Rose - A Poppy Playtime Story

Chapter 53 - Together

("I'm not sure what to call them, but either way it's strange. I personally call them Vioce Attacks.")

Dogday gasped, running over to the feline and getting down on his knees. He pulled the cat into his arms, trying to ignore the rapid beating in his chest.

"Catnap, what's wrong?!" He yelled, he tried to keep his voice gentle, but it sounded like he was more angry than comforting.

Catnap continued to scream, seemingly unable to hear Dogday. He curled up into a tight ball, his paws twitching with his sharp claws protruding from them.

"Catnap?! Can you hear- Ow!" Dogday yelled, when the cat's claws dug into his forearm. Drawing blood.

"M-make I-it s-s-stop!" The feline screamed, starting to kick his legs. His tail was twisting and straightening at weird angles.

Tears began to run down his face, and he pressed his paws more firmly against his head. He began to get a migraine.

"Catnap, you have to stop!" Dogday yelled, thrusting the cat into his arms. The two collided, and they both let out an 'Oof!'.

That seemed to get Catnap to stop screaming, but he didn't move his paws away, nor did his body stop trembling.

"Catnap...?" Dogday whispered, uncomfortable with the near silence. Catnap was sobbing now, hiccuping every few seconds.

Dogday paused, his chest beginning to hurt and his own eyes filling with tears. He sniffled, and hugged the cat, trying to bite back sobs of his own.

After a bit, they both calmed down. Catnap's breathing was still not the greatest, but he had at least stopped crying.

Dogday slowly tried to lift the cat's head up so he could look at him, but Catnap just clung tighter to Dogday's chest.

"Catnap, a-are you okay?" Dogday asked.

"Y-you heard th-them, r-r-right?" He said, starting to look around the room.

"Heard what?"

"Th-the voices." Catnap finally lifted his head.

His eyes were wide and alert, his face slightly red and blotchy. He was still sniffling, and hiccuped every few seconds, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Voices? What voices?" Dogday quickly questioned, leaning his head down to try to get the cats full attention.

"They...y-you d-d-didn't hear th-that?" Catnap turned his head to the canine. Looking him in the eyes.

Dogday could only see fear in them.

It was silent for a while, with Dogday trying to process the situation and Catnap still looking around.

"What- um. What were they saying?" He finally said, tilting his head to the side.

"T-they were s-scared. So s-s-scared. Th-they were sc-screaming and c-crying, and th-there was n-nothing I could d-d-do."

Another silence.

Dogday quietly let the gears turn in his head, before a little memory in the vast gallery of his mind came into focus.