DREAMS

"Hello, there, little kit." A huge black tom prowled toward Dovekit.

"Father?" she gasped. He nodded and swiped his tongue over his lips. "I'm feeling hungry for some kit tonight. What about you?"

Dovekit whimpered. "Father…where are we?"

"Why, we're in the Place of No Stars," he responded. "You've heard of that place, right?"

Dovekit nodded. "Yes, that's where all the bad cats go when they die, right?"

"Right."

"Am I dead? I wasn't a bad cat!" Dovekit squeaked, panicking.

"Of course not." He shook his head. "Do you know what my real name is?"

"No."

"It's Blackfeather. I want you to start calling me that. It's annoying when you call me 'Father'."

Dovekit stared at her father…er, Blackfeather. What was he doing? He wasn't dead! Unless, he died in his sleep…"Are you dead, then?"

"No, but I want you to know something." He crouched down to meet Dovekit's eye level. "I haunt dreams, Dovekit. I give cats nightmares. I'm haunting your dreams right now, right this very heartbeat. Do you want to know something else?"

Dovekit nodded.

"I inflict pain on cats in their dreams," Blackfeather meowed. "Do you know what 'inflict' means?"

"No."

"It means to cause. I cause pain when I haunt cats' nightmares. I've already haunted your brothers, and now, they're dead."

"What? You killed my brothers in their dreams?"

Blackfeather nodded, standing back up. "I didn't kill you, because you, Dovekit, are stronger than them. Now, I want you to meet Bone, Blood, and Tigerstar."

Dovekit's eyes widened as three huge cats padded into the clearing. One was a massive black and white tom, a dark ginger tom, and a huge dark tabby tom.

"Hello, Dovekit," the dark tabby tom, Tigerstar, growled.

"What're you gonna do to me?" Dovekit whimpered.

The dark ginger tom grinned. "Nothing much, Dovekit. Just this." He suddenly sprang at her. Dovekit squealed in terror as his claws ripped through her fur. "Stop! Stop! Please, stop!" she sobbed.

"That's enough, Blood," Blackfeather called. Blood stepped off of Dovekit and padded back to the other two cats.

"That's what I did to your brothers," Blackfeather added, "except I didn't have mercy on them."

"Why…why are you doing…this?" Dovekit panted.

Blackfeather stalked toward her. "I never loved your mother, Dovekit. I used her to have strong, powerful kits. But her kits are weak. You're the strongest, but you're not even half as strong as I want you. Now I am angry. That's why I killed your brothers, and am inflicting pain on you."

"So you don't love us?" Dovekit whimpered. "Or Mother?"

Blackfeather shrugged. "No. Not really. Go, Bone."

The big black and white tom leapt onto her, his massive weight crushing Dovekit. He dug his teeth into her tail and swung her to the ground. Dovekit wailed.

"Enough!" Blackfeather called. Bone nodded and backed away as Dovekit struggled to her paws. Blood gushed from her face and tail. "Please, Fa…Blackfeather, please…stop…!"

"Oh, don't worry, Dovekit." Blackfeather grinned. "Tigerstar, here, will make all the pain go away…"

Tigerstar prowled toward her, his huge claws practically bigger and longer than her own tail. "Please…" Dovekit whimpered, cowering beneath his amber stare.

Tigerstar swatted her against the tree, and darkness covered her mind.

"Dovekit! Wake up!"

Dovekit awoke, panting and whimpering. "M-Mother?" she gasped.

Milkfur licked Dovekit all over. "Are you okay?"

Dovekit nodded shakily.

"Your brothers, Dovekit, they…they died."

"No…" Dovekit murmured. Suddenly she realized that she could barely move her mouth. She glanced at her stinging tail. It was encrusted in dried blood and twisted at an odd angle.

"Come with me, Dovekit, and let's get you cleaned up," Milkfur mewed, gently lifting Dovekit up by the scruff and carrying her outside.

Cats gaped at the little kit's appearance. Blackfeather bounded over to them. "What happened?" he gasped.

Dovekit stiffened and glared at him.

"I don't know," Milkfur answered. "She woke up covered in blood, and…her brothers are dead!" Tears coursed down her cheeks.

Blackfeather nuzzled her and licked Dovekit on the head. His yellow eyes glinted, and he winked at her.

He haunted her dreams forever.

Weird and creepy, I know. Poor Dovekit. : (

xx-Starfall-xx