Fire in Cold Glow (Revised Edition)
By Masked Mouse
Edited by LuluCalliope
Chapter Seven
Amber had refused to speak to the cats. She hadn't answered the British cat when he had asked her about how she was finding her stay…not until he placed one of his claws under her chin in a threatening manner. She gulped as she felt the sharpness of it touch her skin. "How are you finding your stay?" He repeated. "I'm not going to ask you again."
"You did, just now," Amber pointed out meekly.
"Don't talk back," the rat warned.
Amber ignored this outburst and answered the cat's question. "Digit has been really helpful," she told him, and the cat removed his claw. She sighed in relief, but gasped as she was lifted up by one of them. They carried her into another room. There was a table in here, and it had a bowl of water on it. She was stripped off her dress and shows and then thrown into the water. She was held under the water for a long period of time, and she kicked, desperate and scared to reach the surface. She felt relief when fresh air entered her lungs, but also humiliation and misery. She was wrapped up in a new dress—white cloth with tattered green fabric—and she was once again carried into a different room. This one resembled a kitchen. She was placed down on the floor, and she desperately looked around for a way to escape.
"This is now your home, little mouse, and that is how it shall stay," the rat told her as he left with the cat. Amber heard the door lock. She shivered as she realized that the fire was burning low. She found a small pile of wood in a basket and ran up to it. She tugged hard on it as she struggled to get one log.
As she did, she got the shock of her life: a huge spider was staring straight at her. "What's a tasty snack like you doing in my neck of the woods?" It asked. Amber screamed and dashed away, hiding behind a table for safety. She heard footsteps approaching and the door unlocked. "Chula, may I say that this girl is not for eating? She must be kept alive," she heard the British cat saying. "Don't worry, my dear, he won't hurt you." The door locked again. Amber wondered about why she was so important to them. It just didn't make sense. She went back to work, doing the difficult task of dragging a piece of wood into the fire. She then scurried up the table leg. She saw a few items laid out: a knife, some food, and a board.
"Is this why they brought me here?" Amber asked herself, "To be their personal slave?"
She picked up the knife and carefully brought it down on a piece of cheese. She closed her eyes, afraid that she would accidentally cut herself instead. Amber opened her eyes, saw that she was still alright, and continued the process. When she was done, night had approached. She collapsed from exhaustion as she heard the door unlock. She was only vaguely aware of being carried into another room and being tucked into a makeshift bed. She didn't wake up, but she tossed and turned in her sleep.
And she had nightmares. She was running from danger on a cold, dark night. She found that her only way out was being blocked by a cat. She began bleeding badly and she collapsed as mocking laughter reached her ears. "Aiden, Aiden!" She called out hopelessly. And there was a dark voice that told her that Aiden couldn't hear her and that she belonged to the cats and that was how it was going to stay. She awoke to a dark room. She called out quietly for Digit but received no answer. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw two peculiar objects resting on the dresser. They looked like…the rat's nose and ears. She stared at them in confusion, afraid and curious…
Aiden ran through the streets, exhausted but determined. "Amber! Amber!" He called out repeatedly. He felt raindrops pound down on him as a storm began. A strong gust of wind knocked him over, and he collapsed. "I will find you, Amber," he said softly to himself. "I promise."