Scars (Part II of J.H. White's Puss in Boots)

Chapter Twenty-One: Everywhere

Puss wheezed violently as the smoke entered his lungs. Fire blazed all around him, and one of his legs was chained to a wall with no way of escape. He saw Kitty in the distance. Screaming and crying; afraid.

"Puss!" she called. "SAVE ME!" Puss struggled against the chain and tried to saw it in half with his claws. Nothing happened. He swore.

"PUSS!" she continued screaming. "SAVE ME!" Her cries were getting louder now, and Puss' claws shredded the ground, trying to get the chain free. He pushed with all the energy he had, and then there was a squelch of flesh and a cracking simultaneously, and Puss was free. He looked backwards, and almost vomited. The lower half of his leg had been torn off, and bloody skin littered the floor. That wasn't important now, though. He had to save Kitty. He crawled towards her, wincing through the pain. And then she was gone. Puss howled into the darkness as she was graphically melted by the flames. Her paw reached for him, and he took it, realizing in horror that she now had no face.

He closed his eyes tightly, thinking of her as the feeling of her kiss made him feel like he was floating; she shone like an angel in his mind, beautiful, perfect.

And then the fire was gone; Kitty had vanished too. Scars appeared, walking towards him with a handgun.

Was this real? Was he still in the SIM? Scars strangled him, holding him up in the air as he gasped for breath. He held the butt of the weapon in between Puss' eyes.

"Impressive," Scars said. "You are strong for a weakling." He cocked the gun.

"You may survive my illusions, but you will never win. I am everywhere." His paw went for the trigger as he looked into Puss' pained eyes.

"Adios."

Puss saw a split second vision of his own blood splattering all over the floor, all over Scars, and part of his head in midair. And then everything was gone.