Altaica's Story-Part six-Abduction
Author's note:This takes place IMMEDIATELY after #5. I own Altaica and Ocenir, L and Mell own Ruffles and Truffles and would kill me if I didn't portay them correctly. The rest of the characters belong to RUG. -Amber
They hadn't come to get her.
Altaica stood numbly, staring at the small grave. Small grave, small bones, small life. She was gone, she realized then. Gone, and all she could do was stare. Stare, and question, and wonder. Wonder and think. Think horrible, horrible things.....did she cause this?
An anguished cry burst from her lips as she fell to the ground, pounding on the soft earth with her fists. "Why, why, why?" is what she screamed. She knew the whole Junkyard heard her, and somehow she knew that, subconsciously, they blamed her. The kit had been loved, and she was just a relative. And it was her fault.
She ceased her pounding then, as if the ground had turned to glass and the pressure of her fists would shatter it. Shatter the ground, cause the bottom to fall out of the world. It had, she realized then. The bottom had fallen out of her world. She had been around death all her life, she had hoped for it, she had longed for it, she had lost. She clutched at the ground now, dirt sifting between her fingers, as if the law of gravity would be repealed and she would float away.
She did not know how long she was laying there. The sun was setting and the moon rising. Oh, how Jemima had loved the moon. Choked, in her smooth alto completely unlike her cousin's soprano, she sang-
"Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight, let your memory lead you, open up, enter in. If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is, then a new life will begin," is what she sang. She knew that it was her cousin's favorite verse.
She didn't even have the heart to cry out when someone took her from the grave, just wanting to leave. Wanting, for the first time since she had left Engle's lair, to die. She closed her eyes, willing herself into unconsciousness.
When she came to, she found herself in the apartment where she knew Macavity made his home. Strangely enough, she felt no fear, just a bitter flame curling around the edges of her gut. She remembered what she had said at the graveyard....."I'll kill him." She had felt nothing but fury then, but now was different. Now, she just felt sadness. She didn't want to kill, and she knew, somehow, that she couldn't. But she also knew that if she had to, she would.
There was no time to think about it now. She heard footsteps in the hallway, and soon the door flew open, the tall ginger tom entering. She noticed the club he carried, automatically noting the size and material. She backed up slightly, hissing. "What do you want?"
He smiled evilly, red eyes flashing. Munkustrap was wrong, she realized. Macavity was as horrible as Engle. "Merely to get to....know you a little better," he said, contempt lacing his words. She noticed that he limped now, and that his eyes squinted. She smiled inwardly. He would be wearing those scars forever.
"Get away from me." there was nothing like honesty. She knew that, under normal conditions, she could beat the stuffing out of him. However, she had the injuries to her ribs and arms healing, one of her legs was shaking, and she hadn't had anything to eat since before Jemi disappeared. Her eyes slid around the room, calculating. Yes, she decided, she could get out if she needed to.
He laughed quickly before grabbing her and throwing her against the wall, much like Engle had done back in Boson. Except, Alta thought to herself as she hit the wall with a groan, That wall was cement.
She slid to the ground, groaning inwardly as she felt her ribs grinding together again. She assumed a defensive position, ready to spring although her old wounds had opened up and she could feel the bruises forming. She growled low in her throat. "You don't listen, do you?" she asked, smiling wickedly with a flash of fang. She saw him flinch.
He chose to ignore her statement and instead walked forward, although warily. Her claws were out and were gleaming wickedly in the sun. He tapped his palm with the club a couple of times before putting it down against a wall. With his back to Alta, he picked up a short length of chain and turned swiftly, swinging it out.
Alta cried out and tried to jump out of the way, but the chain connected with the side of her head and she slumped to the floor limply. She wasn't completely unconscious yet, and she was painfully aware of all that Macavity was doing. She felt herself being picked up and thrown once more, somewhere cold, with a hard floor. She skidded a little, connecting again with a wall and, finally, passing out.
Back in the Junkyard, Ocenir was sick with worry. Seeing Munkustap pass, he stopped him. "Munkus, have you seen Altaica?"
The silver tom frowned. "Not since the other night. I thought you were with her!"
"I thought Misto was with her!"
The two looked at each other silently for a moment. "Search parties?" Ocenir suggested tentatively.
Munkustap thought for a moment before nodding. The two split to gather a group of toms for the search.
Ocenir stopped when he saw a pair of eyes in the shadows. A ginger paw motioned to him, and he looked around before following.
"What did you do with her?" he hissed as soon as the long-furred ginger cat came into view. "Where is she?"
Macavity held up a smug paw. "You'll only get to her if you come alone."
Ocenir paused, wondering if he should tell someone where he was going, until he realized that he didn't know where he was going. He shook his head and followed Macavity.
It was near dusk when Macavity dusted off his paws. The patched tom had fought bravely, but he was a traitor, and Mac didn't handle traitors well. He scratched at the tom's still body a couple of times for spite before leaving him in the bottom of the shallow ditch. The rain that the weatherperson had forecast for tonight should finish him off, if he wasn't dead already. Whistling, Mac headed back for his apartment and a little post-fight festivity.
Back in the Junkyard, Munkustrap realized that Ocenir was missing, too. They didn't have to search far, because it hadn't begun to rain yet and Coricopat easily picked up his scent. They found him, his breathing shallow, in the bottom of a ditch near the park. Coricopat and Alonzo took him back to the 'Yard while the rest of the search party continued looking for Altaica.
Misto tapped Munkustrap on the shoulder. "I think we both know where she is."
"The apartment?"
"The apartment."
Alta screamed as she ducked to the side once more, causing the ginger tom to slam painfully into the wall. Breathing hard, she inched her way backward, feeling behind her with her arms. He was getting up now, and he looked murderous. He didn't rush this time, but walked slowly forward, pushing her against the wall. He traced along her jawline with a claw, drawing blood. She shuddered and pressed against the wall, screaming again when he grabbed her.
She knew what was going to happen, she'd been through this time and time again. She was bracing herself, wondering whether to strike out or to submit, when the door burst open in a flash of blue light. The room filled with smoke, and Macavity released her. She sank to the floor, coughing, trying to clear enough space to breathe.
The smoke cleared, revealing several toms from the Tribe in a semi-circle, Mistoffelees with his paws sparkling. Clutching at a gash in her side, Alta tried to slow her breathing down again, wincing as she felt the ribs move, gasping when she felt the bone through the cut. Her head was swimming, and it was a good thing she was already down, for a fall to the floor would surely finish her off. She paid no heed to the battle, because her vision was being taken over by blackness. By the time Macavity was captured, she was completely unconscious,
She was nearly dead when they carried her in, and Misto was working on her for over an hour before he managed to mend her torso alone. One of her lungs had collapsed and at least half of her ribs were broken. She had had some damage to her throat as well, and he wasn't sure if she would talk again.
Ocenir was fine, loss of blood had accounted for his being unconscious when they found him. He had known how to twist around so that Macavity missed his original targets, and within an hour he was up and about, annoying the Tribe to no end to learn about Alta's condition. As soon as he was allowed in, he was at her side in a flash, waiting for her eyes to open.
A week later, Alta was up and about, although, just as Misto had predicted, she couldn't speak. Watching her pantomiming requests and conversation was truly hilarious...she wasn't too talented at charades. But then, one day, about three weeks after the abduction, two shouts of "He-llo!" were heard from the entrance.
They came from two small-ish kits, one red with a mane, and one patchworked brown, who proved to be rather loud an obnoxious. "Uncie Tuggy-wuggy-wuggy-wuggy-wuggy-rum-tum-tugger! We're heah, y'all!" cried the patchworked one.
Tugger groaned and tried to hide under the Old Ford, but, of course, the kits caught up with him. "Uh, guys," Tugger said weakly. "These here are my..somehow related to me relatives...Ruffles," the one with the mane, "And Truffles." the one who had somehow gotten her head stuck in a jar. Already.
While Truffles was running around with the jar on her head and nobody brave enough to take it off for her, Ruffles covered her paw in glue. "Uncie Tuggy! Do you like gluuuue?" she asked, sticking her paw to his ear. "Stronghold's the beeeeeeest!"
Tugger groaned. "RUFFLES! take your paw out of my ear!!!"
Ruffles pulled and Tugger almost lost an ear. "On second thought, Uncie Tuggy, don't use Stronghold. It's more trouble than it's worth!"
Tugger whined. "You're telling me! You aren't the one that has...YOU stuck to my head!!!"
And on that day, Altaica laughed.
Author's note:This takes place IMMEDIATELY after #5. I own Altaica and Ocenir, L and Mell own Ruffles and Truffles and would kill me if I didn't portay them correctly. The rest of the characters belong to RUG. -Amber
They hadn't come to get her.
Altaica stood numbly, staring at the small grave. Small grave, small bones, small life. She was gone, she realized then. Gone, and all she could do was stare. Stare, and question, and wonder. Wonder and think. Think horrible, horrible things.....did she cause this?
An anguished cry burst from her lips as she fell to the ground, pounding on the soft earth with her fists. "Why, why, why?" is what she screamed. She knew the whole Junkyard heard her, and somehow she knew that, subconsciously, they blamed her. The kit had been loved, and she was just a relative. And it was her fault.
She ceased her pounding then, as if the ground had turned to glass and the pressure of her fists would shatter it. Shatter the ground, cause the bottom to fall out of the world. It had, she realized then. The bottom had fallen out of her world. She had been around death all her life, she had hoped for it, she had longed for it, she had lost. She clutched at the ground now, dirt sifting between her fingers, as if the law of gravity would be repealed and she would float away.
She did not know how long she was laying there. The sun was setting and the moon rising. Oh, how Jemima had loved the moon. Choked, in her smooth alto completely unlike her cousin's soprano, she sang-
"Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight, let your memory lead you, open up, enter in. If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is, then a new life will begin," is what she sang. She knew that it was her cousin's favorite verse.
She didn't even have the heart to cry out when someone took her from the grave, just wanting to leave. Wanting, for the first time since she had left Engle's lair, to die. She closed her eyes, willing herself into unconsciousness.
When she came to, she found herself in the apartment where she knew Macavity made his home. Strangely enough, she felt no fear, just a bitter flame curling around the edges of her gut. She remembered what she had said at the graveyard....."I'll kill him." She had felt nothing but fury then, but now was different. Now, she just felt sadness. She didn't want to kill, and she knew, somehow, that she couldn't. But she also knew that if she had to, she would.
There was no time to think about it now. She heard footsteps in the hallway, and soon the door flew open, the tall ginger tom entering. She noticed the club he carried, automatically noting the size and material. She backed up slightly, hissing. "What do you want?"
He smiled evilly, red eyes flashing. Munkustrap was wrong, she realized. Macavity was as horrible as Engle. "Merely to get to....know you a little better," he said, contempt lacing his words. She noticed that he limped now, and that his eyes squinted. She smiled inwardly. He would be wearing those scars forever.
"Get away from me." there was nothing like honesty. She knew that, under normal conditions, she could beat the stuffing out of him. However, she had the injuries to her ribs and arms healing, one of her legs was shaking, and she hadn't had anything to eat since before Jemi disappeared. Her eyes slid around the room, calculating. Yes, she decided, she could get out if she needed to.
He laughed quickly before grabbing her and throwing her against the wall, much like Engle had done back in Boson. Except, Alta thought to herself as she hit the wall with a groan, That wall was cement.
She slid to the ground, groaning inwardly as she felt her ribs grinding together again. She assumed a defensive position, ready to spring although her old wounds had opened up and she could feel the bruises forming. She growled low in her throat. "You don't listen, do you?" she asked, smiling wickedly with a flash of fang. She saw him flinch.
He chose to ignore her statement and instead walked forward, although warily. Her claws were out and were gleaming wickedly in the sun. He tapped his palm with the club a couple of times before putting it down against a wall. With his back to Alta, he picked up a short length of chain and turned swiftly, swinging it out.
Alta cried out and tried to jump out of the way, but the chain connected with the side of her head and she slumped to the floor limply. She wasn't completely unconscious yet, and she was painfully aware of all that Macavity was doing. She felt herself being picked up and thrown once more, somewhere cold, with a hard floor. She skidded a little, connecting again with a wall and, finally, passing out.
Back in the Junkyard, Ocenir was sick with worry. Seeing Munkustap pass, he stopped him. "Munkus, have you seen Altaica?"
The silver tom frowned. "Not since the other night. I thought you were with her!"
"I thought Misto was with her!"
The two looked at each other silently for a moment. "Search parties?" Ocenir suggested tentatively.
Munkustap thought for a moment before nodding. The two split to gather a group of toms for the search.
Ocenir stopped when he saw a pair of eyes in the shadows. A ginger paw motioned to him, and he looked around before following.
"What did you do with her?" he hissed as soon as the long-furred ginger cat came into view. "Where is she?"
Macavity held up a smug paw. "You'll only get to her if you come alone."
Ocenir paused, wondering if he should tell someone where he was going, until he realized that he didn't know where he was going. He shook his head and followed Macavity.
It was near dusk when Macavity dusted off his paws. The patched tom had fought bravely, but he was a traitor, and Mac didn't handle traitors well. He scratched at the tom's still body a couple of times for spite before leaving him in the bottom of the shallow ditch. The rain that the weatherperson had forecast for tonight should finish him off, if he wasn't dead already. Whistling, Mac headed back for his apartment and a little post-fight festivity.
Back in the Junkyard, Munkustrap realized that Ocenir was missing, too. They didn't have to search far, because it hadn't begun to rain yet and Coricopat easily picked up his scent. They found him, his breathing shallow, in the bottom of a ditch near the park. Coricopat and Alonzo took him back to the 'Yard while the rest of the search party continued looking for Altaica.
Misto tapped Munkustrap on the shoulder. "I think we both know where she is."
"The apartment?"
"The apartment."
Alta screamed as she ducked to the side once more, causing the ginger tom to slam painfully into the wall. Breathing hard, she inched her way backward, feeling behind her with her arms. He was getting up now, and he looked murderous. He didn't rush this time, but walked slowly forward, pushing her against the wall. He traced along her jawline with a claw, drawing blood. She shuddered and pressed against the wall, screaming again when he grabbed her.
She knew what was going to happen, she'd been through this time and time again. She was bracing herself, wondering whether to strike out or to submit, when the door burst open in a flash of blue light. The room filled with smoke, and Macavity released her. She sank to the floor, coughing, trying to clear enough space to breathe.
The smoke cleared, revealing several toms from the Tribe in a semi-circle, Mistoffelees with his paws sparkling. Clutching at a gash in her side, Alta tried to slow her breathing down again, wincing as she felt the ribs move, gasping when she felt the bone through the cut. Her head was swimming, and it was a good thing she was already down, for a fall to the floor would surely finish her off. She paid no heed to the battle, because her vision was being taken over by blackness. By the time Macavity was captured, she was completely unconscious,
She was nearly dead when they carried her in, and Misto was working on her for over an hour before he managed to mend her torso alone. One of her lungs had collapsed and at least half of her ribs were broken. She had had some damage to her throat as well, and he wasn't sure if she would talk again.
Ocenir was fine, loss of blood had accounted for his being unconscious when they found him. He had known how to twist around so that Macavity missed his original targets, and within an hour he was up and about, annoying the Tribe to no end to learn about Alta's condition. As soon as he was allowed in, he was at her side in a flash, waiting for her eyes to open.
A week later, Alta was up and about, although, just as Misto had predicted, she couldn't speak. Watching her pantomiming requests and conversation was truly hilarious...she wasn't too talented at charades. But then, one day, about three weeks after the abduction, two shouts of "He-llo!" were heard from the entrance.
They came from two small-ish kits, one red with a mane, and one patchworked brown, who proved to be rather loud an obnoxious. "Uncie Tuggy-wuggy-wuggy-wuggy-wuggy-rum-tum-tugger! We're heah, y'all!" cried the patchworked one.
Tugger groaned and tried to hide under the Old Ford, but, of course, the kits caught up with him. "Uh, guys," Tugger said weakly. "These here are my..somehow related to me relatives...Ruffles," the one with the mane, "And Truffles." the one who had somehow gotten her head stuck in a jar. Already.
While Truffles was running around with the jar on her head and nobody brave enough to take it off for her, Ruffles covered her paw in glue. "Uncie Tuggy! Do you like gluuuue?" she asked, sticking her paw to his ear. "Stronghold's the beeeeeeest!"
Tugger groaned. "RUFFLES! take your paw out of my ear!!!"
Ruffles pulled and Tugger almost lost an ear. "On second thought, Uncie Tuggy, don't use Stronghold. It's more trouble than it's worth!"
Tugger whined. "You're telling me! You aren't the one that has...YOU stuck to my head!!!"
And on that day, Altaica laughed.