Border

Border

by Dogwood

season one, episode one (pilot episode) of Horizon

read, enjoy (hopefully), and comment (please?) side note: dogwood's english teacher is making her read the outsiders so if the dialogue sounds a faintly 1960s there is your explanation

BORDERS
"Just- a little- farther!" I yowl. The winds grate against my fur, cold and painful like a sharpened blade.

Pebble steps forward weakly before collapsing in a pile of snow. She curls up into a ball, trying to save body heat in vain. She trembles violently. "It's s-so c-col-ld," she whimpers.

I quickly run back to her and grab her scruff in my teeth. Her pelt is bitingly cold. I grit my teeth and slowly begin to drag her through the snow. There's a cave up ahead where we can take shelter-

Pebble lets out a helpless whine. "Rattle...we're gonna die."

"No," I hiss. I can feel my hot breath melt away some of the frost in her fur. Icy water trickles onto my tongue. "We aren't."

"Rattle..." Pebble whispers. She's growing limp, getting harder to carry. "We are."

I let out a grunt in response and continue to drag her deadweight body through the snow. Snow falls gently from the fluffy white sky. It would be a beautiful sight if we weren't freezing to death.

''Freezing to death. Deadweight.'' My pulse quickens and I hurry on. "Pebble! We're almost there!"

She doesn't respond. My heart hammers in my chest as I thump through the snow. My strength feels like it's draining out of my paws and onto the snow and I can feel my stride slow. Weakness fills in the gaps where I once had adrenaline and determination.

My legs buckle. I fall, my head landing on her chest.

I hear nothing. Her heart is as quiet as the moon.

A tear slips down my cheek, and the world begins to fade.

** ** **

Warmth.

Something I haven't felt in moons.

I get to my paws with ease, and maybe even grace. Sunlight spills over my pelt, warming me to the bone. The forest around me is lush and green, and the sky above a bright cerulean dotted with a few wispy clouds. Flowers wave in the warm, gentle breeze, opening their petals to smile at the world. I can hear birds chirping happily as they flutter through the air and the tinkle of water running over rocks.

The whole scene is blissfully serene, a stark contrast from the frozen mountain I'd just been on.

<p style="text-align:left;">Realization raps me on the nose. Hard.

<p style="text-align:left;">I'm dead.

<p style="text-align:left;">The world begins to spin dizzyingly. Stumbling, I stagger towards a nearby tree and lean against it for support, feeling like I might fall at any moment.

<p style="text-align:left;">"Take it easy there, fella." A tail rests on my shoulder. "We all get a little death sick when we first come here."

<p style="text-align:left;">After taking a few deep, shaky breaths the ground seems to stabilize. I raise my eyes to see a kind-looking black tom.

<p style="text-align:left;">"I'm Streak," he says, giving me a pat on the back before stepping away. "What's your name, newbie?"

<p style="text-align:left;">"Rattle," I reply. "Where is this place?"

<p style="text-align:left;">"Avalon," Streak answers. "The land of the good souls." He lets out a purr. "You must've done good in life to get here."

<p style="text-align:left;">My eyes widen. No. The cats I've killed, the deaths I've caused- I shouldn't be here.

<p style="text-align:left;">Streak notices the odd look on my face and barks out a laugh. "Humble, aren'tcha?" he guesses, mistakenly interpreting my reaction.

<p style="text-align:left;">I give him a tight smile. "Yeah. Sure," I lie.

<p style="text-align:left;">Suddenly, I remember Pebble. Pebble. How could I forget about her?

<p style="text-align:left;">"Have you seen anyone named Pebble?" I ask. "Small, dark gray, green eyes?"

<p style="text-align:left;">Streak shakes his head. "Nope. But if she isn't here, then she's either in Acheron or she's still alive." He gives me a grin that's supposed to be reassuring. "If you're here, I'm sure she is too. You can still check on her through the reflection pool."

<p style="text-align:left;">My heart jumps. "Really? Where?"

<p style="text-align:left;">"This way," Streak calls, bolting off. I bound after him, and we run until we reach a small pool of water.

<p style="text-align:left;">"Hurry up, Rattle," Streak says. "There's still the rest of Avalon we gotta meet."

<p style="text-align:left;">I nod, and take a step towards the water before realizing that I have no idea how to use it. "Uh, Streak...what do I do now?"

<p style="text-align:left;">He laughs. "Forgot to tell you. Just think to the pool who you want to see, and touch it, drink it, whatever." Then his expression turns serious. "Be careful. There are a lot of Pebbles, and the pool might take you to Acheron. If it does, imagine you're back here."

<p style="text-align:left;">I gaze into its depths. Within the water is what looks like sparkles, small flecks of minerals that make it glisten and glitter underwater. I crane my head to submerge my muzzle, thinking ferociously, ''Pebble. I want to see Pebble.''

<p style="text-align:left;">The water touches the skin of my nose and the world fades away.

<p style="text-align:left;">When it comes back, I recoil at what I see.

<p style="text-align:left;">The forest in front of me is dark, and smothered with a thick, choking fog. I cough- this fog smells of, tastes of, and just is disease.

<p style="text-align:left;">The piercing wail of a dying cat assaults my ears, accompanied by a hissing laughter. "Don't worry!" I hear someone yell. "Your toy isn't done yet. She'll resurrect."

<p style="text-align:left;">Acheron. This must be Acheron. There's another Pebble here, one who isn't my sister.

<p style="text-align:left;">My pulse starts to quicken with panic. Take me to see my sister Pebble.

<p style="text-align:left;">But to my alarm, nothing changes. I can hear a whimper of fear coming from somewhere ahead of me. I run forward blindly, seeing nothing but this dark fog.

<p style="text-align:left;">I spot a small shape trembling with fear as it sobs woefully.

<p style="text-align:left;">It's Pebble.

<p style="text-align:left;">No, I think, horrified. No! What is she doing here?

<p style="text-align:left;">"Pebble!" I call. She doesn't hear me. I reach out to touch her, but my paw stops a fox-length away from her. I grunt and strain to reach her, but my paw won't get any farther. There's a barrier, some invisible force blocking me from getting to her.

<p style="text-align:left;">I let out a cry of anguish. "Pebble! Pebble! Can you hear me?" Though I could reach her in a couple strides, there is that wall, that border keeping me away.

<p style="text-align:left;">Maybe this cat just looks like Pebble. Maybe...maybe. I try to sniff her for confirmation.

<p style="text-align:left;">Pebble's scent is masked under a thick layer of death, but it's still there. I drop to the ground. Tears stream from my eyes. I've never been one to cry, but my sister is mere feet away from me, in Acheron of all places, and I can't reach her.

<p style="text-align:left;">I can't handle this. I can't bear the agony of being so close but unable to reach her because of this hellish border.

<p style="text-align:left;">I imagine myself back at the pool and the world dissolves away once more.

<p style="text-align:left;">Streak looks at me concernedly. "Hey, man, you okay?" I stay quiet. "Look, it all hurts for us when we see the ones we love still alive and so far away. You're not alone, kid." Usually I'd get irritated by this, especially since Streak looks only a couple moons older than me, but I'm in too much shock to care. Pebble. Pebble, of all cats, in Acheron. She doesn't deserve this. I do. At the very least, I should be the one in Acheron.

<p style="text-align:left;">"I'll give you some alone time," Streak says. "This must be a lot to sink in." He gives me a reassuring pat. "You'll get used to it. In a couple hours I'll come for you and take you to meet the other cats." And with that, he leaves.

<p style="text-align:left;">Despite the fact that the sun is still high in the sky, I crumple to the ground. The lush grass is soft, and the closest I'll get to a nest for now. Sleep washes over me, and all I can think of is Pebble's crying form and the scent of death and disease heavy in the air.

** ** **

<p style="text-align:left;">I open my eyes. The sunlight is more yellow than usual. Getting close to sunset, I note.

<p style="text-align:left;">I feel hollow. All the emotions I'd felt is gone, leaving me drained and empty.

<p style="text-align:left;">Streak pops up, seemingly out of nowhere. "Hey, Rattle, you're awake." Cats poke their heads out from behind him. "This a good time?"

<p style="text-align:left;">I nod numbly. "Yeah. Sure."

<p style="text-align:left;">The cats step forward and introduce themselves. I know I'll probably forget all of them in the next hour, but I pretend to pay attention anyways.

<p style="text-align:left;">One of them gives me a clap on the back. "S'all good, kiddo, we're all shaken up a bit when we see our family, and it doesn't help none that we get death sick every now and then too. It'll get better."

<p style="text-align:left;">They all give me reassurances like that, but none of them strike home. I'll bet they never had their innocent little sister thrown into Acheron. They've never been agonizingly tantalized with the closeness of their sister, and the hopelessness of the border in between them.

<p style="text-align:left;">Their soft words feel fake and false. I find myself hating them without a good reason other than the fact that I'm grumpy, irritated, and feeling miserable.

<p style="text-align:left;">They eventually leave me alone once their attempts at conversation fail. Streak walks back up to me.

<p style="text-align:left;">"Rattle, what'd you see in the pool?" he prods. "It's okay, you can tell me. It might help to get it off your chest, yeah?"

<p style="text-align:left;">I look down. "Pebble's in Acheron," I whisper hoarsely. Streak's eyes widen.

<p style="text-align:left;">"Oh man, Rattle, I'm so sorry," he says, looking at me like I'm a different cat. "It must hurt- guess you never thought she'd be the type to go there-"

<p style="text-align:left;">"It does," I cut in. "But she doesn't even deserve it. If anything, I do. I've been with her my whole life- there must've been a mixup."

<p style="text-align:left;">"Whoo, kid, take it easy now," Streak says. "You're not a bad cat. Bad cats have evil laughs and they look all evil and you just aren't that. You're good."

<p style="text-align:left;">Evil cats don't look or seem anything like what you think they do, I think. But I hold back my tongue.

<p style="text-align:left;">"Get some rest and get used to Avalon," Streak says. "You'll be here for the rest of eternity, you know. Might as well make it your home."

<p style="text-align:left;">"Got it," I reply. "I guess I'll do that." Streak gives me a smile.

<p style="text-align:left;">"I've been here for years, so I've got all the answers to any question you might have," he adds before walking off. "Just ask me."

<p style="text-align:left;">"Yeah," I say in acknowledgement. "I will." But there's a few questions I have that I know he probably won't answer.

<p style="text-align:left;">''How do you cross the border separating Avalon from Acheron? And is there any way to get a cat from there to here?''

End