The air was thick and heavy around Thornkit, a smell so foul it couldn't belong to any prey or cat. His paws were hammering hard against the ground even before the young tom had even opened his eyes, and when he did he could barely make out anything more than a whisker ahead of him through the darkness. The ground beneath his paws was hard and rough, he could make out tree like beams coming around him, appearing to be made of the same materials… but there were no branches and there was no sky above him/

He could feel himself get more and more tired, and it felt like his own pads would fall off the more he kept going. And yet something willed him to not stop, to not even dare attempt to stop running. A fear that the smells seemed to egg on in his mind, though the young tom could not recall what had caused such feelings in his bones.

A growl came from behind him, and spinning around in the air Thornkit came face to face with what he could only describe as a monster. A massive beast with one glowing eye was thundering down the tunnel, barreling straight towards the young tom as his legs shook but he tried to stand his ground. Without even thinking Thornkit had launched himself into the air and clawed onto the monster's face, as it thrashed and howled loudly into his ears. As now something propelled him to get around the beast and to start heading back.

But the monster got a good grip on his tail, and flung the tom towards the ground. Pinning him down easily with one massive paw, as the poor helpless cat was unable to escape. As he thrashed back and forth trying to free himself, the monster lunged its head towards him. As the young tom let one last final, terrified scream of desperation.

…

"OAKWHISKER!"

Thornkit practically jumped out of his nest, which had been ripped nearly to shreds in his dream. He was back in the nursery, no longer in that dark tunnel wherever he was before. Taking a deep breath, the young tom curled up into a ball as he looked around his den-mates. Thankfully his nightmare didn't seem to have disturbed any of the kits or queens, as even Poppyheart was still asleep beside him.

As his breathing slowly steadied, he still couldn't chase the images of the beast from his mind. The smells that were hard to breathe through, or the real sense of fear that flooded through him the entire ordeal. His dreams had been all over the place since the storm a few nights ago, and this one was the first time he could actually sense the danger in them.

'Can't I just get one good wink of sleep… please?' Thornkit said as he shivered at the thought of these dreams only getting worse and worse by the night.

Thornkit got up to his paws and started to circle around his nest, patting it down and repairing some of the damage. As he laid his head back down, he couldn't get himself to fall back asleep. Once again he rose back to his paws and did the same thing again, nothing still. He tossed and turned trying to get comfortable once more, burying his head into his mother's side for comfort and making her shuffle a little; and yet it still wasn't working.

Letting out a sigh, Thornkit remembered that Poppyheart had sometimes suggested getting some fresh air. Though he didn't want to worry her about leaving, he just felt like maybe it would help ease his own nerves. As he steadily rose up to his paws and carefully snuck outside, something he knew he shouldn't really be doing alone. But he didn't feel like waking anyone else up over his own troubles.

The dream just felt so real, could he really be having visions? Could the storm had caused something to stir inside of him, something that he never knew he had before? It didn't seem possible at first, but he never knew how things sent from starclan work anyhow. Could it be a warning? Some kind of assurance? Or is it his mind playing tricks on him to deal with the loss of his father?

He paced slowly around the shadows just to be careful, as he just wished he could have a reason behind these reoccurring dreams that felt so out of place. Something to just ease his nerves whenever he had them, as he is always transported somewhere else that he could not recognize. But there was never any answer, never anyone who could explain it. He was starting to feel like there was no one who could tell him, nothing that could ever help him get answers in that regard.

As he took a deep breath, he turned his attention up to the stars. His dreams spark something inside of him, hope… hope that Oakwhisker was still out there. Trying to get home as much as he can, but none of the cats ever believe him when he tried to explain it. But this dream was different, what if Oakwhisker was in trouble? He was there in the dream but in truth none of his actions or feelings were his own, could he be in greater danger than just being washed away by the river?

The dark brown tabby looked over towards the body of water that ran around his camp, a shiver went down his spine as he debated going for a swim to try and find his way down to his father. But he instead pushed the thoughts aside, and turned back to head towards the nursery. He felt like he would never make it there on his own, if Oakwhisker was still alive then he must have been the lucky one. And Thornkit had already gotten in the water, and he needed to be saved by his father from drowning.

'But what if wherever Oakwhisker is now, is where I might have been destined to be at too?'

Now that new thought lingered in Thornkit's mind, as he once again stopped and looked at the river. Carefully he started padding towards it, but as he reached the edge his heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat. No, he couldn't do it… as he instead turned and ran back towards the safety of the nursery. Slipping in and sneaking around all the sleeping bodies until he came back to Poppyheart's side. Settling himself down, this time he felt sleep start to come over himself again. The only thing he could hope for now, is that Oakwhisker was safe and alive still.