Chapter Twelve

147 9 4
                                    

Edited ✔️
_______________

Harvey lay in a dead silence. The only sign of his life still clutched in his body was the ragged rise and fall of his bony flanks. His fur was clumped and torn, his bones visible through his thinly clinging pelt. His amber eyes were set astray, flickering amongst nothingness as shallow rasps of breath puffed from his constantly parted maw. His housefolk were concerned for his wellbeing, as he could tell. Their skinny paws poked and prodded at his fur, but he showed no mind, because he really didn't care. Although he did try to decipher what they were saying, and if he were listening close enough, he could've sworn he'd heard them discuss a collection of scrambled words that sounded of "vet," "bed," and "grief."

In his poor state, the brown kittypet had managed to slip through the clear flap. It had sent his stomach fluttering with fear, but he would do so anyways in hopes that Miley would reappear. Clearly though, she did not. And by every passing day, Harvey's faith in finding his friend faded to an oblivion, joy turning to sadness and a lack of will to live.

One of the twolegs, the female, padded over, a fake fish dangling from a string that was battered by paws from he and Miley's tussling. Grief rose in Harvey's throat like bile, and he turned away. The twoleg cooed softly, managing to catch Harvey's attention as she dangled it closer to the tom, but other than that the tom made no more reaction, turning away once more and laying his head sadly onto his paws.

Harvey's eyelids began drifting, up and down in a consecutive movement, until they slid shut. His breathing eased as he fell unconscious, his paws splayed out to the side. He was disturbed a moment later by a light breeze brushing against his spine, and he blindly lifted his head, his vision blurred and a ringing in his ears. He could just make out somebody's shape, their ears perked up and tail swishing back and forth. Their jaw moved as they spoke, and Harvey felt his heart stop for a moment.

"Miley?" He rasped, blearily trying to adjust his eyes in attempt to identify the cat. "Is that you?"

He attempted to stagger to his paws, but he was unsuccessful as he crashed soundlessly towards the unseeable ground. He looked back to the cat only to realize that it was a tom. Harvey's vision was swept away and he awoke from the odd dream before he could process the cat's words, and he heaved a sigh as he once more felt the softness of his nest beneath his paws.

He rose his head to look at the ceiling, his heart tearing as sadness spilled silently over him. He tightened his paws beneath himself, and let out a choked whisper into the still air. "Oh, Miley...I miss you." He rasped. He lay his head down, letting out a small whimper as he gazed at his sprawled paws. She could be hurt, hungry, or even worse... dead. He thought to himself, nuzzling further into the crest of a forepaw as he sought out his own comfort.

As he murmured reassurance to himself, something closed around his side. Harvey let out a terrified caterwaul, flailing his paws in fear as one of his twolegs lifted him from his nest.

"No! Stop! Leave me alone!" He wailed, lashing out at the male twoleg as he cradled him close. In shock, the twoleg dropped Harvey, and the brown tom streaked away, desperately searching for someplace to hide. He dove into a parted doorway, and hid in a square cavern full of twoleg pelts. He felt his heartbeat slow, and he waited silently on top of a pile, his eyes flicking at the doorway as he contemplated how he would escape if one of his housefolk came to retrieve him once more.

Oh, Miley...please come home soon.

Warriors: Rise of the Weather [1] : The Journey Begins (OLD/DISCONTINUED)Where stories live. Discover now