Forest's Fate

Chapter 21

After another long day, night falls again. I'm sitting in the Southern Tunnel when an idea strikes me.

Why not escape the tunnel? The entrance is almost right next to me. I can still guard my section out there. It feels pointless to stay in this disgusting place.

The idea feels so tempting that I do it right away with barely any hesitation. I stand up, turn around, and crawl up the path to the exit.

Once I leap out, the cool and inviting breeze greets me. The indigo sky gives me a thrill, even though I've seen it many times by now. My tail sticks up in the air, and I purr out loud with joy of being out of the tunnel. I'm so happy that I only notice the two silhouettes turned towards me a few seconds after my brief celebration.

The warmness in my chest turns to ice. My entire body freezes with dread and pure fear as my ears connect with my head. Two pairs of glowing eyes, one green and the other yellow, meet mine. Both of the black figures are poised low, as if they were about to pounce on each other before I came along. They are only about ten tails away from me.

        I nervously stammer, "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean to walk in on you. I just needed to stretch my legs, that's all-"

        My voice cuts off as I take a closer look than before and realize who the two cats are.

        Ash and Ice.

        I see Ice's actual eye color as he steps forward to meet me. "I knew you were somewhere nearby," he growls with a tone that sends shivers down my back. "I am afraid you ran out of strikes a long time ago."

        Despite the electric fear running up and down my spine, I narrow my eyes and hiss, "I'm not on your side. I choose to be a rebel, and no one can stop me."

        Ice stares straight into my eyes, beating my glare with a much more menacing one. "You are very mistaken," he growls, "and I have enough of your snarky attitude. You shall slowly die under my claws. I suggest that you finally accept your destiny, Forest."

        Before I have time to react, his weight slams into me, and my back hits the ground. I desperately try to kick him off with my back legs, but he is positioned between them, out of reach. He is too heavy for me to even try to slip out of his grip. Ice's gigantic, powerful paw forcefully presses into my throat.

        Panic overtakes me. I can't breathe. Ice is choking me. I don't know how much time passes by, but black spots begin to dance in my vision. Cold blue eyes unblinkingly look down on me as I try to plead for mercy, to scream for air.

        But I can't even whisper. I can't even breathe.

        My vision becomes more distorted. I feel my life slipping away second by second.

        Why do I have to die like this?

         Swoosh. The weight is suddenly thrown off me. Fresh air flows back into my lungs as my body collapses onto my side. I'm so much in shock that it takes me a minute to recover and process what just happened as Ash and Ice appear in my line of vision once more.

        "I will not let you kill Forest," Ash snarls. He is on top of Ice. However, a moment later, Ice manages to skillfully escape him, and he ends up standing next to his brother.

        Ice replies, "I do not see how Forest's death can be a loss for you or me. All that he is useful for is for causing trouble."

        I stumble to my paws. My throat is sore, but I manage to fight back, anyway. "Causing trouble?" I spit. "Why kill me? If I really bother you that much, then just take me back to Earth. That's all I ever wanted in the first place!"