Silent Shadows: Book Two - The River of Secrets

III

A musty fragrance wrapped itself around him, rousing the tom from his previous state of unconsciousness. A feeling of intoxication strangled him, he had no idea how he'd fallen into unawareness and awoken in this place. He raised his head to stare at the murky place he'd found himself in. Where am I?

A feeling of exhaustion ate away at him, threatening to send him back into unconsciousness. Despite it, he decided to continue scanning the place he had ended up in. It was a black room, the charcoal-toned walls chipping away. The only source of light was a lamp hanging from the ceiling's centre, bathing the room in a pale half-light. It almost resembled moonlight. Sickly moonlight.

But what stirred disease in the tom was something else.

Crimson was splashed upon the walls. Blood spoiled the murky room, splattered upon the floor. It caused his insides to wriggle with sickness as the scent of aged blood filled his lungs, threatening to send him back into a coma.

"You're awake," a she-cat spoke behind him.

The tom's head snapped around to see a silhouette standing against the wall. She sauntered forth, the sickly lamplight falling down upon her to reveal her to be a tall calico. "My name's Silentdawn. I must ask you a question."

"Go to Hell," the tom spat, backing away in terror. "What do you want from me!? Leave me alone!!"

"I'm asking if you know anything about BlazeClan," She hissed, murderous fury glimmering in her green eyes. "Pebblestar. Are you one of his mercs? Do you work for him? Answer me now, bastard."

Confusion began to play along as the salt in his sea of fear. What was she talking about? "Who the hell are they!?" he hissed. "Get away from me!!!"

"Don't play dumb with me!!" she snarled, pouncing forth in rage. Her sharp green eyes were now inches away from his, brightened by a murderous gleam as her claws became unearthed. "I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!"

"I swear, I don't!!" He let his claws become unsheathed too, however he had no knowledge in fighting. In desperation his eyes scanned the room, setting upon a gaping exit where a door should be, time having caused it to fall out. The tom didn't hesitate. He pounced past his captor, dashing through the empty doorway and out into the abandoned building. He had to get away from here.

"Get back here!" the she-cat snarled. 

He flew forth into the darkness, finding himself trapped in a blind labyrinth as he dashed through the halls. No light penetrated this place, it was sealed away from all illumination. The flash of maddened green eyes peeked through the black for a moment, notifying the tom that he was now locked in a tight chase.

"Won't let you run away," she hissed, bounding forth in an attempt to catch him in her claws.

'Speed up.' Through the pounding of his heart, his mind cried to him. He pressured himself to believe he could run faster, and elude this place. He didn't want to die. He couldn't die. 

As he dashed onward, his pace suddenly became too swift, and he lost his balance. The tom tumbled upon the frigid stone ground, his escape put to an end. Before he could even regain his senses and continue running, his captor had caught up, her claws pinning him down to the ground. 

He gasped as he felt her press down upon his lungs.  He forced himself to try and struggle his way out, yet it was no use. He was helpless as he stared up into the gaze of the she-cat. Her eyes were fixed in a deathly glare, fully wide, her soul completely uncovered as she stared down upon him.

"They took everything from me." Her broadened eyes almost appeared emotionless, their sharp green almost glowing in the midst of the suffocating darkness. "They destroyed my home, killed my family. Because of them, everyone I love is gone. How could I ever forgive them for that?"

Before the tom could utter a word of protest, she moved her claws from his heart to his throat and instantly struck. In just a second, the tomcat felt his breath stolen away, helpless as his life and his consciousness rapidly poured out from the wound she'd opened. He was falling, yet he had gone too deep to realize that. He'd descended into a puddle of splashed crimson.

He was dead.

-

Silentdawn sat alone, by shores she'd never been to before. The long day had finally come to a colourful end, leaving the sun to sink into faraway golden seas upon the world's edge. Sapphire heavens were extending forth forever, never coming to an end. She basked, silent in the hopeless dusk. The views meant nothing, yet at least they gave her something lovely to gaze upon, at least temporarily. Suddenly, she found herself distracted by a voice.

"Damn it, not again," Silentdawn muttered under her breath. She tried not to let it bother her, instead soaking her attention in the sound of the lake's waves splashing upon the rocks. But the voice grew louder, teasing her mind. It was torturing her.

"Hey," next to her was a russet molly with a white undercoat. Her golden eyes glimmered with youthful optimism. "What's wrong, Silentpaw?"

Silentdawn turned away, feeling as if a knife had pierced her back. "Silentpaw's not my name anymore. You know that, right, Sunpaw?"

Sunpaw giggled, as if she'd been cleansed of all memory she'd once had, unaware of what'd happened to her. "Of course I am. You think I wasn't there when you decided on your new name?"

She continued to laugh. Laughing like a drain over something so small, that was just like her. Silentdawn gazed at her, not speaking a word as she continued to laugh, before opening her sunny eyes and warming her soul with a gaze. Then, without even fading away, she was gone. Nothing occupied the space where she once sat, simply leaving behind the view of the bushes behind her.

I hallucinated again. Saw someone who doesn't even exist anymore.

Feeling a storm of sorrow deep in her soul, Silentdawn dug her claws into the earth, averting her eyes from the place where Sunpaw was now absent. Sunpaw, you idiot, why'd you go and die on me!? Come back...come back to me, please...