Born Dead

Peeling open her damp eyelids from her clear silver eyes, she blinked. Was this what living was like?  

She was standing in the middle of a bleak dessert with no sign of life as far as the golden horizon in the distance. The atmosphere held a dismal sadness that tinted the air red. The mist was so thick she could barely see her paws and her fur turned from its pitch black and silver to molten lava. It was as if she were a ghost.

Realization swept over her like a falling glacier. She was dead. Her heart did not beat, her body was colder than ice. Flickering lights began flashing and appearing further in the distance. Intrigued, she drifted over. As she neared, she realized the “lights” were actually growing portals, forming about 3 mouse tails above land level. Concentrating hard enough to break a sweat, she tried to levitate and passed through the threshold.

Light flared, so bright she thought that she had spontaneously combusted, pain twisting through her like an uncoiling ball of yarn. Her whole body trembled as sparks of electricity seared over her body, twining through her fur.

But then it faded and the air became warm and kind. As her obsidian eyes fell on the bundle of dark grey and black fur that was laying by a creamy pink she cat. Had she been brought back to life? She thought hopefully as she padded over to the she cat, and made to lick her on the forehead. A comfort. Her tongue passed over the cat's fur like mist. Light as a feather. But there. Confused, she pivoted to the wiggling ball of fluff at the she cat's silk soft fur.

As she turned to leave she felt the kit’s startling sapphire gaze pierce her fur. Had the kit seen her? Turning slowly she met the kit’s stare. Did he want to come with her?  

She cocked her head questioningly at the young tomcat.

“Do you want to come with me?” her ebony eyes asking the question she yearned the answer to.

The kit’s eyes turned sad but defiant as he nodded. “Yes, it is my time,”  he seemed to say as his eyes closed. And his heart, his kind loving heart stopped.