Camouflage

e i g h t | promise and farewell

   Darkness swallowed the call of rage and licked its lips with its black tongue. Embracing the room with coldness, it glanced around the room with pride and satisfaction. The pale moonlight who tried to break in and offered comfort was chased away, same for the curious stars who were peeking from the far end of the windowsill.

   Leaning against the cage was a monster. His sharp claws left cuts on the white and innocent wall, leaving the wall with the wail of silence. His yellow eyes were as narrow as lines that were hardly visible. But from the narrow lines, daggers were shot to everyone who stared. Bright red rage boiled like a pot of poison inside his pelt. The wind stirred the poison slowly, making the bubbles peek out of the yellowish-green with evil grins. Red was steaming out of his claws but he did not wince at all.

   He felt numb. He had been hurt. He was pushed into the fire and there, he rose.

   Let the pain come... he commanded, go ahead... I am ready for them, ready for whatever challenges that await...

   Watching the blood dripping with a feeling that could not be explained, he painted the white wall and silvery lines red. He swallowed down the frustration that stirred inside him. Calm down... he demanded, calm down...

   Standing up with the last of his energy, he stared determinedly with courage at the place where dreams would come true. The place where the flowers grew, the animals danced, the happiness lived. The place where he belonged was beautiful. The sky was crayoned with blue with white gaps that the child failed to colour. He could feel his mother licked him gently as she encouraged, "Son, you can do it, you can!"

   Adrenaline coursed through his veins. He quickened his pace until steps became leaps. The sun nodded with pride from the sky above. The breeze ran along with him as it clapped and cheered with joy. The grass under his feet massaged his sore paws gently and waved from the far end, dancing beautifully along with the wind. His yellow eyes sparkled with demandingness. Ignoring the pain on his paws, he darted past blue, green and brown, leaving bloody pawprints behind on the ground.

   Colours were mixed together like paints. Stepping into the mix of colours, the flashes of colours blinded his vision.

   "You cannot do it, don't dream..." A whisper played with him inside his head.

    It was time for him to show that he could. Because he could.

    "Chipmunk...?"

    He was dragged back to the darkness as the call stirred in his nightmare. Eyes narrowed with annoyance, he commanded with impatience, "Leave me alone."

    "I-" The shadow came nearer as the pair of green eyes shone in the darkness. The brown tabby threw himself against the cage as a loud BANG echoed in the silent night. He dreamed of running free, running wild, but now, a cage would always be where he belonged.