Wildfire~The Dark Forest (Book One)

Chapter Nine~I Am Creatively Insane:

Pixels had finally awoken just before Stella, and Bandit, and Ash came back inside the 'Jail' That they had been out in not too long ago. 

"Wildf-Sophia! Pixels! Hurry up!" 

I helped Pixels up, she was one of those cats who could not wake up properly until after they had been awake for hours. I was-and still am-one of those cats who can take anything at any time, anywhere. That doesn't mean I'm ever 'ready' per say. 

Me and Pixels hopped on out of that dusty old hole under that dark tree, I shook myself, not realizing how much dust had reached my pelt. 

The whole entire group of cats part of Alpha/Sunset's pack lay in front of us. 

Great.

"Look at Wildfire." One growled, glaring. 

"Alpha makes us call her 'Sophia', but we all know who she really is." Another hissed. 

"And who's her little companion? Pixels? She looks more like a little Kitten Calico, that needs to go back to her Mother-Cat for milk." Oak meowed rudely. 

I smirked, "Thank you! Thank you! Want a paw-tagraph? Get it? Paw-tagraph. I crack myself up!" I didn't even care about the evil glares that I was getting from the small crowd of furious cats. "Come on! You've got to understand some brilliant humor!" I grinned.  

"Yes, yes. We get it, Sophia. You're clever." It was Alpha. 

"Hey! Look who it is, fancy seeing you here." I said, stilling grinning, "But who am I to judge what you're doin'? I mean here I am, getting cat-napped, and putting on quite a show! So who am I to judge someone so great, someone so powerful?" 

"And who am I to judge someone so clever?" She replied. 

"Well, I'd assume no matter what, you'll judge me. And then you'll advertise it so that way you can hide who you are. I've got a question! If you're the Alpha-which I'm assuming that you are in fact the 'Alpha'-why are you so skinny? Am I the only one wondering this? Hmm? I mean, the Alpha's are usually selfish and mean, and yes I am stereotyping just a bit here," I was in front of her, pacing around.  "But I'm pretty sure Alpha always eats best-unless... Ohhhh.. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I know why! You care about your pack! And if you care about your pack that means you have to have a reason to care about them! Oh! Oh! Oh! I've been so blind!" 

"Are you done yet, or are we gonna have to wait?" Alpha asked. 

"No, no, no, no, no! Are you kidding me? No. I'm not done. Here's the real question. Why do you care about them so much, to the point where you would starve so they can eat?" 

I flipped around, looking at her pack, "Why does she care so much? Pixels?" 

Pixels looked thoughtful, "There has to be some reason, of course. But, usually you would do such a thing if they are family." 

"Thank you! Thank you, Pixels! Don't you see it?" I turned back to Alpha, "They are family! Not literally, because you are all different types of cats, but figuratively! And if you are basically like a family, figuratively, there has to be something that you all have in common! Pixels, have you figured it out yet?!" 

I turned again to Pixels, "No, figured out what?" 

"What they have in common!" 

"They're all mean...?" 

"No, well, yes, but not that specifically. You are smart, Pixels, but you have not had nearly as much life experience as me!" 

I turned to Alpha again, "Okay, sunshine, or should I say, 'Sunset', I've realized what it is! What you all have in common is that you all hate me! You hate me more than anything else in all of time, and space, or for you on this planet. And why do you hate me more than most cats hate me? Yes, most cats hate me because of my stories about me to keep little kittens in their place, but you guys? Way different! Your hate is different! You actually, properly hate me!" 

"But why do they hate you more than anyone else?" Pixels asked from behind me. 

"No, they hate Wildfire, which happens to be me, and-oh. Ohhhh. You want to get revenge on me! That's why you want to torture me! You want revenge! For what I did to each and everyone of you! Oh! The hate for me is because... I've hurt each and everyone of you. Or at least friends, and family. And the fact of the matter is, I'm not her anymore." 

"You're crazy, you know that?" Alpha growled. 

"Crazy? Nah. I'm not crazy, I'm just creatively insane! And I'm very sorry what I did to you, but I don't do that anymore." 

"What about Hazel? What ever happened to her?" Ah yes, Hazel, my friend. She was a friend. She had died. It was my fault, I... She... "Didn't she... Burn?" 

That would explain my fears of fire, also the fact that 'fire' was in Wildfire. My life is also very conicidental, and ironic. Don't forget repetitive, have I said that? 

"I-that wasn't my fault." I stuttered. 

"Then who's fault was it? Hazel's?" Alpha questioned. 

"If you're trying to challenge me, I would strongly suggest that you wouldn't do that, because right now, you see that line? You're crossing it, and rubbing your paw all over it." I warned her, I was actually being serious. 

"What happens to Pixels? Burned? Worse?" She was definitely crossing the line. 

"Just stop." 

"After Pixels? Will there be another? Yes. But who will be burned next? Who will feel the raging, torturous touch of Wildfire? Every person you meet? Soon enough, yourself?" 

"You and I both know that I don't care much for myself." I said, keeping myself calm. 

"Lets make a deal, if I answer any of your questions, you will answer any of mine." 

"Deal." I almost growled. 

"Ask away." 

"I already know why Pixels is here, that let on easy. She's here because.. Well, just another way to hurt me." 

Alpha nods. Though, I wasn't sure she was telling the trough with her gestures, nods. Eh, I'd get to that later. 

"Oh thanks for confirming that, now, my question, yes. Okay. What did I do to you?" 

She narrowed her eyes, "You... And... You and Fear killed all of my siblings... My parents. I was all that was left, right after you killed them in front of me. It was.. terrible. You left Fear to drag them to an open part of our forest... And you wanted to take care of me... You... Marked... Me... I still have it. You gave me what you called a 'Claw-tagraph'." She lay down on her side, showing a horrid mark on her stomach. 

It was a 'W' with flames above it, it looked sloppy, but I thought it was sloppy on purpose. If it weren't scarred onto a cat, some might've said that it was 'cool'. 

She stood back up, and sat down, "You held me down, one paw on my neck, the other paw working on the 'Claw-tagraph'. And I was just a kitten. You... You told me, 'The fire burns like the mark I'm giving you. Let it stay with you. Let it burn inside of you. Let it hurt. And let it all keep burning. Burning forever, like a  bottomless hole, most cats think there is a way out of the hole, there isn't. You can't keep falling either, you must drop, hit the sharp rocks at the bottom, and suffer on, while everyone else lives for fantasies. They won't survive, me and you, we're survivors. Let the fire keep burning.' Then you told Fear that I was... Dead. You just left." 

Did I remember that? Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps I forgot, probably not though. I probably just convinced myself that I forgot, right at this moment.  Or maybe I have remembered all these threats, the many many years of me. Not that I would know that. 

I just stared, "W-what's your question for me?" 

"I get two." She growled, it looked like she was tearing up. 

"Fine." I shrugged, hiding my emotions, but my eyes were a big give away with me. Did I realize this? Now, that's a different story. 

She clear her throat, ready to ask her two questions. 

I-on the other paw-was not ready. 

I never was though. 

So that was good right?