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| - I feel something warm, even though I'm in the dark. My mind is swirling with worries about Duskwatcher. But one question pressed my mind more frequently than the others. But how? I was the prettiest she-cat in the Clan; of course Duskwatcher would want me. Unless... I open my eyes to hear whispers. Looking to the side, I see Duskwatcher curled up with a cat, a very familiar looking one. It's Shinecloud. My little sister. Duskwatcher opens his eyes and stares at me. I quickly pretend I'm still asleep. Peeking out of the corner of my eye, I see Duskwatcher washing Shinecloud's pelt, making sure it was shiny... he never did that for me. I have to bite my lip to keep the gasp from escaping my mouth. I close my eyes again, unable to bear it. How could Duskwatcher betray me? I hear him waking up Shinecloud, and the two of them walk out of the den together, their tails intertwined. When they are out of sight, I sit up. I need to find a way to win Duskwatcher's heart again. And it needs to be better than anything Shinecloud could dream of. Because now, she's not my sister. She's my rival for the best-looking tom SpringClan has ever seen. I corner Duskwatcher by the fresh-kill pile. I've been watching him all day. And he hasn't shown one sign of liking me, or having ever have liked me. Seeing that Shinecloud is walking out of camp, I run over to Duskwatcher as he finishes his meal, licking his lips. "Heyyy Duskwatcher." I say in the best flirt-ish tone that I can make out. I twine my tail with his and I summon the courage to continue. "Sit down, Duskwatcher. We can share tongues, if you want. The beautiful twilight will make it better than ever... more romantic than ever." I emphasize the word "romantic", hoping he would remember what he had said a few days ago. Duskwatcher thinks about it for a while. "You're right, it will be more romantic..." he mutters, and he turns to me, his eyes empty. "Thanks, Lilyshade! I'd better go catch up with Shinecloud. We were planning a walk through the woods, and the dimming twilight will make it even better!" he says. He runs off, leaving me staring at where he was a few heartbeats ago. It's so unfair. But what he said a few days ago makes it even worse. What a hypocrite. Toms are annoying. Well, especially Duskwatcher. I feel like somone's staring at me, and when I look around, I see Blackheart. A pang of guilt stabs my heart when I see my childhood best friend staring at me with such sadness. I think I might've loved him once... but I think I need Duskwatcher more than I need Blackheart. I walk into the camp to see the cats of SpringClan stare at me. I glare at them, and they start whispering with each other. And do you know what the worst part is? They stop and stare at me when I pass them, and they wait until I'm gone before whispering again. The only two warriors not in the clearing are Duskwatcher and Shinecloud. They're just staring at each other, and my heart breaks seeing him nuzzling her and acting like she's the prettiest thing in the world. I can't express my hate for Duskwatcher right now. It's just too much. Because just a few days ago, I was in Shinecloud's position. Duskwatcher gets up and touches noses with her. As he walks away to the fresh-kill pile, I run up to Shinecloud. "Stop. Stealing. My. Future. Mate." I say, trying to control my anger. Shinecloud just looks at me with mock surprise. "Really? But he likes me, the prettiest she-cat is SpringClan better..." I just stare at her. When did Shinecloud turn into this? I walk away as Duskwatcher comes back. It's not fair. What did I do to deserve this? But as I sit down to eat in the clearing, a new statement finally dawns on me. I'm not the most popular she-cat in the Clan anymore. Shinecloud is. I quickly close my eyes as the happy pair walks in, side by side. Shinecloud gets into her nest, right next to Duskwatcher, and I catch them touching noses before they lay down. That's when the tears start flowing. I turn away when Shinecloud looks at me, and I wrap myself into a ball of fur to hide my emotions for a few heartbeats. I just wait there all night, the tears finally drying out, and the snores from all around me somehow distance themselves from me. It's only me and my thoughts. I stare at the ceiling. I wish I was popular. I wish I was with Duskwatcher. But he's with Shinecloud now. What a hypocrite. And the problem is, I have no one else in SpringClan. You have Blackheart. But he's not the same. Duskwatcher wil make me popular, and envied. Blackheart just... won't do that. I close my eyes. And in my dreams, I'm forced to watch a beautiful dusk slowly turn to black... I wake up to find a cat standing over me. It's Shinecloud. Her eyes narrow, and I'm scared for where this is going to go. "Listen, Lilyshade. Whatever you think you and Duskwatcher ever had, it's over. You know that?" I nod, just to finally get the truth over with. "Because he's my mate now. So don't interfere, and don't ever think about trying to get him back." She bares her teeth in a snarl. Then she stalks away, and I'm left there, somewhat confused. But I get the gist of what Shinecloud said. Duskwatcher is gone. It's over. And no matter how hard I'll ever try, I'll never get him back. I won't ever be cool again. But something else disturbs me more. It's her. What happened to the little sister I had, the sweet one who always looked up to me? The one I could count on? She became a snobby brat. I guess that in a way, I did too. That's what being with Duskwatcher does to you. I walk out of the den absentmindedly, and make my way to the fresh-kill pile. Picking out a mouse, I start eating it, forcing my jaws to swallow the food. I feel like my teeth are stuck together. I think that it's over. The loving Duskwatcher, the wonderful Shinecloud. And I just have to find away to move on....
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