Imperfect

Chapter 17

"It's not much of a secret," Origanum admitted. "I'm not saying how many cats know about it, but let me tell you this." She stood in front of Wildflower. "There are more cats here that don't know about Cinder. If you try and spill it, the tribe will be against you and I have the power to banish you, so don't even think about it."

     Her heart was now racing from Origanum's terror. Fear leaked into her like a waterfall, the ice inside the Alpha's eyes spreading throughout her body, the cold nipping at Wildflower's paws. Her paws were positioned in an attack stance while her tail remained low to the ground like a snake. 

     Wildflower held her breath. I have to do something to keep my mind off of her now. Think about something else.

     "I saw that you almost made a mistake," Origanum threatened, eyes showing no mercy or sympathy. "Just because you're new doesn't mean I won't hesitate to kill you or grant you some kind of leeway."

     Her heart skipped several beats. Her paws twitched back just an inch. Her fur spiked up once again like a porcupine in danger. She bit her tongue to stop any other signs of failure show. Keeping her eyes calm was the harder part.

     Forcing her fur to lie flat against fearful waves, the scouter snarled in her head, parting the waves to reveal a barren path. The spikes fur along her back stopped where they were with a lot of effort from her part. Wildflower took the controls and lowered them, letting out a long and painful exhale.

     Endless Stars... I'm screwed! I can't be kicked out already! Not yet! Her mind screamed at her. Her life now was balanced between her and Origanum, heart twisting in ways she thought couldn't be twisted.

     "So have a nice day!" Origanum chirped. Wildflower jerked her head back up at her words. Now she was a jubilant squirrel. The Alpha had returned to her normal self and trotted past the scouter. "Remember, don't talk to anyone about that or I'll have to kick you out for real!" 

     Then Origanum left the den with a skip in her paws.

     Wildflower stood frozen in place, dazed. Finally, her brain started to work again, no longer on pause. What just happened? Was she kicked out? Did Origanum give her another order? Perhaps claiming she saw the ghost of her old friend made the punishment less strict. 

     Cinder's words rushed back into her head. Wildflower flattened her ears, hoping that it would help muffle the horrid words.

     "You'll be an Imperfect."

     Her paws felt weak. Like flimsy twigs, Wildflower fell onto her stomach. She remained there, trying to catch her breath, staring blankly at the wall. Once again, her heartbeat increased more with the words shouting and taunting in the air above, dancing freely. 

     "Failure. Imperfection. Mistakes."

     No! Those were just words to freak me out! There isn't any way that Cinder could tell what will happen in my future! I'm in charge of my path! I can decide which way I want to go! It might've been her imagination, but Wildflower heard the dead she-cats next words in her mind. Horror seeped into her, taking over her entirely.

     Wildflower couldn't hear anything besides her fear-stricken heart beating inside of her. She was encased in ice, any sound that tried to reach her was only blocked out. The only sound that welcomed her was her own mind and thoughts. All they did was torment and taunt, laughing as Cinder stood in the center, conjuring more hurtful words.

     "Oh really?" Her mind hissed. "Did you really want to enter the tribe?"

     Wildflower flattened her ears, sobbing quietly into her own paws as she tried to defeat the voices. Whether it was her own thoughts, something else entirely, or Cinder, it only made her feel worse. They would die off eventually, she knew that, but how long would they linger around her mind? How much longer would they clot her mind and poison her sight?