Hope's Final Wish

Chapter Ten

    I leaned on Midnight's shoulders as I hobbled out of the my box. He'd said cats were waiting for me to speak. I saw many cats gathered around, ready to listen. I painfully sat down on the cement. They were expecting me to make a speech, I realized.

    I swallowed and began. "Thank you all. The clan cats, house cats, and loners. And you too, Flicker." I gazed at my best friend. He dipped his head. "The dogs are gone, and we are all okay. Except for me." Light chuckling sounded. "Anyway, I am pleased to say that we are safe. Thank you, especialy, Clan cats, for risking your lives and coming here. I- I am so happy my old home is safe from danger." My thoat tightened as looked down.

     "Hope! Hope!" the Clan cats chanted. Soon the others joined in. They chanted my name and I felt completely happy for once in my life. No worries. Just happiness.

    "Hope," Frogsplash stepped forward. "We plan to leave tomorrow, if that's okay." I nodded at the tom.

    "That is fine." I meowed. Midnight stood up. "But it''s in the middle of the night. You'd better get some sleep. We still have to repay you."

    "No. No it's fine. I'm sure Hunterstar will understand. We barely did anything, so there is no need." A tom named Leaftail meowed.

    "Can we go back to our houses now?" called out a black and white cat.

    "I need to go back to my kits." meowed a familiar calico she-cat. I looked closer at her. Suddenly I remembered her. She was the she-cat who hissed at me when I first ran away! Her name was Rosie, I think.

    "You can go back whenever you like," I replied coldly to her. Midnight must've gotten her to come here and I didn't know. Until now. "I hope your kits are health, Rosie."

    Her face was surprised, then filled with reconition. "Hey! You are that kit I met a long time ago." 

    Midnight leaned in next to my ear. "Who's she, Hope?"

    "A she-cat I met a long time ago. I don't like her all that much." I whispered back to him. I stood up and held my broken foot up. I nodded to the cats in front of me. "Once again, thank you so much for helping us." I hobbled back to my den with my old brown blanket. I circled it and layed down. Midnight slipped in and layed down next to me. He started licking my flank.

    "I will take care of you until you're better." he meowed softly. "I will bring you tons of mice and voles. I promise."

    I purred. "I will get very fat," I warned. "Better just let me roll around instead of hunt." Midnight stared intently into my eyes.

    "Do you think you can make it back to the forest?" he asked. "To your old den? It would be better not to worry about humans and dogs. And other cats." I felt a slight twinge of protest, not wanting to leave my old den, but pushed the thought away. I looked at Midnight. His black fur gleamed slightly in the moonlight.

    "Yes, I will make it. I- It's time to leave this place again." Midnight stared at me, puzzled as I spoke.

    "Again?" he repeated.

    I realized I had never told him the story about when I ran away and met Flicker. Not the whole story, anyway.

    "Well, when I was at my humans home, I ran away. Then a dog scared me and I raced all the way down here, I guess. I made a stop at the pet store-"

    "What does this have to do with the box?" he interrupted.

    "and I got here." I continued like he hadn't spoken. "I met Flicker on the other side of the brick wall, and I made a nest in this box with this very blanket. We ran off to the woods, and we hunted and lived together. I never returned here until this week."