New Chance

Prologue
A white she-cat with brown ears, tail patches, and paws padded through a grassy field. A hill sloped above it, but her eyes were focused on what was ahead of her. She had spotted a mouse. All of a sudden, a badger came out of the bushes. How did I not scent that? She growled in her mind. The badger leaped at her. “Help!” she yowled.

She clawed at the badger’s belly. She had the upper paw for a second, while she was on its back, but it knocked her off. She landed on the ground, dazed. She watched as a blurry white shape yowled, “Don’t hurt May!”

May gazed around. As her vision focused, she realized it was her leader. “Cotton,” she gasped.

Cotton planted a paw in front of May, blocking the badger from her. She got up. Cotton leaped at the badger again, and May joined in, clawing at its sides. Suddenly, Cotton was flung off with a gasp. “Cotton!” May shrieked.

With fury like fire, May leaped onto the badger, biting into its throat. In the midst of her anger, she barely noticed Cotton’s broken body lying on the ground. May leaped onto the badger’s back and bit down hard on its throat. The badger roared in pain and fury, but sank to the ground. May turned to Cotton. “Cotton…” she whispered, “are you okay?”

Cotton just made a small gurgling noise. May looked at the tear in her throat. “May…. I’m… going to move on…” Cotton whispered.

“You can’t die!” May screamed.

“My time… is up.”

Cotton took a heaving gasp, and lay limp. “COTTON!!!” May yowled.

Tears in her eyes, May took Cotton’s scruff. She dragged it back to camp. Blood spattered her pelt and the grass. It looks like I just murdered someone, May thought. She made it back to the sandy area. “My nine lives,” May muttered.

She had been the deputy. She padded through the sand, until she reached the Moon Hollow. She had to go through the suddenly forest-like area until she reached the Life Tree. As she trudged through, sadness swamped over her. She reached the tree, and touched her nose to it.