Chapter 8
"I said higher!" Hissed Scar, hi blue eyes blazing, "Why can't you do what I say!"
Shadowkit crouched low to forest ground and shook with fear as his father spat awful words at him. The black tom was trying his hardest to perfect a move Scar taught him, but he kept failing. Shadowkit swallowed hard and crawled over to the starting point to try again.
"You better get it right this time!" Scar growled.
Shadowkit stood on shaky legs and bunched his muscles. He wriggled his hindquarters and summoned all of his strength to his back legs, rocketing into the sky in a pounce. Shadowkit landed hard and rolled into a pile of brambles.
"You stupid runt, what did I just say!" Spat Scar. "You're so fox-brained!"
Shadowkit yowled in pain as Scar roughly grabbed his scruff and snatched him from the brambles. The spiky thorns ripping his skin as he was torn from them. Shadowkit fought back tears as he faced his raging father; he wanted nothing more than to just run away from him and stay in the sheltered eyes of his Clanmates.
"I-I'm t-trying…I promise!" Shadowkit wailed with flat ears.
"If this is trying you must really be pathetic!" Scar hissed. "Get up; I'm not raising a cowardice kit!"
Shadowkit bubbled with rage, fear, and sadness under his fur but bit his tongue in fear of being attacked by his father. The black tom didn't know why he was being mistreated by his father, but he knew it must be something bad enough the take the anger out on him.
Just run away…tell Mistyfern! He thought. No…he will hurt her too. I can't let him do that.
"I'm sorry…" Shadowkit murmured. "I'll try again."
"Stop apologizing for being useless." Scar growled, his fangs glistening. Shadowkit's neck fur bristled and his claws itched to tear at his fur. The kit tried the move again, and stuck it to perfection. His paws felt light as air and he looked over at his father. "No…you didn't do it right." He mewed flatly.
"What is wrong with you?" demanded Shadowkit. "I did the move just like you told!"
Scar's eyes turned to icy slits, just seconds before Shadowkit's vision blurred from immense pain. The huge tom sliced his claws across Shadowkit's face and pressed his son's face hard into the leafy forest floor. Shadowkit coughed and sputtered for air, his blood getting in his eyes as well as sand.
"Don't ever talk to me that way again!" Scar roared, biting down hard into the back of Shadowkit's neck. Shadowkit cried in pain and flailed his paws, unable to break away from his father. The pain was too much; to sudden…Shadowkit couldn't breathe and couldn't see. His eyes burned from the blood and sand and his heart ached from betrayal and anger.
Scar freed his son from his smothering hold and let go of his neck. The black kit sucked in air, his head grew fuzzy; blood caked around his face and neck. Shadowkit thought he was free, but his father still attacked him. He rammed his large head into Shadowkit's side and watched as his son's blood smeared behind him.
"I hate you!" Scar yowled, biting Shadowkit's leg and shaking him around. "I wish you'd die!"
Shadowkit gasped when his father let go of his leg and bit his hindquarter. Unable to see, the black tom swung his claws blindly, but embraced each claw, each bite, and each smother without wanting to and without knowing when they would come.
"Twoleg trash," Scar spat once he was done. "If you tell anyone…I'll kill you. It'll be slow and excruciating, so choose wisely you runt."
Shadowkit lay in his own blood, never bothering to let the tears fall and blend with the blood that covered his face. His whole body burned with pain, his heart was beating so fast. So traumatized, he couldn't even cry in pain, he was just left there to suffer and feel the bugs eat at his wounds until he would die.
Did I disappoint you too StarClan? Shadowkit prayed as a last resort. Why did you let this happen? What did I do to deserve this? You know I tried, why didn't you HELP me! You knew this would happen! My father hates me….I looked up to him…
"Shadowkit," A distant voice mewed. "Shadowkit, is that you?"
The vibrations of the cats' paw steps make Shadowkit's injuries burn and throb. The injured kit managed to let out a small wail of pain.
"Great StarClan," Wailed the cat. "Shadowkit, Shadowkit!"
The strange cat ran over to his side and began to lick the blood from his eyes and ears. A second cat showed and cleaned the blood from his nose. Shadowkit struggled to open his eyes, but one was swollen shut from Scar's claws. He managed to open one and was grateful to see the faces of Airpaw and Hazestorm.
"Who did this?" Airpaw hissed, her blue eyes turning to Hazestorm.
"It must've been a rogue!" The tom growled.
No…Shadowkit thought. He's closer than you think
