Chapter 8

This morning came earlier than I expected, I guess last night I was up later than I thought with that cat- no, wait, his name was Scourge. The cat that almost killed me, and then had a personal conversation with me, and then let me sleep in a smelly round thing next to a big, smelly green box.

My life is pretty great, huh?

I sat up and stretched, then washed my fur, stroking dirt and grit from the stone floor of Twolegplace. Suddenly, my belly rumbled, and I smelled fresh-kill. My nose searched for the mouse I had just started drooling over, and it found it before my eyes did. I dug into the brown fur, trying to savor each bite like my life depended on it. (Which, for all I know, it could have.)

I took a moment to look around, and my stomach lurched as I saw Scourge sitting above me on the old, ugly brown fence. His gaze met mine, and I flinched. For all I knew, his eyes could've been shooting daggers at me. Which is what it felt like.

Surprising me, he meowed, "Good-morning, I see you've eaten."

I almost gagged, the fresh kill had been left out for me, by him. "Th-thanks, it was delicious."

He didn't reply, but instead jumped down to the ground. He walked towards where I sat, but he wasn't looking at me. Instead, as I turned around I noticed, he was walking towards two cats, a tom and a she-cat. I did a double take, the tom had scars across his black and white pelt, and the she-cat was missing a patch of red-brown pelt on her back. Both of their eyes were dull and tired.

I couldn't hear from here, but I caught bits and pieces of their conversation. Suddenly though, Scourge whipped around and meowed, "Tell them I'll be there in a moment."

He walked quickly in my direction, and I saw the tom and she-cat excahange nervous glances, then turn and disapear around the corner. Scourge's eyes were lowered in thought, and I saw a little uncertainty. Maybe even fear.

Without speaking to me, he leapt onto the green box, and over the fence. I listened as his pawsteps faded, and followed him. My claws slipped when I landed on the slick black surface, and I fought to get a grip. Once I righted myself, I peeked over the edge of the fence, and saw another open area, with Twoleg trash littered around the edges of the tall wooded boards. Like the side I'm currently "staying" in, there was a brick Twoleg nest, somewhat crumbled and broken.

I sniffed the air, and was relieved to smell no Twoleg scent, just Scourge's. I half-fell, half-jumped over the edge, and quickly crossed to the other fence, trying to stick to the shadows. My fear scent was pretty strong, I had never been here before.

I eventually made it to the other side, and climbed up yet another fence, and was halfway up when I heard voices. They were coming from the other side.

I listened, and I definitely heard some cat meow, "You think you can just come here and take food, without my say-so?"

"Get over there and get me something to eat! Maybe then I'll decide what to do with you."

I let go of the fence and sat down, pricking my ears. Suddenly, another cat I hadn't known was there meowed, "Leave her alone, and get out of here."

I listened as the cat walked to Scourge. It had to be Scourge, I could recognize that voice anywhere now. The stranger had other cats behind him, I heard their paw steps and laughter before. Desperate now, I searched the bottom of the fence for a hole, and luckily, I did. Quickly, I ran the few feet to it, and looked through. It was so mall I could hardly tell, but the stranger was a light brown tabby tom, and his followers were two toms also. One was white, and the other was an ugly, matted mess of brown fur.

"Trouble boss?" The smallest of the three, the brown one, was looking as menacing as Scourge on the first night I had met him.

"Want us to take care of it?" The white cat was grinning now.

"No no," Their leader meowed. "Trouble would be bigger. We're looking at a nuisance."

Scourge had seemed to loose his cool now, and his face was twisted with uncertainty. He cast a look over his shoulder, and I noticed a few cats watching with worried expressions on their faces. I felt a little like they did now, my own uncertainty was starting to overcome me. But before I could leap the fence and attack some cat, the tall, brown tabby meowed, "You want to talk runt? If I speak, it'll only be with the leader of this ramshackle lot."

Scourge's eyes narrowed slightly, "Then speak to me."

There was a silence, then, "Speak to you-?" The three cats started laughing suddenly, their eyes bulging with the stress of forcing their chests so hard. They recovered after a moment, and the white cat approached Scourge, who looked terribly pissed off.

"Tell you what kittypet, we're just passing through...but while I'm here, you can be my personal servant." He lifted a paw and unsheathed his claws, which were recently sharpened. " Go fetch me some water. Now."

The cats started laughing again. Scourge's cat's were beginning to gather as the event continued to escalate. Scourge suddenly growled and flashed a paw at the white tom's throat, and ripped it through his flesh. Blood spilled and the laughter stopped abruptly. The white cat stood there for a moment, realizing he was about to die, then collapsed to the cold floor of Twolegplace.

I hadn't had time to gasp, my heart had lurched so hard, I probably couldn't breath if I tried. But Scourge just looked right over the body at the two remaining toms. The cats of twoleg place had begun to swell behind him, and now, they closed ranks behind him, looking uncertain, but threatening.

The tabby's face had been morphed in horror, but he looked at Scourge now with a deep hatred. "Let's get out of here, I've had my fill of this place."

They jumped the other fence that stretched away from the one I was hiding behind, and into the forest. I was still ridged with shock, my backed raised and fur bristling. I turned tail and fled back to where I had been just before, and quickly feigned sleep in my "nest".

That afternoon, I stayed in my nest and feigned sleep until Silverpelt had shown. Scourge still hadn't come back, and I was grateful. Maybe I could sleep.

But that was a terrible lie, because I had nightmares of Scourge's claws tearing through my flesh, ripping me apart, murdering me.