To Merit Bliss



 How could you leave it like this?

or: i deserved better.

a story by vee.

i
''Water rushed over his paws. ''

''The camp had flooded entirely - in fact, it looked more like a river at this point. The only safe place was the rock shelf above the leader's den, but the water was coming up alarmingly fast. ''

''The rain came down blisteringly hard, threatening to wash away the remaining cats. If he was counting correctly, it was him and eight others.''

The rest of the clan had already been stolen away by the cruel waves.

''Another fierce rush of water burst through the camp, soaking the nine of them to their bones. One of the queens shifted her weight to cover her only surviving kit, but the action was not enough to keep it dry.''

''He shivered, then sneezed. He could barely see, and he kept feeling the water sloshing onto his paws. The shelf wasn't going to be safe much longer, and there was nowhere else to go. The rest of the camp had been washed away long ago.''

''Along came another wave. He gritted his teeth and dug his claws into the stone. When the wave passed, he sucked in a gust of air, then began to cough as he inhaled the rain.''

''One of the warriors hadn't been so lucky. She wailed with all her might, before she was tugged underwater, lost forever.''

''"NO!" another warrior screeched, her fur sprayed in every direction, "Not her! You have to go and get her!"''

''"What can I do?" he responded, water pouring out of his mouth.''

She hissed, "That's my mate! You're the leader, you have to do something! We can't make it much longer!"

He mewed, "I know... But what can we do? We are all that's left of SwiftClan."

''"You have to try!" she growled, "You're the one with nine lives!"''

That's where you're wrong.

Lightning struck then, electrifying the water around them.

''"We're dead!" the queen yowled, "This is the end of SwiftClan!"''

''He opened his mouth to say something, but another thing had caught his eye. The warrior from before suddenly looked different - her normally grey fur was stained a hideous red.''

''"Your fur..." he murmured.''

She snarled, "My fur?! Our clan is dead, and you're concerned about the state of my FUR?!"

"No," he tried to say, "It's red."

"Have you lost your mind!?"

''He looked down at the water, which had turned to match her fur. It was the same sick colour as blood, and he felt himself grow ill at the sight of it.''

''"Can't you see it?" he rasped, "The water?"''

''"I can see the water just fine!" she growled.''

He cried, "You don't understand! Look at it! LOOK AT IT!"

''A third wave came through, this time, red and salty smelling. He only had time to stare at it in horror, before it slammed into his weakened body, and carried him away.''

The last he heard was the scream of his Clanmates, before there was nothing but silence.