seeing red
by Vee for Blade's contest
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Another cat, dead at my paws. It's a full moon, and, like always, I see blood that isn't really there. But this is different. This blood is real.
Chapter One ~ Dusk
My name is Duskpaw. I'm an apprentice of ThunderClan, under Bramblestar's rule. My father is Bumblestripe. My mother, a senior warrior named Dovewing. Bumblestripe passed away moons ago, in a fight. My siblings are Ripplepaw, who looks like my mother, and Shadepaw, who looks like my father. I, however, look like my aunt Ivypool combined with the former medicine cat, Jayfeather, Cloudtail, and Whitewing.
I'm mostly normal, like my siblings. But not completely.
As a kit, I could see things. I could see spirits.
"Mama?" I mewed.
"Yes, Duskkit?" Dovewing replied, her eyes gentle as she turned to look at me.
"Who's that?" I asked, looking back at the soft-furred grey she-cat who was staring back at me, her fluffy tail curled over her small, delicate-looking paws. She reminded me of a cat, but I couldn't place my paw on who it was...
Dovewing's gaze followed mine, but she seemed confused. "There's no one there, Duskkit." she meowed, twitching her ears.
"Yes there is!" I insist. "She looks like you, Mama, except more grey." I held up my paw to point out the smoky-grey she-cat that sat and stared, her blue eyes twinkling in amusement. She stood, her tail waving, and padded out of the den, but Dovewing was still staring to where my paw pointed.
Ripplekit laughed. "Dusky's being weird again, Dusky's being weird again!" she sang, gently giving me a shove with her tiny, delicate paws. "C'mon, Duskkit. No one's here but us, Mama, and Cinderheart."
Cinderheart. That's who the fluffy cat reminded me of.
Speaking of Cinderheart, she lifted her head, her eyes gentle. "Now, Ripplekit, don't be mean to your sister." she mewed, but I could tell she was concerned. Her eyes always glinted when she was concerned. Like, like moon, her mate, Lionblaze, looked wounded, but he insisted it was only a small cut. Her eyes had glinted like that back then.
"Mama! There was someone there!" I insisted, rising to my paws. "She looked just like Cinderheart!" I was holding back tears then, but now, if someone doubted me, I would only shrug it off. A facade, a mask.
Cinderheart and Dovewing looked at each other, frowning. Dovewing turned to look at me, her eyes soft. "Duskkit, sweetie, you need to rest."
B-but Mama... there was...
I'm an apprentice now. Duskpaw. The name is simple to remember, with an edge to it. I'm stronger, braver. Smarter. I know that the spirit looked like Cinderheart. I know it did. But no one else could see her. Not Ripplepaw. Not Shadepaw. Not Dovewing, Cinderheart, Snowpaw, not even my closest friend Stormpaw. No one but me. I used to see spirits.
But now. Now I see spirits. Spirits and blood, blood everywhere.
-tbc-