Set before the time of Firestar and all of those cats.
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The window rattled as Beatrix pawed restlessly at the glass. Her sharp green eyes surveyed the garden raptly, following the ragged fluttering of a wounded sparrow. The small bird hopped dejectedly back and forth on the fence, just a few yards from where the white she-cat was crouched – trapped behind the glass wall.
A yowl of frustration escaped her lips as she saw the bird make a weak attempt at flight. It flopped back to the fence, and Beatrix imagined herself leaping onto the railing and pouncing, feeling the satisfaction flood through her veins as the tiny bones in the sparrow's neck crunched between her powerful jaws.
Shouts erupted suddenly from behind her. Beatrix whirled, fur on end, her eyes flashing wide. A pair of pudgy pink paws was reaching towards her, the fat, useless claws unsheathed as always. Hissing in frustration, Beatrix tried to escape, but the paws closed around her middle and hoisted her into the air. Flailing her own paws, the white she-cat tried desperately to wriggle out of her captor's grasp, but to no avail. The Twoleg clutched her to its chest and carried her away from the window, yowling nonsense in a constant stream.
Beatrix was set on the floor in another room, and before she had a chance to make one last bid for freedom, the door was slammed loudly in her face. Whiskers quivering with annoyance, the she-cat stalked away from the door, heading to her food bowl. She picked angrily at the pile of tasteless brown pellets and lapped up a few drops of stale water before slinking into a corner. From there she watched the three Twolegs, all of varying sizes and degrees of stupidity, lumber around the room. One was standing over a counter throwing around huge pieces of metal and splashing water everywhere. The other two stumbled back and forth between the counter and the table, carrying wide white disks and sharp shiny things, which they laid haphazardly on the tabletop.
After a long time merely watching the ugly creatures move, Beatrix heard the roar of a monster as it neared the Twoleg nest. She grimaced. This sound always meant the return of the biggest Twoleg, the tom who was clearly in charge of the others. He was the worst of them, always picking her up and carrying her to places that she didn't want to go. She crouched even closer to the ground and laid her ears back against her skull, waiting for him to charge into the room with an ear-splitting shout.
But today was different. The monster came to a gurgling stop somewhere outside, but the Twoleg did not walk in. She heard some clanking from the front of the house and some yelps. The other tall Twoleg, a queen, stopped what she was doing with the metal things and walked out of the room, leaving the door open behind her. Gleefully, Beatrix darted after her into the front hallway of the nest.
The clanking was louder, and the young cat could now tell that it was coming from right outside the front door. It must be the tom, and he was calling to his mate for help. Curiosity getting the better of her, Beatrix tiptoed after the queen, staying close to the shadows against the wall. She watched with interest as the queen reached for the door.
A sudden blast of cold air nearly swept Beatrix off her feet, and it set her heart racing wildly. The queen Twoleg had opened the front door! She walked out on her fat pink legs to find her mate, leaving a wide, gaping hole to the outside world. Elated, Beatrix bounded to the door – only to find one of the smaller Twolegs barring her way. It stood with forepaws outstretched, growling at her, it's small beady eyes flashing menacingly.
For a moment Beatrix felt the urge to flee from its frightening glare, but then determination blocked out her fear. There was no way she was going to lose this perfect chance to escape her prison. The she-cat bunched her muscles and took a deep breath, preparing to make a run for it. The Twoleg seemed to sense her resolve, or at least realized that it wasn't going to be easy to catch her. It turned and put a hand on the door, but Beatrix was already off, sprinting with every ounce of energy in her lithe body for the cold world beyond. She reached the threshold and leaped, throwing herself out into the frigid night. A gust of air buffeted her flanks as the door slammed shut a fraction of an inch at her heels. She'd made it – but barely.
As soon as her paws hit the ground Beatrix was running again. She knew that the Twolegs would try to follow her, but if she could manage to reach the forest before they caught up with her, she would be safe. Though they were stupid and clumsy, the creatures had long legs and could run swiftly when they put their tiny minds to the task.
After a few moments of blind running, Beatrix realized that there was grass beneath her paws. It was soft and springy, cooling her hot pads. The wind ruffled through her fur, bringing with it the scents of the forest – the biting tang of pine needles, and the musky smell of dead leaves. The shouting of the surprised Twolegs began to fade behind her, replaced with the chirping of crickets and the whispering of the breeze.
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Hope you liked the first chappie! Next one coming out soon…I think.
-Aster