The Rat in The Raincoat

Chapter 3

Reminder: Rat talk human talk

Let's get started!

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Marigold padded around camp, her nose twitching with each quick sniff.

Where had they gone? They would have come back a while ago. It was almost a day now...

"Don't worry, Mari, maybe they just went farther out than normal. Patch and Frost are with them, they'll keep them safe," Violet's voice said, resting a paw on her sister's shoulder.

Marigold was clearly distressed, her fur was messy, her eyes showing the blue outer ring. She looked to her sister, dark browns looking into abnormal purples for a few heartbeats.

"That's not what I'm worried about," she whispered under her breath. Something was wrong, and she knew it.

Violet's ear twitched as she heard a noise, looking behind Marigold to look at the camp's entrance. "Milkweed just came back into the colony camp, and- wait, what's he holding?"

The black rat turned, seeing him, her small pale white-pink ears lifting up slightly before she spoke, "Milkweed, what are you doing?"

Her eyes looked down to his mouth, her breath hitching after noticing the black and white rat holding a piece of yellow rubber.

She couldn't speak, only stare forward and feel her blood in her whole body drain from her. Violet come over, taking the initiative for her sister.

"Where did you find this?" Violet asked, her voice shaky and more higher pitched than what she sounded like perviously. She took the rubber piece from the other, looking over it.

Milkweed gave a groan, glaring at the doe who snatched it from his paws, "If you had given me a minute, I would have explained."

"Where is my daughter and neice, Milkweed?" Violet snapped, her eyes narrowed and tail flicking angrily behind her.

"It was where the scavenging team was at. That was caught on the sharp piece of metal sticking out in a pipe leading downwards. There's no sign of Trinket, Patch, or Frost. I'm not sure if there was an attack or not, but they're missing," he explained, his tone blunt and sharp, a 'duh, it should be obvious' ring to it.

Marigold still didn't respond, her fur lay flat against her, ears down and eyes wide. Her paws shook slightly, slowly she could feel them weakening under her weight. Violet suddenly reaching out for her sister to grab her.

Violet helped ease her fall, setting her sister down onto the ground, watching helplessly as she curled up as sobs escaped her.

"She's gone... my baby is gone," Marigold whimpered, covering her face with her paws. Violet dropped down and cradled her shaking form against her pelt, laying her tail on hers.

"Mari, shhh, it's gonna be okay. Okay? Maybe she's still alive, maybe Trinket and the others went to go look for her," Violet barely whispered, resting her muzzle on her sister's shoulder. Her sister's touch was comforting and warm, but it wasn't enough to ease her mind.

"She's dead, if she didn't die from falling she'll be ate by something. But if you're soooo sure of it go, take the pipes, they'll lead you to the upper levels and to the end of it. They all connect at some point," Milkweed said. He twitched his nose, turning and padding away towards the colony's food pile.