Snowflake's Story

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Another month passed.

Blizzard had continued to cough, along with Milk and Flower. Snowflake kept a close eye on Blizzard, and Flower seemed to always be next to either Bella or Falcon. Milk was checked on several times a day by his sister Ice Cream. Unfortuneatley, Blizzard had been the sickest of them all.

One day Snowflake padded over to Blizzard with a plump squirrel in her jaws, and Blizzard bursted into a horrible coughing fit. Snowflake looked at her mother with sympathy.

"I'm breathing, and not bleeding," Blizzard rasped in between coughs.

Snowflake laid the squirrel gently at her paws.

Blizzard shook her head. "Give that to-cough-Milk and Flower instead."

Snowflake's tail lashed. "They've already been fed. Eat."

"Has-cough-Mud eaten yet?"

"I'm sure Cocoa has seen to that by now."

Before Blizzard could argue again, her flanks heaved and she coughed harshly; Snowflake noticed, with a pang in her heart, that her mother was in horrible pain. That's when she saw it.

Scarlet.

Blizzard had coughed up blood; it was only a few splatters but was still very concerning. Snowflake's horrible sadness and pain only increased when her mother looked at her with sad, green eyes.

She could feel the presence of the rest of the clowder, crowding around her and gazing at Blizzard with sympathy, grief, horror and fear, all mixed together like a tangle of undergrowth. "Will that happen to Flower?" Bella whimpered. Snowflake saw Ice Cream slide her claws out and dig them into the hay floor with anxiety.

Blizzard smiled. "Snowflake, grab me more prey."

Snowflake nodded and turned, but Scorch's mewl interrupted her mission. "Won't that squirrel be enough to fill her belly?"

Blizzard's tail flicked. "I'll need more prey than a squirrel for my trip," she replied.

Snowflake's eyes widened. "Trip? Where? Please don't leave like Glow did! You're in too bad of a state!"

Blizzard blinked and she seemed to awaken from a dream. "Where?" She looked up. "I think I might be going into the sky."

Snowflake felt tears well up in her eyes and she ran to her mother, brushing up against her. "Don't talk like that!" She yowled.

Blizzard tried to purr but only coughed some more, sending a few more drops of blood onto the hay in front of her. "At least i'll never be a grumpy oldcat.. Snowflake, please be strong. I love you with all my heart."

Flower squeaked in terror. "Please! Ghostcats, don't let Blizzard join you! Snowflake will be very sad! Take me instead!"

Bella only curled her tail around Flower.

"No, Flower," Blizzard responded. "I am the one they will take. You are a strong, young, healthy kitten with your whole life ahead of you. Do not feel regret. You better not feel regret either, Milk." She burst into another fit of coughs, more blood splattering onto the hay.

"Mom, please, no! Don't go!" Snowflake wailed.

Blizzard smiled at her daughter. "Snowflake. Wonderful, beautiful Snowflake. I love you, my sweet daughter, with all of my heart. Don't ever forget that. I will watch over you every moment I am a Ghostcat. I love you." She laid down.

Snowflake wanted to refuse the fact that her mother was dying before her eyes, but she knew there was nothing she could do to help, and pushing away the problem wouldn't do anything. She recalled something River once told her.

"Instead of going around the mountain, climb it," he had said. "I, for one, much rather say I climbed a mountain than say I went around a mountain."

Snowflake decided to climb the mountain and accept it; Blizzard was dying. She laid down next to her mother and closed her eyes. Blizzard's last words haunted her dreams.

I love you.