Forget-Me-Not
(Here’s my writing entry! I got Elf Owl’s help for writing the parts about Night and I thought this was the perfect moment to show!)
The beautiful, quiet woods sat peacefully in the springtime, with flowers blooming everywhere under the shining sun, turning the fields to a rainbow of beautiful bobbing colors and bright splashes. Heavenly scents trailed through the air, and so did butterflies and bees. Birds and squirrels filled the trees with song and life, and the day was perfectly peaceful.
Except for a small stubby figure far out by the farmlands, racing along as fast as her tiny legs could carry her. The reason she was flying along became quickly clear as a huge, snarling, snapping dog bounded into view as well.
“HEEEEELP! HELP! OH HEEEEEELP!” The dilute calico munchkin dashed through the grass, screaming like a seagull while she crashed along. She blasted past dandelions and sent their fluff flying through the air and trampled right over the clover flowers she loved so much.
The dog got closer and closer, starting to really gain on her. Eager excitement flashed in its dark eyes and it gave a wicked grin of bared fangs as it lunged forward to try to snap at her tail!
“AHHHH!” shrieked Snail. She jumped high in the air and landed right on the dog’s head! Panicked she clung on with claws and howled as the dog ran in circles, trying to shake her off. She bit its ear hard, trying to hold on better since she was scared of falling and being trampled.
But this just made the dog madder than ever! It snarled and roared and shook her right off!
Snail flew over a fence and landed in a pond! The giant splash made the ducks there quack and flap off. Whimpering, Snail struggled to the shallows only to see the dog bounding towards her! She tried to take off, but found out one of her paws was stuck on a root! Sobbing in fear, she clawed and scrabbled, still screaming for help.
Then a terrible snarl ripped out of the reeds ahead! A huge black shape leaped out and charged at the dog, snarling and hissing!
The dog yelped as claws sliced its nose and the angry black cat jumped on its face and attacked it!
Hiccupping and sniffling, Snail watched with wide eyes as the big black cat fiercely chased the dog off, sending it running away when it decided this new prey was too mean and the game was no fun anymore!
Panting, the black cat turned back and stalked over to Snail.
“Night!” she squeaked in relief recognizing her and realizing she’d been holding her breath in fright. She felt a little dizzy and flopped down. “You saved me!”
Night didn’t smile though. She just poked Snail. “How’s your paw?” she demanded.
“Stuck!” Snail took a shaky breath. “Is that dog going to come back?”
“No,” said Night. She carefully tugged Snail’s paw and helped her work it free.
Snail stood on wobbly paws and then squeaked. The one that had gotten stuck really hurt to stand on! She held it up, big eyes watery again. “It hurts!”
Night’s stiff expression didn’t change. The intimidating cat sniffed her paw and poked it. “Sprained.”
Snail stared at her in horror, puffed up and not sure exactly what that terrible pronouncement meant. “Will I ever walk again?”
“Of course.” Was Night rolling her eyes at her?
She frowned. “But I can’t walk right now.”
“You have three other paws.” Night beckoned to her and started to prowl off. She looked very grim, and Snail’s heart sank a little bit. Was Night mad at her? She drooped. She didn’t want the cool cat to be mad at her!
“Where are you going?” Snail hobbled after the black cat.
“Back. Camp. You should too.”
“But I can’t!” She plopped on her bottom and put on the saddest, most pleading face she could. “Night, I can’t. I’m on a mission!”
The black cat didn’t even turn around, she just looked around. “What mission?”
“I’ve got to find Fairyrings!” she explained.
“Who?” deadpanned Night.
“My sister! My other sister…” Snail’s whiskers drooped. “Why my housefolk lost me, I had two sisters, Ferret and Fairyrings. We all lived with the Storm Clouds because they gave us a place to stay, but then Fairyrings got scared when you new cats came—not to be rude, she just was worried, but I don’t mind you at all!” Snail hurriedly hobbled over to rub against Night, who just stared at her like she had squirrels in her brain. “But then Ferret died…” She looked up at Night, tears welling again. It broke her heart every time she thought of her sister dying, and then not knowing where her other sister was!
Night stared at her.
“I tried to find her,” wailed Snail, “but I can’t find anything and she’s gone forever! I came out here thinking maybe she went really, really far or tried to go home to our housefolk, but there’s nothing!”
“Then she’s gone,” Night said bluntly.
Snail’s whiskers drooped. She stared at the ground, starting to sniffle again. “I looked everywhere,” she whispered. “Everywhere!”
Night awkwardly nuzzled Snail. The big black cat then curled up around her and sat there frowning.
Snail sobbed into her fur, thinking of all the horrible things that could have happened. What if she was killed by dogs or had fallen in a river or got sick or got too hungry or got hurt or bitten by a snake or snatched by a hawk or attacked by a mean cat?!
Eventually though Snail ran out of tears. She sadly snuggled against Night, having hiccups from all her crying. She stared miserably at the black cat with her cheek pressed against her soft fur. “Night?” she quavered.
Night grunted.
“Will you help me do something?” she pleaded. “Something really, really important?”
“What?’ asked Night flatly.
“I want to make a mem-more-ree-um, for Fairyrings,” she said, sitting up with a sniffle.
Night cleared her throat and stared at her with pinned ears. She looked awkward and uncomfortable and pained like she’d been dragged backwards through a thornbush.
Snail guiltily nudged her wondering if now she was thinking about losing Shade.
“What’s that?’ demanded Night.
She stared up at Night. “You don’t know about mem-more-ree-ums?”
“No,” said Night.
Eyes tearful she said, “It’s a big nice thing you make to remember someone by and you make a big pretty thing and it means you won’t forget what you miss.”
“Oh,” said Night. She looked puzzled.
Snail pressed against her for comfort. “What do you do to remember cats?” she asked.
“We tell stories,” said Night. “About what they did. And we wrestle and yowl.” She looked away. “Death happens all the time. Once they’re dead they’re dead.”
Snail didn’t think that sounded very happy. It sounded very sad. She nuzzled Night. “Do you miss Cicero?” she asked. “He was your daddy wasn’t he?”
“Something like that,” said Night.
“We could make a mem-mor-ee-um for him too,” she said.
Night grunted.
“Can you help me?” she whispered hopeful. “We have to gather nice things.”
“Fine,” muttered Night.
The big black cat carried the small munchkin on her back. They wandered all over the hills, picking flowers and collecting feathers and berries and pretty rocks. Snail also found some nice soft sheep wool and some interesting shells.
“Is there anything you want to get Cicero?” she asked licking Night’s ear. She was balancing on top of her and carrying all the supplies.
Night grunted and didn’t say anything but when Snail finished collecting some more feathers she came back and found Night have some prey bones piled up.
“I made a thing,” she said flatly and pointed to it.
“That’s nice,” said Snail her voice still a bit thick. “But we have to put it somewhere special. I know the perfect place.”
Night carried her and she gave directions. She had a pretty good memory for things and they soon arrived in a pretty clearing with bright sun and soft green clover and grass everywhere. A big ring of mushrooms, which Snail called fairies, was there.
“What’s special about this?’ asked Night.
“It’s a ring of fairies,” said Snail. She nuzzled a fairy. It was pale brown and reminded her of the cream on her sister’s pelt. She gulped back a new wave of tears. “We just put everything in here,” she said, and started to arrange all the pretty things inside the ring.
She put shells, daises, roses, hyacinths, honeysuckles, butterfly wings, pinecones, stones, petals, acorns, fur, and feathers in. She also added moss and then lots of forget-me-nots everywhere, until the ring was filled with color and beauty, the perfect memorial for lost kin.
Night dumped her bones in the ring and then eventually added some tufts of her fur. “Now what?” she said. Snail was sure she looked kind of misty-eyed, and Night even added some white flowers on top of her pile, and a talon she’d found.
“We have to say words,” said Snail.
“What words?”
Snail didn’t know. She stared at the heap of gifts for a long while, sniffling and quivering while she tried to hold herself to together. Eventually she said, “I’ll always remember you, Fairyrings. And you too, Ferret. You’re the best sisters ever and I love you very, very much. I miss you lots, and I hope you come home soon Fairyrings.” If she heard Night’s snort behind her she didn’t notice. “I hope you find this and know I’m still looking for you.”
When Night came to stand beside her the munchkin pressed against her and smiled sadly, hiccupping. “You’ve got to tell some stories about Cicero when we get back,” she mumbled.
“Who says we have to go back?” muttered Night.
“What do you mean?” she pulled away and stared up at her.
“We can take some time…” Night’s claws sank into the ground and she was staring really hard.
Snail quietly pressed against her, purring softly and wanting to comfort her, sure that Night was trying not to cry. “Would you like me to say words for Cicero?” she whispered, eyes glistening.
Night grunted, which Snail hoped meant yes.
She cleared her throat and took a deep breath and said, “Cicero I know Night and Shade love you lots and I’m sorry you died, and I hope you and Ferret can have fun together wherever you are now.” She gave a big sniff and then sad down hard and started to cry again. “I’ll always remember you!” she promised. And she did. When she and Night had kits, she named the one that looked like her sister Fairy, after the strange little plants in her lost sister’s name: Fairykit.
