Samuel braced himself steadily against the wooden fence beneath his paws, peering out to the forest beyond his reach. Nerves, anxiety, or perhaps just fear rippled through his body. Even just standing on the edge of the darkness was unsettling for the young golden tom, as he looked back over his shoulder at the den behind him. He wished he could curl back up for bed.

But he pushed out his chest, despite his hesitancy… he still had a bet to win. One that will prove that he alone is the greatest cat ever yet to live, as he turned back to face the woods beyond. He gathered his strength. Who knows how much he would need it tonight, he would be out and back in a matter of minutes. It shouldn't be any harder than that, right? All those tales are probably just ghost stories… possibly?

With one leap, his paws reached the untamed floor below. Instantly Samuel drew his paw back in disgust, the leafy floor he had seen so many times felt different from the yard occasionally during the falling leaves season. His ears perked at the snap of a twig, as his head swiveled back and forth. Fear bubbling up under his fur, as he cautiously took a step back. Is something out there, right now… it certainly felt like he was being watched?

Samuel braced himself, puffing his chest out with a deep breath. He can do this, he has to. His pawsteps however were still careful, the fur along his back stood up as he passed through the tree line. The moonlight being hidden by a dark shadow from the branches far above the young tom. His green eyes illuminating through the darkness that enveloped his pelt, but even in the darkness… there was the unsettling feeling still.

Mice had often been inside the den, and Sam would occasionally try to catch them. It was too much work to really bother, but it was fun sometimes. So the young tom was familiar with their scent, but when he opened his mouth to taste the air for some… but there were so many other smells washing over his glands instead. None of which were comforting or pleasant for the housecat, lost and senseless in the wild.

Still clinging to his nerves, Samuel pressed onward. His head told him many times to head back, but the more steps he took… it felt like something was calling him forward. More mysterious than his owner's call when she would head for bed. It was alluring and sweet, yet frightening and full of danger than he could imagine. As he kept on the prowl for the meal he was supposed to bring back, as the caw of a blackbird high overhead shook him briefly before taking off into the starry night.

As the night called him forward, the feeling of someone being close rose. Samuel continuously checked back behind him, but there was nothing from what he could see. Still uneased, he chose to continue on the road. When the sound of loud crashing made him jump high into the air, landing with the fur on the back of his spine rippling. But the continuous noise called him closer to see.

It took Samuel a few moments to realize what he was looking at, it was water… like that of his food dish. But it was rapid and violent, alive without even conscious. A monster without breath, tall and clear to show what lures await. Thousands of fish, swimming down the moving back of this great impassable beast. A river that had gone far wild from must've been the last snowfall.

While it was his idea to catch a mouse, or rabbit perhaps if he was lucky to find one. Samuel settled on catching a fish instead, have something he can bring back with the story of how he conquered the great river. Looking around, the golden tabby tom found a branch that was thin… and spindly… but it might just support his weight. And it loomed far across the water, enough for the tom's luck to be useful.

Stepping onto the branch was another set of nerves going off, as Samuel lowed his muzzle close to the wood. Easing himself up, it creaked under his weight. Each pawstep was careful as he crossed slowly along the thin wood, it leaned and bounced from his weight. Dipping fearfully closer to the river, but he managed to stay balanced not too far in. crouching close to the water, one paw raising ready to bring out dinner.

A twig snapped, and before Samuel had the chance to react. A great weight fell upon his shoulders, pushing his head into the water before the branch snapped. Sam wrestled with whatever had attacked him, the water stung whenever he tried to open his eyes to see his attacker. Claws sharp as razors digging hard into his pelt, before what must've been a rock shook his attacker off of Samuel. As the golden tom was free, he tried to scramble to the surface. Trying to catch a breath.

But before he could break the surface, a second rock hit him hard on the head. His world spun wildly around him as he finally got air into his lungs, laughter and coughing could be heard up stream. But Samuel was being washed down too fast for him to tell whose, and when he opened his eyes he saw a massive boulder heading straight for him… well actually. He was heading straight for it.

…

Samuel found his consciousness return, as he was stranded in a narrow and foul smelling space. Raising himself up onto his paws, he looked frantically. But the still waters of where ever he was told him nothing of where he came from, the dark was piercing down here as his head spun. The walls were solid like the base of his owner's den, and there was a light coming down from the tall steps.

Samuel cautiously climbed up, to be greeted by a heavy solid object. Pushing hard and harder against it, eventually he managed to get it open just a little. He tried to get through, but his rear blocked his exit. Pulling with all of his strength, trying to break free. There was a far more foul smell up here, colors of all sizes passed by as he was focused on getting free. His breathing rising.

Eventually, the heavy object moved enough for him to break free. Stumbling forward, panic rose as something fast nearly crushed his tail. As he frantically scrambled for safety, strange monsters yet somewhat familiar nearly struck him. As he finally got out of the way, he was only able to discern strange and unfriendly house folk away from home. Before they kicked him sharply, telling him enough for him to scramble towards the shadows.

The shadows though did not bring him any comfort, as strange and even more so hungry looking cats hissed at him. Keeping him on his feet as he tried to get to a higher landing, eventually seeing a exit that lead upwards. The strange cats hot on his tail, he jumped up onto a bin to reach the bottom of the closed tall steps. Pulling himself up onto the cylindrical step, he nearly lost his balance as the step started heading down. Moving up onto the cold landing beside it, he started following the steps all the way up.

Collapsing on safe ground above all the dangers of before, he panted heavily. Now able to gather his thoughts, he only had one thing on his mind. "W-Where a-am i?" he questioned to himself out loud, his head still spinning from all the confusion from before that was bearing down upon him. Raising himself up onto his paws, he still found it difficult to stand as he panted. Head low towards the ground.

A loud growl caught his attention, as his ears perked to behold the cat standing before him. A black and white tom, thin and hungry like the others down below them. Amber eyes staring threateningly at the golden tabby tom, sharp claws unsheathed and one normal ear beside a torn one flat in defense. Despite the unfamiliarity between the two toms, they shared three words at the same time.

"Who are you?"

Shaking away his confusion, the black and white tom looked at the scrawny mouse at his paws. Samuel noticed it as well, and he licked his lips hungrily. His stomach was aching and roaring in his ears, looking pleadingly up into the other tom's eyes hopefully. Only to be met with a frenzy of claws as the black and white tom attacked. "Stay away from that, it is mine!" he hissed as Samuel was thrown to the ground.

"Wait, please sir… I just want a bite." Samuel pleaded, leaning back to look up into the black and white tom's eyes.

"Get your own prey, I barely have enough as it is." The black and white tom hissed, leaning in closely before spitting in disgust. "Ugh, a kittypet, get on your way back to your twolegs and leave us alone already." The tom growled with the swish of his tail, turning to go back to the mouse and picking it up. "I am sure your leash holders would have had your bowl filled."

Samuel stammered to his paws. "Twolegs, Kittypet?" Samuel asked confused, squinting to look into the black and white tom's eyes. Shaking his head clear as he straightened up. "Listen, I will be on my way if you can point me towards the woods lined by dens." Samuel answered the tom as he looked over to the horizon, but only saw taller buildings.

"What, got lost? Which section den did you live in, a forest is not too far."

"Not a section den, a full den!"

"No twoleg owns a whole den around here." The black and white tom chuckled, his amber eyes turning toward him. "No singular dens around here, everything is stacked high."

"I live in a single story den, with a garden and neighbors in a similar den." Sam clarified, leaning toward the opposing side. "Tell me where it is, I am getting tired of this."

"Find it by yourself, I have enough to deal with around here." The black tom mumbled dismissively.

"Look, shelter me and…"

"Shelter, did you not hear me." The black and white tom snarled, spinning on the spot to face him. "I cannot deal with another mouth to feed with how much is fought over here. If you want anything, you will have to work for it softlife. Not that you understand or could withstand the weight of having to care for yourself around here."

Feeling a challenge Samuel puffed out his chest. "I can too, you can't believe of my durability and survival." He tried to boast, a little unsure of to be honest. But he wasn't going to let someone brush him off.

The black and white tom spun, a slightly more bemused look on his face. "Really, that round belly sure says different." He chuckled with the flick of his tail. "Prove me wrong then, a full moon cycle from tonight and perhaps you can prove me wrong." The black and white tom laughed now, his tail swishing before turning back to leave.

"I will, I promise I can show you!" Samuel answered now rushing up behind the tom.

"Then I have just the test for you, you can shelter with me… but you sleep outside." The black and white tom mused, with his whiskers trembling before he took off. Samuel followed, feeling the ground leave his feet as he made the first jump to the other rooftop