Reedwhisper's Visions [The Sequel to Leafpool's Choice]

Chapter 5

Everything was black at first, as Reedkit slowly began to regain feeling in her body. She could feel warm sunlight on her back, air flowing in and out of her lungs, and the rumble of hunger in her belly. Soon after, though, came the pain. It was a throbbing, aching kind of pain, like a giant bruise covering the whole of Reedkit's leg, so persistent that it made it hard to focus.

Next came the sounds. Muffled pawsteps and whispers, and the faint rustling of tree branches high above. Everything sounded like it was far away. It was as if someone had stuffed Reedkit's ears with moss.

Words were fading in and out as cats conversed in hushed tones around her. She caught broken fragments of speech and conversation, wishing she could understand what she was hearing. "It's been ... too long ... I don't know ... is she ...."

Slowly, Reedkit started to regain her senses. She could feel the pain in her shoulder vividly, and she could smell all around her. The scents of herbs and of her mother, Leafpool, allowed her to figure out that she was in the medicine den. Was she hurt so badly that she couldn't be moved? Her shoulder did sting a lot, and Reedkit couldn't open her eyes.

"I've never seen anything like this before. A cat, frozen? She hasn't moved an inch!" That, Reedkit recognized, was her mother, Leafpool.

What? She was frozen? Reedkit felt a jolt of terror shoot through her. What was wrong with her body?

She heard a little gasp, from Crowfeather, perhaps, before she felt herself swirling into blackness again. The small glimpse of the world that she was given was snatched away in an instant.

Wait, no! Take me back! I have to see my family!

It was all gone too soon.

The silence was so... empty. So sad. There was just nothingness, stretching on for as far as the eye could see. Reedkit squinted, but there really was nothing more to it. Just a big, empty void. There was no ground beneath Reedkit's paws, just... nothing.

It was big, it was empty, and it was lonely.

Nothingness, Reedkit decided, wasn't fun.

But... what was that? A pinprick of light in the distance?

It seemed to be growing larger and larger, threatening to swallow Reedkit whole, and in one brilliant flash, the darkness was engulfed in light.

A new setting emerged. It resembled an open field, with sunshine and soft grass and happy cats. A dream? Or... more?

Where was she? Who were all of these strange cats?

Reedkit looked around nervously. She didn't recognize a single face. It was just a field of cats. How peculiar.

A sleek-furred blue she-cat approached Reedkit. "Hello there, my name is Bluestar. I understand you have many questions, but now is not the time. It seems you have found yourself in StarClan by mistake."

"What?" Reedkit asked. "Am I dead? I don't want to die! Can you put me back?"

"No, you're not dead," Bluestar reassured her. "It seems your spirit has just, I don't know, found itself in the wrong place. Your body is healing well, actually. I just don't understand why you are here."

"Can I go back?" Reedkit asked.

"I don't know if I can do that. You seem to be divided. Something is pulling you towards StarClan."

"What do you mean?"

"I think... maybe it's just something within you, a connection perhaps. Maybe you just have a special link with StarClan, that's all," Bluestar guessed. She tried to sound confident, but she actually had no idea what the problem was. "Maybe you'll go back soon."

Bluestar was right. It only took an instant before Reedkit felt herself being pulled away from the beautiful plains of StarClan.

There was no void this time, no in-between, it was just Reedkit, back in her own body, sound asleep. She had dreams of catching mice and spending time with her siblings,  and she felt better.

Her leg hurt less, and when morning came, she opened her eyes and saw Leafpool, busying herself with her herbs.

Reedkit's stomach rumbled. "Leafpool, can I have some food?"

Reedkit's throat was dry and scratchy, her muscles stiff, leg throbbing, stomach grumbling, but Reedkit was just happy to be alive.