A Shadow Cast on Water

Chapter 3: Hurry

Sagekit and I had been out there for a few days. We ate bugs and grass (which was icky bad), but it really wasn't enough.

I sighed, leading Sagekit into a new, unfamiliar part of the forest. It had to be the right way this time-

It had to...

I feel an ache in my head, throbbing at my skull. It- it hurts my vision. It makes it blurry.

It was sudden...

My muscles locked up, and my vision-

It was gone-

Everything was dark- what the dark forest...

I felt a sudden gust of wind whirling around my fur- threatening to push me over. But it wasn't windy a moment ago?

Throbs of white enter my black vision, from my closed eyelids. Like a heartbeat...

And then, it starts to be colored. Like- I was seeing a scene, or had opened my eyes.

I get a weird feeling of Deja Vu. Had I experienced something similar to this before? When I was a moon younger, perhaps? Yes- that was why I didn't remember...

I focus my attention on what I was seeing.

I was seeing... red.

A forest, trees barren with no leaves, and a hue of red filling the air. Oh, but there was the river! But.. it smelled metallic. I may have scented something like this before.

Way back when.

Flamepaw and Emberpaw had told me that my mother had birth complications, that it smelled like that everywhere.

They said it was called 'Blood'.

Suddenly, something changes- blood flowed down the river, contaminating it.

But then, I hear shrieks in the distance- Oakkit? Reedkit?

Sagekit..?!

I am thrown right into- a battle! I see our mother fighting, but she wasn't very good. She was being cornered by three huge warriors-

And Flamepaw was laying on the ground, but he looked so... hurt... Where were my brothers?

Oh, there is Oakkit! But he was- he was huge! And scarred... His eyes seemed to flash red, as he let out a mighty roar, crushing a warrior to the ground. Tears flowed from his eyes, and it seemed only pure...

What was it? Anger? Sadness?

No... it was grief?

But I remember the good future I saw earlier... would It be ruined if this happened? 

Was that she-cat dead? 

Wait. Where was Reedkit? 

Reedkit... there he was. 

Or was that Nightheart?

Mother said the two looked identical.

But something was wrong with him- What was-

I peer closer, but then I figure it out.

Oh no...

My brother's eyes are red, like a dark forest cat. 

And his claws- his teeth-

Its like they quadrupled in size. His claws could stab all the way through me, with room leftover. 

It was- It was-

Horrifying.

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HIM?!