Pynk [ONC 2020 Shortlist]

Chapter Two - Gold

Felicity let out a sigh of relief as she settled down in her new house. The place was all but empty at the moment, only consisting of the soft deerskin rug she curled up on now. Kyra had lent her it, as a return favour for letting her practice fur-dying skills.

Throughout their entire tour of their area of the city, it was all her new neighbour had pestered her about. Dark shades were boring, she had claimed insistently. And her dream was to open a spa, so needed to practice different techniques on other wolves, in case it ever came true. Of course, her new Glitterwylf friend was the perfect choice.

When they'd returned, Felicity had finally relented. Which was why her Pelt now shone a dazzling hot-pink.

Inhaling deeply, Felicity buried her snout in the thick rug, her eyes sliding shut of their own accord. As wonderfully distracting as Kyra was, she was very tiring to be with. All her energy had been sapped away.

Just as she was sinking into the blackness, a voice called her name.

No. Not her name. The name.

"Fliss."

Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to lose herself in the void. She needed to escape his voice. It shouldn't have followed her here.

"Fliss, why are you ignoring me?"

Her ears flattened against her head, muffling all outward sound. Go away, she thought back furiously. But his voice spoke as loud and clear as always, vibrating throughout everything.

"You look so beautiful, Fliss."

That was it. She couldn't take it. Springing up, she glared at the emptiness around her. "Leave me alone!" she growled, digging her claws into the rug.

"But Fliss," the voice echoed, this time from behind her. She whipped around, eyes narrowed, but she found only darkness. "It's me. It's Felix. Your twin."

"You're not Felix," she hissed, prowling in a tight circle, her gaze sweeping the dim room. "Felix is dead."

There was a laugh. His laugh. Gentle and kind, yet as it echoed throughout the dark, it felt as if it were mocking her. Another reminder of what she could no longer have.

"Or is he?" he asked her, humour still lacing his tone. "He's here now. Is that not enough?"

A whimper escaped Felicity's throat. She was trembling now. Yet she forced out another low growl. "He's not here. He's gone. I saw him... I saw him die."

"And who killed him?"

Felix's voice lost its tender charm, slipping into what felt like interrogation. It yanked every one of Felicity's dyed strands of fur to stand upright, paralysed by fear. Her paws rooted themselves to the spot as she stared straight ahead, into the whispering void.

"That's right," the voice murmured. "Look at him."

Out of the darkness, a pair of eyes opened. They glowed with purple light, deep and ferocious. There was no place to look but straight into the shadowy pupils. Inside them flashed memories. Screams. Blood. Death.

"No," Felicity choked. She tried to pull away, but the air pressed her into place. All she could do was watch as the eyes showed her that moment, in every horrible detail.

He was dying. He was dying all over again.

The same murder.

Her paws moved of their own accord. Claws stretched out. Muscles tensed. She pounced, snarling, fangs revealed as she charged for those purple eyes.