CHASE

Chapter 8

Everyone else in her family had gone about their lives normally, as if they hadn't murdered an innocent animal just for the fun of it. But Chase could not shake the image of the kit's dead body from her vision.

Her father had made Chase's siblings wash their sticky paws off in the river while kept her distance, trying not to cry out or run away. Her father continued to emphasize that she not tell, and scared of his wrath, Chase obeyed.

Chase's relationships with her siblings had been strained since that day. She no longer cared much for playing alongside them and often took off on her own or remained in the den to rest.

Her mother had noticed and thought perhaps Chase had fallen ill, but Chase assured her mother that she was fine, even if she felt like she was carrying a dark secret inside her. She couldn't bear to look her father in the eyes most days.

Chase finally gathered the courage to go outside one day in the midst of the rest of her family. The air had grown hotter with the coming summer season, though today it was overcast, creating a sticky, humid atmosphere.

Chase crept through the long grass, watching as her three other siblings wrestled in the distance. Copper was resting near a boulder as he kept watch.

Chase took a step forward, as if to engage in play with her siblings, but all she could see was their bloodstained paws and sharp teeth. She shuddered, and turned away, beginning to edge toward the forest.

"Chase, come here!" Copper barked.

She sighed and spun around, walking toward her father with her tail between her legs. He looked unhappy as soon as she approached.

"What?" Chase grumbled.

"Quit going off," he told her.

"You noticed?" Chase asked, though she wasn't very surprised. She had been less cautious about making sure she wasn't noticed since the incident. It didn't really matter to her if the others knew or not. She was getting older and soon wouldn't need constant vigilance.

"Of course I do. I've noticed for a while," Copper argued.

"Why didn't you stop me?" she wondered.

"You always came back. Just play with your siblings for once," her father encouraged.

"I don't want to. I'd rather go wander in the woods," she told him, avoiding eye contact.

"What? To see those cats again?" he growled.

"I don't see anything. I just like exploring," Chase argued as she began to turn her body.

"Don't forget those cats killed your sister!" 

"I didn't forget," Chase said simply.

Copper let out a low growl. "I'm getting tired of this charade you're putting on. You're a fox. It's time for you to act like one. Killing is a part of life."

"Killing for the thrill of it isn't," she murmured.

"It was revenge."

"It was wrong!" Chase shouted, lashing her tail. "I'm going to go."

"Fine! Go frolic in the woods! I'm not coming after you when you call for help," Copper growled.

Chase fully turned around and ran off through the grass until the thick woods of the trees engulfed her. She took her familiar route until she found a small rock to rest on. She knew for a fact that this rock overlooked some of the clan territory, and she'd been lucky enough to get a view of a few cats every once in a while.

Slowly, Chase stretched out on the rock and gazed forward at the forest ahead. She'd kept her distance from this place for a while after assuming multiple patrols would be sent out to look for the missing kit. She feared witnessing mourning parents when the body was eventually found.

But Chase couldn't stay away too long. A part of her just needed to catch a glimpse again of one of those beautiful cats. 

A rustle of the bushes made her turn her head. There were two cats walking side by side: a pregnant silver she-cat and a dark brown tom. She gazed at them curiously and listened as they mewed at each other.

Seeing the she-cat's semi-swollen stomach made Chase frown as she thought of the kit again that her father had shown no mercy too. She hoped this she-cat would be vigilant when caring for her kits.

The two continued mewing at each other in a language Chase could not understand. She let out a sigh, wishing she could one day she could speak to cats. But how would she even begin? There was a huge language barrier that she doubted she'd ever be able to overcome.

I want to apologize, Chase thought. I want to apologize for the death of that kit.

She realized that the forest would never be peaceful if the two predators did not learn to live together, and a part of her longed to achieve this type of relationship.

Whatever twisted mentality Copper had tried to instill in her mind had not worked. Chase continued to grow more interested in cats as the days passed, hence her ever-growing visits to this part of the forest.

She just wished her siblings had not been brainwashed by her obnoxious father. A part of her wondered if Apple would listen to her, but Apple was a mother and probably wanted to make sure her remaining kits were safe.

No one will ever understand me, Chase lamented to herself.

The cats were soon out of view, and tiny droplets of rain followed soon after their disappearance. Chase sighed and hopped down from her rock as her pelt slowly became dampened by the rain.

She walked slowly back, then quickened her pace as she realized her siblings had probably already gone into the den to get some shelter. The rain began to pour as she finally made it back to the den, and as she guessed, her entire family was already inside.

"Where were you?" Apple asked.

Chase opened her mouth, desperate to come up with an excuse, but Copper silenced her.

"They were playing hide-and-seek from me, and I couldn't find her as I rallied up the others. Looks like she realized the game was over," Copper offered.

Chase turned to look at him, confused as to why he was covering for her. Perhaps he just wanted her out of his fur. If Apple knew Chase went off, she'd never let Chase leave the den again.

Apple ushered Chase forward to warm her up, though even with her mother's fur pressed against her, Chase felt further from her family than ever before.

"Everything okay?" Apple asked quietly. "You've been very quiet."

"Just tired," Chase murmured. Her other siblings shot her looks and began to snicker, but Chase no longer cared. This den no longer felt as warm and cozy as before.