Bright Forest

Chapter 1

Rusty heard a tap on his fur:-Wake up!

He shook his head: it was his friend, Lovebug.

Lovebug was a big, sweet, cat. He seemed tough and strong, even though he was a softie. He had white soft fur with several dark patches. He had bright blue eyes and a pink collar. He always was nice even to the most aggressive cats, and Rusty still didn't know how he was so calm and nice all the time.

-It's our turn to go outside!- his meow sounded exciting.

-Really?- Rusty licked his fur quickly.

-Yup! Come!

Rusty jumped out of the cat bed and followed Lovebug in the house.

Lovebug pushed through the cat door:-Come along.

Rusty was burning with determination and sprang in the green garden.

The grass was soft and it almost seemed fake, and cats were chatting near the bushes. As he looked around, his golden bell on his green collar shook, making a playful noise.

There was a pale fence surrounding them, and some tree branches were shading some parts. It was the first time Rusty had felt nature.

-So what would you like to do first?- Lovebug asked.

Rusty looked around: Lemon and Tiger were chatting near a bush while Violet bathed in the sunlight; his eye catched a couple of cats listening to Cloudberry's stories.

-I... I don't know...- he admitted.

-Hey! Wanna go listen to some stories? Cloudberry tells great ones!- Lovebug proposed.

-Of course!- Rusty followed his friend to the white elderly cat.

-The snow cat was just about to kill my brother next, but right on his last breath, I pushed my brother to the side, and we got separated as we rolled down the hill: I went for the long snow path while he got on the steeper one! The snow cat was chasing me, almost biting my tail!- Cloudberry's elderly voice was still fierce after all those years. Yet his golden dark eyes were still vivid, and his white long fur made him look like a lion of sorts.

-I still don't get why humans build these snow slides! Some of them are steep and some of them are not, and still everyone goes on the harder ones!- said a brown tabby she-cat.

-They use it for sliding down with sticks!- explained an orange tabby tom sitting next to her.

-They "have fun"! But one time, one human got hurt! But that's for another story...

-Lovebug! Rusty! Glad you came!- The orange cat greeted them.

-How... Do you know my name?- murmured the flame-colored cat.

-It's no secret that it's your first time out!- the she-cat added. -Name's Holly. And this one here is my friend, Butterscotch!

-Yes, yes, now, may I continue the story?- Cloudberry's grumpy mew broke the conversation.

-Sure!- purred Lovebug.

The two cats sat near Butterscotch and Holly, listening about how the elderly tom escaped with his brother from the horrors of the snow cat.

-So then, humans came and trapped us in metal boxes,- he continued, - and I was able to squeeze down before the cage closed, but my tail was trapped in between it. I skidded into the snow, and noticed a shadow above me: the SNOW CAT. I jumped back in, but... my tail...

In fact, Cloudberry had a small fluffy tail, similar to one that the rabbits had.

-Oh! Cruel!- gasped the young tom.