Mouth Full of Cotton

Chapter Seventeen: FAMILY & FEAR [KIT WHITE]

Me and Carkha were finally making our way back to the Stuffiemaker, we got sidetracked, got food to eat and went to some places. I was still licking my ice cream from the little ice cream store we went to. It was a rich chocolate brownie flavor, the sugar was a lot for my senses, albeit the sweet treat satisfied me no less. My ears were covered with my hood, my paws were covered by unrolling my pants. Carkha had his ears covered up by a burnt orange scarf, which also wrapped around his face, to cover his feline mouth. He kept his left eye closed.

As we walked, I remember seeing kids in line to buy plushies, and something about seeing the plushies made me feel wrong. The animals were not real, or didn't exist anymore, like dragon, unicorn, and dinosaurs, but I still felt iffy about it. I didn't make any comment on it, I could've been killed for that alone, honestly.

Or, maybe I'm just paranoid.

He took my free hand in his, walking through the forest and through the door as he held fabrics in his arm. The two of us looked up at him, the mask on his face now that of a pitbull, snout contorted into a wicked smile, as if cackling. As unsettling as it was, I was starting to get more used to these unique faces he had.

"Ahah, sorry we took so long! I wanted to treat mi amor right, did anything eventful happen?" I never knew what he said when he spoke Spanish, but I got nervous even thinking of asking, too. "Ah, goodness, where do I begin? Leo came in with injuries, a little boy friend of his eavesdropped on me and Trample, and this girl, she- my my, she was quite disrespectful."

"He has a boyfriend-? I never knew he liked boys.." He trailed off, his thoughts clearly wandering off as he looked at a wall. Who was Leo, and- wait. He said... girl. Maybe Sarah was here? Oh god, I don't wanna know what happened to her if so, but... I just have to ask...

"Sir! Sir, s-sir-!" I wave my hands, standing as tall as I can, trying to garner his attention. I ignored the pain in my throat as I continued to speak, why did it even hurt? I never thought about that much, but I died by... a bullet wound, not... not a sliced neck or anything. "Where... is.. Sh- sheee-?" A familiar iron-esque taste filled my mouth and throat, and something else. I started coughing, trying to hack up whatever was inside of me. Carkha pat my back as I did, his touch saying he didn't know what much to do, but still wanting to try and help.

I coughed up blood, and the mysterious substance came out with it. It was cotton, bloody cotton, just like the cotton outside of the door that led into the room. It's still humongous, I'm never getting over that! Carkha spun me around, holding my face and wiping the blood away with part of his sleeve. "Gross," He spoke with a lighthearted smile. The comment made me feel bad, and my ears went down under my hood. He took my hood off, taking his scarf off. "Hey, don't feel bad, alright? It used to happen to me, too." That made me feel a bit better. I wonder what happened to have me so... odd. I don't care if I can't speak right, I just don't want my mouth to be filled with blood and cotton when I do.

I finally turned back to the Stuffiemaker, who pointed to a corner. Long brown hair, black coat... just a bit dirty. It looked like her from afar, so with deliberate and slow movements, I made my way to her, ears perked up. She remained asleep, so I knelt down, close, yet still far. Still asleep. I crawled over, anticipation and anxiety building and colliding with one another as I shook her gently, please be Sarah, please be Sarah...

She jolted awake, dazed for a moment, before her eyes widened. Her sudden movements caught me off guard, making me jump back, and fall to the floor. I'm too tired for this, too tired to be coordinated. She looked me up and down a minute, her eyes softening briefly from recognition before hardening defensively. This close to her, it was Sarah. Sarah White, my sister. "No goddamn way..." She spoke slowly from sleep inertia, Carkha had his eyes on her, watching her movement with intent as his ears twisted and turned, trying to position themselves to hear the best.

She shifted through her pockets before pulling a small knife from her boot. Memories gathered, and I remembered the days we went out together, and she'd keep that same knife in her boot for protecting the both of us. But now, it was just for herself. She pushed close to me, holding the knife at my throat, and I felt my heart drop. "Who are you? Tell me. Tell me, now." She pushed the knife further to my throat, threatening me as Carkha drew close. I was shaking from fear, breathing shakily of what I thought would be among the last few breaths of air I would ever get.

"His name is Kit." Carkha spoke firmly, only closer now. He was right behind me. Sarah took her eyes off me, and looked up at him. "Who are you?" I could barely hear his voice and Sarah's as the pounding of my own frantic heart filled my body. I was getting disoriented just from sole fear alone. "Sarah, Sarah White. Now, I know you freaks were once human, what names did you two have as people? Tell me." Her voice was demanding.

"Ces, and Mark." She looked down at me, her eyes searching mine. I wish I could just tell her I'm her brother, but when I opened my mouth, nothing, nothing but an exhale of air escaped me. I just knew this was how I'd die, again. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying, why would I lie, hmm?" He seemed so nonchalant, and that uneased me so much. He always uneased me like this, but he used to be my friend, so I felt ashamed for being afraid of him. "I swear I'm not lying, I don't have a reason to. Maybe if you worked on those little trust issues of yours, you'd believe me." He smiled, a smug, taunting expression. Damnit, don't set her off, don't-

"THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME-?!" She pushed the knife only closer to my throat. It hurt, it hurt so badly, please-

BANG.

The world... Well, the room fell still, as if time froze. I looked to where the shot came from- it was from behind Sarah, and I prayed no one shot at her. Carkha looked too, even Sarah did. A tall, toned yet scarred fluffy haired man stood there, his blanket draped over his shoulders like a makeshift cape, only slightly covering- oh god he's shirtless. I looked away briefly, yet my eyes went back to him out of curiosity. He had.. Lion ears, and a lion tail, which flicked with annoyance. "Now what the hells going on?" He growled, he definitely seemed like an older adult. "That's your brother, Sarah. Be grateful Dad brought him back, granted he's part plush, but it could've been worse." He spat, a deep glare laying on her form as his ears stayed static as his tail still swayed.

Sarah stopped looking at him, eyes looking at me, softening further and further as she took in what he said and looked at me more and more. My ears slowly perked up, my breathing and body in general eased, something I needed. Slowly, still with some unease, she took the knife from my throat, and put it back in her boot. Her face was at rest now.

"How did I not know it was you? You didn't even try to fight back."