Shining of the Four

Chapter 35

            It was a warm summer day, and Sunrise sat outside in her backyard, sunbathing. She enjoyed the feeling of having the warm sun beat down on her white belly, and she purred in satisfaction, rolling over and sniffing the breeze.

            She sure enjoyed summer more than the winter. Instead of slipping on icy pavement and wet snow, she instead could sit outside in the sun all day and rest, completely carefree.

            Holly and Polly often wandered outside, getting a bit of sun on their own, but often they remained by the window where rays of sun entered through the house. Still, they were forced to go outside at least twice a day for a certain amount of minutes.

            The sound of the cat door opening made Sunrise turn, and she glanced, watching as Holly and Polly squeezed through the tiny space.

            "Bit hard, isn't it?" Sunrise asked.

            Her sisters annoyed her, sitting down next to the door.

            "You're not even going to come out onto the grass?" Sunrise asked, rolling around in the leafy substance.

            "Disgusting!" Polly spat. "Your pelt is going to be covered in green."

            "I don't mind," Sunrise admitted, sitting back up. "What's so bad about being outside?"

            "She's so weird," Holly muttered.

            "Ever since we told her about clan cats," Polly replied.

            Sunrise could hear them of course, not that she cared. Living with her sisters wasn't so bad anymore now that she had the company of Fawn and Anna. She hadn't spoken much to Frog since his arrival, especially after all the hissing and growling that had taken place before. Still, Anna often spoke of him, often advising her and Fawn to leave him be.

            "I don't see what the big fuss is about," Sunrise said at last to the two. "It's the outside. You're not in some animal shelter where they have bars and no windows."

            "Animal shelter? Where in heavens did you hear about those places?" Polly asked.

            "I get around," Sunrise explained, standing up now and shaking the pieces of grass from her pelt.

            "Going inside now?" Holly asked.

            "Why? It's beautiful out here!" Sunrise exclaimed.

            "I want to live out the rest of my life in peace!" Polly complained. "Why did she have to come with us that day?"

            "Perhaps it was destiny," Sunrise explained.

            "As if," Holly snorted. "I can't even believe we're related to you. If only Caramel would take you back. Who knows where she is by now?"

            Sunrise paused, not really thinking much about her mother and siblings. She'd been separated from them for many months now, knowing she'd most likely never see them again.

            "She's probably having another litter. She likes to replace us so often," Polly responded to her sister.

            "Another litter?" Sunrise asked.

            "Honestly, Sunrise. You know so much about clan cats that you don't even think about kittypet life! Caramel and Whiskers are mates, which means they'll have other litters, which means more kittens to sell," Holly explained.