Darkness edged on, closing in on Violet’s shaking body. The oxygen seemed to have been sucked out of her lungs, and whispers slowly filled her head. No. Not here, not now. She willed herself to calm down, digging her claws into the dirt. Cold winds blew around her, brushing her fur in all different directions. “Violet.” A soft voice came from behind her and she whipped around, her grey eyes wide with fear. A silvery cat appeared from the darkness that surrounded them. Violet didn’t recognize this animal at first. She scanned him over, taking in every piece of fur on his pearly white coat. He noticed her confusion, and took a step forward. “Its me, Ghost.” Something inside the she-cat clicked. Ghost. Shoving the whispers and echos inside her head away, she took a step towards the tom-cat and nuzzled herself in his fur. “T-The dreams... they came b-back...” Violet murmured, letting the tears well up in her eyes and the emotions choke up her words. He purred softly, brushing his tail against the cold floor and placing a gentle paw on one of hers. “You’re awake now. I’m here. We are okay.” Ghost’s voice was calm and reassuring, and Violet slowly let her guard down. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of his touch prickle through her pelt. Though his words could never calm these dreams, the violet furred she-cat accepted them, and her racing heart began to slow.

“Pebble! Stop!” A fiery orange tom yowled, sprinting after the fleeing kitten. “You have got to come back!” He mustered up the last of his strength and flung himself at the blue-grey she-cat. They both landed with a thud in the dust, and Pebble gave a half-hearted yowl. “Why’d you run? Huh? You could have gotten me killed!” The older cat demanded instantly, anger burning in his green eyes. She stared back at him defiantly, her ears pinned. “I hate you and everything you stand for, Dragon! Your better off dead anyway!” She turned to bolt but Dragon placed a paw on her tail to stop her. She slowly looked back at him, not yet admitting defeat. He took a deep breath and forced himself to keep his cool. “Why do you hate me, Pebble? What did I ever do? All I’ve done ever since you were born was wait on you paw on paw.” Something softened in the she-cat’s yellow gaze, but it was only slight. “I want to be a normal cat, I dont want to be waited on, and I want you to leave,” she whisked her tail away from him, “but because of you, I’m stuck as a prisoner.” Dragon took a step back and eyed her carefully. “Then what do you want me to do? I’m not going to die just so you can be free.” His voice was softer now, and he locked gazes with Pebble. She sighed and glanced around, before lowering her head in defeat. “You can come with me. We... we can run away.”

Paws drummed on the cold stone floor. They all marched in unison, one leader yelling orders at the rest of his group. A scrawny light brown cat rushed forward his claws clinking against the rock. “Nettle,” he cleared his throat and approached the lead cat, crouching low to the ground to give her the dominance, “m’am.” The black she-cat raised her head glaring down at the lowly servant. “What?” She spat, letting her claws glisten in the rare light that shone through the earthy roof of the cave. “P-Pebble is gone, as is Dragon. Hollow and the rest of the security suspect he ran off with her.” The young cat stated the facts, praying she wouldn’t lash out at him. Nettle’s eyes hardened with hate, and she got to her paws. “Find them, and kill the tom. Pebble, though...” She snickered, “Bring her back alive.” He nodded, and rushed off, only to be stopped by Nettle’s harsh call. “Pine.” The cat skidded to a stop and turned around. “I want you to lead the search.” The lead cat’s dark green eyes glistened as she knew giving the leadership to this cowardly tom would terrorize him. Pine gulped. “Y-yes m’am.” He loped away into the shadows he was bound to.
Though it was morning, no light shone into the cell Ghost and Violet were held captive in. The she-cat awoke first. She could see the tom’s silver pelt just barley in the dark, and she felt her fur prickle with embarrassment. This cat is not mine. He can never be. But still, Violet yearned for him. His touch, his voice, the expression in his eyes when she stares into them. I have to let him go. The sound of Ghost yawning jerked her back into reality. She looked at him. “Morning,” he mewed, getting to his paws, “How’d you sleep?” She glanced away, “Fine, how about you?” The she-cat busied herself grooming down her chest fur so she didn’t have to make eye contact. He walked over and sat in front of her using his paw to lift her head. Violet didn’t fight his touch.
“Look at me, Violet.”
“I am.”
“Promise me something, okay?”
She nodded.
“Dont lie to me.”
He pulled the ‘lying’ card. The light purple furred she cat sighed. “Okay, Ghost. I promise.”