First her mom dies. Things only go downhill from there. Alongside raising her new siblings, Junco must navigate the now dangerous waters of life as a Wanderer. Death and feelings are the worst kind of problems.
Oriole was always very cheerful, and...
"Over there mouse brain!" Junco laughed, "I'm gonna get there first this time!" Finally!
"No! I will always win!"
We'll see about that!
Two kits tumbled across the sandy earth. The Wanderers were in a wide plains next to the edge of a twoleg place, visiting some kittypets.
Junco and Oriole raced over to the big bug she had spotted.
"It's even bigger up close!
"It has a lot of legs!" Oriole was almost at the bug when she tripped over a stone and fell. Now's my chance!
"Haha! I've got it!" Junco slammed her paws down on the bug. Eight eyes flashed as it bit her foreleg. She screamed.
Oriole panicked and ran for the others. "Junco's hurt! Where's Bellflower? Or Snapdragon?"
The older healer, Bellflower, was already running up, having heard the screaming. "What's happened? Where is she?"
Oriole pointed at the writhing kit. Bellflower rushed over and tried to look at Junco's paw. She was shaking so hard and freaking out that it was difficult. The healer motioned with her tail, Branch and Amber appeared and held her still.
"Shhh, sweetie, she's going to heal you, she's going to help," Amber soothed her kit. Though she kept her voice calm, the she-cat's face was twisted with worry.
It hurts! It really hurts! Bellflower needs to hurry!
Snapdragon arrived and turned to Oriole. She spoke, her voice stern and clear, "Oriole. What happened to Junco?"
"She pounced on a big bug, it had so many legs and it bit her!"
The other healer cursed and backed up. "I won't be able to save her, she's too small," Bellflower sighed, "The spider's venom will kill Junco."
"No!" Every Wanderer was at the scene now and they all gasped at the same time.
"There must be something you can do for her," Driftwood mewed. The leader of the Wanderers was pacing the area, thinking about how to save the kit.
"I can dress the bite but, other than that..."
The cats lapsed into silence, other than her whimpers.
I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die.
Suddenly Frog, another Wanderer, spoke up, "Let's take her to Zoe's twolegs!"
It was as though the whole area woke up, all the Wanderers started talking at once.
"That's the only way!"
"What will they do to her?"
"I don't trust twolegs, especially with my kit's life!"
It's so loud, why are they so loud? They stand around while I die.
Junco burst out, "Take me to the twolegs! Shouldn't it be up to me? I want to go to the twolegs since you can't do anything!"
Amber grabbed her scruff, "Fine, let's go find Zoe."
...
They carried her to the kittypet they called Zoe, and she took her to her twolegs.
Zoe's twolegs took her to a monster that brought them to a small twoleg nest. Inside the nest was a too-clean, white room.
Different twolegs in the room cleaned her legs and stuck her with sharp, thin claws.
That was the last she remembered.
Junco woke up in a nest made of thick wire. Her leg was throbbing but not as much as earlier. She was terrified. There were no familiar scents in the area and everything was so hard and lonely. She looked down at her injured leg. The tender skin was wrapped with hard, white stuff. The twoleg bandage limited her mobility, so when she tried to walk around the nest it was a struggle.
Inside the nest was a soft pelt, she was lying on that. There were also two small bowls. One had water and the other was empty. Tasting the air, she could scent other cats in the area, and smell their sickness. Through the wire mesh, she could see similar nests that housed the other cats. None of them spoke. In one corner of the room, mewling kittens cried for their mother. She looked away. I know these twolegs helped me, but this place is sad and I want to leave. Do they have mother or Snapdragon in one of these cages? Or even just Zoe?
A twoleg entered the room. Moving across the room, she opened the nests and filled the bowls inside with dry pellets. No mice? Ew.
She got to Junco's nest and opened the latch. While she poured the kittypet food, she muttered sweetly. I guess she's a nice twoleg. She ran her paw down Junco's back and locked the wire shut again.
Junco wasn't sure how long she was in the wire nest in the sterile white room. The twoleg came back a few times, as did a different one. She gave up on the hope of prey and ate some of the kibble. The cage seemed to only become smaller the longer she was there. It closed in on her as she tried to stretch.
At night, it became too much, and she cried for the Wanderers. Amber, Oriole, anyone please!
After what must have been a few days, her leg was much better. The twolegs took her to another room again and took off the bandage.
Another day or so later, she was in a monster again.
And then she was free.
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