The Chronicles of Koipaw

vii

Tremors of the Dead
word limit - 2000
points earned - 10

Specks of unfiltered light shone through the murky darkness, lighting up the great redwood field. Swirls of humidity formed, creating ethereal clouds flecked with pure brightness. Egyptian green tendrils of vines climbed the ginormous umber bark, vying for the first glance at the leaf-bare sun. Morning dew clung to every crevice, it's liquid fresh smell filling the clearing surrounding it. Century-old giants rose from the earth with roots weaving in and out of the damp soil, their leaves glowing emerald as rays of light struck through the fragile structure. Any sound that might have been heard was quickly swallowed by the growing masses of dewy gas in the atmosphere as it slowly glided through the musky red trees of the forest. Flattened grass and upturned slush covered the bed of dirt, the ground ruined by an obvious disturbance.

Heavy panting suddenly sliced through the serene muteness of the forest, accompanied with frantic, irregular paw-steps and the occasional impactful thud. A frenzied she-cat ran through the odourless formations of vaporous clouds, unable to stop her paws from flailing in a desperate run. Her dainty paws caught on the morning dew, throwing her forwards and headfirst into a cluster of gnarled roots. The cat let out a feminine yowl and she collapsed at the pain of the impact, yet she quickly shot up and continued her hysteric dash across the grove of redwood trees. Her back claws tore up copious amounts of dirt, leading an apparent trail, yet her mind was focused on seemingly other, more important things. Dashing away from the crash site, the she-cat sprinted outside of the thick, lush trees and into an expansive moor.

Facing into the rising sun, the cat ran through the fairy even-grounded moor, long stalks constantly whipping her face and flank. Her chest was rising and falling fast, and her breaths were irregular, yet she continued to frightfully dart from the dark woods. Gradually, another strike of pawsteps hitting the field's compact earth filled the molly's ears, followed by another pair, and then another. Three cats were pursuing the breathless she-cat, and evident by their fierce snarls, they weren't intending her to get away. As the frantic feline began to slow out of tiredness, her pursuers galloped even faster, tearing down any measly stalk standing in their way. Sweat slid down the she-cat's legs, making her running awkward and uncomfortable. Without warning, the ground dropped a few foxlengths and rose again, making the escaping she-cat stumble over her paws, letting her hunters get dangerously close to her position.

The she-cat had only a moment to make an impossible decision: let her chasers catch her, or somehow find a way to hide. There was no point in letting them catch her, as she was almost sure they'd kill her in the most gruesome way possible. There was only one option in her mind, hide. Swiftly taking a sharp turn to the south and using her last drop of energy to pick up her speed, the she-cat ran into even denser clusters of long wheat stalks. Particles of fallen beds attached to her medium-length fur, masking her scent. She could feel the vibrations of powerful paws hitting the ground. As soon as she felt that she had gathered enough distance, the cat slid on the dusty floor, gliding into a small ditch in the moor. Crashing into a group of small, yellow flowers rather ungracefully, she hid under the small florae, trying to conceal her position.

Rustling in the yellow shoots surrounding the dip filled the feline's sensitive ears yet she continued to hide in fear of her life. Fear gnawed at the she-cat's belly as the swishing of stalks got closer and closer to her desperate hiding spot. The cat inhaled a sharp breath as the sound of moving parts stopped for a moment. "She cannot hide forever. We will take her out when the sun goes down." bellowed a powerful voice, only a foxlength from her shrouding hollow. Slowly, the sound of pawsteps dissipated into painful silence. Taking a long exhale, the cat stood up in relief. After the perilous chase and near-death experiences, the she-cat looked surprisingly calm and collected. Shaking her pelt to rid the small particles of dust and wheat, she looked around the small dip, thankful that her prediction on where it was had been right.