Smoke and Mirrors/Shots

 s    h    o     t     s 

'''I'm sorry for everything Oh, everything I've done'''

My name is Smoke Heart. My elder sister is Ashen Snow. We both live on the edge of the forest, right beside a stream. It is a nice place, but recently this group of cats started to... harass us, I suppose. They snarl at us, "Get off our territory, mangy rogues!" or "Leave, or we'll kill you!"

And frankly, it's beginning to puzzle me.

What right do they have to this forest? I wish I understood. To add on to this confusion, lately Ashen Snow has been acting strangely, always claiming she's going out hunting but returning hours afterward. When I ask where she'd gone for so long, she only murmurs, "Sorry I worried you." She does return with fresh-kill, but also carries this unfamiliar scent on her pelt.

It's always lonely when Ashe goes out, but I manage to entertain myself. Whether it's hunting near the stream or climbing trees, I always manage.

Today at dawn, Ashe left, and I assumed that she would be back by the afternoon, or maybe early evening. I was ill, and so I slept most of the day. Late afternoon was when I woke up, and Ashe wasn't back yet. I passed the time by hunting for something to eat. After I had eaten, I'd expected my sister to slip back into the den.

Now it's night and Ashe still isn't back. Normally, I would not be worried, but she had left at dawn. I'm pacing the den, stifling coughs and ignoring my sore throat. Hunger pangs at my stomach, so I nibbled on a squirrel I had caught earlier. My worry overlapped my hunger, though, and I pushed away the squirrel with only patches of fur plucked off its flank.

'''Am I out of touch? Am I out of my place?'''

Midnight. I'm curled up in my nest, still resisting coughs and ignoring my empty belly's growls. The pain in my throat has faded slightly, possibly because of the water I drank earlier. I'm unable to fall asleep, even though my eyelids are heavy and my thoughts are fuzzy.

A flicker of movement at the den's entrance. I lift my head, a joyful mew rising in my throat. Suddenly that mew is cut off. This cat hovering outside the den is not Ashen Snow.

From what the moonlight's pale silver light allows me to see, this cat has a blue pelt and white paws. Their gaze pierces through me, and my heart pounds in my ears as the cat steps toward me. Then they speak, their voice an icy monotone.

"Your sister is gone. She is not coming back." The cat looks frozen in place. It blinks its round blue eyes slowly. "I apologize that I must pass this news to you." It dips its head very slightly, only for a heartbeat, then with a flick of its tail it disappears.

I continue staring at that one spot, though. Even though the mysterious cat is gone, its words still echo in my mind.

''Your sister is gone. She is not coming back.''

'''When I keep saying that I'm looking for an empty space Oh, I'm wishing you're here'''

Dawn. I don't see the cat again. It's like it actually disappeared. Maybe it was merely an illusion...? I did feel somewhat lightheaded last night, so maybe I had been imagining the short event. But Ashe still isn't back... maybe it was real after all.

But if that's true, then what did the cat mean by gone? Was it saying that Ashe is... No, she couldn't be...

A cough, which has been building up in my chest, suddenly shakes me from my thoughts. My throat stings from the sudden, harsh cough, and I grimace, willing the pain to go away. I need to get rid of this illness, but I don't know how. I have no knowledge of medicines. I wish to learn, but I have no one to teach me. While it is possible that I could teach myself, I would not know which herb does what until I tried them.

I let out a sigh, resting my head on my outstretched forepaws. My eyes close, and I just want to remain curled up like this forever.

I'm almost asleep when I hear a light thump on the ground. I quickly open one eye, but no one is there. A sweet scent drifts through the air, one I haven't smelled before. I open my other eye and sit up, curiosity taking over. Something sits in the grass at my paws, covered in some golden-colored liquid. I hesitantly dab at the thing with my paw, then lap at the liquid. Instantly my throat begins to feel better.

I take a few more laps of the golden liquid, and eventually my throat feels normal. I still have a lot of the mysterious liquid left; I wish I could share it with Ashe. She would like it. And she would know what it is.

"It's called honey." a voice calls out. I whirl around to see an auburn tabby with a white tail tip. Judging by the voice, I can tell that the cat is a female. "Sorry about your sister." she meows, a sad smile on her face.

"What happened to her?" I ask, a tremor in my voice.

"Eh." The tabby shrugs. "Can't tell ya. Sorry, kit." She blinks her green eyes, then twitches her ears. "Gotta go. Wish I could stay, but y'know. Got some stuff to do. See ya!" Before I can reply, she spins around and strides off.

'''But I'm wishing you're gone I can't have you and I'm only gonna do you wrong'''

What's with all these weird cats?

Oh, I'm going to mess this up Oh, this is just my luck

Over and over and over again '''I'm sorry for everything Oh, everything I've done'''

''' From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved''' '''

Am I out of luck? Am I waiting to break?'''

''' When I keep saying that I'm looking for a way to escape Oh, I'm wishing I had what I'd taken for granted I can't help you when I'm only gonna do you wrong'''

Oh, I'm going to mess this up Oh, this is just my luck

''' Over and over and over again I'm sorry for everything Oh, everything I've done'''

''' From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved'''

'''In the meantime can we let it go At the roadside that We used to know'''

''' We can let this drift away Oh, we let this drift away'''

'''At the bay side Where you used to show In the moonlight'''

''' Where we let it go We can let this drift away Oh, we let this drift away'''

'''And there's always time to change your mind Oh, there's always time to change your mind Oh, love, can you hear me?'''

''' Oh, let it drift away I'm sorry for everything Oh, everything I've done'''

''' From the second that I was born it seems I had a loaded gun And then I shot, shot, shot a hole through everything I loved Oh, I shot, shot, shot a hole through every single thing that I loved'''

'''In the meantime can we let it go At the roadside that We used to know'''

''' We can let this drift away Oh, we let this drift away At the bay side'''

''' Where you used to show In the moonlight Where we let it go'''

''' We can let this drift away Oh, we let this drift away'''

'''And there's always time to change your mind Oh, there's always time to change your mind'''

'''Oh, love, can you hear me? Oh, let it drift away'''

 g    o    l    d