Random Short Stories

Spineless [🪽]

[This is inspired off a Reddit story where OP has to deal with her mother-in-law being a tyrant and her spineless husband doesn't stand up for her]
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In the meadow territories of the Tribe Of The Blooming Valley, the gentle rustle of grass and the shimmering beauty of twilight painted a serene backdrop for the lives intertwined within the tribe. It was here, amidst the wildflowers and the sweeping hills, that cryptids thrived as a family.

But for one tom, named Soft Dusk, the tranquility of his world was marred by a far more tumultuous battle—one he fought not with claws but with silence.

Soft Dusk was a handsome tom, sleek and strong, yet his heart was too soft, easily curled up and hidden away whenever the name 'Mother' echoed in his mind. His mother, the indomitable Mink Dawn, was a force of nature, and he was forever caught in her storm.

Once a proud warrior of the tribe, Mink Dawn had become a 'boy mom' in every sense of the term, obsessively protective of Soft Dusk to the point that she suffocated him, unwilling to see that he had grown into his own tom.

While Soft Dusk had grown into adulthood, it seemed he would always be her little kit, and with that came her exaggerated expectations and possessive love.

It was also due to his reluctance to confront her, he bore the title of "the spineless tom," which he often wore as if it were a badge of honour. The title stung beneath the surface.

His heart had found a home within the gentle purrs of a she-cat named Egret Soar, a vibrant spirit who brought laughter and love into Soft Dusk's life. Her warmth made him feel whole, a comfort against his mother's icy demands.

Yet, as their love blossomed into a family, Mink Dawn's shadow loomed larger than ever. The moment Egret Soar became his mate, Mink Dawn turned her attention toward the life they had created.

As soon as Egret Soar moved into Soft Dusk's den, Mink Dawn was quick to assert her dominance. "This is my son, Egret Soar. You've taken him from me," she spat on their first meeting, her icy blue glare pierce enough to chill the very air.

Soft Dusk had stood frozen, caught between the fierce love for his mate and the lifelong loyalty to his mother. Thus, he had made his choice—rather, he had made no choice at all.

Days turned to moons, and their once vibrant den became a battlefield. Mink Dawn would come and linger at the entrance, her voice a silken razor. "Why don't you let me take care of the kits when they come? I know what's best for them, after all."

With gleeful malice, she'd arrange toys, bigger than kits in a den not meant for love, treating Egret Soar's requests as childish whims.

Soft Dusk remained silent. He told himself that if he ignored the bullying, it would ease. He didn't want to upset his mother; to him, angering her was as perilous as the clash of thunder. His mother was only trying to help with the kits, right?

Egret Soar often pleaded with him. "You need to set boundaries, Soft Dusk. She can't treat me like this," she would insist, her eyes glistened with frustration that often turned into sadness.

But the words fell into an echo chamber of his indecision, and he did little to support the love of his life. He watched in silence as Mink Dawn took away kits to the training grounds, feeding them tales of a mighty warrior life, while Egret Soar's attempts to soothe their children were met with disdain.

The couple once woke up to find one of her kittens gone, only to discover Mink Dawn had taken the little one to show her friends how the kit had potential to be a great hunter.