Linked(Series)

LINKED

Everything is linked...

Nothing remains untouched...

And no one escapes the web

"Poppy!" A loud voice chided and I rolled my eyes dismissively at the towering pale she-cat that stood before me, a combination of concern and sheer rage on her face, "How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Yeah, yeah, no sneaking out at night because it's dangerous and there are dogs and no sneaking out at day because its dangerous and there are twolegs and no playing with other cats because they might get violent, but no playing with yourself either because you could get hurt, and shouldn't I dare try to catch my own prey because it might bite me but shouldn't I dare attempt to eat less to grow thinner either!"

"I expect respect from you, Poppy. I gave birth to you under tough situations, and maybe not all parents will agree with my methods, but everything I do is for you. Which gives you no right to start snapping at me like that! Goodness, Poppy, I'm your mother!"

"Mothers aren't supposed to lock their children up all day and keep them from living so that they don't get hurt, mom. I'm seven moons old now, you need to stop treating me like I'm three."

"You'll always be a kit to me," Her smile was affectionate but it made me awkward and irked. My mother had to get over the fact that I wasn't a kit anymore. She had to let me be what I was; a growing she-cat with a passion for adventure and games!

"Then you'll always be annoying to me!" I responded sharply, before whirling around and marching towards my den, which, unfortunately was right beside her.

"Sometimes we have to let go of our need for excitement, and adventure and silly, pointless dangerous games, Poppy. Sometimes we just have to grow up, and until you prove to me that you can do such, I have no problem remaining annoying-as long as it keeps you safe."

She offered me a sad smile before curling up in the nest next to mine, quickly falling asleep, leaving me angered at her. I had just come back from an awesome chase with dogs alongside a new friend, Amber, and as soon as I returned home she had to just spoil it.

The other cats I had met were also annoyed by their parents but even they would gape when I told them about how uptight, overprotective and outright annoying mine could be.

As I continued to listen to the sound of my mother sleeping, I felt an odd rage working its way up me. Who does she think she is?

My mother, yes, but that didn't give her the right to control every bit of my life. That didn't make it okay for her to flip out every time I left eyesight for just a short moment.

She was like a guard dog, and I wasn't appreciating the role.

So-as she continued to snore, and I continue to wonder how severe the consequences would be if I got caught I finally decided to do the unthinkable, the steadily increasing thumping of my heart confirming my choice. I would have an adventure in the one thing my mom feared the most; the dark.

I studied her for a moment to make sure she was truly asleep, and once I knew that such was doubtlessly the case, I pushed myself out of my nest, turning to the stars for a moment in excitement. I almost wanted my mother to catch me-to see that she could not contain me this way.

I knew though that such would be the end-that she would always find ways to contain me and make sure I didn't even try to live.

So, I was careful as I sneaked out of our den, glancing quickly at our home, a little patch of grass surrounded by streets and twoleg life, before giving myself an encouraging nod and continuing.

That dog chase would prove to be nothing-I would have a real dangerous, exciting and story-worthy adventure tonight. And there would be nothing my mother could do about it.

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"Poppy?" Amber, the ginger she-cat I had befriended that day, while running from loose dogs together, stirred while I prodded her. As she woke, I glanced about her home curiously, and was able to appreciate the luxury of my own home for the first life.

Where my mother and I lived in a grassy area and slept on soft, warm moss Amber living in the twoleg alleys-sleeping on a brown flat thing that had what I recognized as tape all over the sides.

"What is that?" I couldn't help but question.

"Cardboard," She replied as she finally pushed herself to her paws. I realized for the first time how much older she was than me, probably around the age of my mother. She finally turned to me, a snappy expression on her face which nearly scared me. Clearly Amber liked her sleep, "So what did you wake me for? To shove it in my face that you have a nicer bed and home than me?

"No, not at all!" I squeaked.

"What then?"

"I was going to, uh, try another adventure," I whispered, suddenly scared of that vicious look in the she-cats eyes, "Toy with a group of angry twolegs and-"

"Why does this concern me?"

"I thought you liked adventure..." I was murmuring. I had suspected Amber had been my friend, but as I stared into her sharp eyes now I realized we hadn't been friends-not in her eyes at least. I was just someone who had helped her escape near death.

"What a stupid idea!"

Realizing that if she said no, which it almost doubtlessly seemed that she would, I would have to turn around like a loser and go on the adventure alone which was as pointless as sitting in my nest on a night during which I couldn't sleep, I began to think fast and an idea quickly hit me when I saw her ribs poking through her pelt.

"They have lots of food and I'll let you take all of it."

She seemed hesitant for a moment as a loud growl erupted from her stomach, and glanced about before looking down at her paws again. She nodded.

"But we are not friends, get that notion out of your head, kittypet."

I ignored the insult. Hmm, perhaps even going alone would be better than going with this cranky old badger. Although she wasn't quite so mean when we were running from dogs despite the fact that she had a good reason to be in a terrible mood then.

"Let's go already!" She snapped, cutting my thoughts in half, and I shook my head fiercely, nodding. The better I got back to my next the better. It would be too late by now to stop this if my mother caught me, but I knew if I could return undetected it would mean escaping any punishments or yelling or whatever she may have in store for me.

"Let's go," I agreed, leading the way for the tabby ginger she-cat as she followed from a few steps behind me. I resisted the urge to scrunch my nose-I hadn't noticed how bad she smelled before.

"So how are you doing?"

"I told you that we are not friends."

There was a tight, long-lasting silence before I nodded, "Sorry, I forgot. I hope you don't mind my asking, but why exactly don't you want to be friends?"

"Because," She snapped, "Friends are useless clumps of fur that only occupy your emotional capacity so you can't concentrate as much, which means you have a harder time surviving when always thinking about them, and then it hurt in the end when you learn that your mate has left you for your best friend and all of your other 'pals' are there congratulating her, and don't even stop to give you their condolences."

"I'm sorry," I hope my voice made it clear how sincere I was. I had never fallen in love before but I assumed she really had feelings for the tom she was currently talking about.

"Stop being friendly," She snapped, and I sighed, continuing to lead her towards the place I had heard of. I wasn't even positive that they had food, but I couldn't imagine a twoleg that wouldn't."

The urge to converse with her was so hard to resist I ended up biting into my tongue. She seemed to notice my torture at the fact that I couldn't speak to her because a smile curved up her jaw.

"Something wrong, kittypet?"

"I'm not a kittypet," I murmured, best as I could, while my teeth continued to encase my tongue, "Why do you even call me that?"

"Because you're pampered and mommy always takes care of you," She spat, "Which basically makes you no different from a kittypet-only for them it's their owners instead of their moms."

I bit back a sharp response-quite literally.

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"That's the house," I whispered from behind the bushes where we were watching as two old twolegs ate from a large piece of glass hanging in their house which Amber had called a window.

"Alright, you distract them and I'll get the food," She whispered and I stared at her in surprise.

"Those twolegs have the sticks-those guns," I gasped, "I can't face them alone or I'll get shot and killed and..." I trailed off, fear suddenly pulsing through my heart, as I realized what I had done by coming here. I could, very possibly would die because of this...

What was I thinking?'

"Your fault for having such a stupid idea," Amber shrugged her gaze still trained ahead, "They get mad really easily so just scratch their windows and they'll be out trying to shoot you while I sneak in and grab the food."

"I-I-I'm not sure this is a good idea anymore," I offered, taking a shaky step back, "I kind of like my pelt and my life-or at least living, since I don't really have much of a life because my mother always confines me to my nest even though I now understand why..." I was rambling and Amber clearly wasn't buying it.

Within moments she had pinned me to the ground a dangerous snarl spreading across her face and, timing itself perfectly, a large growl erupted from her stomach.

"I'm hungry, you well-fed kittypet," She snarled, "Now stop being such a selfish brat, who can only bother to think about themselves and help me feed myself."

Had her claws not been right at my throat I would have told her to stop being so selfish and expect me to put my life on the line so that she could have a nice meal but I knew it was either certain death at her claws or possible death at that of the twolegs.