Astro

x prologue x

Pride swelled in the young tom's chest as he stepped out of camp. He was helpful; he was doing something useful for his family. Finally he had worth. Finally, they'd love him.

He lifted up the top of the trap, peaking inside. There was a rabbit there, and quickly, he slammed his paw down on its neck, claws unsheathed. Blood pooled on the ground, and Astro watched with a sick fascination as it swirled with the dirt, turning a muddy red that seemed so... wrong. 

He swallowed his nausea and moved the rabbit out. He kicked up the dirt to cover the blood and set up the trap, setting down the leaves that he'd been holding in his mouth. Delicately, he arranged them at the edge of the trap so that if an animal crossed the rope buried in the dirt, it'd pull down on the trap and it would be captured, a waiting meal for his family.

I'm finally learning to feed them.
I finally have value.

And as he was readjusting the rope, kicking more dirt over it, a loud screech pierced the calm silence of the forest. His ears flicked in the direction the sound came from - he could feel his heart pulsing in his paws. Abandoning the rabbit in its last movements of death, he raced off toward where one of the traps was located.

No no no no no no no. 

This wasn't his normal trap - no, this was the one with a metal beam fastened to the tree above. Were it to be tripped, it would swing down and knock the unsuspecting prey to the trunk, pinning it there. It'd only worked once - it had completely demolished the squirrel, leaving behind only a blood smear and a tail.

He had been meaning to fix it.

But this one was the single trap he hadn't warned the family about. It was tucked in a far corner of the forest, away from where the kits played and away from where his siblings and father hunted.

But there was something wrong.

He raced through the trees, the bushes only streaks of green as he leaped over a log, catapulted himself over a patch of rocks, and dodged trunks, weaving through the trees. No no no no. The mental screaming matched up with his steps. No - step - this - step - can't - step - be - step - true.

No.

He slowed to a stop, and there was blood everywhere. Red, ugly red, scarlet, murderous scarlet - everywhere.

How could this have happened?

Astro let out a little whimper, dropping to his paws. "Titan? Nova?" He nosed the limp bodies in front of him, a sob swelling in his throat.

No no no no no.

"C'mon," he whispered. His heart had fled his chest, his soul had left his body. He was dizzy, and he stumbled, landing face-first in a pool of blood. When he got up, red was staining his vision.

"Nova. Titan. Wake up." He couldn't feel his paws. Astro's legs crumpled beneath him again, and he was back in a pile of fur on the ground. The dirt tasted like blood as the cruel world around him was collapsing.

He laid there until his vision had gone black and his head was throbbing along with his pulse. Through the fog came a loud screaming, and Astro realized it was coming from his own mouth.

And when the other cats finally arrived, there was only word Astro could here:

"Murderer!"