Brownie grimaced. The wounds from the rats had healed put the pain had not lessened. His tail had been severed to a lowly stump and the bites in his neck made it hard to swallow. His fur once a beautiful brown had not shed and it looked mangy. Brownie had no strength to hunt for mice scratching in the distance. He could barely walk.

After the fight with the rats Brownie had retreated to the twoleg porch. He had felt angry for no reason and hissed at the other cats. He might have even attacked had it not been for his weakness. Lately he was feeling very tired. He dragged himself over to a sunnier spot and closed his eyes. He drifted into sleep.

Brownie dreamed he was in a meadow. He was stronger again. Farther in the meadow was Stripes, his dead father accompanied by his two dead siblings, Bitty and Tiger. They called for him to fallow and turned around walking towards a white light. Brownie followed them and walked farther and farther, into the light.