A slender, light gray shape leapt over a boulder, holding a weak kitten in her jaws. The kitten squealed as her mother ran, its paws dragging on the rough pebbles.
"Echo!"
The she-cat's ears pricked when she heard her named being called, following with a shriek of agony, echoing through the whole forest. "I'm sorry, brother," she thought with sorrow, but not stopping.
Echo ran on, her kitten wailing in fear. She felt a rush of wind as one of the foxes running after her snapped at her tail. She tried not to yelp in pain, with her kitten in her mouth.
"I'm too weak. I have no choice." she thought. Depression and fear was weighing her heart down, but she knew she had to do it.
Increasing her speed, Echo ran out of the forest, across the road where human transport travelled on, and quickly but roughly placed her kitten under a dumpster. The foxes were not in sight, but their scents were getting stronger.
Echo knew the foxes would not stop chasing her. She gave her kitten one last lick and ran back across the road and back into the forest to face the foxes. By then the foxes had already changer their directions and followed her. But she was too weak and she knew it.
Running at her fastest speed, she launched herself at the foxes. She clawed and scratched at them. But there were too many.
One of the foxes grabbed her in its jaws and shook her like a dog's toy. It opened its mouth and Echo flew out, and she struggled to regain herself. She was too late. She heard the rush of blood in her ears, an echo of weak meowing and hit the ground headfirst with a sickening crack.
