duskgaze's story

Duskgaze rested his head; it has been a long day. He slept in a tree, like he does everyday, and Ratpaw woke him up. Ratpaw became Ratstalker, although he isn't really good at stalking. As the lights drowned from his den, he shivered; the lights. For every cat it resembles an act of goodness. To Duskgaze, it is an awful time of day. He likes to hunt at dusk, and patrol at dawn....

I had a way then losing it all on my own. My brother, Hawkpaw and my sister Snakepaw and I were hunting together. Snakepaw swiped the prey, and I, Duskpaw, caught the prey and Hawkpaw carried it.

Suddenly, a badger leaped out of a bush, carrying Coolbreeze in his mouth. So sudden, so unreal. I ran after him, raking him. I tried to save my heart, Coolbreeze, but I have been overthrown. After that, I laid there, my head on her chest. She was dead.

I suddenly heard a screech; Hawkpaw's and Snakepaw's!!! I ran to them, leaving Coolbreeze there, bleeding. He arrived and the badger was holding Snakepaw, who was now dead. Hawkpaw was still alive, one eye bleeding and his whole fur sticky with blood. The badger is going to take me next! Out of pure terror, I ran away to camp. Another badger came, and it scraped me apart. My father, Driedleaves, leaped out of the bush and killed the badger. Unfortunately, Driedleaves died out of too much blood loss.

It was now night, after the death of my love, of my father, and of my littermates. And I'm not sleeping now, the dark is too hard to beat.
And I'm not keeping now, the strength I need to push me. You show the lights turn to stone. You shined when I was alone. I miss you, so I tell myself that I'll be strong, and that i'll dream when they're gone.

I get up and go for a walk; i'll never sleep. Then, I thought i herd a sound; Snakepaw! She's calling me to the camp! Wait, she's dead! They're calling me home! I wailed. They're calling, calling, calling me home. Calling, calling, calling home. You show the lights that stop me turn to stone. You shine it when I'm alone.

Noises, I play within my head. The screams, the yelps, the crack of bones. Touch my own fur and hope that I'm still breathingand I think back to when my brother and my sister slept in a good old den, the only time I feel safe. It's now day, and I can still hear the screech of Snakepaw, see Hawkpaw's wistful eyes, fell Coolbreeze's now cold, sticky pelt, and taste the blood that fell out of Driedleaves wounds.

I lifted my muzzle to the sky and howled my grief. Why didn't the badgers take me!

Duskgaze woke up from his dream. It was a dream of when he was little, the day that tore him apart; he still had ugly scars from that night; some on his pelt, others in his mind......The lights really don't turn to stone........