The Chronicles of Koipaw

viii

Ethereally Delusion
word limit - 2000
points earned - 8

Darkness. Pure darkness. Inky black surrounded the cave, invading every crevice; blanketing the granite walls. Liquorice colours swirled in the musky cavern, their pitch hues obscuring all sight. No visible light was present, neither sun nor moon could mould its rays to fit in the compact cave. The dank air was motionless, it's ambrosial fragrance wafting throughout the stone walls. Muteness of onyx darkness was almost deafening. After a few long moments, loud thumping filled the silence, the methodical pumping filled the void of calm. Like blood pumping in excited veins, the beat became faster and faster, growing louder with each passing second. Materialising out of the darkness, swirls of flames grew from the dusty ground, each tendril of fire latching onto each other. The embers grew, forming the shape of an inferno tiger, with each detail and stripe covered with specks of fiery light. Snarling, the blazing tiger spat out ashes and opened his scorching wide jaws. Without warning, it lunged, it's fire ready to devour the cave whole...

Koisplash woke up in cold sweat. Her sleek calico fur was drenched in bodily fluids; her vibrant sapphire eyes wide with shock. Scrambling onto her dainty paws, the tri-colour she-cat whipped her head back and forward, searching for the phantom beast in her dreams. The nightmare, it was too realistic, the young warrior could almost feel the burning inferno prickle at her skin. Panting heavily, the she-cat sat down and drew her paw over her white ears in an attempt to calm her raging nerves. It took a few minutes for the feminine cat to compose herself, to soothe her erratic heart and pulse. Flecks of light seeped in the den, creating an ethereal misty effect in the cave's atmosphere. Why was this dream affecting her so much? Something about it felt dangerous, almost forewarning. Standing up again to shake her pelt from the night's perspiration, Koisplash felt a wave of nausea crash down, dropping a huge force onto her forehead. The granite cavern felt off, like something was missing.

Egyptian blue eyes widening, a small gasp escaped the she-cat's throat. The stone cave in which she and her clanmates were trapped in was empty. The hollow was devoid of life, mammal and organic. All crevices had been cleaned, the saccharine berries and foul herbs were absent from their shelves. The small mound of stale prey that once lay behind her nest was swept clean, with an exception of the used chalky bones. At the blocked entrance, the ginormous fallen redwood tree had disappeared, replaced with a slate boulder. Koisplash's dappled fur stood on end, her flint claws unsheathed. What had happened?! Where were her companions and friends? The lithe calico took a shaky step towards the scattered bones, hoping that perhaps of them could give any clues to what took place when she was in her restless slumber. Stalking near the mound of alabaster remains, the trapped feline could only just make out a shape of the bones in the dim light.

Right as the she-cat got remote close to the pile, the porcelain bones began to shudder and move, forming a circular shape of the cave's basalt floor. Koisplash jumped, hissing in surprise. Confusion spread like wildfire in her mind as she stared at the cavern's mysterious prey remains. The circle was too perfect; each bone spread evenly apart. The possibility of the inanimate objects moving to such shape without help stunned the multicolour warrior. Curiosity bubbled at the young cat's belly as she sluggishly inched towards the ring, her interest getting the better of her judgement. Inwardly, Koisplash tried to stop her white paws from edging towards the formation, yet somehow, she was compelled to shuffle forwards. As the marmalade, black, and white feline was only a whisker from the circle of bones, her legs grew unstable, and she was sent flying right through the centre of the ring, and straight through the basalt cave-floor.

The wind rushed at the warrior's chiffon face as she plummeted through the charcoal darkness. For what seemed like forever, Koisplash descended through the midnight oblivion, falling paws-first into the abyss of darkness. Soggy, bitter air pierced the tumbling warrior's skin like thousands of little rose thorns. Gravity seemed to catch up with the she-cat as her limber body slammed into the ground, a large 'thud' echoing throughout the pitch-black gloom. The mottled feline lay on the hickory ground, her hindlegs sprawled out beneath her while her forelegs were tucked safely in her chocolate-coloured chest. Loud sirens rung in her ears; the impact of the fall taking its toll on her bodily functions. For many prolonged, painful moments, the young warrior faded in and out of consciousness, inky clouds drifting across her vision. Koisplash could only moan slightly as the agony from the collision blurred the she-cat's control over her broken body. Seconds trickled by like water in a light drizzle, the ache dulling as the molly lay on the floor.