The Shifted

Chapter 1

The tiny black kitten slowly lifted her head to experience a new day, blinking her deep blue eyes at the sun that came shining through the nearby window. She cocked her head at it, wondering how many mornings started exactly like this. Yawning, the kitten stretched out her black, fluffy paws as far as she could. As she sat up, the small shreds of paper skrinkled undersheth her paws. She looked up at her mother, who was a beautiful longhaired white cat with swirls of tan and streaks of light grey. Her dull green eyes stared into nothingness, lost in thought. What could she be thinking about? the small kitten thought. She pounced on her mother and clamped her jaws down hard on her ear. "Good morning!!!" The kitten squealed. The she-cat blinked in surprise and looked up "Good morning, my sweet Rose. How was your night?"
Jumping off her mother's head, the kitten grumbled "The EXACT SAME as the night before. And the night before that. And guess what? The night before THAT TOO!" Her mother sighed and licked the black tufts of fur on top of the kitten's head. "Watch your mouth dear. I told you many times before, this is the path that life has decided to take us on, and we can't fight against it." The tiny kitten rolled her eyes in annoyance "But it's so BORING here! I wish I had a FRIEND or something else to look at besides BARS and MORE EMPTY CAGES." She huffed, turning around and swaying her tail angrily.
Rose peered through the thin metal bars of her cage wall, looking around the shed. Their own cage sat on top of a counter that bordered the worn shed walls. A large window above their cage allowed natural light to illuminate the area. Additional cages were scattered across the room, some broken and mangled on the floor, while others were on the tables across from them. The tiny cat sighed and swished her tiny black tail. Is this really all I'm going to look at for the rest of my life? She thought to herself, a bitter sadness stinging her chest.
Both cats stiffened as heavy footsteps approached the shed door. "Hush now,'' her mother said quickly. "Get in the corner." Rose dove into a corner of the cage, A half-empty water bowl shielding her from sight. She curled into a ball, making herself look as small as possible as her pitch-black fur blended perfectly into the shadows. The kitten could hear loud, thumping footsteps emerging closer and closer as she held her breath, hesitantly peeking at her mother. The large she-cat fluffed up her spotted grey fur, making her seem double her size to shield her daughter.
Suddenly, the cage door banged open with a jerk, shaking the two cats inside of it. Rose squinted her eyes shut and looked away. There was a moment of silence before the cage door shut just as suddenly as it had opened. The black kitten opened her eyes wide, holding her breath for a couple of minutes after the thumping footsteps faded away. Once she was sure the coast was clear, the little black kitten timidly crept out of her hiding spot and sat down on the stiff bedding, which was still warm from her mother's body heat. She looked around at the cage, suddenly feeling small and alone. Rose shook her head and sighed. She had never seen whatever was taking her mother away from her, but she always got the feeling that it could kill her easily if it scared her mother that badly. This strange occurrence had been happening for as long as the kitten could remember, and it happened every couple of days.
Her mother never told her why she was stuck in this cage, and Rose longed to free herself and her mother from this horrible imprisonment. She growled angrily and stared at the window, deep in thought. Hah, look at me, She shook her head, Brooding and pouting just like Mother. Maybe I'll be just as boring if I'm stuck here for eternity. The kitten wondered what could possibly be waiting for her outside of the window, and only knew the things her mother told her in stories. Her mother was a gentle and quiet cat, who would tell stories if Rose begged her enough. Stories that included forests of grass and trees and real prey to eat. The kitten grumbled to herself, lost in thought. I'm going to get us out of here. Someday. Rose walked over to her food bowl and half-heartedly gulped down a few bites of the hard, tasteless pellets. The food tasted like it had been there for ages. Someday I'll be eating a real squirrel. Like Mother did before she got caught here.
An hour or so later, Rose's ears perked up as she heard loud footsteps approaching the doorway. She instinctively lept to hide in the corner of the cage and held her breath, not daring to move. Suddenly, she was jerked sideways as the cage door swung open. There was a moment of silence and a soft thud before the cage door swung shut again. The kitten stayed hidden until the thumping noise stopped, letting out a sigh of relief after the familiar silence returned.
Rose stood up and crept out of the corner to greet her mother, who was grooming herself thoroughly. She noticed that her ribs slightly showed through her thin, matted fur. Her mother blinked her light green eyes at her daughter. "Is something wrong, dear?" She asked as Rose sat down next to her. Of course there's something wrong! Everything is wrong! I'm stuck in a cage and something keeps stealing my mom! She wanted badly to yell at her, but knew the answer before she opened her mouth. Her mother would shrug it off and make up some excuse. Or talk about fate or life's purpose. The black kitten sighed and looked up at the she-cat, "Mom, maybe you should get something to eat? I feel like you're hungry, you haven't been eating lately." Her mother smiled, her eyes shining with sparks of sadness. "I'm fine, dear. You worry about yourself." The small black cat sighed "Okay Mother."
A short time passed as her mom took her evening nap, and the kitten looked around the shed, lost again in her own thoughts. I wonder if I could get Mother to tell me another story today. Maybe one about my father? I don't know much about him. The small kitten smiled as she daydreamed. Oooh, what if he's super cool? What if he's a super cool hunter and explores the forest? Rose sat down, thinking about all the possibilities of who her father could be.
A while later, Rose heard her mother get up from her resting spot, stretching out her back in a great arch. The tips of her paws brushed the sides of the cage bars, limiting her reach. Rose turned to her mother, twitching her ears nervously. "Hey mom, can I ask you something?" She asked, blinking her deep blue eyes with curiosity. Her mother started cleaning her ears and tilted her head "Of course. What's on your mind?" Rose hesitated, then took a breath "Mom, can you tell me about my father?" The spotted she-cat stood still and hesitated for a second, thrown off by the question. "W-well dear, that's a very interesting question, what have you been thinking about?" Rose sighed "I dunno, maybe why I've never SEEN him before? Or know what he LOOKS like? You NEVER talk about him! It's so unfair!" She grumbled.

Her mother took her paw and scooted her daughter in closer to her, wrapping her tail around the both of them. "Your father... was a very powerful cat. I fell in love with him when I shouldn't have. We both broke rules and now I continue to live with the consequences." She looked at the small cat, whose eyes sparkled with wonder. "WO]ow, really? What did he look like?" The curious kitten asked. Her mother closed her eyes, "He was a tall, strong tom who radiated confidence and power. He looked a lot like you, with a thick, dark black coat and piercing eyes....and a strong attitude, gosh." She opened her eyes and let a small smile escape. "You remind me more of him every day."
Rose's eyes grew even wider "Was he the LEADER of everyone?! Did he kill people?! Did a lot of people know him?!" Her mother's eyes darkened suddenly, but only for a moment. "Ah, dear I think it's getting quite late. You must be tired, I'm sure. Eat and go straight to sleep, okay?" She said, her face serious. Defeated, Rose grumbled to herself. It's not fair! If we're stuck here for the rest of our lives she might as well tell me. She yawned and stretched her small, black paws in front of her. "Okay, Mom." As the two cats lay down to sleep, Rose couldn't help but wonder just how many things were hidden from her.