Into the AlleyWay

Kifo

The young panther had been running for a week before she stumbled into the source of the madness. Let's recap on what brought her here.

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Kifo was given good food and shelter and fresh water every day by these wonderful, wonderful people. Her parents were in a different enclosure and she was fine by that. No rules, no regulations; just sit and yawn when people come near. Oh! And try to look pretty.

She gulped down a piece of antelope meat when the sky began to turn a sickly purple color. The sun was blocked out and the air had already began to become stale. Kifo looked around, going over to the edge of her enclosure. She saw a few dead people, horror striking at her heart. She had never dealt with death, and she was only a cub.

Kifo circled around to her small den, agreeing with herself that it was just a realistic dream and that she would wake up. She trod in a circle and laid down, falling asleep soon afterwards.

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The young black panther walked back outside, to the same sick purple sky and stale air. She started to pace around, making it harder for her to breath the stale air that drenched her coat with that horrible death smell.

Kifo went to the door of the enclosure, grinding her teeth against the metal lock. She earned a satisfying 'click!'  from the lock. She smirked to herself before walking leisurely out of the enclosure.

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After a short stroll, Kifo had found live humans. They looked as if they had rabies though, because they were foaming at the mouth.

"Maybe they can't breath up there. they're using all of their oxygen because there's so many of them." Kifo whispered to herself, turning away from the humans.

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A wall rose up above the panther, who folded her ears back and growled. She turned to see a human, who was foaming at the mouth like all the others she had seen.

It lunged for her. Kifo jumped away, running away from the horrible human. She ran as fast and as far as she could.

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The half eaten sandwich fell onto the ground, the panther following. She greedily wolfed the turkey sandwich up before continuing towards the edge of the city.

"Something... is... wrong here." she whispered and shook herself out.

'Why aren't you dead?' a small slightly feminine boys voice said in the back of her head.

"Because i am alive." she responded.

'Shouldn't you be with your parents?' it asked, fake concern in its voice. The panther hadn't heard the sneer.

"They are dead, too. I suppose." she said and watched her paws hit the hard ground.

'Well, do you want my opinion?' it asked.

"Go ahead. Vent to me." Kifo used an unknown word to her.

'It's like you.'

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Kifo yelled and spun in her tracks.

'You're not supposed to be. Worthless, pathetic, weak, wrong.'

"Get out!" Kifo yelled, tears pricking her eyes. The voice didn't respond, so she presumed that it was gone.

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The small chicken had been run over, not able to move. Kifo walked up to it, ending its misery before it could react. She gratefully ate the chicken, smiling to herself for finding food.

After her meal, she continued through the small suburb.

"Why was there a chicken here, anyway?" she asked, shrugging mentally.

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Her nose bumped against something invisible. She fell back on her haunches, surprised at the invisible force.

After she smelled it, Kifo realized what it was.

"Glass!"

The panther jumped happily for a few moments before remembering her situation. She slid onto the ground, worried about what was bound to happen.

Yet she didn't know that another feline was feeling the same feeling only a few yards away...