A/N: I don't really like this part.....seems to be like the fic keeps getting more and more drawn out. But I like drawing out things......*g* Please, R/R! Oh, and I don't own Cats, yadda yadda yadda.....
The Jellicles buried Victoria on a late June afternoon, amid many tears. By all appearances, the young queen had committed suicide, but with all the other deaths......no one was sure about anything anymore.
Only four cats knew the truth. The first three were already disposed of. The fourth certainly wasn't about to let anyone else in on the secret.....anyone who would remain alive very long, that is.
As Victoria's funeral ceremony began to disperse, soft murmurings were heard among the crowd. Questions and rumors were rapidly taking hold of everyone's imagination, and no one truly believed the deaths had been merely an accident. Many eyes were shining with tears.....but a single pair of Jellicle eyes gleamed with sadistic delight at the terror catching fire.
~*~*~*~*~
After that, the Junkyard was thrown into a state of eerie silence. It was almost as if everyone were too afraid to even cry anymore. Not even the younger cats felt like playing; they passed the time talking quietly about matters too serious for their age. The recent events had thrown them into adulthood far too soon.
Everyone couldn't help but speculate about who would be next. Some said it would be Jellylorum; after all, her mate and daughter were already dead. Some said it would be Plato, Victoria's young lover. Some even thought it would be her sister, Etcetera.
"It's pure madness! Drastic measures need to be taking!" Munkustrap exclaimed, pacing about the Junkyard proper. Several cats nodded in agreement; some of them shot a pitying look towards Jellylorum, who had barely spoken a word since the combined deaths of her mate and daughter had taken hold on her spirit. She attended meetings, but most doubted she really knew what was being said.
"Calm down, Munkustrap. Haste will earn us nothing. Think of this rationally, dear - we have no suspects, no evidence against anyone. What can be done?" Jennyanydots spoke up quietly, sitting beside her blankly staring best friend.
"Rationally? You think all these murders are rational!?" the grey-striped tom raged, still pacing furiously.
"Munk, I think Jenny has something. Surely there's got to be a pattern to...to the deaths..." Bombalurina spoke up, casting a hesitant glance towards Jellylorum, who remained motionless. "I mean, they are all connected in some way...."
A soft, lifeless voice turned every head towards it's speaker. "It's my turn." Jellylorum said, her eyes still staring straight ahead.
"Jelly, no!" Jenny cried out, putting an arm around the calico's shoulders. "Don't talk like that...." As she spoke, the Gumbie mentally noted to keep someone near Jelly at all times. Deep down inside, everyone couldn't help but resign themselves to the fact that Jellylorum would probably be next.
They were all proved wrong when, to their horror, Exotica was found hanging from a nearby tree ten days after Victoria's funeral. Her tail had been cut off and combined with rope, wrapped around her neck as a hangman's noose. One of the cats who helped carry the body back to the Junkyard smiled inwardly. A murderer's mind isn't a thing to be analyzed.
The Jellicles buried Victoria on a late June afternoon, amid many tears. By all appearances, the young queen had committed suicide, but with all the other deaths......no one was sure about anything anymore.
Only four cats knew the truth. The first three were already disposed of. The fourth certainly wasn't about to let anyone else in on the secret.....anyone who would remain alive very long, that is.
As Victoria's funeral ceremony began to disperse, soft murmurings were heard among the crowd. Questions and rumors were rapidly taking hold of everyone's imagination, and no one truly believed the deaths had been merely an accident. Many eyes were shining with tears.....but a single pair of Jellicle eyes gleamed with sadistic delight at the terror catching fire.
~*~*~*~*~
After that, the Junkyard was thrown into a state of eerie silence. It was almost as if everyone were too afraid to even cry anymore. Not even the younger cats felt like playing; they passed the time talking quietly about matters too serious for their age. The recent events had thrown them into adulthood far too soon.
Everyone couldn't help but speculate about who would be next. Some said it would be Jellylorum; after all, her mate and daughter were already dead. Some said it would be Plato, Victoria's young lover. Some even thought it would be her sister, Etcetera.
"It's pure madness! Drastic measures need to be taking!" Munkustrap exclaimed, pacing about the Junkyard proper. Several cats nodded in agreement; some of them shot a pitying look towards Jellylorum, who had barely spoken a word since the combined deaths of her mate and daughter had taken hold on her spirit. She attended meetings, but most doubted she really knew what was being said.
"Calm down, Munkustrap. Haste will earn us nothing. Think of this rationally, dear - we have no suspects, no evidence against anyone. What can be done?" Jennyanydots spoke up quietly, sitting beside her blankly staring best friend.
"Rationally? You think all these murders are rational!?" the grey-striped tom raged, still pacing furiously.
"Munk, I think Jenny has something. Surely there's got to be a pattern to...to the deaths..." Bombalurina spoke up, casting a hesitant glance towards Jellylorum, who remained motionless. "I mean, they are all connected in some way...."
A soft, lifeless voice turned every head towards it's speaker. "It's my turn." Jellylorum said, her eyes still staring straight ahead.
"Jelly, no!" Jenny cried out, putting an arm around the calico's shoulders. "Don't talk like that...." As she spoke, the Gumbie mentally noted to keep someone near Jelly at all times. Deep down inside, everyone couldn't help but resign themselves to the fact that Jellylorum would probably be next.
They were all proved wrong when, to their horror, Exotica was found hanging from a nearby tree ten days after Victoria's funeral. Her tail had been cut off and combined with rope, wrapped around her neck as a hangman's noose. One of the cats who helped carry the body back to the Junkyard smiled inwardly. A murderer's mind isn't a thing to be analyzed.