lORe

Luci- The beginning

"I trust you know what to do while I'm gone?"

"Yes, yes! We've been over this already!"

"I know, I know, it's just that..."

"But what? I'm old enough to handle being home alone!"

"Alright then."

BANG! The door shut with a slam, and Alex's long brown hair trailed behind her, leaving me, her sister, alone in the hollow trunk of an old oak tree that we called home. I sighed. What could I do without Alex? She was my only friend in the woods, and she is my sister. I smiled as I remembered how we met. It was a cold, snowing morning of winter in June, and there was nothing more beautiful than the forest clothed with ice and snow from the tip of the treetops to the bank of the riverworks. I went out to gather some fruits and nuts for the season. I still remember how I crept under the fence of Master's home, and fled, swiftly and silently, to the bank of the long river that ran from the edge of the forest to the other side of it. I remember how my paws crunched on the snow, the smell of it, freshly fallen and pure... it was all so wonderful. And yet, I couldn't stop to admire it. I had to get on with my tasks, or my master would've slit my throat. Driven by fear, I left Master's home to gather berries. As I crouched by the river, I couldn't help but sob. ''Oh! Oh! Master surely must be satisfied, or he'll surely kill me! Oh, whatever shall I do?'' Then, I was suddenly aware someone was watching me. I scanned around me, ears twitching. And then I saw it; two glowing, yellow eyes staring right back at me, from the bush across the river. It was piercing, startling,full of fury, and yet, so full of fear. The same fear that I felt at the time. I inched forward. What was it? The bush rustled. What did it want from me? The eyes disappeared. Was it another hunter sent by Master? God, I hope not. It had been so long since I had run into another one of those ruthless killers. They were terrifying men, with dead critters slung over their shoulders, and decapitated larger animals. Sometimes they catch a snake and wear it like a belt. That made it easier to carry. They also wore big leather belts when there were no snakes, and leather vests, boots with large buckles and a white lace up shirt under the vest that usually got smeared with blood. Master was never a very good guardian for me, and I knew it. I actually never got a name with her, she usually addressed me with ''Oi, you!'' and ''Stupid cat!''. Most other mistresses or misters loved their cats, gave them shelter and lots of love. But Master never really wanted me. He would say things such as ''Worthless'', or ''You never do anything right'' when he thought my mistress wasn't listening. My mistress treated me with love, despite Master's unwillingness and hatred towards me. I was a slender cat, not suited for hunting. Too weak, too meek, too frail, but most importantly, too soft. ''Holly, she's too soft on the mice! She can't even catch rabbits yet, look at her! We should get rid of her.'' However harsh Master's words were, I knew they were true. I was too soft. The thought of killing the mice nausted me, so really it was for my own benefit. Yet still, my mistress shook her head. ''No! She's our cat! We can't leave her outside in this cruel world, let alone all by herself!'' As I stared at the now empty bush, I tried to dry my tears and get prepared for the attack. Now I had been targeted by so many wolves before, and I knew how to identify them. Behind me, the leaves rustled, the snow still fell softly, but I could hear the steady breathing of a wolf. Slow and steady wins the race. Calm yourself. You can do this. Then, it pounced. I leaped out of the way, and the claws missed my face by an inch, leaving some ripped of skin, and small droplets of blood. I got a better look at the wolf, and it look peculiar. It had a nice auburn shade of fur, long, tall ears, blood-thirsty, yellow eyes and snarling teeth. What was so peculiar about it was that its tail was long and bushy, but groomed. Was it like me? Did it also have a master, who took care of it? No, it couldn't've. Clearly it was a wild wolf. Its tail curled around its legs as it advanced towards me. ''Hello little kitty.'' It said in a growling voice. ''What's a kitty doing all by herself in the woods?''