Lone cat dies [Rogues Flood Topic]

Through the fog of sleep, Mao thought that she could hear someone calling her name. It was a voice that sounded all too familiar, yet she could not quite place a face to it. It echoed distantly, seeming to originate from some faraway dimension. Her features scrunched up into a grimace. With a grunt, she placed one paw over her face in a feeble attempt to shut out the sound. "Lemme sleep..." She murmured, barely aware of her own words. Weariness had settled in her bones and weighed heavily on her eyelids. The last thing she wanted to do right now was get up. Surely Xuexi would be understanding enough to give her a few more minutes? A little longer... The realm of unconscious beckoned to her. If she were to simply give in, she would sink back into the depths where she had previously been. Xuexi—

Huh? Xuexi?

All of a sudden, Mao was standing on the border of clan territory again. When she looked down, she gave a horrified screech. Her amber eyes flew wide. Lying at her paws was a grotesque skeleton, very evidently that of a cat's. Some unidentifiable liquid had stained the ground a dark, cruel crimson. Mama! Mama! The river gurgled ever closer, swirling around her paws, drenching her pelt... Out of nowhere, the urgency from the earlier voice sunk in. Someone had been calling for her, someone who she deeply cared about. There's water in the barn! Mao's eyes snapped open, and she sprung instinctively to her paws.

The first thing she saw was the water. The moon's watery rays bounced off the churning surface, proving that there was, in fact, water in the barn. This visual cue was essential to the she-cat who had yet to full snap out of her sleep-induced daze. As soon as she confirmed this detail, her mind moved to the next stage—why? They were quite a distance from the river. There was no time for her to slowly dwell on the cause. Fortunately, the second thing she saw was Rift's shadowy form leaping up into the rafters. Almost immediately, she knew that she had to follow her sister. If she delayed for even a second, she had the feeling she would perish. Before reason had caught up, she was springing after Rift. Fear sent a burst of adrenaline coursing through her veins, lending strength to her tired paws.

The Abandoned Barn seemed to tremble at its very roots. Impending peril roared in Mao's ears. By now, she had half an understanding of the danger they were really in. Her claws were fully unsheathed, scrabbling over the wood as she attempted to get a better grip. Faster—she had to be faster. The source of the thundering would be upon them at any second. At the last moment, she glimpsed Rift leaping for a jagged hole in the roof. She could make it as well. Just a little further! Straining every muscle in her body, she hurtled across the rafters. Three, two, one... She skidded to a halt right beneath the hole. Too late. At the moment the floodwaters crashed into the barn, one thought flashed vibrantly through her mind. I don't want to die! Ears flattened against her head, she hunched down and held on for dear life. It was all that she could do. The wooden beam trembled treacherously beneath her, and she was suddenly struck with how flimsy it really was. For the first time, she felt raw terror in every inch of her existence. Her unsheathed claws raked furrows along the wood as she desperately struggled to hold on.

Just as quickly as the waters swept into the barn, they were gone. As the rumbling died down, Mao slumped over the raft, her body trembling with exertion. Her paws ached with the pressure of holding on, but she refused to let go. She was safe; she was alive. At her sister's fearful cry, she flicked her amber gaze upwards. It took a moment for her to remember how to talk. Swallowing, she tried again. "I—I'm here! I'm right here!" She called up to Rift. A raindrop landed on her nose, causing her to flinch.

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Hailpaw was absolutely miserable. Ever since her escape from the RiverClan patrol, approximately a moon and a half had passed. In that time, she had more or less adapted to the life of a rogue. Well, "adapted" might have been a little subjective. She had been taught how to hunt, how to protect herself, and how to build a shelter by Leafstorm. Putting those skills to use, she had been able to last for quite a while. However, as the days passed, she found no modicum of joy in her new life. It was too lonely—with every passing sunrise, she was reminded of the time she had spent in ThunderClan, and thought of her family members would plague her. How were they faring? How had they reacted to her disappearance? Had RiverClan even told them of her disappearance? She had all these questions and absolutely no way to get answers. Fearing that a search patrol would be sent after her, she had fled quite a way from clan territory. Now she was nothing more than a homeless, nameless rogue. Half of her had begun to regret running away from the RiverClan patrol, and the other half hated herself for feeling that way. There was no going back now, not after she had dashed Leopardstar's last attempt at peace. As if StarClan had decided to further torment her, it had been consistently raining for days on end. The melting snow mixed thoroughly with mud, creating a slush that was all sorts of disgusting to walk through. With such weather, the young she-cat had pretty much given up on trying to do anything productive. Instead, she holed up in the burrow that had become her new den, trying to pass the torturous hours. Outside, the pitter patter of raindrops rang unceasingly.

That night, Hailpaw had finally managed to drift off into a light sleep. Her stomach had been empty for quite a while now, and she was really beginning to feel the drawbacks of living alone. As she dozed, she was unaware of the water that slowly rose to the entrance of her burrow. It started as a trickle seeping through the entrance; before long, the snug tunnel was half-flooded. When the river finally lapped at her fur, Hailpaw started wide-awake. "What in StarClan's name—?!" At the sight of the water practically spilling into her nest, she sprung up with a yowl. With every second, the water level was surging a little higher. A dull rushing could be heard coming from outside. Dark liquid swished around her paws. Hailpaw did not stop to even consider standing around. Heart pounding frantically, she sprinted for the exit. A flood—the place was flooding! Once leaving the shelter of the burrow, she only confirmed that fact. The apprentice drew a panicked breath as she accidentally plunged straight into the floodwaters, finding out a second later that she could just barely stand in them. How could things have gotten this bad? What had happened when she had not been looking? Even at such a time, it was still raining. Hailpaw had never learned how to swim, and she had no idea how to. At this rate, she would drown just as Beepaw had. The thought of ending up like her brother—lying dead in some ditch once the waters had receded, her thick white pelt filthy and waterlogged—filled her with overwhelming terror. No! There had to be some way out!

She had to get to higher ground—but where? Vaguely, she remembered the ruins of the old twoleg structure by the moor. If her memory was accurate, it was known as the Abandoned Barn. Surely it would be safer there. But which direction was the Abandoned Barn? Panic was kicking her mind into overdrive, but there was no time to think. The roaring in the distance had grown much louder, and its source was audibly getting closer. The forest trembled under some ominous pressure. Bristling wildly, Hailpaw splashed towards the nearest tree, a weathered oak. It was the only thing that looked safe enough for her to climb. She scrambled up with some difficulty, finally perching on a bough a good distance up. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it occurred to her that she would have trouble climbing down again. The significance of that thought, however, was rapidly dwarfed in comparison to what she currently faced. In the next moment, a powerful wave surged unrestrained across the forest floor. Biting back the whimper of fear, the apprentice dug her unsheathed claws deep into the bark. There was no way she would survive if she fell into that current. Countless branches and other unidentifiable debris swept by down below.

If the flood had reached this far out, ThunderClan territory had undoubtedly been affected as well. Now Hailpaw was struck with another kind of fear. What had happened to her family members? They'll be fine. Beartooth is strong and steady; Pricklepaw and Gladepaw are down to earth; Streampaw has always been the smart one; Ridgepaw is lucky; and Blizzardshine was ThunderClan's former leader. They have their clanmates. They'll be fine. It'll be all right. They had to be okay. She should never have run away. She was a coward and a mouse-brain. If only she had been courageous enough to stay and face them, if only she had not been so prideful and stubborn... Now she could truly lose everything precious to her. Clenching her jaws, Hailpaw squeezed her eyes shut. What should I do? Where would her family go? Unexpectedly, an answer occurred to her—Highstones! Could it be possible? From the tales she had heard, it was certainly the highest ground around. With such a terrible flood, it would not be that strange if her clanmates decided to head to the mountain range. If she caught up with them there, she could learn of her family's fate.

I'm never running away again.

The member 'Transient' has done the following action : Dices roll

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#1 'Hunting Dice' : 3

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#2 'Hunting Dice' : 4