Being Wild

The rainstorm

Sparta stared after Minka as she sprinted in a different direction. She watched as the tail-tip of her friend's tail disappear through the tall grass. Totally throwing out her mind about Rocky and the snake, she raced after Minka. Minka was wailing: "Rocky! Where are you?!", but she was still running. Sparta tried to catch up with her, but the ground was so unfamiliar she slipped just as she was catching up to her friend. The black cat scrambled to her paws, urging herself to run after her faster this time. She followed Minka's scent and the quivering grass that was trailing behind her, but it was hard with the smell of rain on the way. Realizing she couldn't follow Minka by scent, Sparta slowed to alter the sound of noise she was making. Then, a whiff of Minka's scent drifted over to her and Sparta changed her course. Skidding left, she raced to the right. Tall grass whipped her face, but she didn't care. All that mattered was finding her friend and bringing her to safety. Then, there was a loud rumbling noise, followed by a crack of lightning. She jumped at the sudden large noise, and skidded to a halt. Rain was falling now, getting heavier and heavier. Minka's scent was hard to detect. Alarm coursed through her as she lost her friends's sweet scent. Sparta bent down and smelled every bit of a grass around her, desperately trying to catch a trace of it. Nothing.

Sparta looked up. Rain was falling ever so heavily, and her black pelt was soaked to the skin. If she was back with her Tallpeople, she would have been imprisoned inside the nest. 

Her legs were starting to ache from the cold rain.  I need shelter, Sparta thought. She pushed the thought of Minka being stranded in a grassy desert, with no one to hear her hopeless cries, and padded forward. Soon she found a flat rock jutting out from an angle, just enough space for a cat to go under. Sparta squeezed under, the sandpaper-like rock scratching her pelt. She tucked her tail in close to her and put her paws under her, although it was hard. Rain was splashing everywhere, and a large drop splashed on her muzzle. She shivered. Resting her head, Sparta fell asleep from the constant sound of falling rain.