Alleycats book 1: thunderstorm

chapter 13

      Thunder blinked, vision blurry and the world was pale and sickly.

A bright light flooded his vision.

I'm dead. Oh well...

He realized sleepily, his mind discombabled.

Oh...wow im .

His thoughts trailed off, as a spasm gripped him and when he parted his jaws to scream, water gushed out, flooding his lips as he fought for air. Then, he stilled his coughing and his flanks rose in ragged gasps. Then, he shook his head. It banged against something hard and he winced.

"Were ame E?"He meowed out loud. Nothing answered. He repeated the cry. Where was he?

Then he heard a whisper. No it couldn't be! Fluffy? So he Was dead!

The whisper came again. "Do not fear Thunder." He rumbled in his wise gentle tone. " Follow your heart, your heart will show the way." Thunder blinked, puzzled. "Mmmy heart?" How could his heart shoe the way?

Fluffy nodded slowly.

"Yes." Your mind directs you for things we seek. But when in doubt, in our heart we know what's true. Choose wisely thunder, your heart speaks for you."

Thunder jerked backwards, kinking his neckbone. Wincing in pain, he meowed through clenched teeth. "Wha...Wha...hite do ye men?" His voice was shaking too much to sound right, but he didn't care.

Thunder winced as pain shot through him. Fluffy replied. " yes, storms are deadly, Thunder can-strike us down, only one can soften its blast. one and only One, Must carry its light." fluffy turned to him.

Thunder stared, too awed to speak. Fluffy nodded. "Remember, what I said, you can not ever forget. You must not ever forget. His gaze bore into Thunder, scorching his tabby pelt with Amber eyes. Serious tone:" revenge is dangerous Thunder." He warned. "Though you feel strong, it is hollowed by anger. Evil is weakness, only passion will save you from it's dark claws of misery. Love is stronger then lust. Your heart can show the way."

By now fluffy was fading rocks were visible, where he should've seen paws. "Goodbye Thunder. Seek for the light, the light holds what you seek..." He vanished altogether, leaving a mist that clung to his pelt, thick and damp. Thunder shivered, chilled to the bone.

Then, the world faded. "No!" He wailed, voice wavering and his words jumbled. "Will the sky not take me either?" Where would he go? Was he destined to wander forever in this unforgiven darkness. "I can't find the light!" He screamed, voice finely sorting rightly. As he stared forward, searching desperately in the blackness. 'Seek for the light...but I don't have any light, there is no light!'

He shrank back gazing earnestly, into the shadows. The world grew fuzzy, and he thought that he must be hallucinating again. Then, the sky shifted. he realized the darkness was really just a big wall of fur!

as he watched, a huge black shape peeled from the shadows. He recognized the form of -

Terror!

The outlined form shook and its head turned around, huge amber pale eyes the size of boulders, revealed themselves, glowing eerily. Thunder screeched. With terror. As blood poured over terror's gigantic head, spilling down his face and sliding over his ears.

Thunder whimpered, cowering below the giant form of Terror.

What was happening!

Terror's eyes narrowed, and he parted his lips in a terrifying snarl. "Not so brave now are ya?" He taunted, slowly approaching him. Slinking in the darkness., fangs gleaming with an unnatural light. His eyes narrowed to slits. "Thunder will save the day.. Huh?" He mocked, tail curling up with cruel amusement. "Hah! Whatever!" Thunder's ears flattened, fighting down the fear as he crouched, tail lashing. Terror continued, sensing that he'd hit a nerve. "Puny little scrap! Coward!" He taunted, throwing insults at Thunder.

"Though i dont blame yah, for running away, hiding from duties. Your life wasn't very promising! Thunder steamed with indignation. "I wasn't hiding!" He objected. " fluffy told me to-"

Terror let out a snort. " course...totally logical." He meowed sarcastically, eyes round. " it's only smart to kill yourself, just cuz an old guy said you could."

He snickered.

Thunder yowled trying to leap but his claws were rooted to the ground. "Nooooo!" He thought as Terror pounced from the sky, pinning him down. Squeezing his eyes shut, he bid the light to come back. When he opened them, the blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds awakened him. He gasped. 'What was going on?' He sniffed, hope sparking in his heart. Was this.... How? C...c...could it be true? This Wasn't a dream? Thunder struggled to his paws, muscles wincing in pretest. Eyes wide, he stared at the meadow, or should he say Lake! The rolling hills submerged below an endless pool of water. Dandy lions swayed in the current, tugging its steam. His Heart pounded. Everywhere he looked, there was water! He was floating On a chunk of wood, smoothly carved by the water and stripped of all leaves, curled like a tube without a top.

Angel! His mind screamed and to his relief, the words came out correctly. "Angel!" No answer. "Angel!" Nothing. Thunder gazed in disbelief. N...no. No!

He crumpled to the ground in a moan, grief stabbing his heart.

"Seek for the light, the light holds what you seek." Fluffy's words rang in his ears. How was he going to find the light.

"Fool," Fluffy whispered, invisible to his oblivious state. " you've already have your light. You just need to find it." Then his presence diminished, and he blinked in confusion.

Why would he need to find it if he already had it? Then another thought struck him and jolted him out of his thoughts. His eyes widened when he realized

"Angel! Angel is the light!"

'No! Angel!' Thunder could barely stop himself from wailing like a kit.

No! How could he have let this happen? His one chance of happiness... Gone....gone! And it was all his fault...

He groaned numb with shock. Angel couldn't be gone... She couldn't!

What would he do without her long snowy fur and beautiful sapphire eyes and her sweet scent (which was already growing familiar?)

In his mind he knew it was true, but the rest of him wouldn't believe it.

No! She's out there somewhere... And I'm going to find her!

He stared out into the hills/pond. He tilted his head worriedly. And how was he going to do that?

He shook his gray head, perplexed. Then a couple feet away, he spotted a stone jutting out of the water like a shark fin. He bunched his muscles, with a gulp. " it'll be alright." He told himself. "It's n..n..n..not so b...bad..."but with every word he found himself cowering.

" wow." He meowed, not impressed with himself. "You're afraid of bushes, now water?"

He gave an angry huff. He swallowed, jerking backwards. "All r..right..." He stammered, muscles braced. "H..h..h..here I g..g..g..go..." He tossed his head in a yowl and leapt. Soaring through the air, he landed with a splash in the water. Instantly, he shivered violently, over fear. He spluttered, coughing as he surfaced, gagging on the peaty, muddy water. He paddled ferociously towards his raft, but right at that moment, a gust of wind sent ripples across the surface, sending his raft gliding away. "Hey!...Hey wai..." He was cut off by a fresh bought of coughing.

And his raft sailed away, out of reach. Panicking, Thunder looked around. Remembering the stone, he brightened. It wasn't far from here! Paddling ferociously, Thunder made his way to the rock's surface, crawling up in a soaking ball of fur. He collapsed, shivering, as he fluffed out his fur to warm up. He gazed up into the sky. It was as if the whole world was against him! Now onto the next problem: "how do I get to shore?"...

Thunder Braced himself as he calculated how long it would take. Then, he leapt, gasping as the cold water soaked his skin again. Plunging in, he struck out towards the shore.

He kicked out determinedly, with hard strokes. Occasionally, a small wave rolled over his back, briefly halting his progress. Closing his eyes, he splashed, torpedoing forwards, dodging waves.

Before he knew it, he felt his paws drag stone, as he was swept against the shore, scraping the pebbles. He had done it!

Panting, he basked in the glory of his accomplishment. As he crawled up the shore." I'm coming Angel!"