Twiggy

Chapter 2

I woke to a raucous cry of a crow. I stood up angrily and shouldered my way out the den. I was oblivious to Comet's pitiful cries, her shrieking of abandonment and scratching claws.
"Stop." I spoke. "Just leave me alone. I am not happy, and I am definitely not in the mood for stupid crows waking me. I used to be honoured for my calmness, my patience. I am not who I used to be. It's only been one day since the comet, and I'm already going crazy. You don't need to help that!"
The crow just stared, his beady eyes glaring right through me. Fine. Think I'm stupid. I don't care. It spread its wings and flapped away as noisily as possible, which just go's to show how nobody obeys me.
I turned my back to the place the crow had left and went back to Comet. She started to purr as I entered the room. When I looked to my young sister, my mother was there . . . But that's not possible. Mother is dead. Comet was looking at Mother- she had opened her eyes - but right now at the moment, I just wanted to see mother.
"How are you here?" I asked softly. "You're dead."
She puffed her fur out and hissed. "So? I'm still a spirit."
I didn't even bother questioning her. I had learned from experience that she was as stubborn as a mountain and would not give answers if she didn't want to.
"Yeah, I guess. But why are you here?"
"I needed to see you and Comet. See? She smelt me and opened her eyes . . . They're so pretty, even though they may not be her permanent eye colour. Blue . . . I love blue."
My heart melted as I saw my mother and her kit together again. . . . Mother must be terribly sad, having to wait until we joined her above. "What does it feel like, being dead?" I asked, trying to calm the rage that boiled inside me as I thought about my Mother's death.
She hesitated, rubbing a paw against her leg. "At first it's terrible. Dying hurts so much, being crushed by a giant rock especially. After you take your last breath you feel a sort of calm. It makes you want to close your eyes forever and never wake again, but then you arrive."
"Arrive where?" I meowed, not to desperately.
"At the place we go when we die. It doesn't have a name, but I've met so many new cats. . . . Don't worry son. It's not a bad place, it's really not. Just be brave. I know you can." Her pelt began to fade and I opened my mouth to call out, but no sound came.
~~~~~~**********~~~~~~
Comet was staring at me, perched on my belly. It had been a day since the dream and I was starving. My stomach thought my throat had been ripped out, because I obviously wasn't taking good care of myself. Comet was the only important one right now. I scented a rabbit near the overhang. I crept out softly. It was grazing at a nearby patch of lush grass, pausing every little while to sniff the air. I walked downwind from it, and pounced. It shrieked but I cut it off from its air and it died.
~~~~~*********~~~~~~
Comet was eating the chewed rabbit from a leaf on the ground. Her tiny ears lay back and she snarled, slicing at the fresh meat.
"I did not kill this rabbit for you to play with. That's disrespectful." I told Comet.
"No rabbit!" Comet squeaked. In the past few days, she had begun to understand and use words. She was a generally defiant kit, and I hoped she wouldn't be too much trouble as she got older.
"We can't be picky. The comet killed a lot of prey!"
"I kill nothing!" Comet meowed.
I rolled my eyes. Comet still did not understand that this 'comet' was not herself.
"The comet is that big rock in the clearing." I tried to explain, but to no avail.
"I am no rock." Comet hissed.
I decided not to argue, but instead took a tiny bite from the rabbit. Not much, just enough to keep alive so I could continue to care for Comet. I needed to suffer for letting Mother die. I could do that by starving, it was just trouble that I had to stay alive. Comet still needed me. Why did my Mother have to leave me this impossible task?