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Post by xx Northern on Nov 14, 2011 6:58:42 GMT -5
Despite the snow that covered the ground and the way the frigid wind caused Northern to shiver beneath her thick winter coat, all she could hear in her mind was the sound of thunder cracking overhead. The calico was lost in the memories of the night she had lost everything. Lightning flashed before her eyes, despite that she stood under the shelter of an overhanging pine tree bough. And no matter how had Northern screwed her eyes shut, all she could think of was that night.
The lightning flashed high in the dark sky, it's forked bolt slithering across the black canvas in a bright purple and yellow flash. Just as quickly as it had appeared it was gone. Northern stood beside her brother and sister, watching the lightning through one of the broken windows with looks of awe written across their faces.
"Come away from there kids!"
Their mother's worried voice broke the silence, just seconds before loud thunder crashed overhead. Startled, all three kits emitted tremendous squeals of fright and returned to their mother's side in a flash.
"The river is flooding, Arya."
Their father appeared at the entrance to the cabin. The main entrance, the one of the Twolegs had used when the camp was still in use, was still intact and therefore accessible to the family of felines. But Zero had managed to find a way into the cabin many moons ago, when he and Arya had been looking for a place to stay before the birth of their kits.
A worried looked settled upon Arya's face, but she was unable to respond to Zero. There was another flash of lightning, but this time there was a sudden crack that accompanied it. Northern cowered against the ground beside her sister; this was her first storm, and quite frankly she was terrified. It didn't matter that she was almost ten moons old. It was still scary! The two adults exchanged glances but, figuring it was just a bit of early thunder, dismissed their worries over the sound.
"Time for bed you three."
Arya meowed as she turned back to the three siblings cowering against the floor.
"It's alright, it's just a storm."
But it wasn't just a storm. Northern found this out later when she awoke minutes after falling asleep, to her mother shaking she and her siblings away. Still half asleep, Northern could only wonder absently what those bright red lights were as she rose. But it didn't take long for the ten moon old to realize what was going on. There was a fire!
Northern surged to her paws alongside Thistle, her only brother, and Rowan, her sister. Flames danced on all sides of her, licking hungrily at the wooden beams that supported the roof and kept it upright. The beams were already seared and beginning to crack, and suddenly with a mightly splintering, they crumbled. The roof caved down with it, covered the cats in a layer of ashes and debris. Something struck Northern on the side of her head, and darkness greeted the young she-cat.
- - -
When she awoke it was still dark. Ash clung to her light fur, and the only thing she could smell was the remnants of the fire.
"Mom? Dad?"
Northern croaked, heaving herself up onto her paws. Through the remains of their home she wandered, desperately searching for her family. Suddenly she spotted a heap of ash-covered fur lying haphazardly beneath one of the supporting beams. Gasping, Northern ran to her mother's side. But when she reached her, it was already obvious her mother was den. As was her father, who body lay crumpled mere feet from his mate. And there lay her brother, body twisted and broken. Northern let out a strangled cry. Where was her sister?
"Northern?"
Her sister's hoarse voice called out to her from somewhere far off. The calico began to search, wanting to know right then and there where her sister had gone. Again her name was called out in that same hoarse voice. And, when Northern finally found her sister, she burst into tears and wept at her sister's side.
- - -
It was days later when Rowan finally perished. She had inhaled too much smoke, and died coughing at her sisters side. Northern stood over the grave she'd dug for Rowan, gazing sadly at the mound where her sister's body was buried.
"I'm all alone."
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