Over The Brick Wall ~ Chapter 5

Instructions

The tomcat cocked his head as I hissed, hackles raised. He trotted over, eyes sparkling with curiosity. Who was he, and why did he think he could get this close to me? He was twice my size, and if he tried to hurt me, I would not be able to escape. Why did we have the same eyes?? Did I have a brother who I didn’t know about? Or could this even be my father? Yeah, right. This random cat who I just stumbled upon in the woods was totally my father. My father who left my mother before I was born? Sure. I was too busy thinking about who he was instead of focusing on the fact that he was practically nose-to-nose with me! I wanted to jump back, but I looked at him- really looked- and found that he wasn’t threatening me; he was grinning. This-this idiot was smiling at me! Who even is he? Before I could yowl or hiss or fight, he just says, “you’re Calypso’s daughter”. I stopped moving entirely. Holy moons. This cat is my father. “You have her fur pattern,” he says like it’s a fact. Which it is. Mother always complimented the pattern of my fur and how it was just like hers. I crouched, ready to pounce. This tom thinks he can meet me in the middle of the woods and pretend he’s my father? I leap, but right as I do, I realize something. How does he know my mother unless he’s my father? But it was too late. I was already landing on top of him pinning him to the ground. He yelped, but he was smirking. “Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to attack your father, kit?” He laughed. I slashed his ear, but it barely even tore it. He threw me off with ease, and I flew a few feet back. He stood, shaking his fur and walking over. “What’s your name, daughter?”. I growl, “Willow,”. “Well, Willow, I’m your father, Alder,” I pounced again, but he simply moved aside. “Calypso never taught you to fight, huh?” I drew my paw over his face, a small cut forming. “Don’t you dare speak her name!” I yowled. A scream echoed through the bushes, and standing there was a human. My father- Alder- immediately began to roll on the ground, feigning agony. The human ran, and my father sat up. “What are you doing?!” I yelled at him. “They’re going to capture us!” Father laughed, sitting down. “Oh, dear Willow. Those are my humans. I live outside, but they take care of me. You are the one they’re meant to take.” I stopped, frozen in place. My father was just going to let these random humans take me away? The human came back, but with more people with cages and a leash. Father ran to the human who came first, and they disappeared, heading in the direction of the edge of the forest. I suddenly realized how close I was to the fence. No wonder the human found us, we were in their territory. I snapped back into reality when I saw what the other humans were about to do, and that was taking me away. They had their leashes and cages ready, but I bolted, heading deeper into the forest. I heard them try to keep up, but I didn’t stop. When I did, I didn’t know where I was, and my tree home was nowhere to be seen. I was lost. Again.