Random Short Stories

Mine, Not Yours [🦋]

In the lush expanse of the forest, where the towering oak trees whispered secrets beneath their rustling leaves, two sisters played—though one of them played more than the other.

Galesprint was a sprightly young she-cat, ginger-furred with white speckles that danced on her pelt like the stars that twinkled in the night sky. Her heart was innocent, filled with dreams of catching prey and lying beneath the sun, watching clouds drift by.

Her elder sister, Canaryhaze, was a striking contrast. Her sleek, golden coat glimmered like sunlight filtering through leaves, and her green eyes sparkled with mischief.

But beneath her beauty lay a heart that was often empty, devoid of empathy, and brimming with selfishness. Canaryhaze had a penchant for taking whatever caught her fancy, especially if it belonged to Galesprint.

One bright afternoon, Galesprint had caught a plump mouse, her first of the day, and was feeling quite proud as she nibbled on its tail. Canaryhaze, lounging nearby, caught sight of her sister's prize. Almost instantly, a glint of greed flared in her eyes.

"Is that your mouse, little sister? It looks delicious! I shall have the rest of it, if you don't mind!" Canaryhaze purred sweetly, though her tone was laced with cunning.

Galesprint cringed. "I caught it fair and square, Canaryhaze! You know that!"

But just as expected, Canaryhaze leaped forward, swiping the mouse from Galesprint's paws with a flick of her tail. "What's yours is mine, Galesprint! Don't be so stingy," she teased, taking a big bite while a laugh bubbled forth, echoing in the dappled sunlight.

From their earliest days as kits, Galesprint had learned that to Canaryhaze, ownership was a concept as flexible as the twisting winds that wound through the territories.

Whenever Galesprint found a glimmering stone or a particularly plump piece of prey, it was typically only moments before Canaryhaze swaggered over, her laughter slicing through the air like a sharpened claw, announcing that what was Galesprint's was also hers.

"You know I'm the better hunter," she'd taunt, as she snatched the prize right from Galesprint's paws, leaving her sister to stew in a cauldron of resentment.

The forest was vast and filled with countless treasures, yet every soft feather or lovingly crafted nest Galesprint managed to assemble seemed to vanish into her sister's greedy grasp. It was as if Fates themselves had conspired to prevent the younger cat from enjoying the fruits of her labour.

"Stop it! It's mine!" Galesprint would cry, her plea a blend of frustration and desperation. But each protest she made only served to further fuel Canaryhaze's cruel delight.

"What's yours is mine, dear sister!" she would reply with a sneer, as if sharing a piece of her bounty was an alien notion. "Now run along before I take your tail too!"

Galesprint felt the sting of her sister's cruelty anew. It was an all-too-familiar routine—her sister's laughter, her own feelings of indignation, the hopelessness that always trailed her when it came to Canaryhaze.

Each time her sister laughed at her, taking what was hers, a part of Galesprint crumbled. It was like Canaryhaze was telling her that nothing she ever found in this world would be worth her keeping, so it all had to go to Camaryhaze.

"What do you want, Galesprint?" Canaryhaze would saunter away, flaunting her spoils. "Do you wish you had created a prettier home? Then you should have claimed it first! Don't you know that the strongest among us always take what they want?"

But today was different.

Months had passed where Galesprint had swallowed her hurt and anger, but beneath her soft exterior, a storm brewed. This time, she would take a stand.