This Time, They're Not Here

This Time, They're Not Here  They Can't Protect You Now 

 Phoenix Flight 

One
"No! Please, j-just leave us alone!"

"Too late for that, Strike."

"But, Raggedfur-"

Strike didn't get to finish her sentence. Raggedfur's claws slash through her throat, sending blood cascading down over my head, covering me like a crimson blanket.

I shake the blood off of my pelt and cry, "Mom!" My black fur was now caked with dark-red blood, some already dried from the clawing I'd recieved from my father eariler. The wound in my ear stings again, as if it were a fresh wound. But it wasn't.

I bound toward Strike, but Raggedfur - the one I called Dad - steps in front of me and I run into his leg. I look up at him, my eyes hopefully filled with rage and not fear. "Raggedfur!" I hiss. "Why-!?"

"Oh, young kit." Raggedfur purrs icily, his blood-stained paw moving toward me. I recognize this gesture. I means that he wanted to hurt me. Really bad. I stagger away, almost slipping on my mother's blood. I flatten my ears and try to look mean, but I don't think I can. I'm only five moons old, and my father's about eighteen moons. I don't look threatening to him at all! And the look in his cruel amber eyes tells me that.

"Young kit." he growls again. "You don't understand the motives of us grown cats. We kill when we have a reason. And I had a reason. A good reason, you little idiot."

I don't flinch at his insult. I'd been called an idiot and much worse by Da- ''him. ''

"And my Clan - y'know, that little FlameClan I told you about - gives me enough reason." He cups his paw around my hind legs and pulls me closer to him. I can smell his breath when he whispers, "I'm loyal to them." Then he somehow pulls me closer, to where my ear is touching his mouth. I try to push him away, but he's stronger than I am. Then he hisses, "I'm loyal to them so I can be the leader."

I feel his teeth digging into my ear, and I scream in anger and pain. I lash out blindly with my claws, not seeing or caring where I hit him.

I hear a screech of pain, and Raggedfur stumbles back, holding a paw over his left eye. I saw blood welling out from beneath his paw, and I feel satisfied for a moment.

I savor the moments.

Then he lets out a scream of rage and lurches toward me, uncovering his eye. It's closed, and four thin but bloody clawmarks are traced over the eyelids. I roll away from his huge clawed paws, then I run for a thornbush. He wouldn't be able to weave through the thorns like I would. I dive into the thorns. They're my shield now.

-tbc-