Light Guardian

Chapter 4

I'm not sure how long I have been alone. By now, I've just accepted the voice that whispers to me, because it helps stop the feeling of loneliness overwhelm me. I know that my family would laugh at me, the whole group would taunt me. They would call me insane. Maybe I am. No, I definitely am.

    My body has gotten stronger. I am not longer as weak as I once was. My once frail body had some muscle to it, bulking up my form slightly. Now, I can run farther without my legs crying for rest, now I can jump higher into the trees. Most noticeably, I can hunt.

    The den has been improved, leaves covered the ground, and feathers scattered in my nest. It helps me sleep, but it still doesn't keep away the darkness or the eerie cold that follows them. The shadows still haunt my dreams, only occasionally letting me catch some real sleep. Taunting eyes stare at me. Coming closer and closer until they consume my body, draining me of my energy. It has slowly gotten worse, and soon I feared that I would die. Over and over again.

    The wolf is always there too, watching me. I can sense her. I am now sure that the wolf is not working with the shadows because they don't notice it, they hardly acknowledge it. When they do, they flee, scared of the glowing red gem around its neck. Or maybe they are just scared of the wolf itself.

    Sometimes my mind wanders back to my family, and briefly, I will wonder how they are doing. Do they miss me at all? Do they regret getting rid of me? Sadly, I always come to the same conclusion. Of course, they don't miss me. And every time, my chest always hurts. And every time, I promise myself I will prove them wrong. I hated it. I hated that I still cared about them and what they think. But I couldn't help myself.

    A growl sounds from my stomach, and I quickly rise to my paws, before strutting through the forest. This forest is mine now, at least, that is what it feels like. I haven't run into any other cats, and strangely, I am glad. Even though loneliness still tore through me, I prefer it over being rejected again and again.

The scent of a robin fills my senses, and I taste the air. Quickly I turn to my left, and stalk in that direction, my eyes narrowing in concentration. My body lowers as I slow down my movements, becoming fluid and slow. I have learned from experience. I was close.

    At first, I didn't see it, the innocent prey. But then a slight rustle in the tree above me alerted me of its position. Stealthily, I approached the base of the tree, digging my claws into the bark, and pulled my body up. Just when I reached the first branch and my claws dug into it, I let the bird know of my presence.

    It squawked in fright, fluttering its wings rapidly as it tries to fly away. I lowered into a crouch, and my tail shook with anticipation. When the robin was right where I wanted it, I made my leap. Claws dug into the bird's flesh and feathers, and it cried out. We both tumbled onto the ground with a thump, and once I regained composure and had the robin trapped beneath my claws, I quickly landed a killing blow.

    I dug into my meal, satisfaction causing my ears to twitch. A slight purr erupted from my mouth as I ate.

    A shrill cry echoed throughout the forest, causing my fur to stand on end. My eyes darted up from my prey. Never before has there been a sound like that in this forest. Never before had I heard a cry like that. Dread crept up my paws, as it occurred again. This time, more panicked and fierce.

    I wasn't thinking when I rose and ran to the source of the noise. It felt like something was pulling me to the cries like I had to be there. My mind didn't process that I was running towards the noise. Before I knew it, the scene lay before my eyes.

    There were three cats. One was a slender tabby she-cat, with a dirty yellow scarf decorating her neck. Her body was covered in scratches, blood trickling from her wounds, and she stood protectively in front of a small tomcat. He was a tabby as well, but his pelt was darker. A collar was secured around his neck, with a jagged bone dangling from the green leather. He laid on the ground, blood pooling from his body. He was tattered and torn up, weak from fighting. The other cat stood in front of them, his dark brown pelt bristling with rage. Shadows were creeping from the forest, surrounding the brown tom, their red eyes glinting at me. Fear laced my heart as they slowly reached out, their smokey fingers trying to touch the tabby she-cat.