Silenced Nights - wc

[OSCAR/9]

     My eyes flicked open as I huddled beneath a tree, yawn echoing from my mouth. I rose, stretching, glancing around carefully, before I realized I was in the forest.

     "What?" I meowed, glancing around cautiously. I remembered wandering into the forest late at night yesterday, looking for another mouse... I flopped down, rubbing my ears against the grasses that were poking out of the ground. 

     I remembered hearing a voice that night, although the words were long lost to me. I padded deeper into the forest, ears flicking as I tried to hear for any type of creature I could catch... anything that would satisfy my growing hunger.

     Some light shifted through the trees, although it was consistently shady and dark. I knew that once I get back that Halo would ask where I had been. With a sigh, I just concluded that it would be for the best if I told him that I was sleeping or something.

     A slight rustle made me jump up, although I shifted into the position Halo had showed me yesterday, claws ready, hind legs prepared to leap, tail poised up. I shuffled closer, seeing the brown body of a squirrel scamper by. I imagined the red flesh between my teeth, bones layed off to the side...

     As I approached, my paws set upon a leaf, and it crackled, making the squirrel start to dart up the tree before a cat jumped after it, paws landing upon the squirrel. My eyes widened as I watched the cat jump down, squirrel in jaws. Their eyes came up to meet mine, making me flinch. They had the same green eyes as before, their fur a hickory color.

     I realized quickly that they had no collar around their neck, their claws viciously sharp, ears ruffled, fur messy and ripped up. I backed away, wondering what this cat could possibly be...

     The cat came closer, squirrel hanging from their jaw, green eyes capturing me in their frozen grip. I opened my mouth to speak, words slipping off my tongue. "Hi. I'm Oscar."

     They dropped the squirrel, before looking back to me. "She tells us to kill Softtalons like you on sight."

     "W-what?" I gulped, taking a pawstep backwards.

     "Hi, Oscar. I'm Squirreldirector. Just call me Squirrel." She bent down, pushing the squirrel towards me. "It was your catch."

     "I'm the reason it ran." I defended myself, wanting the squirrel, although not wanting to get attacked by this cat.

     "It was the leaf you stepped on that did it, Oscar." She beckoned me down to eat the squirrel with wide eyes.

      "Why are you...? You said you were supposed to kill me. Who are you?" I shuddered, leaning down to open the squirrel with some effort, although I refused to eat it.

     She went silent. "According to The Newcomer's rules, we have to kill any cats outside of our group."

     "Why haven't you killed me then?" I meowed. "Why do you need to kill other cats?"

     "You interest me, Oscar. Even though I'm a director, I haven't seen a Softtalon like you before..." She only answered my first question. "I have seen a cat come here before. That night you were hunting. The one with white fur and something around their neck."

     "Halo..." I murmured. "This is my collar. So our owners recognize us."

     "I wouldn't want to be owned by any stinky, grubby paw." She grumbled. "You never have any freedom."

     "Then who gives you rules? How do you live without an owner?" I questioned, leaning down to take a quick bite from the squirrel, devouring it, and satisfying my hunger.