"And this here is the cursed cat," I hear the leader say, the mere sound of his voice striking fear within me and making my heart pound. "We keep him here like this, to stop him from killing every cat in the forest."
"Oh my God... I-I've never seen a cat in such terrible shape! Look at him! He's covered in blood and scars, half his tail is gone... What the hell are you doing to this poor cat?"
The second voice was one that I had never heard before; upon opening my eye, I saw that the source was a beautiful, gray she-cat with long fur. And something about her reaction sparked within me, causing an overwhelming wave of emotions that I had never felt before.
Is... is this what it feels like to have another cat... actually care about me?
"Alright, look..." the leader continued, his voice developing a stern edge. "Maybe you didn't hear what I said earlier. This cat has the power to kill you, me, and every other cat here in an instant! This is the only way we can keep him under control!"
"And how exactly do you know he has this power?" the she-cat yelled, her claws beginning to protrude from their sheaths. "And if he's so dangerous, why not just kill him instead of-of this!?"
"You wouldn't understand. Kittypets aren't educated in this sort of stuff," the leader scoffed, seemingly unfazed by the she-cat's burst of anger. "I'll fill you in on everything tomorrow, after you get your warrior name. Or, if this is so important to you, you can go back to the twolegplace where you came from. It really doesn't matter."
The she-cat gave a quiet sigh, staring at the dark-stained ground beneath her paws. "Fine. Whatever. I'll trust that your explanation will be at least somewhat believable. Now, show me around the rest of the camp."
The two cats turned and padded out of the den, their pelts visibly touching; leaving me to wonder what this new arrival meant for me.
Would she be able to convince the Clan to treat me better-perhaps even let me go? Would she even try?
Or would she be sucked down into their beliefs completely, and join in on this malicious game?
All I could do was wait and see.