- Dec 31, 2022
- 158
- 46
- 28
.°☀ AND IF IT EVER STARTS TO FEEL BAD, LITTLE FANG
The moon and its blanket of stars hang heavy overhead, and Sunflowerpaw cannot sleep. They haven't been awake all night, but they're a light sleeper, and one of their Clanmates is snoring. They can't get back to sleep now; the night sky shines too bright, the snoring is too loud, and they miss sleeping alongside their brothers, when the three of them were small enough to share a nest. They've dragged their new open-sky nest as close as they can to the other two -- well, to Shadowpaw, mostly -- but it's still not the same.
Everything is changing, now that they're an apprentice. They have less time to spend with their siblings, now that all three are busy with training. It's just like with Vulturemask. And all the tentative near-friendships they'd made with their denmates -- left behind in the nursery, Sunflowerpaw ever the oldest, with few other kits being born in the thick of blizzard season. It makes them feel lonely.
Sunflowerpaw rises from their nest, looks to the too-bright sky.
They used to sneak out a lot, as a young kit, always eager to explore, searching for what lay beyond the barriers of the known world. They're allowed, now, to leave camp, though they have to be accompanied by their mentor.
Well, they're no stranger to breaking the rules.
Sunflowerpaw slips from their nest, soft and silent paws weaving a careful path through the sea of nests. They make their way out of camp, telling none that they are leaving, much less where they are going. Truthfully, they do not know themself. Perhaps they can bring back some of the excitement of kithood, of sneaking away to explore. They'll find their way back somehow.
Wild grasses brush against the apprentice's long fur as they wander aimlessly, pace unhurried. It's strange, seeing the rest of the territory at night. The wind still blows, yet there's an eerie stillness to the night that they feel more at home in than they would expect. The night sky bathes the landscape in dim light, colors diminished and familiar shapes made strange. Vulturemask enjoys the night, they know. They can understand why. Sunflowerpaw simply takes in the sights, no thought given to where they are headed.
It's a strange sight that eventually stops them, a glinting reflection like water on an object almost stick-shaped, if far too smooth and rounded at the top. It sticks from the ground, standing tall -- some kind of marker? But for what? They can't see anything of note around here... They approach the unusual marker, and --
With a snap, something encircles their paw, clamped like the jaws of a predator.
It's a twoleg trap, though the cat does not know it, intended for wandering foxes. This knowledge would do nothing to soothe the panic they now feel, tugging their forepaw frantically in attempted escape. They pull and pull and pull, but the trap will not let go; they try to turn, try to run, try to do anything they can to escape. It is no use. The small feline pulls and pulls so hard that the wire digs into their skin, a sharp pain blooming across the area it encircles. They barely feel it through the adrenaline. Sunflowerpaw's heart beats loud in their ears as they attempt futilely to free themself, twisting their paw at an awkward angle that causes a more present pain, throbbing rather than sharp and only abated by leaving it still and unweighted.
Shakily, Sunflowerpaw approaches the marker, putting as little weight on their ensnared paw as they can.
There's a line, they now notice, tracing from their paw to the marker. Weakly, they clutch their jaws around it, try to pull it out. It won't budge. They're too small, don't have the strength to free themself. They should call for help, but the truth they've refused to acknowledge has become unavoidable: Sunflowerpaw can barely make a sound, panicked as they are.
Their whole struggle was done in near silence but for their heaving, hyperventilated breaths. They cannot muster up more than a whine, as they search the empty dark for any sign of friendly cats. They need to call for help, they can't do this alone, yet try as they might, they cannot force a single word past the constriction in their throat. No one knows where they are, they don't even know where they are. The sun is rising, now. Will someone come looking?
Trapped and alone, paw twisted painfully, Sunflowerpaw crouches by the marker of their ensnarement and waits for someone, anyone, to come help.
Everything is changing, now that they're an apprentice. They have less time to spend with their siblings, now that all three are busy with training. It's just like with Vulturemask. And all the tentative near-friendships they'd made with their denmates -- left behind in the nursery, Sunflowerpaw ever the oldest, with few other kits being born in the thick of blizzard season. It makes them feel lonely.
Sunflowerpaw rises from their nest, looks to the too-bright sky.
They used to sneak out a lot, as a young kit, always eager to explore, searching for what lay beyond the barriers of the known world. They're allowed, now, to leave camp, though they have to be accompanied by their mentor.
Well, they're no stranger to breaking the rules.
Sunflowerpaw slips from their nest, soft and silent paws weaving a careful path through the sea of nests. They make their way out of camp, telling none that they are leaving, much less where they are going. Truthfully, they do not know themself. Perhaps they can bring back some of the excitement of kithood, of sneaking away to explore. They'll find their way back somehow.
Wild grasses brush against the apprentice's long fur as they wander aimlessly, pace unhurried. It's strange, seeing the rest of the territory at night. The wind still blows, yet there's an eerie stillness to the night that they feel more at home in than they would expect. The night sky bathes the landscape in dim light, colors diminished and familiar shapes made strange. Vulturemask enjoys the night, they know. They can understand why. Sunflowerpaw simply takes in the sights, no thought given to where they are headed.
It's a strange sight that eventually stops them, a glinting reflection like water on an object almost stick-shaped, if far too smooth and rounded at the top. It sticks from the ground, standing tall -- some kind of marker? But for what? They can't see anything of note around here... They approach the unusual marker, and --
With a snap, something encircles their paw, clamped like the jaws of a predator.
It's a twoleg trap, though the cat does not know it, intended for wandering foxes. This knowledge would do nothing to soothe the panic they now feel, tugging their forepaw frantically in attempted escape. They pull and pull and pull, but the trap will not let go; they try to turn, try to run, try to do anything they can to escape. It is no use. The small feline pulls and pulls so hard that the wire digs into their skin, a sharp pain blooming across the area it encircles. They barely feel it through the adrenaline. Sunflowerpaw's heart beats loud in their ears as they attempt futilely to free themself, twisting their paw at an awkward angle that causes a more present pain, throbbing rather than sharp and only abated by leaving it still and unweighted.
Shakily, Sunflowerpaw approaches the marker, putting as little weight on their ensnared paw as they can.
There's a line, they now notice, tracing from their paw to the marker. Weakly, they clutch their jaws around it, try to pull it out. It won't budge. They're too small, don't have the strength to free themself. They should call for help, but the truth they've refused to acknowledge has become unavoidable: Sunflowerpaw can barely make a sound, panicked as they are.
Their whole struggle was done in near silence but for their heaving, hyperventilated breaths. They cannot muster up more than a whine, as they search the empty dark for any sign of friendly cats. They need to call for help, they can't do this alone, yet try as they might, they cannot force a single word past the constriction in their throat. No one knows where they are, they don't even know where they are. The sun is rising, now. Will someone come looking?
Trapped and alone, paw twisted painfully, Sunflowerpaw crouches by the marker of their ensnarement and waits for someone, anyone, to come help.
IT'S EASY TO EXPLAIN 'CAUSE THIS WORLD'S NOT TAME .°☀
-
// 50th post!! made it angsty whoops. pls don't feel intimidated by the length ^^;
in case it was unclear, the reflective object is a metal stake, & while not stated, sunflower is currently near the barn -
SUNFLOWERPAW named by their half-brother vulturemask after his friend and mentor.
— they/them, 4 moons. semiverbal.
— windclan apprentice, mentored by wolfsong.
— reserved yet loyal, distrusts most.
primary character, high activity. penned by saturnid. -
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