[poppy]

Redkit

The cold body of her uncle lay in front of her, and Redkit's small frame trembled as she stared at it. Stepping forward to nudge him again, as if hoping her touch would startle him back, so he could yell at her again and call her a gremlin (whatever that was, maybe it was another word for niece) and a demon. Anything. She just wanted him to get up. Prove to her that everything was okay and that she was just overthinking. "Uncle Cwackles, please wake up." She whispered, her plea barely audible over the murmur of the cats behind her, and she turned to look at the gathered cats, rosy tortie ears pinning against her head. Tri-colored eyes widened as the solemn looks and she turned around again, staring down at her uncle.

What was going on? Gentle teeth gripped her scruff and Redkit was too frozen to struggle, assuming it was her mama here to make things okay again, so she allowed herself to be carried away from Crackles, her very bushy bobtail tucked between her legs, eyes finally straying to the body of one of her denmates. The little tortoiseshell point felt her throat swell with unease and she twisted in the cat's grip. Oh. This wasn't her mama. She had half a mind to jerk herself free and run back to her uncle's side, but she was too frozen. Her limbs knew something her brain didn't, and that was terrifying.

Sitting down beside Violetfreckle, the bobtail was rigid where she sat, afraid to move, afraid to shatter whatever was holding her together. Whatever innocence kept her in the blissful ignorance of youth. Tears streamed down Redkit's face, her small form huddled against Violentfreckle as she sniffled softly. "I loved him a lot, but I don't know if he ever loved me, and he's not w-waking up a-and I don't know what's going on." she choked out, her voice barely audible. The burden of not knowing if her familial love was reciprocated hung heavy on her young heart, a painful ache that seemed impossible to bear, it felt like she was physically pinned down by the weight. She didn't know if her Uncle loved her and now she didn't even know if he was okay and it was all too scary.

It was terrifying before her mother appeared in camp. Accepting the comforting licks that Violetfreckle offered, Redkit felt her eyes water at the first shriek her mama let out. Yes. Something was terribly wrong, and little red was terribly confused. "Bleeding?" A new word she hadn't been acquainted with, yet. "D-dead?" She knew that word. The leaves on the ground were dead. The prey in the prey pile was dead. But her Uncle Crackles was not.

Even Mama herself was saying that it wasn't true. (Redkit was too overwhelmed to notice the denial and took it at face value, and face value happened to be the most er.... comforting. Far less tragic. Far less heart rending.)

There was that word again. Died. Dead. Gone. Redkit was young, but not young enough to miss the clear anguish and horror in her mother's voice. Her Uncle Cracklepaw was dead. Whatever that meant. Because only plants and prey animals and strangers could die- not family. Redkit knew that family left, but family didn't die. Family couldn't die.

"Mama?" She whimpered for her mother, although it would take a miracle for her small voice to be heard over all the voices. The angry voices. The quiet voices. The loud voices. The mean voices. The confused voices.

Too many voices. Too many cats.

Not enough family. Family gone. Not enough air. Need air.

Sick. Sick. Tummy hurt. Air. Need air. Need Mama. Need siblings. Need Crackles. Need answers.

She refused to leave the meeting, not when she wanted answers about her family, about why her family was being torn apart for the fourth time. So she sat, shrinking back against her companion, trying to focus on her breathing but it was hard when her world was crashing down around her.

[ @vellichor @Rose @elaif ]