Darkness

Chapter 4

Picture: Ottersong

Jaypool didn't know what woke her up. Maybe it was the ghostly whispers tickling her ears. Maybe it was the star-filled wind gently stirring up her fur. She shuddered. Freezing, misty air circled around her. Where was she? Jaypool stood up and squinted, trying to see through the thick, swirling, starry mist. StarClan! The thought hit her suddenly. She gasped as a shadow rushed past her. And another. As she looked up, there was no moon. Instead, there was a huge pair of fiery amber eyes. Jaypool's eyes widened and another shiver shook her shoulders.

"Greetings."

Jaypool almost jumped a mile at the soft voice echoed behind her. She swung around, coming face to face with a white tom. He had bright green eyes.

"Where am I?" Jaypool's voice shook.

"StarClan," the tom sighed, almost sadly.

"No! What happened?! It's so cold! And those eyes-"

"I know. They are evil; they watch StarClan and the forest like a hawk. That's why it is so cold." He muttered.

"B-But why am I here?" Jaypool didn't mean for her voice to sound so shrill.

"I need to show you something. Come."

The two cats walked through a starry, but dark forest. The thick mist made it hard to see, but the mysterious white cat seemed to know where he was going.

"Careful." he warned her. He stopped. Jaypool gasped and came to an abrupt halt. In front of her was a pile of ice. Shimmering, frosty, chunks of solid ice. The pile was huge, looming up toward the star-filled blackness of the night. And the piercing orange eyes. Jaypool sneezed suddenly; something had floated to her nose. She looked up in astonishment. A feather. It was jet black, and shining in the red glow of the eyes. It landed gently on the ice, resting there. Then down came more- billions of black feathers drifting down to land on the ice. Shocked, Jaypool took a step back.

"What does it mean?" She stammered.

The tom ignored her. "We've been watching you trying to find the four cats chosen for the prophecy." He dipped his large head. "You have done well, but one is not correct. He does not belong in the prophecy."

"Who? Please, tell me!"

The tom said nothing. His green eyes flickered to the raining feathers.

"Do you recognise them?" He finally asked. Jaypool stepped forward, squinting at a sleek black feather. Crow feathers!

"Does that mean Crowtail is not in the prophecy?" She asked. The white tom dipped his head. "But then, who is?"

"Think about it." His ghostly voice sent more shivers down her spine. Or was it the cold? Then, without warning, he faded to nothingness. Jaypool waited. Waited for her to wake up in her nest, back home, safe. Where it was warm. But instead, the intense red glow grew stronger and stronger. The air grew colder. She looked up, realising in shock that the eyes were moving. They blinked, and focused on Jaypool.

I see everything, it whispered, seeming to come from all directions.

Jaypool's eyes widened and she stumbled backwards. But to her surprise, she stepped into nothingness. The ground beneath her gave way, and she felt herself falling into darkness. Her heart lurched. Everything around her was black. But she kept falling deeper and deeper. She yowled, twisting and thrashing in mid air. Suddenly she hit water. Ice cold water. It soaked her to the bone. It pressed her down deeper, there the coldness of it seeped into her nose. Bubbles escaped Jaypool's mouth, and she struggled to push herself to the surface. The stinging cold pierced her eyes, and made her fur heavy. Her lungs were about to burst, they throbbed as she tried to gasp for air. Then Jaypool went limp, and everything went black. The last thing she saw was a glowing orange light in the darkness. Two amber eyes. They faded, and Jaypool let the freezing water take over her.