Shining of the Four

Chapter 7

            "Come on, kits! Get up!" Caramel's yowl rang through the entire house. Sunrise slowly got to her feet, stretching slowly.

            "Good morning, darling," Caramel said, licking Sunrise's head.

            "Why do we have to get up so early?" Sunrise complained.

            "Because it's a very special day," Caramel said.

            Sunrise shrugged, sitting down next to her mother. Tiger got up moments later, carefully stepping over his sisters. Holly and Polly quickly got up, running to their mother's side. Hazelnut slowly stretched, sitting near her mother.

            "Snowflake, it's time to get up," she told the she-cat.

            Snowflake opened her blue eyes and yawned, slowly getting up. She was the smallest, and Sunrise's favorite sister. Unlike Holly, Polly, and Hazelnut, she was kind and sweet. Her other sisters were just annoying. Tiger spent all his time with his father, leaving her and Snowflake to bond.

            "What is it, Mommy?" Polly asked.

            "Yeah," Holly chimed in.

            "You remember how I told you that soon you'd be leaving the house to go with your new families," Caramel spoke.

            Sunrise shrunk down. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with her mother here in the house.

            "But, Mommy, I like it here!" Hazelnut complained.

            "I know, darling, but imagine the joy when your new owners take care of you. They'll be arriving today, so some of you will be on your way to a brand new home," Caramel told them.

            "Do we have to go?" Sunrise asked.

            "I'm sorry, Sunrise, but I have no choice. I'd love to keep all you beautiful kittens, but it is the humans' choices, not mine," Caramel sighed.

            "What about those forest cats? Can't we live out there with them?" Tiger asked.

            "Who told you about the forest?!" Caramel demanded.

            Sunrise had seen the tall trees from the backyard, but she had been in the woods before. She didn't know there were any cats living in there. Why would they? Wouldn't they rather like to sleep inside and be fed well?

            "Daddy told me once," Tiger whimpered.

            "I'll have to have a talk with your father," Caramel said. "We will not be going into the woods. No such thing will ever be discussed again. Understood?"

            Slowly, all the kits nodded.

            "Good," Caramel said. Sunrise pricked her ears as she heard the familiar sound of the doorbell. "Here they are," Caramel said.

            Sunrise shrunk down near the bed, watching as humans began to make their way into the room to see the kits. She quickly ran to Snowflake's side.

            "I've never seen so many humans," Snowflake admitted.

            "Me either," Sunrise said, watching as they made their way towards the kits. Hazelnut and Tiger played around with a ball while Holly and Polly wrestled with each other.

            "Kits, go play!" Caramel instructed, pushing them forward. Her force was strong, and she ended up pushing Sunrise right into a child.