CHAPTER 22-Lost Bird
My empty stomach yawned and moaned like the wind. My paws ached as they scrabbled against the rough concrete sidewalk, and they longed to feel the soft touch of soil and ferns underneath them again.
Patch, the kitten, bounded forward in energetic strokes. It seemed that he was used to all of the hustle and bustle of the city, and his eyes were bright and cheerful. His smile could light up a thousand suns. As we traveled with each other, I grew fonder of him. He was like a little brother to me.
His mother, Rain, plodded more slowly behind us. Her joints creaked and sagged as she hobbled on stick legs. She teetered unsteadily at times, and I was afraid that she would collapse, but she never did. The she-cat kept placing one paw in front of the other, moving slowly but steadily onward.
Whenever we tried to help her, she snapped at us, so we kept our distance.
Snowstorm muttered hesitantly, "I'm…hungry."
Dewstep rolled his eyes. "Of course you are. There's hardly any prey here in this forsaken Twolegplace."
My stomach wailed again, and I flattened my ears in annoyance. Shut up! I know you're hungry!
I sighed. The sooner we got out of the city, the better. At least the mountains looked a little bit closer.
"A trash can!" Patch squeaked. He leaped onto the metal can in an awkward jump and landed inside with a dull clank.
Rain limped over and peered inside. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yup!" he chirped. "I wonder if there's any food in here."
Snowstorm sat down with a tired sigh and meowed, "If there is, save some for me, alright?"
While the kit was rummaging through the trash, I stopped to lick my paws, wrinkling my nose at the bitter taste of blood.
I sighed. I was cold, tired, and starving, and I couldn't wait to get to the Tribe. I wondered what ThunderClan was doing right now. I tried to remember the number of days we've been gone, and I decided that it been 2 weeks.
Two weeks, at least. They've noticed our absence. Had they sent search parties to look for us? How far did they search until they finally gave up? Brightheart would be in a frenzy as she worried over her two missing sons. Somehow, I wanted to reach my mind over to the Clan where I sat and assure her that Snowstorm and Dewstep were fine. She didn't need to worry.
And what would Bramblestar think? I pictured him sitting crouched down in his nest, his haunches raised and his tail swishing behind him. He didn't look very pleased, for his amber eyes were dark and unmoving and his mouth was drawn in a tight scowl. He was probably wondering what his mouse-brained warriors were thinking, wandering off in the middle of the night to who-knows-where. Oh, well. I just hope that he won't claw my ears off when I get back.
The hunger pains seized my empty stomach and jolted me out of my thoughts.
What I wouldn't give to be back home again…
A loud rumbling noise sounded from the corner. It screeched sharply and I quickly covered my ears. What was that racket?
The other cats were doing the same, and they quickly backed away as a large garbage truck rounded the corner and began to rumble down the road.
Rain yowled, "Patch! Get out of the can!"
The rumbling of the truck was so loud that I could hardly make out her words. It vibrated throughout my body and jarred my vision.
As the garbage truck roared closer, Snowstorm and Dewstep let out a startled yowl and darted away.
I leaped to my paws, desperate to get away from the noise, but then I noticed Rain. She was crouched in front of the trash can, trying to reach Patch. Her limp leg made it hard for her to do so, and she winced. The walls were too high for the kit to jump out on his own.
The noise grated our ears like metal on stone.
The truck squealed to a halt, and a person bundled up in sweaters jumped down and strode towards the can.
I leaped in front of him and hissed. He can't take the trash can away! Patch was still inside!
My hissings and meows fell on deaf ears as he tried to shoo me away.
Rain leaped next to me and bared her teeth at the man, and together, we tried to look fearsome. The man simply waved his arms and shouted at us, and when we still wouldn't leave, he sent a kick to Rain's ribs.
The she-cat let out a surprised yowl as the blow knocked her backwards.
I unsheathed my claws and attacked him. I had no other choice. My claws ripped into his pant leg and left red, burning claw marks. He yelled and shook his leg, trying to drive me away.
Flattening my ears, I sank my teeth into his leg, chomping down hard enough so that I felt my teeth scrape bone.
He screamed so loud that it matched the volume of the garbage truck.
I hung on tightly and wouldn't let go. I couldn't let him throw the garbage can, along with Patch, onto the truck. My heart was pounding in fear and excitement.
The man swore at me and grasped the scruff of my neck in rough hands.
I yowled in pain as he held me tightly. With a strong heave, he flung me far off into the air. The cold wind lashed at my face, and my eyes opened wide as I saw the concrete loom up at me. I closed my eyes and braced for the impact.
Dry twigs scratched my face, and I realized that I had landed in a bush. The leaves had all fallen off for autumn, and the thin branches broke my fall.
My ears were aching and pounding my skull. In a daze, I looked up, and my eyes widened in disbelief as the man reached down, took the trash can in his hands, and dumped the contents onto the truck. The roaring of the vehicle was too loud for him to hear the desperate mews of Patch.
Rain yowled angrily and flung herself at the human, but he merely swatted her away and sat back down on the driver's seat. The wheels screeched, and the garbage truck growled and yawned like a big, burly bear. I knew that if I hesitated for another second, I would never see Patch again. Ignoring the scrapes on my side, I leaped down from the bush and sprinted towards the truck. The wheels groaned and squeaked on rusty hinges. I sucked in a deep breath, bunched up my hind legs, and jumped.
My paws were outstretched in front of me as I reached for a secure hold. If I missed, I would fall, and would be crushed underneath the wheels. I tried not to think of it.
My paws scraped against the warm, grimy pelt of the roaring beast and I hung on for dear life as the wheels began to pick up speed. The cold wind whipped and lashed my face.
I tensed my muscles and tried to heave myself onto the truck. My grip was slipping, and I let out a small gasp.
Using the rest of my strength, I tightened my hold and lurched onto the top of the garbage truck. Black, shiny bags of trash sagged underneath my weight, and I wrinkled my nose at the horrible stench.
The truck was lurching at full speed now, and I tried not to stumble and fall. "Patch!" I called desperately. A small mew answered me, and I quickly clawed the garbage out of the way. A small, black and white ball of fur came into view. The kitten blinked up at me and let out a scared wail.
"It's alright," I said gently, trying to comfort him. In reality, I was scared out of my mind, and I didn't know how in the world to get off the truck. It was moving at such a fast speed, and I was so high up.
I grasped Patch in my mouth and carefully padded over to the edge. The black road was swiftly moving like a dark river, and the houses were a blur. I gulped.
I had to do this. There was no other way. I breathed in deeply, and bunched up my hind legs.
Come on, you can do this, I told myself. I closed my eyes and jumped.
The wind howled in my ears. My paws met air, and it felt like I was flying. But it wasn't the soundless, joyful kind of flight. Instead, it was scary, and frightening, the kind of flying where you didn't know when and where you would land.
The impact of the sidewalk on my paws jarred me violently. I opened my eyes to find that I had successfully leaped down from the garbage truck. My paws and bones ached, but I was alright.
Patch mewled softly, and I placed him gently on the ground. We had made it.
My head felt thin and calm. I let out a sigh of relief.
My happiness didn't last long, however, as I looked around at my surroundings.
Dewstep, Snowstorm, and Rain were nowhere to be found. And I had no idea where I was.
Yeah…sorry that this chapter wasn't as good, I'll try to immmmprrroooove.