(I've had to rewrite this chapter four times. Let's hope it doesn't go to 5.)
It was getting harder and harder for me to see and make out what the others were saying. The rain, darkness, and exhaustion weren't helping.
We'd left Gerty's... maybe an hour ago. Honestly, I had no idea what time it was. I only knew it was raining like crazy, there was mud everywhere, Jemmy had kept up a constant stream of complaints, and Pounce was always touching me somehow - a hand on my shoulder, his hand brushing my waist, whatever. I just knew it was comforting.
Jemmy said something, moving wet hair out of her face, but I couldn't make out what it was. It wasn't directed at me either, but still. I looked at Pounce, who was slightly behind me, touching the tips of my hair with his fingertips, and said, "Listen, either don't say something to me, or sign - which... none of you are particularly good at. But I have no clue what you're talking about."
He nodded and said something to the other two. Jemmy's eyes were sad, and also reflecting the almost full moon (her eyes always seemed to reflect the moon, whether it's there or not). I knew it killed her, what had happened to me. I used to have a good voice. I doubt I do now. I used to hate dancing. Now I dance all the time, and I've gotten quite good at it. I can do all three splits without grimacing, which at least, given earlier circumstances, is a big improvement.
In a slight hope, I raised my nose to the breeze - which, of course, would be a more dignified thing to do if I were in cat form, but my senses were pretty much as good as a cat's now, except for my hearing, of course. I stopped moving. "They're up there. The hill." I started running, wrinkling my nose at the way my shoes sunk in the mud. Juliana had it easy. She had boots. My sneakers were thoroughly soaked, and I couldn't feel my feet.
Tyler easily overtook me, but Pounce didn't - he had stopped to help Jules up, because she had fallen. I reached the top of the hill, leaped up, and grabbed a thick branch. I swung back and forth for a moment, then flipped up and landed on the branch. Who says Jerrie and Teazer are the only ones who can do acrobatics?
When Peter passed underneath my branch, I slid down from it, knocking him onto the forest floor. Actually, it was a lot drier underneath the trees, so he didn't get coated in mud, thankfully - otherwise I'm sure he would've rolled me into it too. Instead Tyler, from the shadows, said, "C'mon, Katie. At least help him back up." Of course, I had a lot of trouble understanding him, but eventually I processed what he'd said.
"Fine," I grumbled, offering Pounce my hand.
Instead he took it and pulled me down on top of him. "Hey!" I protested, then started laughing. I sensed footsteps behind me. Jemmy. As small and mousy as she is, it's hard for her to keep up. She's shorter. And she seems to have the most problems with the mud.
I turned my head slightly. Pounce took that as an opportunity to wipe a streak of mud across my cheek. "Really?" I asked, trying to wipe it off with my shoulder.
He pulled me in closer. "You're fine," his sweet breath caressed my cheek, "we all look like mud statues anyway. You're perfect the way you are." That I made out with no problem, as his mouth was three inches from my face.
He pressed his lips to mine. All coherent thoughts went away, sliding from my brain like Jell-o. I didn't consider my probably way-beyond embarassed friends a few feet away. I didn't think about the two that were in these woods somewhere, one of them probably losing her mind in worry for her brother. It was just Pounce and me. As long as I had him, I'd be perfectly fine.
The magical moment ended. Freakish mutant hybrids or not, we still had to breathe. I got up after a moment. Pouncivul, always the gymnast, stood in a handstand then got back onto his feet.
"Come on," I said, feeling like my breath had been taken away, "they're this way."
"Sillabub!" Juliana screamed, running towards her long-lost friend and grabbing her in a huge bear hug.
"I swear they have to share DNA of some sort," I muttered.
There was Sillabub, her black hair kind of glossy, not even wet. Hers was red underneath, I knew. I looked up. There was a ceiling constructed of leaves and branches above us, neatly woven together. The work of Sillabub. Not a drop of water came through. Tantomile sat with her back against a tree, head to knees, silver hair covering her face.
Sillabub was wearing a T-shirt that had become a tank-top over time. It was faded black, and still bore a little bit of the old Muse logo that used to be on it - one of her favorite bands. Her shorts were ripped denim that came to a little above her knees. I don't know how the girl doesn't freeze.
Sillabub had tried living with us for a while, but she'd decided it wasn't for her. She loved being in cat form, and hadn't wanted to stick around with Jenny all day. We figured she was one of the ones who was originally supposed to be a cat. But we honestly have clue why she and Jemima look so much alike, even though they were... constructed, at different labs.
Tantomile met my gaze. Her dark eyes were dull. "Is she okay?" I asked Sillabub.
She shook her head. "I don't think so. She's in some serious pain from being so far from Cory."
Jemmy looked at me sadly. We'd always known to keep the twins together at all costs. It was her and me who came up with the conclusion that the twins had been meant to be one person.
"That's why I hate living like this. We never really know for sure what's wrong, or what's gonna happen next. One of us could drop dead in the next couple seconds because of a fail somewhere in our genes... Ow!" I said really loudly, clapping my hands over my ears. They'd started ringing again, and it being the first sound I'd heard in months, it felt as if someone were screaming into a bullhorn right in my ear. I dropped to my knees and curled up into a ball.
[A/N] I SWORE I was going to get this chapter up today. I feel so bad for not posting anything recently. So that's why I'm here, ten minutes to midnight, typing this. xD
Accept my apology?