Jayfeather's Curse

Chapter 7

"Jayfeather!" I groan, dragging out the 'r'. "Can I please leave the camp? It's been days and I'm bored. I want to go out and train with Pinebreeze and my littermates. They're going to be so far ahead of me in training that they will become warriors before me!" I realize shortly after saying it that it was the wrong thing to say. I can see Jayfeather boiling over.

"No! You almost died and I won't let it happen again. I can't. Now let me leave and collect myself before I cuff you so hard you'll find yourself back in Starclan," he sneers and storms out. I watch in shock as he bounds out of the camp. He's never been that angry with me before. He never seemed to dislike me as much as the other cats in the clan, but now I've screwed that up. He absolutely hates me now and there's nothing I can do about it. So I do the opposite of what he said. If he hates me now, he's gonna hate me more when he comes back. So I quietly slip into the dirtplace tunnel and out the hole in the back. When outside, I immediately run opposite the lakeshore and out of clan territory. I dart past bushes and zig-zag through trees. After I get tired out I find a nice shady place and plop down. I think about the events of the past few days. Finally waking up from the deafening pain, the scoldings I got from Jayfeather and my parents, the worry from my littermates and friends, the disappointment of Pinebreeze and Bumblestripe.

"All I've ever caused is trouble, so why go back? The only one who would miss me is Briarlight, and I feel bad leaving her, but she always liked Hollykit too. They can become best friends and they won't need me ever again. Thank Starclan," I declare, and realize that I'm talking to myself. I hear my stomach growl and realize that I haven't eaten all day.

"It shouldn't be too hard to catch prey, right? If elders could do it, then so can I," I mutter, and open my jaws to scent for any prey. Finally, I sense a mouse. I fall into my hunter's crouch and slowly stalk towards it. Once I'm close enough, I take a flying leap. I miss the mouse but I'm able to reach my claws out and snag it. I hungrily devour the mouse and feel too full to move. Then I hear a pitiful mewling coming from a hole in the ground. I stalk over and peek in, shocked by what I see. It's a baby kitten. Well, three, but the other two aren't moving. The mewling one barely has its eyes open and it's violently shaking. I reach into the hole with my head and grip the kitten's scruff. It's cold, so I place it beside me and wrap my tail around it. I see one of the other kittens stir and I instantly duck my head in and grab it. I place it beside its littermate and the mewling one crawls toward its sibling. I grab the third and final kitten, but it's cold to the touch. I know that this one isn't alive, so I groom it and place it back into the hole. I fill it with dirt and place moss on top of it. I look up to the sky and see that its a deep orange. It's too late to bring these kittens back to the camp, so I'm going to have to stay here for the night.

I put the kittens on top of the moss and collect moss and bracken for a nest. I set it up under a nearby bush and carry the kittens one by one to the makeshift nest. I lay down and curl my small body as much as I can around the kittens. I recall what my mother used to do with me when I was a kit, so I start grooming them with rhythmic strokes. I determine that the mewling one is a she-kit, and the quiet one is a tom. They are both orange, but the she-kit has white splotches. I know these kittens need food, so I leave them once again and go sloppily catch another mouse. I carry it back to the kittens and chew it up thoroughly and put a little bit into the kittens' mouths. I massage their throat downwards to aid in swallowing the food. I guess listening to Jayfeather's "teaching" lessons really did come in handy.

After a while I begin to feel sleepy so I lay down and guide the kittens into my stomach with my tail. They look to suckle and I feel my heart wrench. I know these kittens want their mama, and I'm not her. But I know what I have to do.

Finally, the enclosed nest is done. The kittens can't get out, but mama cat can get in if she finds them. I begin to walk around looking for the mama cat. Even though it is dark, I know I have to find her. I look under bushes, in trees, even in the twoleg nests. But still nothing. Suddenly I hear an awful roaring noise. I feel fear course through my body and I crouch as low as possible. A foul smelling twoleg thing races past me. I look up and see a horrifying sight. It's an orange tabby cat lying in the thing's dust. I slowly crawl towards them, knowing they're dead. And they look just like the kittens, especially the one with splotches. I grip her scruff and drag her to the side of the path. Then I turn away and bound back the way I came. These kittens are going to make it.

I know they will.