Startouched

Infected

"We've all been sick; we're all afraid of infection." ~Bonnie Bassler, scientist

                                                   ~6 moons after the previous chapter~

       It was sunrise in the land of Mirrinia. All of the animals were waking up to face the challenges of the new day. One of them, a small, fluffy, dark gray kitten, wearily lifted up her head. Her parents, Skyalen and Clawrex, had been away all night hunting. She missed the warmth of their bodies to keep her warm at night. Her sister had been cooler than usual lately, and she had spent many nights shivering with fear and cold.

       Suddenly, she heard rustling in the dense bushes near her den, and smelled a familiar and comforting scent. She felt her stomach rumble as Skyalen silently padded in with a sumptuous, juicy mouse in her jaws. 

       Skyalen meticulously set the mouse on the ground and gave it a shove, making it slide over towards the large golden lump known as her sister. The dark gray kitten sighed heavily and felt very sad. She hadn't had close contact with her parents in many days. She didn't understand why they were so afraid of her.

       "Verity, you haven't eaten in a while, and I'm getting nervous. Same goes for you Purefia!" Skyalen meowed. She shifted her paws anxiously, and her tail lashed back and forth.

       Verity shifted and sat herself up on her haunches. Her eyes were crusty and weary, and the faint scent of sickness wafted from her. "I'm not hungry, and I feel sick,"  she whispered.

       Purefia was about to go chow down on the mouse, as she was oh so very hungry, but suddenly a heavy wave of fatigue and nausea rolled over her, making her bat the mouse away. "Me too," she stated.

       Skyalen opened her mouth to protest, but all of a sudden, Clawrex hurriedly tramped in with an air of worry. "Skyalen, I need to talk to you," he whispered loudly. It sounded like he was trying to be confidential, but was doing a terrible job at it with his haste.

       "Yes, let's go outside," Skyalen quietly agreed. And with that, both parents promptly left.

        Turning towards Purefia, Verity mewed faintly: "Purefia, can you go follow them? I think that you have more energy than I do. They may talk about something important," she continued.

        Purefia considered this for a moment. What if she got caught? Was it really worth it? Maybe it was. "Okay, I'll go," Purefia sighed. She shakily ran out of the green bushy den and lifted her head up to try and catch her parent's scent. Their scent trail led deeper into the forest, and so that was the way that Purefia marched off to. Verity wearily laid her head back down on her paws. 

       Purefia quietly scrambled through the forest until she head faint voices echoing through the woods. She halted in her tacks, and scampered into a bush. She peered through the branches and saw the dark form of her mother and the orange blob of her father. The leaves on the towering birches above Purefia restlessly danced in the breeze, and the forest was alive with smells.

       "Skyalen, I think I know what's wrong with them," Clawrex sighed sadly.

       "There's something wrong  with us?" Purefia shuddered. 

       Skyalen angrily lashed her tail "I know what you're thinking. The signs do point towards... it," Skyalen spat the word it out like poison. "... but they're so young! They cannot have it, they'll die!"