Alleycats book 1: thunderstorm

chapter 12

   Thunder sat up in the dead of night, he had known by now to trust his instincts. Something was wrong. He sniffed, not detecting any scent. The new moon. (when whole moon is in shadow) made his eyes blind in the night ,so his pricked ears were his only guide in the dark.Thunder listened,concern deepening. Then, a loud rushing sound filled his ears .His eyes widened with terror.

Oh no! The stream has broken its banks!

Instantly alert, Thunder jumped to his paws, shaking Angel who was sleeping nearby.

"Angel!" He whispered, desperate to wake her. She didn't stir.

Thunder could see the faint outlines of rushing water pouring over a distant hill.

By now, Thunder was growing desperate. "Angel!" He screeched, overflown with fear for his companion. They had been together for almost 4 months now!

Finely, Angel sat up with a start. " huh? Thunder... Wha...."

Thunder didn't wait for her to finish. Nudging her up the hill,Thunder could hear the water now, coming down on them like a wall.

"Hurry!" He urged, filled with panic.

Angel groaned, vision clouded with exhaustion. As she edged up the greenery. By now, the flash flood was almost upon them. He saw a badger den, but thought better of it.

If the water filled up the chamber, they would drown, or be mauled by a badger...or...

Underground was absolutely the worst place to be right now!

Then, when he almost tripped over his paws, he saw a tree, curved with a scoop in the trunk to form a small den, the stone path leading up to it.

In the middle of a meadow?

Who cares!

Thunder pumped forward, thrusting the ground with everything he had.

It's closer...

His hopes plummeted.

But the tide is almost upon us! And the tree is still at least a mile away!

Dismay clouded his thoughts. We'll never make it!

Then, before thunder could react, the wave was upon them, the force slammed into thunder, filling him with shock as he sank, torpedoing him through the water like a limp mouse.

Thunder fought the urge to breath as the current tugged him onward, throwing the striped tom down and rubbing his face in the ground.

Nearby, Angel clawed for altitude, only to sink to the bottom like a stone.

Thunder's heart stabbed with pity.

I have to save her!

Churning the water with his paws, Thunder fought to stay afloat. The work made his lungs scream for air. A new color flashed in Thunder's mind, as the realization hit him.

'I'm going to drown.'

A certain calm enfolded Thunder, and he relaxed his muscles, going limp.

The water tossed the gray tom around like a kitten playing with a ball of wet moss.

Suddenly desperate, thunder kicked and squirmed.

He had to know if Angel was okay!

But the world had other plans shooting thunder up to the surface. He sailed through the air.

Thunder could only take a gasp of air, submerging again. He Shivered as he took the icy plunge. Thunder shook his head.

This is not how I die! Thunder thought firmly. He had been pretty good at holding his breath so far. Then, Thunder winced in pain, almost gasping, when his head banged against a rock jutting from the soil.

Barely Any time passed, when his leg caught on a trailing root curving like a snake.

Now Thunder was beginning to feel dizzy, And he knew that soon it would be too late. When he would pass out and his body would start breathing again. Only to get a gulp of water, water...water that he couldn't breathe.

panicking, Thunder searched helplessly, but there was clearly no way out. It was over.

The river picked him up and for one hopeful heartbeat, Thunder thought that it was sending him towards the surface, but it abruptly changed course, slamming the former leader against a tree trunk.

Stunned, thunder didn't even wince when his claws brushed over stone, seeming to almost slide upwards. As Thunder slid over, his vision faded, forever as he sank into blackness.

It was too late.

without control, Thunder gulped as if in air.

He convulsed once with a whimper, and lay still forever, fading into the vail.

It was over.

Thunder was through.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the unforgiving blackness to take him at last.

So this is how I die.

He whimpered.

Will I ever see Angel again? In this life or the next.