Something made a noise, the tiny kitten blinked open its eyes, not used to the bright light of the outside. Something smelled awful. it invaded the kitten’s nose, making it cough and splutter. A rough burning sensation was tingling around the kitten, before it quickly sank back into the darkness of its own mind. Something touched the kitten. Mewling sadly, it tried to press close to the sensation. Maybe it was the kitten’s mother? The kitten’s eyes blinked open again: dense leafy trees, a bright burning ball in the sky. It collapsed back into the endless void of shadows, not being able to process the pain of what happened. The Tall One was gone, the bars of the cage sprinkled across the field. The kitten’s mewling barely made a sound against the rough noise. What was that noise? Thoughts raced through the kitten’s mind. The endless night of the kitten’s mind was easier to comprehend than the real world. A vague sense of peace washed over the kitten’s tiny body.

  ~ ~ ~

  The cat blinked open her eyes, fire was everywhere. She bolted up, memories rushing through her head: The fire, the crash, the smell, the others! She looked around, assessing the situation. The van was lying on the side of the road, covered in fire, a faint sound coming from somewhere in the distance. The cat saw a way out, a small little shard of unscorched grass. She rushed through the fires, her pelt turning black with ash, towards the sound. It was the kitten! She scooped it up and ran towards the nearby forest, burns covering her tail. The kitten’s tiny mewling was so faint, but it was there. At Least one life could be saved. The cat stopped when she saw a bundle of dark fur crouched near the base of a tree. Another cat, She knew him well. He had been a housecat, and ventured too far from his owner. Mouse, his name was. The cat touched his flank with her leg. Cold as ice. He was dead. Grief for Mouse rushed over her, but she kept going. She had to save the smallest, then she could go back and see if there were any more survivors. She stopped when she saw a river, a slice of blue through the dense green. She crouched by the river, setting the kitten down by a clump of ferns, before lapping up some of the water. The cat went back to the kitten, licking it, trying to warm it. She looked around, and saw some feathers by a tree, possibly from a bird. She grabbed them in her jaws and raced back to the kitten, covering it in the feathers. His tiny calico coat stood out like a light in mist, an obvious marker for predators. The cat knew this, being a wild cat herself, and pushed the feathers closer together, creating a cover for the kitten. She did a small circle, finding a comfortable enough spot in the reeds, before laying down and closing her eyes. The fire still roared in the distance, and the humans closed in on it. The wail of the water-trucks grew closer, the sun was setting.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.