Snowflake's Story

Chapter Seven

"Snowflake, Snuggle and James! Stay up in the tree!" Falcon yowled.

"Cocoa, Bird! Come help us down here!" Hop added.

Cocoa and Bird nodded and leaped from the tree.

"How do you climb trees?!" Snuggle yowled.

"Just hook your claws in the trunk and pull yourself up!" James replied.

Snowflake glanced at Snuggle; he gestured her to go first. "But--"

Snuggle cut off Snowflake's protest with a hiss. "Just get up there! There's no time!"

Snowflake didn't even take time to nod before she scrambled up the tree.

A horrible crunching sound.

Snowflake leaped up next to James; who was shivering now. She whipped around to look at the ground below her. The horrible crunching sound had caused a lot of blood. It was all too familiar, scarlet scattered on the ground with blue eyes looking at her.

"Snuggle! No!" Snowflake yowled.

Snuggle's bleeding body shivered as he smiled at Snowflake. He moved his mouth but no sound emitted. Snowflake could make out what he was trying to tell her.

It's okay.

With a final shake Snuggle's head thumped on the ground and his whole body went limp.

Snowflake would have looked at James, or Cocoa, or Bird, to see if they felt the same shock. But she couldn't take her eyes off her brother. Her mind started whirling. What if she had forced him up the tree first? What if she kept arguing with him and made him go first? She would've been dead.

And not him.

It had all went by so quickly; she could tell the cats had let out ferocious yowls and charged each swipe with fury. But the other voices seemed to echo in her head, and the fox's yelps were barely whispers.

It's okay.

It's okay?! How could it ever be okay again?! Nothing will ever be okay again! Never!

As a red flash of fur passed by her body filled with rage. The fox's bushy tail waved with fury as it kept snapping at the cats. James had joined the fight at this point.

Snowflake let out a loud yowl and pounced from the tree, landing on the fox's back. She heard alarmed yowls from the other cats but everything was a blur as she dug her claws into the fox's sides. The fox yelped and tried to shake her off but Snowflake clung on. She growled with satisfaction as she felt her claws dig into flesh and sank her teeth into the fox's ear. It whimpered loudly as Snowflake bit harder and harder; then tugged. The fox's ear tip went flying across the clearing. The wound bled badly and the fox finally rolled over and crushed Snowflake temporarily.

Snowflake let the fox stand up then swiped her claws across it's throat. Fur, skin.. Flesh. She finally let her slash of revenge finish by tearing her claws out. Flesh, skin, fur, air.

The fox's yellow eyes were wide with terror as the gash in it's neck bled horribly. It fell over, throwing dust around it's body as it made a thump. It's flank rose and fell, then slowed, then stopped. Snowflake let out a yowl of triumph.

Cocoa was the first to race over. "Kitten, you just killed a fox!" He cheered.

Snowflake gave him a look he didn't deserve.

Cocoa's golden eyes softened. "Are you okay?"

"No!" Snowflake yowled, breaking out into a sob. "My brother just died and I killed a living being!"

James was the next to pad over, sorrow shimmering in his eyes. "Snowflake, we're here for you."

"I don't care!" Snowflake replied, tail lashing.

James flinched. He seemed hurt.

Snowflake yowled on. "I don't care because nothing will ever make me feel better again! I'll always wish Snuggle was here, alive, with me! But he'll never be back! He'll always be gone! Forever! Nothing will ever be okay again!" She let herself crash on the ground and sob into the grass.

Bird walked over next, her face showing pure sympathy. "Would you believe me if I said it'll be okay?"

Snowflake didn't even attempt to respond. She let herself lay there and sob into the earth.

She felt a pelt of fur lay down beside her, and James's scent filled her nose. Another pelt layed on her other side; Cocoa. A gentle tounge swept across her forehead multiple times to comfort her; Bird.

Snowflake smiled. All her friends were there for her. She frowned again.

Except for Snuggle.