Even So/S2

Set Two

26. Forever and a Day

I wake up to the sound of birds. It’s another great day in the messenger’s den, and I can’t wait to see what Hazard has for me to do today.

“Shadow!” someone calls, and my ears prick at the sound of my name. I turn to see Blue, my long-time denmate, running towards me. Her legs have grown so long since we were just kits in a den, and her thick blue fur has grown sleek. ''I like her. I really do.''

“Blue!” I greet her warmly, waiting for her to catch up and press her side into mine. She’s really warm… Even in the cold moons, she’s warm.

“You don’t still want to leave camp and explore, do you?” she teases playfully. “Be careful; the ghost of Lash might get you!”

“I’m not scared of that old legend,” I scoff. “Lash was just a cat who died in an unfortunate hunting accident four moons ago. I’m not scared of any ghost.”

“Well, you should be,” Blue meows, dropping her voice to a low whisper. “If you even dream of trying to escape, Hazard will send the ghost of Lash after you!” She lunges for me, and I screech, having been caught off guard. Purring, she straightens up and presses up against my side again. “C’mon, slowpoke. Let’s go find out what Hazard wants us to do today!”

I nod and trot along behind her, but really I’m thinking about what kind of future we could possibly have together. We’re both about eight moons old now; four more and we’ll be discharged back into the real world.

I know that a lot of the other low-workers think that it’s funny how we murder all of the high-workers instead of releasing them into the world, but then again, they, like Lash did, have such an unrealistic expectation of reality that they don’t realize just how kind the gift of death really is. We, the messengers, understand this; Hazard has shown us the truth. But we are still resigned to our fates. We know what’s coming. But if too many cats just mysteriously died at their twelfth moon, the instigators would –

“Shadow, hurry up!” Blue calls.

I jump. I hadn’t noticed that I had stopped walking just now. “Sorry!” I call back, breaking into a run to catch up with her.

“You’re so distracted anymore,” Blue complains. “I can’t believe that you would allow yourself to lose focus and risk getting demoted!” But then her voice softens. “Is it because the storms are coming again?”

I inhale quietly. “Yeah,” I admit. “I mean, I know what they really are, but they still terrify me.” The storms are just so… loud, you know?”

Blue nods sympathetically. “Come on.” She brushes her tail along my back; it’s a soothing feeling, especially because my short fur doesn’t block out the cold like hers does. “Let’s just get back to work. Even though there will be a storm later today, until then, we just have to work like it’s any other day.”

I nod once more, and together we push our way into the circle of bushes that makes up Hazard’s den.