(I update on the 2, 12, and 22 of each month!)

Injuries can create your worst fears.

Or your best dreams...

That is what I have found out.

Well… me and my brother.

I'll cut to the story; no one wants to hear me rambling on.

I suppose the real drama started when I was a kit.

Only 4 moons old.

Apparently that isn't the right age to sneak out of camp.

Too late for that though… they might want to tell kits to never ever wander out of camp.

Hah.

I bet they use me and him as stories now—representing what could happen if you sneak out of camp.

Well, onto the story!

"Wanna sneak out of camp?"

Hawkkit asked, pricking his ears hopefully.

"Camp is so boring! Maybe… we could catch some prey?"

I stared at him. Surely, we would get caught?

"Don't be such a rule-follower! C'mon Ivykit, nothing will harm us!"

Yeah right. I narrowed my eyes.

"Okay, fine, but if anything happens, you're taking the blame."

I shot back.

Hawkkit smiled.

"Good. Now, let's do it tonight. There's a hole out the camp entrance that we can go through."

How he knew all about this, I did not know. But that didn't matter.

Well, when I was a kit it didn't matter,

"Okay! Let's go to the patch of catmint and back; I heard it's not too far from here!"

I chirped, feeling relief flood me when my brother nodded.

"'Course Ivykit!"

I'll skip to later that night…

That's when things got…

Interesting

"Psst!"

A hard shoulder nudged me awake.

"Ivykit! Everyone is asleep—even you! We have to get out now!"

Hawkkit's annoying voice drifted through my dream, and I woke up with a start.

"Ugh…."

I rose sleepily out of my warm nest and got to my paws, my eyelids drooping.

Hawkkit motioned for me to follow him, and I did. Such a mouse-brain I was.

We both squeezed out a kit-sized hole—only big enough for a very small kit.

Luckily we were small.

"Over here!"

Hawkkit scampered out into the vast forest.

I gasped in wonder. I didn't know the forest was so big!

And so dangerous.

"Stop gaping at the pine trees; let's go!"

Yowled Hawkkit, snapping me out of my trance.

"Coming!"

I raced after him.

Soon enough, we came across a massive clearing.

Also known as where we were attacked.

"Wow…"

I breathed.

"The forest is huge!"

Hawkkit rolled his eyes.

"Of course it is! How do you think we could have a huge camp if we didn't have a huge forest?"

He exclaimed, playfully shoving me into a shadowed corner.

"Oof."

I gave a yelp as I crashed into a tiny patch of ferns.

"Hey!"

I growled in annoyance.

Hawkkit smirked.

I lashed my tail and pounced, knocking him off his paws.

"You're on."

I gave a sly smile.

My brother narrowed his eyes but nodded his head.

Yowling loudly, we tackled each other until we were both panting for breath.

We really should have been quieter.

"What's that noise?"

Hawkkit pricked his ears in alarm.

I listened closely.

A loud stomping sound echoed throughout the woods… and to my surprise it was getting…

closer.

"It sounds like a badger—"

I started, but was interrupted when a long black-and-white face slammed into my vision.

"Badger!"

Screamed Hawkkit, unsheathing sharp claws and lunging for the beast.

It was over quickly.

For a few moments, none of us spoke.

We just fought the badger.

I only realized that we weren't going to make it when pain struck me.

Hard.

"Ow!"

I staggered back, leaving my brother to the fight.

My face burnt where the badger had scratched it.

"OW!"

I shrieked when the badger raked its claws down my face again.

I could feel blood bubbling at the surface.

My eyes were tightly shut; I was too afraid to open them in case the monster hurt them.

"We need to get help!"

Hawkkit's anguished mew hardly reached my ears.

Everything was fading away… slowly… until…

I couldn't hear anything.

And then, despite the intensity of the fight and the pain in my face…

I passed out.

Be warned.

Nothing will ever be the same…

Ever again.

Those words made their way into my slumber.

I didn't even question what they meant.

I was focused on my dream about owning all the fresh-kill in the world.

With a jolt though, I was sucked out of my dream and into reality.

"Stay still little one…"

The soothing voice of Whisperstone—our medicine cat—mewed.

My face felt hot, filled with a pain that I cannot describe.

"You will feel better soon."

Those were the last words I heard before I sunk into my nest and let sleep overtake me.

I woke up a few sunrises later, feeling moderately better.

Hawkkit was leaning over me, pulling an odd face.

"What happened to your face?"

He took a small step back, his own face scrunched up in disgust.

"What do you mean?"

I quietly asked, daring myself to look at my brother.

I really shouldn't have.

I could see my own reflection in his eyes as he stared at me wide-eyed.

My face—it had been ripped apart. A huge dark red scar stretched across the left side of my face.

My eyes were both okay—I couldn't say the same for the rest of my torn face.

I focused on my brother's light green eyes, focusing on me.

My mouth wasn't too bad, but bad enough.

Shining white teeth stuck out from it—some chipped.

What really scared me most was that—

My nose had been...

Ripped clean off my face.

"ARGH!"

I let out a scream of terror.

Hawkkit stumbled backwards, shocked by my sudden outburst.

"My face—it's gone!"

My breathing sped up, and I stood up, only to be greeted with a stinging pain on my face.

I ignored it and raced out of the den, stealing a glance back at my brother.

The only part of him that had been injured was his front paw, which was lifted slightly off the ground, a deep cut engraved into it.

"Lucky."

I hissed under my breath.

And then I just turned tail and sprinted out of camp.

I didn't even look back.