The Stench of Death is Thick Here...(Open)

Heatherkit whimpered in her sleep, twitching her paws as she dreamed. The tiny ginger she-kit was nearly a quarter-moon old and already she was having strange dreams. All she could comprehend was the feeling of helpless terror. The image of a big brown tabby kept flashing before her eyes, his teeth and claws covered in blood.

She shuddered awake, lifting her head and gazing around the still-dark nursery. She could faintly see her family's pale gray and white pelts shining among the moss. And she wondered why she was so different. She'd seen her father. She'd seen her uncle. But none of her relatives had her dark ginger pelt, nor her hazel eyes.

She pressed against her mother, seeking her warmth and protection. Why was it that some of the other cats looked at her so strangely? Especially her uncle Bengalbelly, who constantly looked like he wanted to rip her apart. Even though her eye sight was just starting to clear to let her see, she knew the hate in his gaze. Some small part of her felt angry. Angry that a cat who didn't even know her hated her so much.

Instinctively she knew that she hated him too. Next time I see him, I'm going to ask what his problem is! she decided, curling up into a ball and laying her head on her paws. She stretched her spine, so supple and strong even for one so young, so that she could lay her tail over her nose.

But a sense of foreboding kept her awake. What if that big tabby comes to get me while I'm asleep? Somehow she knew that face. But it was unrecognizable, blood and hatred twisting it into an unrecognizable mask. She relaxed slightly. That cat would surely make a lot of noise trying to get into the nursery, as big as he was. But still there was a slight reflection in the darkness of the nursery. Hazel eyes that refused to close.

OOC: OMG! o.o The site didn't tell me this was here, I was just about to make a thread for this too!

Clovernose lay in her nest, her eyes open just a little. She could only see narrow darkness past her lids as the cool night went on peacefully. The cats around her were sleeping and still, except for Heatherkit, who was figiting. She thought she was asleep, and just having a problem going to sleep. The thought of seeing her kits in distress at such a young age, five days, made her feel like they were already counting the bad days that still lingered, even if their hold was small and thin. Her tail gently wrapped around Heatherkit to give her more comfort and reassurance. The simple action, though, seemed to take up so much strength.

She was tired, fatigued. Ever since the birthing she has been weak, semi responsive to her surroundings. She had yet to let the kits venture outside of the den, not that they were old enough to leave anyways. She could have at least carried them out, but she hadn't the energy to walk, much less eat or drink. Ever day seemed to suck away more and more of her strength. Featherstream had even given her herbs to keep her milk flowing so she could still feed her kits. Her supply seemed to be draining faster than her vigor.

Clovernose stared ouit of the nursery calmly, enjoying the silence, the calm. The rhymic breathing of the cats with her, to keep a peaceful lull. It was bliss, all of it, and she was happy to be in it, no matter how terrible she felt. She hoped her kits knew of this serene moment as well, and if she didn't, she wished she had the strength to pass it on to them, right through her fur and into theirs, where they would pass it on to each other-even if she couldn't move her legs, not even a twitch. They were dead almost, and this deadness was creeping up her body. Up to her shoulders it seemed now. She couldn't even shift to get more comfortable, or to accomidate her kits.

She needed stength, and the only way she could get that was to eat-when was the last time she had? Yesterday?-but she couldn't make herself do it. Her eyes floated over to the mouse that lay next to her. The mouse that was begged for her to eat. It still lay there, cold, untouched. Maybe, she could eat it now-no. Her mouth fell closed after only managing less than a simple inch of expansion.

She was dying, she knew it, just as her mother had, but... the thought of this happening today, or tomorrow, it was of little passion to her. Empathy was all she felt. Uncaring. If she died this way, she died, and peacefully. It was easy. All she had to do was let go. Let go of the whisker hair that kept her on. Right now, a simple, pleasurable, release. A release into... into nowhere. Into a land of nothingness. A land where she would roam as freely as she wanted to, and live without care, as best as a spirit could.

She could do it. Just let go. Close her eyes and relax. Let the feelings of numbness wash over her and completely surrender to something else. Surrender with out care... right... now....


Clovernose's eyes widened back open, back into their slits. She was shamed by her carelessness. She couldn't die now, not now, not while she still had kits. Not while Heather-Heatherkit-, her only daughter, the member of her first little, her only litter to come, was in distress. She could not let her down, nor Ghotkit nor Muddledkit nor Church. And Bengal would be devestated. How could she be so selfish, to throw these cats that she cared for most into a grieff due to her own desires.

But it was so tempting... so easy...

Heatherkit felt her mother's distress in the simple touch of her tail on her shoulder. "Mother?" she mewled, looking up at the she-cat nervously. Was she in trouble because she was awake so late?

Clovernose's ears twitched and she slightly moved her head to where she could see Heatherkit. A smile came across her face, a smile more sincere and more excited than the fatigued way it desplayed itself. She had spoken! Her first word, mother. She was earlier than the other kits, and she could already see it seemed. It was a miracle! For her to get along so quickly! Would the others be the same? She couldn't say, not now, not for a while maybe.

"I'm fine," she mewed softly, her voice barely a whisper. "Go to sleep, Heatherkit." She pulled Heatherkit closer to her, happy of her company. If only Church were here to see her, but he was sleeping peacefully in the Warrior's Den as he should be. As she should be. As Heatherkit should be. Why was she awake? Why am I awake? Maybe it was anxiety. If she closed her eyes, what if her dreams goaded her into letting go and just leaving. Goading her with mice or pormises of happiness for her loved ones?

Who could say. She didn't know how long she had left. She just knew sleep was, it seemed now, not the best thing for her.

Heatherkit nodded, her eyes already drooping with sleep as she huddled closer to the snowy pelt of her mother. Within moments she was sleeping peacefully.

Clovernose smiled again and she watched her little kit sleep. She was peaceful, the way she looked. She watched her gentle breatheing and then turned her eyes to the other kits. They all slept together, without a care of any trouble, of any problem. It was perfect, perfect. Watching them relaxed her, and soon, she too went to sleep, happy, and comfortable. Her breathing began to grow slow and far apart. The movement of her chest seemed to be of insignificant distance, and the length lowered over and over, until...

The sun rose above in the sky, a gray light over the camp and everything around as the morning came into view. The air was humid, though barely, keeping the smell of rain in it. The ground was damp, holding the similar small of freshness. The camp awoke, cats coming out to do their job on patrols and hunting, or just to mingle and eat. Some stayed in their nests, however.

Clovernose lay in her nest. Motionless, unwaking. Her body had grown colder as the time had gone on, and not abit of vigor seemed to be left in her. Her fur seeming, whiter than it used to be, whatever glow it may or may not have head, was gone.

Heatherkit woke to something cold. She pushed it away with her paws but it was much too heavy. And it was in the place where her mother should have been. And it smelled funny, too. She opened her eyes.

There was a cold heap of white fur ahead of her. "M-Mother?" she whispered, prodding the she-cat. She didn't stir. Her eyes widened. "Mother? Mother?" her mews grew more and more frantic. "Ghostkit, Muddledkit, wake up! Clovernose is sick! There's something wrong!" she meowed, pushing at her siblings desperately.

Ghostkit felt the rough prodding of his sister. Darkness was all around the kit as he started to stir, but his urgency made him open his eyes. The light stung his eyes, but he kept them open, something, even if he was too young to comprehend-or even have his eyes open-, was wrong. He got up and looked at his mother. What was the problem? He sniffed at her. She smelled... weird. An... empty scent. It was the only way he could describe it. He pushed her with his paw and felt the cold on his paw. Odd.

"She's fine, Heatherkit," he said, coming to his little conclusion. "She's just," he paused, thinking of a reasonable explaination for this all, "she's just sleeping is all." PErfectly reasonable.

Heatherkit looked at her bigger brother doubtfully. "I'm gonna go get uncle Bengalbelly. Maybe he knows!" she squeaked, starting to back out of the den. Then she thought about it and scooted back in. "Er, Church will visit us soon. He'll tell us!" She kept prodding her mother, fear starting to well in her belly. "Mom, wake up! C'mon!"

OOC: Actually, Heatherkit is the oldest. XD Muddled is the youngest. So, you can only be sure of where Ghosteh is.

"They'll tell you the same thing!" Ghostkit squeaked at her. Why was she making such a big deal out of this? He pushed his head forward to get Heatherkit away from Clovernose. "Leave her alone! Can't she sleep in peace? What if your making a big deal about this and we all get in trouble, huh? Why are you overreacting so much?"

Heatherkit squeaked as she was shoved away from her mother and looked back up at her brother, eyes shining with hurt. "Then why won't she wake up?" she asked quietly. "And her fur is cold..."

"She's a deep sleeper?" He answered, his voice not certain. What? He'd only been fully aware of things today. He'd been blind since! "And that's simple. It was cold last night. Wouldn't you be cold if you were laying in a nest with the wind blowing at you? Of course you would. Simple as that." He stopped for a second and looked at his sister. He just... didn't get it. What was with her? "Why are you so worried anyways?"

Heatherkit looked down at her paws. "I dunno... I guess?" she replied to his first question. "I don't know," she mumbled again. "I just have a bad feeling about it." Then she brightened. "Oh I know! Let's check her breathing! If she's a deep sleeper her breathing will be deeper, right?"

"I don't know," Ghostkit gave her a weird look, wondering if she really expected him to know the answer to that question, "do you know how you breathe when your sleeping?" He tilted his head. If she did, he wanted to learn how. He knew nothing of the mysteries of sleep. He wondered, what happened when he was sleeping? Did time actually speed up?

Heatherkit rolled her eyes. "Of course! I've seen it before!" She walked confidently up to her mother and pressed her nose into her fur and closed her eyes, concentrating. There was no movement.... No steady beat that was her mother's heartbeat. She turned back to Ghostkit, her eyes wide. "She's not breathing."

"Are you sure?" He moved closer to his mother and put his ear to her chest. Nothing, he heard nothing, it was like being in the dark all by himself, without anything. No cats, no light, no noise. Nothing. His eyes widened, but he quickly blinked themback to their normal state. He moved back from her a little, feeling like he had to give her some room. "You're hearing is off!" He finally said to his sister. "I could hear her breathing just fine!" He lied. Of course he lied.

"Oh." Heatherkit smiled, now completely assured. "OK! I can't wait for her to wake up, so I can show her this new move I've seen the apprentices doing!" She chased her tail for a moment before sitting down. "So when do ya think she'll wake up?"

Ghostkit grinned, assured himself, even though he knew that it wasn't as happy as it was all made to be. "Wait," he said, trying to get his mind off of this whole occurance, "when did you see the apprentices? I just opened my eyes five minutes ago!" Man his sister was strange. He was pretty sure that she just opened her eyes today too, because he hadn't heard her say a thing yesterday, not at all. So what was with her and this whole apprentice thing?

Heatherkit tipped her head to the side. "I saw them! I really did! I'm not sure when, though..."

OOC: Muse for HK died...

"Mhm." He sat down in silence for a while. Time seeming to move achingly slow, like it would never end. "So, what do you want to do?" he said after long moments. He was bored, as all kits soon got. He needed entertainment.

OOC: Churchill should make his entrance soon.

"Um.... I dunno." The tiny ginger kitten shrugged. It was nearly sunhigh... And her mother still wasn't awake. Heatherkit padded up to Clovernose. By now her fur was like ice.

Church shrugged into the den, carrying a plump mouse for Clovernose. He saw his two kits playing and purred, placing his freshkill down to speak to them. "What's up?" he asked them, eyes sparkling. He kept his voice low so as to not wake Clovernose.

"Mom won't wake up." Heatherkit squeaked immediately. She saw her father's face go blank and then fill with horror. He rushed over to his mate, pushing his nose into her fur. "Clovernose?"

"Ugh." Ghostkit rolled his eyes as Church ran forward. Now she got him all hyped up over nothing? "She's fine!" Ghostkit squeaked again. Why was everyone making such a fuss? She was... perfectly.. fine. Asleep, yes, asleep. To wake up when she was rested. She was tired a lot, he could feel it. So why shouldn't she be sleeping?

Church bowed his head with grief. "No.... Clovernose...." he said softly, closing his eyes. His tail drooped and he was frightened to turn and tell his kits the truth. "She's.... She's gone to hunt in NightClan," he said brokenly.

Heatherkit's eyes widened and she put her paws on Clovernose's shoulder. "Wake up! Mother! Please wake up!" She turned to Church. "Why won't she wake up?" she cried.

Church flinched. "She's dead, Heatherkit..."

"No. She's. Not!" Ghostkit suddenly yelled at Church. "How come no one will listen to me!? She is perfectly fine!" He almost went into a fit of mixed emotions. Emotons that he couldn't really describe since he had just only discovered them. "She's just trying to sleep!" He yelled, his voice getting louder with every word, "but she can't because you all keep messing with her!" He glared at his father. How could he even say that?

Church looked at his son, eyes pools of misery. "She's dead, Ghostkit."

Heatherkit glared up at her father angrily. "No she isn't! Ghostkit's right! She's can't be dead!" she yelled, tearing at the moss with her tiny claws.