MockingJay's Curse

Chapter Eleven

As DreamCatcher's paw hit the oily water, she felt a strong burning sensation in her paw. DreamCatcher tried to pull away, but her paw felt like it was being sucked into the oil. "Help! Somebody help me!" She yowled fearfully, but her efforts were worthless. She felt a slight break between the pulling at her paw, and she took no chances. DreamCatcher whipped her paw out of the oil. She stared at it in horror. What had happened to it?

OakFire, CrystalFlight and SmokeSong all met up at the deserted TwoLeg den, all out of idea's and places that the young apprentice could be. "Umm, how come we are discussing this when DreamCatcher isn't here yet?" CrystalFlight asked quizzically. "When she comes or if we run into her, tell her the plan!" OakFire hissed at CrystalFlight, annoyed. "Calm down OakFire! It was just a question!" SmokeSong meowed calmly to OakFire, who returned it with a disbelieving snort.

DreamCatcher stared at her paw. "Wha? M-my paw...!" DreamCatcher felt shock grip her heart, as she slowly fainted. Her paw, had been reduced to a bleeding, worthless stump, maggots spilled out of it like blood. She had lost a paw to the Black Water.

OakFire resisted the urge to rip CrystalFlight's pelt off. "Hey! Would you two knock it off! We need to stay focused and find MockingPaw!" He heard SmokeSong meow. "MockingPaw this, MockingPaw that! What if she's dead! We would have waisted two whole days looking for her!" OakFire replied heatedly. SmokeSong lunged at OakFire, knocking him over. He growled into his ear "Don't you EVER say that again! EVER!" SmokeSong dug his claws into OakFire before pulling away from him. OakFire glared at the back of SmokeSong's head before turning away and stalking off, leaving SmokeSong with CrystalFlight.

DreamCatcher dreamt of StarClan. 'Wait? A-am I dead?!' DreamCatcher thought, highly alarmed. She looked down at her paws and saw her bleeding paw. 'No, I'm not, good..' She sighed with relief. She slowly drifted back into peaceful darkness.

CrystalFlight and SmokeSong trudged back to camp, all efforts wasted, all hope lost. 'Maybe OakFire was right... What if she is dead...?' SmokeSong and CrystalFlight both thought. OakFire followed the two trudging cats slowly. Not wanting to be out in the open when night fell, knowing what predators might attack him.

DreamCatcher drew herself slowly to her paws, careful not to touch the ground with her infected paw. "Great... Just great.." She growled to herself. DreamCatcher limped slowly but steadily, the forest becoming darker by the minute. She heard a deep, throaty growl come from behind her. DreamCatcher's fur stood on end as she whipped around and came face to face with a wolf. "MockingJay..forgive her..." DreamCatcher's last words were as the wolf shook her from the neck like a rag doll. The wolf dropped her limp body and sniffed DreamCatcher's paw curiously. The wolf took DreamCatcher's paw in her jaws and gently laid it across DreamCatcher's body. The wolf howled solemnly before running off, leaving DreamCatcher peacefully dead.