Claw Marks

Chapter 3: Rose Bush

Dust closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the young body of the cat. He sat down, his head was pounding with all his thoughts, What the heck happened why is this young cat dead? I've already seen to much of this!

Dust turned his gaze up to the black she cat Moon. She was crying over her dead sisters body.

He could just barely make out what she said "This is all my fault how could I do this to you?" Her voice was desperate for a reply and full of pain. "Please Mint, please wake up I miss you!"

Dust couldn't look he had to turn his head away before he would start crying also. He didn't want to see Moon like this.

He thought back to earlier. He somehow had found Moon it was like he was pulled to her and had to talk to her, he was confused. What force could do that? Is it destiny? Was I supposed to meet her?

A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts, "Dust.. Come on help me bury her..." Moons voice was filled with despair

"Yeah..." Dust muttered as he stood up.

They carried the dead she cat and laid her next to a tree stump. There was the other half of the tree partially on the stump and the rest on the ground.

***
Dust curled up near Mint's grave, "We should get some rest..."

Moon didn't respond and walked to the other side of the grave and slept.

Dust had a hard time sleeping do to Moon's quiet sobs.

***

The next day they sat in silence.
"We need to do something!" Dust stood up abruptly and meowed. "We need to make a monument, something to remember her by!"

Moon nodded at his idea, her voice still laced with sadness, "Yeah she can't just have died and there be nothing to show for future generations!"

Future generations? Dust thought Does she mean we will have children? What am I thinking there are other cats in this forest...

He cleared his head and responded, "I have an idea!"

"Spit it out..."

"So we-" Before Dust could continue he was interrupted by a yowl.

"YAAH Stupid thorns!" An unfamiliar voice exploded from a rose bush next to the two cats.

"What the?" Moon mumbled

Soon enough out of the bush tumbled a blue silver cat with messy fur.

"Who are you?" Dust asked in a rough voice.

The blue cat looked up in surprise, "Uh! I'm Finn!" His voice was energetic with a small hint of fear.

"Why are you here?" Moon interrogated.

"W-Well I have every right to be here as you!" Finn stood up near the end of his sentence and poked his pink nose at Moon.

Putting up a paw in defense Moon pushed the tom's nose away.

Immediately the excited look on the cats face turned into pure rage. In response the silver blue tom replied with an angry but defiant tone "No need to push me she-cat"

Dust knew right away that this tom had anger issues and the way he'd said "she-cat" like Moon was an old spit up hair ball just made him angry.

Soon enough Finn started meowing away about how "disrespectful" Moon had been.

Moon gave Dust the kind of look that said What do I do, can you say something please???

Dust didn't really want to interfere with
the cat's venting but he had no choice so he replied with the calmest voice he could force from his muzzle.

"Hey... Finn, she really didn't mean it and she's very sorry if she offended you, right Moon?"

"What n-" Moon started to mew but with one look at Dust and she got the message. "Look Dust is right, I.. I..I'm sorry, Okay?"

Finn glanced back and fourth between the two cats, then lowered his gaze, "Don't be sorry I should be... sometimes I get a little too worked up..."

"Can we trust you?" Dust's voice erupted with power but soon after settled into an icy silence, it was as if all nature had stopped to hear what the tom had to say.

Dust watched Finns expression change from guilt to complete fear and he noticed that the toms body was shaking unsteadily and his eye was twitching. It was clear that something was wrong about the cat. He seemed like the kind of cat that would be driven to insanity, he did not want to answer this ever so delicate question and that was now obvious.

"Well..?" Moon said with an impatient tint to her creamy voice.

Finn hesitated as if trying to put his thoughts into an answer that made sense, "... I-I... Yes! I will do anything! Please!" He continued with quiet murmur, "Please just don't leave me... I don't wanna be left... again."