Blossompaw's Escape

Part One: The Capture

"Ashstar, Seastar, Cedarstar, and Ravenstar. Their connections to one another ran deep. Their hatred for one another ran deeper. The first founders of the clans, bitter enemies after shaded betrayals. They were determined to have their clans prosper. After Ashclan perished in the firey eruption, and the other three leaders fled, their deputies took over.

What they never knew was that the deputies had met each other as apprentices, when they were young and naive. A forbidden friendship had been kindled, exactly like the one that had caused Ashclan's destruction. The three deputies were depressed by the death of their fourth friend from Ashclan. The continued to meet in secret to mourn his death, each new moon they went to a mysterious island which only appeared at night during the low tide.

If they were caught, it would truly be the end.

But the powers of the island were strange. It seemed the spirit of their fourth friend lurked there. Smogfoot, as he had been named, could not accept that his clan ahd all died because of the mistakes of their leader. His spirit begged his friends Sandflower, Clearwater, and Blackhawk to rebuild Ashclan. His friends refuse, they tell him they cannot sacrifice parts of their own clans. Ashclan is gone, and nothing can reverse that.

Smogfoot swore Ashclan would rise again, and the other clans would pay for their negligence and arrogance. He cursed the old wounds to fester until the three clans would be driven to the brink of war again, and then they would know his suffering,"

The story once again had the same effect over all of the animals. Their imaginations ran wild with the fantasies of the clans. Each day Blossompaw would continue the legends, rebuilding the hope that had been shattered in the tests before. She was determined they would escape for the next full moon. She could be back in Ravenclan before the other apprentices were made warriors.

"You tell interesting stories, Blossompaw," Chance rasped. Blossompaw smiled at his praise.

"They aren't my stories exactly. There was another apprentice I knew, Silverpaw. She told the most amazing stories. She even got stubborn Larkpaw to listen..." Blossompaw trailed off as an ache of pain pierced her heart. Oh how she missed her clan. She wanted Frogpaw to come up with new games to play, like mossball and sneak. She wanted Shadepaw to talk with her about silly things. She wanted Birchpaw to share another vole with her. She wanted to hear one more of Silverpaw's stories. She even wanted Larkpaw to complain, because that was familiar. That was home.

Chance seemed to understand the pain she was feeling.

"I had a nice home, with twolegs who loved me. They were kind, unlike these ones," that was all Chance said, but it was enough to lessen the heartache. Blossompaw came to a realization then. She had been torn between believing there was hope for freedom, and believing that all was a lost cause. But in between those two things there would always be a chance for something better.


The female twoleg took a keen interest in Blossompaw. The white furred apprentice wondered if the white coats somehow knew she was instigating an escape plan amongst the animals. Whatever the case, the female twoleg held a special sort of cruelty for Blossompaw. She was determined to break her.

Blossompaw shivered as the twoleg stood before her cage, looking in at her with cold and unfeeling eyes. She muttered something, like a coo, trying to coax Blossompaw forward. The apprentice hissed and swatted at the twolegs hand. It was no use. In a second her scruff was being forcefully yanked from the prison confinements. Chance was snarling and pawing at his cage, trying to stop them from taking Blossompaw.

"Hang on, it will be over soon," Chance growled reassuringly. The other animals offered quips of support as well.

"Today wasn't that bad, they just placed me int eh water tank again," another stray cat explained as he groomed his still damp fur. Blossompaw stiffened as the other cat was shook with a spasm of coughing, there was still water in his lungs.

It's okay, I can get through this, she thought to herself calmly. Suddenly the white coat changed direction, instead of heading to the room with the pool of water she took Blossompaw to another sanction, one she had not been to yet.

Her blue eyes narrowed as harsh light hit her face. Orbs of sunlight hung from the ceiling of the room. Cabinets and boxes lined the walls. There was a single operation table made of cold material in the center of the room. Blossomapw was dropped on it unceremoniously. The white coat put on a mask which covered her nose and smiling mouth. She held a needle in her right hand and pinned Blossomapw down with the other. She flicked the needle and a clear liquid oozed out of it.

Blossompaw shut her eyes and waited for the pain. All she felt was a slight prick in her shoulder and then it was over. She carefully opened her eyes and the white coat was picking her up and taking her back to the holding room.

"What was that?" Blossompaw mewed aloud. She was deeply confused. What just happened, what did the twoleg just inject her with? The other animals were concerned as well when they saw Blossompaw back so soon.

"Are you alright?" Chance demanded. His one seeing eye searched her face for signs of trouble.

"I...I think so. Yes, I'm alright," Blossompaw whispered. She turned her head to get a look at her shoulder. There was a single visible drop of blood on her skin form where the needle pierced her. A purple bruise had formed around the spot. Other than that, she was unmarked.

...

Dark creatures were reaching towards her, their curled claws scrapped against her stomach and face. Their teeth dripped poison as the descended upon her. She felt herself screaming, but it was if that was someone else. She felt detached form her body, all she felt was fear and paranoia.

There were voices around her, she couldn't decipher what they were saying. They sounded alarmed.

The monsters surrounded her, they had scales which glistened in the otherwise dark world. Their eyes were blood red and watched her every move. Suddenly the monsters vanished, she was back in her cage and panting as sweat dripped from her body. The other animals were calling her out of the nightmare. But she hadn't been asleep, no she was very much awake.

That was not a dream, rather deliria. Whatever the twolegs did to her she knew this was a side effect. They were making her see things, things that did not exist. They were going to hurt her from the inside, they were going to use her own mind against her.

"What's happening to me?" she wailed. No one answered her, they couldn't answer her. They could only watch as she was pushed closer and closer to the breaking point.