soothing me. I dropped into the mossy nest and closed my eyes, wondering why this life was so cruel.
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I opened my eyes in a dark pine forest. Weird. When I closed my eyes, there were oak trees surrounding me. I thought that reason was weird. The other reason was that is was warm. Too warm for leaf-bare. Pigeons flew all around, frogs and toads hopped on the ground. Why was prey so abundant? A mist surrounded the trunks, and a dark figure padded out of the mist, a warming air around it.
"Who… who are you," I asked. I was trembling.
"Bloom, Bloom. You know who I am," The figure answered and came out of the mist. It was a black tom, with eyes as yellow as the sun. There was a loving look in his eyes.
"No, I don't. And how do you know my name?" I replied annoyingly.
The tom sighed. "Of course, you don't know me. I died before you were born. I am Blackclaw of StarClan, Bloom, and I'm your father."
"Both my parents died a short while after I was born. And what is 'StarClan'? Is this some sort of joke," I snorted. A menacing look entered Blackclaw's eyes.
"A joke? Don't you know, Bloom? Your mother is still alive! You're a Clan cat! You were born a Clan cat! Your mother is in WindClan right now! I'm your father! Dead! And you think this is a joke? Your half ShadowClan! How do you think you're able to hide so well? Your half WindClan! How do you're able to run so fast," Blackclaw snarled, stepping forward, his claws unsheathing, his ears flattening. I unsheathed my claws, too, and stepped back.
"Both my parents died when I was young! My mother is dead! I don't know anything about these 'Clans', I you are not my father," I yowled. Blackclaw lashed his claws at me, hitting my cheek. The mist grew thicker until it felt like it was choking me. Then, all the mist disappeared, bringing with it Blackclaw. Who was the cat? Who are these 'Clans'? Why was Blackclaw saying that he was my father? How am I even part of these Clans? Aren't both of my parents dead?
My head was full of questions before I woke up in my nest, the memories of my dream still fresh in my mind.
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And finished! Sorry if this is a boring chapter… and short. After Emily's chapter, I'm going to put in the allegiances again for all the new warriors, apprentices, and all that stuff. Plus, a new 'prologue' for Winterstrike.
This Chapter's Question: Why do you think Blackclaw was saying that he was Bloom's father?
The next chapter is for Emily, a human girl. You might say I'm crazy now for putting a human situation into a cat story, but, again, her life holds secrets that she has to open. And what happens may surprise you. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though it's a little boring, and until tomorrow (or Sunday)!
~Shadowmist of ShadowClan