Russet Mask

Prologue

Fear filled the kits as they were carried along. Rough wood blocked their every side. Splinters shoved into their paws.

Then they were roughly dropped into stillness.

Thunder cracked the air. The male kit let out a wail of distress. The box was suddenly shaken. Squeaking the kits quieted down in fear. Falling silent, the kits listened to the sound of the humans moving around clipping and thumping noises surrounding them. With a click the men were gone. A strange noise and a thump of something closing startled the kits. The patter of rain softly falling calmed the cat for only a second. Then an engine roared to life just under their paws. Startled by the sudden noise the kits tumbled off their feet when being jerked into motion. They crashed into the back of the box, tumbling into each other. The rush of rain filled the air. Water started to drip through the top of the box. A small hole in the top gave a good eye hole. The she-kit struggled to keep her balance as she tried to see through the water dribbling down from the hole. Another sudden crack of thunder made the kits flinch. Then a flash of lightning lit the world up. There was a squeal of mud and tires, the truck they were riding in skidded off course. The she-kit was thrown sideways into a sharp splinter in the edge of the soggy box. Her brother let out a wet wail as they flipped. There was a yell from the men. Grinding of mental sounded. The crack of bones thundered in the air. The kits found themselves still in the box, but now covered in mud. Blood was trickling from out of the box. The air was filled with the metallic scent of burnt mental. The she-kit struggled to her paws. Her brother was slumped in the corner. The she-kit dragged herself over to the lump of spotted fur, her left hind leg filling with pain from the injury inflicted from the splinter. Nosing the lump of fur, the she-kit mewled. With a squeal the male kit cracked his eyes open, a long gash ran the length of his side. The she-kit sniffed the bloody spotted fur. Slowly she licked it. Her brother let out a strangled sigh of relief. His eyes were halfway open, glazed and unfocused. Curling around him the she-kit licked his head until he fell into sleep. With a soft mew of distress the she-kit stared at the black clouds that hung menacingly outside the new small rip in the wood.

The female kit strained on her hind paws trying to keep her balance on her injured leg as she did her best to lap at water that was slowly dripping through the hole in the top of the box. She stuck her small parched pink tongue out as a small cold drop of water splattered down onto it. Dropping herself back onto all four paws she wish for her mother or the comfort of her brother.

She could not look back that the corner where the spotted body lay.

Her brother, tired, hungry and bleeding out had died in her embrace the night before. Now the female kit felt drowsy and sluggish, her energy fading. Rats seemed to be gnawing at her belly. With no food or a good supply of water she was quickly deteriorating. Hunching into herself the she-kit watched the hole with her amber eyes. A glimmer of sunlight sneaked its way through the damp walls of wood.

A rotting muddy smell had started to seep through the air.

Sneezing the kit buried her nose under her paws. Longing for her family and to be safe weaved through her. She felt hopelessness wash over just as her mother's tongue had done once.

Then twitching her ears she looked around in confusion. A soft rumbling had started under her paws. There was a faint buzz in the air. The she-kit stumbled to her paws. She claws at the wood that surrounded her, fear was coursing through her veins. They the buzzing became a roar. The she-kit knew that noise. It was a truck. Despair washed over her as the sound of the car died close by. She wondered if these humans where here to harm her more. Shouts where coming outside of the wood.

The sound of objects being grabbed and moved made the female kit cling to the wood with her claws as her box began tilting. There was a movement that sent her box rocking before it fell sideways. The she-kit let out a streak as one or her small claws caught painfully in the wood and was almost fully wrenched out. Tumbling to a stop with a painful thud. She struggled to move, her cut leg had started to dribble blood once more. Huddling in a corner the she-kit stared dejected at her brothers disturbed and sifted body.

More shouts where coming from outside as the thump of foot fall came closer.

The scent of humans washed over the kit as the sound of them surrounded her.

Closing her eyes the she-kit waited for her ending. With a splintering noise the top of the box caved in and flew off. Sunlight poured in.Whimpering with fear the kit covered her head with her paws.

After a few seconds, nothing happened.

Glancing up the female kit watched in wonder as forms appeared over the box. Surprise was etched clearly all over their faces.

Then hands once again reach in and picked her up.

Screeching in terror the she-kit struggle and wailed in despair.

One human was hustling up with a fluffy brown pelt.

The female kit squirmed trying to get away as the human wrapped it around her.

Closing her eyes in defeat she let the warmth envelop her as she drifted off. The last thing she heard was, "she the most vibrant russet I've ever seen in Asian Golden cats kits,"

"Then she will be Nickysha, your our little russet spirit,"

Nickysha crouch down in the back of the cold metal transportation space. She rested her ginger and white tail around her russet very lightly spotted paws. She fluffed up her spotless ginger pelt. Her pick tongue flicked out between her slightly parted jaws. Her amber yellow eyes slits. She blinked making the darker russet stripes on her face ripple. The light streaking from the bars on one end of the transportation space barely reached her front paws. She felt ready to go, buzzing with energy to get out of the humans embrace that had held her for almost a year. She needed to get back into the wild, her home before she was taken away. Before her family had been ripped from her She needed the comfort of plants surrounding her like the affectionate licks her mother had last given her months ago.

She felt the transportation vessel being shifted down. She knew that bared door would open and she would be free. Flicking her tail Nickysha felt impatience building inside her as the sound of human voices began to speak. The murmur of voices out in the open alerted the presence of humans. She knew some of the locals of this village had come to see her release.

Reaching out a paw Nickysha swiped it through the bars in annoyance. There where laughs out from the humans in the crowd. Nickysha knew that could only see her paw, but soon they could be glorified by her full colored magnificence, only if they actually let her out! Growling in frustration Nickysha let out an angry yowl. The crowd silenced. Suddenly a hand was reaching for the door. Nickysha backed into the shadows of the forsaken cage. Then with a click the entrance was unlatched. As soon as the door started to open Nickysha propelled herself forward in the blazing sunlight. She was free.

Sunlight shone onto her face, she breathed in the fresh sunny air. At last, opening her eyes Nickysha saw the faces surrounding her. Adults, kids, and more. Ignoring them with only a slight glance she sniffed the mulch like ground. Brown leaves and green plant stalks wove themselves around and all over the forest floor. This forest was unfamiliar and not like her old home. But this would have to do. Taking a hesitant step forward, Nickysha let herself go into the wet undergrowth. Her paws silently flew, carrying her through the beautiful wilderness, unaware of the creamy orange cat that had been silently watching her throughout her release with olive colored eyes.