Not It

Chapter 8

Swiftkit swiped her tongue around her jaw, done with her breakfast. "I'm going to go outside," she announced to no one in particular, stretching her legs back and giving a cursory glance around the den. "Does anyone want to play with me?"

Furzekit perked up, his hazel eyes brightening. "I want to," he meowed brightly, pausing between his words. 

She suppressed a sigh. "Does anyone want to play?" she repeated, louder now.

Pikekit and Applekit both let out a grumble, climbing out of their nests. "What do you want," the brown tabby tom asked, licking down the fur on his shoulder.

"I want to play," Swiftkit repeated. "I say we do a race!"

"That's not fair," whined Applekit. "You always win."

Swiftkit narrowed her eyes for a second, then perked up. "Hey, I have an idea. Since Pikekit loves to swim, I'm the best runner, and everyone else likes to climb, why don't we do a triathlon? It's like three things in one! That way it's fair."

Under his breath, Pikekit added," That way, Applekit will shut up."

She let out a meow of frustration and bumped his shoulder with hers.

"That sounds more fair," Cloverkit meowed, peeking up from behind her mother. "Furzekit and I want to play, right?"

The tom nodded after a couple seconds.

"Let's go then!" A smile sparkled in the she-cat's glassy yellow eyes as she bounded out of the den, kits trailing behind her.

Swiftkit raced ahead of the others, ears flat against her skull as she sprinted, tail flying behind her like a loose leaf in the wind. She stopped roughly a couple tree-lengths from the shore, spinning on her heels. The other cats caught up after a few more heartbeats, slowing next to her. "This can be the start of the running, right?" the she-cat asked, tilting her head to the side.

The others nodded. 

"And then the swim can be to the rock and back." She flicked her tail toward a large, flat rock in the center of the pond. Elders and warriors often sun-bathed on it, but there wasn't anyone out there today.

Pikekit let out a meow of protest. "Why can't you make it longerrrr," he whined.

"Because that's an easy enough distance for the younger kits," she meowed firmly, flicking her tail to the side. "Don't be such a mousebrain." 

"For climbing," piped Applekit, "We can do to the top of the maple!"

Troutkit's eyes widened. "That's far," she meowed softly. 

"You guys will be fine!" Swiftkit said. "Younger kits get a head-start - only half the running distance."

"That's... fair," Applekit meowed, twitching her tail. 

"I have a question," Pigeonkit called out. "Do we have to go around the rock, or just touch it?"

"Around," Pikekit meowed at the same time Swiftkit said, "Touch it!"

They glared at each other. Swiftkit dared to speak first. "Again, the little kits probably are barely strong enough to get out there in the first place, let alone go around it. The rock is huge!" Her eyes widened at the thought.

"Fine," Pikekit spat, ears flattening against his skull for a brief second.

After the rest of the details were sorted out, the kits lined up at a mark in the sand Applekit had drawn in the sand. The younger kits - Applekit and Troutkit took a few paces forward, and the kits in the middle (Furzekit, Cloverkit, and Pigeonkit) were allowed to take a couple. 

"When I yowl, we go!" Swiftkit meowed, narrowing her eyes. 

The cats all shifted into starting position, crouched low to the ground, ready to explode with power and propel themselves as far as possible.

"GOOOOOOO!"

The race began in a flurry of dust - legs churning, ears flat against skulls, chins tucked down close to the chest.

Swiftkit, of course, reached the water first and sprung out as far as she could. Applekit wasn't far behind and splashed in daintily, taking tiny steps on the muddy bottom. 

Furzekit tripped over his feet and tumbled into the water next. Troutkit and Pikekit both entered just as Swiftkit was halfway to the rock, padding furiously and churning up mud along with water.

The rest of the kits reached the water by the time Pikekit had stroked out ahead of the rest, sliding sleekly through the mucky pond. He passed Swiftkit last, splashing water at her with his paws as he did so.

"No!" Swiftkit meowed behind a mouthful of pond water, her stroking growing more furious.

The other kittens were paddling in a clump behind the three older kids. The three-mooners had lost most of their lead and were tied with the other kits. Pikekit rounded the rock, ignoring that he only needed to touch it.

Pikekit reached shore first, obviously. He gave his pelt a quick shake and sprinted toward the tree. As the other kits were reaching shore, he'd already managed to claw himself up to the first couple of branches. Swiftkit sprinted past the other kits, flinging herself onto the tree.

The climb began. Bits of bark that were falling down from the higher kits' progress hit the kits lower on the tree, leaving them speckled with pieces of it and leaves. Applekit spat out a twig and jumped up onto a branch, clinging onto it with all her might.

Pikekit reached the top first. "Ha! Losers!" he shouted, the branch wobbling beneath him. "I'm the bes-" With that last word, he stumbled off the branch, barely clinging onto the one below him as he fell. Hanging by his claws, the tom let out a whimper. "Help!"

Swiftkit was close enough to try to help and bit into his scruff, trying to heave him up, but she was simply too small. "You have to let go and get on the one below," she meowed anxiously.

"O-okay," Pikekit responded. His muscles had already gotten sore from clinging on, and when he let go, he let out a little sigh. That moment of relief ended when he slammed into a lower branch, the wind getting knocked out of him. He clung to it with all four paws and carefully inched his way back to the trunk, heart pounding.

The other kits, stunned, had already returned to the ground. Pikekit jumped off a lower branch and joined them, giving his pelt a firm shake. Soon Swiftkit had joined him, looking startled.

"I think we can agree on one thing," the she-kit meowed. "Let's not tell our parents."