Post by Deleted on Jun 24, 2014 10:10:37 GMT -5
Ridgepaw stalked out of camp slowly, meandering along the mountain peak aimlessly. He wasn't allowed alome any further than the area directly outside of camp. Farther then that were treacherous sheer drops and deadly rocks. A dark blur caught his eye behind a rock and he turned his head right to see it better with his good eye. As he got closer, the blur became he form of a dark brown tabby cat. There was only one cat with that unusual fur in SkyClan as far as Ridgepaw knew. It was Duskpaw, Ridgepaw's brother who had fallen out of his love. He was sitting near the edge of the most dangerous drop they were allowed close to. He was staring off in the distance, towards the red horizon that was slowly darkening as the sun set. Ridgepaw approached him silently and sat down behind him.
Duskpaw sighed and examined a paw, then returned his gaze to the horizon. It would be so easy, he was completely helpless. Some part of Ridgepaw, buried under moons of pain, tried to shake the thought out of his mind but the other part, poisoned by misery, relished the thought. He closed his eyes, soaking in the moment for a second, then leaped forward as that hidden part of him, powerless to stop himself, screamed. Ridgepaw landed on his brother's back, knocking him down to the left, closer to the edge of the precipice. Before Duskpaw could react, Ridgepaw forced him onto his back and pinned him on the edge, slightly hanging off the lethal dropoff.
"Why did you do it? I had done nothing to you. I trusted you!" Ridgepawwas yowling in his brother's face and the anguish in his voice turned to malice. "You betrayed me."
Duskpaw's eyes showed pure terror and near madness for a second before he composed himself, heart still beating fast. "You don't understand. I didn't mean to let you fall, I never meant to hurt you."
"Then what did you mean?" Ridgepaw's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Ever since I was a kit, I've had this weird quirk. If I get too nervous or surprised, I'll freeze like I'm paralyzed. I can't help it. I couldn't tell anyone, not even my family, for fear that it would end with me not becoming an apprentice. I saw you start to fall, moved to catch you and I locked up. I couldn't move. I thought you had died when I got to you, you weren't breathing well and you wouldn't wake up. I brought you to the medicine den as fast as I could. I wasn't careful in the cold and I caught whitecough a day later. That was me coughing, terribly sick while you recovered. I wasn't even allowed across the den to visit you."
"I told you every little secret I had and you hiding this from me cost me an eye."
"You never let me speak to you after that, and eventually Mom had to tell me to give up because you threatened to hurt me if I said anything to you. I couldn't explain.
"You mean..." Ridgepaw's grip loosened and Duskpaw started to scramble to his feet.
Suddenly his terror returned as a rock slipped out from under him and he lost his balance. He scrabbled to grab something but froze, like he had said he did. Ridgepaw grabbed for him as he slid over, claws digging into his fur. It tore off and Duskpaw fell, a yowl torn from his throat. Ridgepaw screamed and tried to make his way down to the bottom, his heart torn
It was nearly dark by the time he reached the bottom, almost falling twice. It was later when he found his brother's body. It was broken and bleeding, impaled on a sharp stone. Blood pooled from Duskpaw's open mouth. Ridgepaw could say nothing, only gently take Duskpaw's body over his own back and walk painfully out of the field of rocks. At long last he reached open dirt and began to dig. He buried his brother with a heavy heart. As he kicke the first clump of dirt into the cold fur, his heart hardened again. A glint came into his eyes as he finished the burying and began to wait. As dawn came he slowly climbed back up to camp.
Duskpaw was gone. Ridgepaw had killed him. A monster. A freak. Well, if he was already a monster, he would stay a monster. He walked into camp and Lightpaw rushed out to meet him.
"Duskpaw is dead. He fell and I couldn't save him. I buried him and kept vigil. He is in StarClan now."
Lightpaw yowled to the sky and walked miserably back to the apprentice den with him and he comforted her through the day.
Duskpaw sighed and examined a paw, then returned his gaze to the horizon. It would be so easy, he was completely helpless. Some part of Ridgepaw, buried under moons of pain, tried to shake the thought out of his mind but the other part, poisoned by misery, relished the thought. He closed his eyes, soaking in the moment for a second, then leaped forward as that hidden part of him, powerless to stop himself, screamed. Ridgepaw landed on his brother's back, knocking him down to the left, closer to the edge of the precipice. Before Duskpaw could react, Ridgepaw forced him onto his back and pinned him on the edge, slightly hanging off the lethal dropoff.
"Why did you do it? I had done nothing to you. I trusted you!" Ridgepawwas yowling in his brother's face and the anguish in his voice turned to malice. "You betrayed me."
Duskpaw's eyes showed pure terror and near madness for a second before he composed himself, heart still beating fast. "You don't understand. I didn't mean to let you fall, I never meant to hurt you."
"Then what did you mean?" Ridgepaw's voice was dangerously quiet.
"Ever since I was a kit, I've had this weird quirk. If I get too nervous or surprised, I'll freeze like I'm paralyzed. I can't help it. I couldn't tell anyone, not even my family, for fear that it would end with me not becoming an apprentice. I saw you start to fall, moved to catch you and I locked up. I couldn't move. I thought you had died when I got to you, you weren't breathing well and you wouldn't wake up. I brought you to the medicine den as fast as I could. I wasn't careful in the cold and I caught whitecough a day later. That was me coughing, terribly sick while you recovered. I wasn't even allowed across the den to visit you."
"I told you every little secret I had and you hiding this from me cost me an eye."
"You never let me speak to you after that, and eventually Mom had to tell me to give up because you threatened to hurt me if I said anything to you. I couldn't explain.
"You mean..." Ridgepaw's grip loosened and Duskpaw started to scramble to his feet.
Suddenly his terror returned as a rock slipped out from under him and he lost his balance. He scrabbled to grab something but froze, like he had said he did. Ridgepaw grabbed for him as he slid over, claws digging into his fur. It tore off and Duskpaw fell, a yowl torn from his throat. Ridgepaw screamed and tried to make his way down to the bottom, his heart torn
It was nearly dark by the time he reached the bottom, almost falling twice. It was later when he found his brother's body. It was broken and bleeding, impaled on a sharp stone. Blood pooled from Duskpaw's open mouth. Ridgepaw could say nothing, only gently take Duskpaw's body over his own back and walk painfully out of the field of rocks. At long last he reached open dirt and began to dig. He buried his brother with a heavy heart. As he kicke the first clump of dirt into the cold fur, his heart hardened again. A glint came into his eyes as he finished the burying and began to wait. As dawn came he slowly climbed back up to camp.
Duskpaw was gone. Ridgepaw had killed him. A monster. A freak. Well, if he was already a monster, he would stay a monster. He walked into camp and Lightpaw rushed out to meet him.
"Duskpaw is dead. He fell and I couldn't save him. I buried him and kept vigil. He is in StarClan now."
Lightpaw yowled to the sky and walked miserably back to the apprentice den with him and he comforted her through the day.