Art: roseberry-rukki024
⚠️ Warnings ⚠️
• Some angst
• Claustrophobia
• Panic attack
• Intense/frightening themes
****
You were lost. Utterly, hopelessly lost.
You had no idea how you had managed to get so far down in the winding, dark tunnels, but you assumed it had something to do with the rabbit you were chasing across the moor a couple minutes ago.
Minutes? No, it felt much longer than that. It had probably been hours, or even days. You had lost track of time long ago.
You inhaled sharply, sucking in a mouthful of stale, damp air. It wrapped itself around your esophagus and lungs, threatening to drown you as the cold earth around you became tighter and tighter. Something inside of you snapped, and you took off at a full sprint into the darkness, your chest heaving as panic finally set in. The earth seemed to shift and morph around you with every step you took, but you didn't stop running. You had to find your way back to the surface before you completely lost your mind.
The ground sloped downward suddenly, causing you to jolt forward. Before you even had a chance to cry out in shock, you were violently thrown downhill into a cave-like structure. You hit the ground with a splash, scrambling desperately back to your paws and sucking in mouthfuls of cool, fresh air.
Wait.
You slowly opened your eyes, allowing yourself to plop down on your hindquarters as you surveyed your surroundings.
You had fallen into a large cave of sorts, and when you looked down, you realized that you were sitting in a stream that flowed calmly through the stony cavern. The entire area was bathed in moonlight, and when you looked up, you saw a wide opening far above you that revealed the night sky.
You're okay, You told yourself as you finally calmed down and rose back to your paws.
everything is okay.
"Are you lost?"
You nearly jumped right out of your fur. The voice belonged to a tom, most likely a new warrior if your ears didn't betray you.
You turned around slowly, fearful of who — or what — you might find in the darkness behind you, but you soon discovered it was nothing to be afraid of.
A lean, short-furred white tom adorned with orange tabby patches stood mere whisker-lengths behind you, his kind fern-colored eyes glowing in the pale shadows as he watched you curiously.
"W-well," You began, swallowing nervously and taking a single step back. "I-I guess I am. Who are you?"
The orange-and-white tom averted his gaze, flattening his ears as if he was extremely uncomfortable.
"I don't matter right now," He replied, lifting his gaze again to look at you. "we need to focus on getting you out of here. Which way did you come in?"
You blinked, jerking your muzzle toward the steep slope you had tumbled down moments ago, wincing at the soreness of your neck.
"There."
The unknown tom followed your gaze up to the now collapsed tunnel, and his eyes lit up.
You were about to ask him what he was thinking, but he answered your question before you even had time to ask it.
"There's another tunnel on the other side of the stream," He meowed, pointing with a paw toward the shadows furthest away from you.
"it should lead you right back to the moor if you keep walking straight."
You stared into the maw of darkness, dread creeping down your spine. The last thing you wanted to do was go wandering off down here again.
You cast a glance at the orange-and-white tom, who flashed you a reassuring smile.
"It'll be okay. I promise that tunnel leads right back to your world."
He seemed genuine enough, and you didn't have much of a choice. You could either rot in the wet, dark tunnels, or you could take another risk and heed the tom's advice.
"Okay," You breathed, deciding to take the risk. "Thanks for everything. I don't know what I would've done if I hadn't come across you."
The young tom smiled. "I'm glad I could help. Be careful out there, alright?"
You murmured a quick "sure thing", then began your trek into the dark tunnel.
As the ground began to slope upward and the crisp evening air brushed against your fur, you couldn't help but to think about how strange that entire encounter had been. The orange-and-white tom didn't smell like any clan cat, nor did he speak like any. He had a strange dialect, but you couldn't decide which kind it was.
He looked so... Lonesome, You mused as you finally emerged from the darkness of the underground and back onto the moor you called home.
You turned around, staring into the darkness one last time.
I wonder what happened to him.
****
I felt so bad for Fallen Leaves. His death must've been terrifying
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