Drowned







Drowned

by Phoenix Flight

Prologue
"All cats who survived gather around the Pond for a Clan meeting!"

She's terrified. So are her three siblings. And her mother, too. Stormstar's call echoes through the camp, and I can't think about what will happen. She's the smallest. The weakest. Her siblings are strong.

At least more than one kit will make it through this.

Stormstar steps up to the kits. Their mother is dragged away by the deputy. I think his name is Splashfoot, but I'm not sure.

Stormstar and three of his closest friends pick up each kit by the scruff.

I can barely watch. But I must.

The four cats pad over the small pond, their eyes shining. Then, with all their strength, hurl the kittens into the water, all four splashing right in the middle.

They all flail helplessly, letting out strangled wails as water slips down their throats. One, the long-furred silver one, goes down and doesn't come up.

She's drowned.

The kits' mother lets out a wail of agony.

Another kit, the big white tom with a patch of silver on his tail. Flailing his paws desperately, he sinks, only his tiny paw seen before it too goes under.

He's drowned.

Another wail of pain is heard.

The silver-and-white tom keeps his head over the water, but his form is poor. He is flailing like a fish. Eventually, slowly, he screams as he is pulled under. Bubbles break the water's rippled surface. One, two, three. None.

He's drowned.

The ginger-and-white she-kit. There's no way she is going to survive. Her tiny paws come up, then go back down, and her head bobs in and out of the water.

Stormstar watches. Just watches, his blue eyes narrowed.

She's pulled back by a sudden wind, and goes under. She doesn't come back.

The mother screams, a long scream full of sorrow.

Stormstar stands, flicking his ears disapprovingly.

The other cats do the same, glaring into the water. I, reluctantly, get to my paws.

...Wait! She's back!

The soaked ginger-and-white head bursts out of the water near the small pond edge. She propells herself through the water with one stoke and throws herself onto the grass near the edge, her flanks heaving and water spraying from her mouth.

The medicine cat rushes to her side, picks her up by her scruff, and takes her into his den to heal her.

Three drowned kits. One kit-killing leader.

This is LakeClan.

Chapter One
I thrash in my nest, imagining the time I almost drowned.

Jaypaw shakes my shoulder, mewing, "Lightpaw! Snap out of it!"

-tbc-