Dead Rose

Chapter 15: Alive in Death

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you woke up one day, and your whole body was changed? An upgrade, that you could have never imagined on your own? Well, imagine this. My body for as long as I can remember since I was born has been a sickly, repulsive mess. My pelt resembled a tramped field of grass, forever matted and full of mold and lumps. My body reeked of death, from my breath, my eyes and my heart. My heartbeats felt like a rotting clump of mucus beating against a wasteland.

When I opened my eyes after the vets were done, I knew my life had forever changed.

My lungs were stronger. My legs felt like they were brand new. I have no idea how long I was in the vets care, but it was worth it.

My eyes were clear.

My breathing didn't make rot and spit rattle around my lungs.

My fur was clean and not matted together.

However, after looking at my new body, my rage and anger grew hideously.

Anger and boiling hatred at the cats that made me so close to death in the first place.

Frostclan, where are you now?

…

"Just, wow," Valeriy breathed in awe, staring at Blackpaw who was puffing out his chest as he walked. "The vets did an even better job than I thought!"

"It feels unreal," Blackpaw whispered, before taking off into a sprint.

"Look, Valeriy!" he called over his shoulder. "I can run!"

"You can do everything!" Valeriy called back, jumping up and down excitedly. "You've been reborn!"

"YAAAAHOOOOO!" Blackpaw shrieked, pelting up a tree. "I can even climb!"

Valeriy didn't know how to respond so she just let out a happy screech. Blackpaw tore back down the tree trunk and ran back over to Valeriy.

"I would be rotting closer to death if I didn't meet you," Blackpaw shoved his head awkwardly into Valeriy's side. "Thanks."

"Oh… no problem!" Valeriy squeaked back, taken completely off guard. "I'm glad I could help."

"How long was I in there, anyway?" Blackpaw asked. "It felt like moons."

"A couple days at the most," Valeriy said after a moment of thinking it over. "They more or less had to tear you apart before they could build you back up."

"Oh, okay," Blackpaw said. "Now we should go find Rust and Violet. They won't believe their eyes."

Valeriy cringed, she had been hoping Blackpaw had forgotten about his friends. They are dead, but he'll never believe me.

"Where do you think they'll be?" Blackpaw asked, shattering Valeriys thoughts. She shrugged awkwardly, not really knowing if he wanted her to answer or not.

"Think, Valeriy," Blackpaw urged. "If you were thrown off a waterfall, where would you go?"

I would be dead, Valeriy thought to herself. But what she said didn't match up with her thoughts. "I would be walking around trying to find help, I guess."

"Right," Blackpaw nodded his head solemnly. "That's what I did. But I was lucky because I found you right away."

"Awe," Valeriy couldn't stop the word from slipping past her lips. She felt her face heat up and she slowly looked up at Blackpaw to see if he had noticed. His eyes were narrowed as he was thinking, and Valeriy breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't paying attention.

"So," Blackpaw said. "Here's the plan. We find Rust and Violet, and then we take them to the vet too. Once they are as healthy as me we go to Frostclan."

"Oh, okay," Valeriy said, playing along. "What do we do when we get to Frostclan?"

"We kill them all," Blackpaw said in a casual voice. Valeriy was taken completely off guard. "What?"

"We kill them all," Blackpaw repeated. "What part of that did you not hear?"

"Oh, uh," Valeriy realized with a jolt that he was being serious. "Sorry. I thought I didn't hear you right."

"You can have the job of escorting the kits and queens out of the camp," Blackpaw said. "I'll get Violet and Rust to guard the rest."

"What are you going to do?" Valeriy couldn't resist asking.

"I get the best job of all," Blackpaw whispered. "I am going to kill Longwhisker in front of the whole Frostclan."

Valeriy looked up at Blackpaw, horrified.

"Don't look so scared," Blackpaw said quietly. "This is one battle he will not win."

Meanwhile

Violet knew she was dead. She knew the second she lifted her head off the ground and saw herself splattered across the rocks, blood and dents meshing together in her skull. Her physical form was mutilated beyond repair, fur missing across her spine, broken limbs cracked in a direction they were never supposed to take. Her white eyelids were bruised to black and purple. Violet shuddered as she thought of what lay beneath them.

Why am I still here? Violet wondered, stepping over her corpse and out of the lapping water that gently went through her.

I thought I was supposed to be in Starclan. Why am I here?

Violet looked down at her ghostly paws.

What is the purpose of being a spirit here, on earth?

Violet gave her broken body a gentle nudge with her paw. You served me well, Violet thought to herself, combing her paw through the blood clots that ran through her pelt. Goodbye.

Violet got up and started to walk through the trees, enjoying the way her body could just melt through trees and come out the other side. She noticed she did not feel sick, making her feel very good.

No more rot.

Violet screamed with delight and pelted through the trees.

No more mold.

She jumped and rolled on the ground.

No more sickness.

Violet stopped tearing around as she realized something that had not registered before.

I am not alive.

I am dead.

Dead.

Dead

Death