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October 2017 Writing Contest: Untitled

Untitled
By Silverpelt60 #94296



The little silver kitten bounced up and down excitedly as they made their way to the market. They knew it was dangerous, but this was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed. The kitten ignored the usual calls of the boring old shops that flocked to the market around the Halloween season, clutching a bag of gold coins to their chest. They had no interest in any of the silly trifles others indulged in around Halloween. Looking around for a bit longer, their eyes lit up when they finally spotted what they were looking for.

Rushing over to the shabby wooden stall, the kitten slammed the bag of coins onto the counter, staring at the shopkeeper expectantly. The old fox was clearly surprised to see such a young villager, scratching his head as he asked the feline a few questions.

“My my, you seem to be a bit too young to be wandering out and about on your lonesome! Do your parents know you’re here?”

The kitten nodded rapidly, but the fox didn’t seem to be convinced.

“You know, it can get pretty dangerous out here! Are you sure this is a smart decision you’re making? I wouldn’t want a poor lad like you to get robbed or hurt!” The fox stared with wide eyes at the kitten, as if to emphasize his point, but the kitten stared back, gaze unwavering.

Finally, the shopkeeper sighed, taking the bag in his paws.

“Alright then, if you insist. But, if I may, I’m going to take a few measures to help prevent any unfortunate happenings. Please excuse me for a moment.” And with that, the shopkeeper disappeared into the back of the stall, shadows darkening the door that lead into a different room.

Time passed, and the kitten waited and waited. They were patient, and so they stood firm and confident, their expression emotionless and until it changed into one of excitement as soon as the old fox reappeared. He set a large black box on the counter, seeming pleased with himself.

“Here you go lad! Now, go on! Scamper off home now, wouldn’t want your parents getting worried now, would we?” The kitten nodded enthusiastically, eagerly picking up the box and hurrying away. The fox stared after them, eyes shining. Turning around, he stared at the rows and rows of intricate plushes sitting on shelves, each one unique and one of a kind.

The kitten was practically airborne as they ran back to their home, they just couldn’t wait to show their parents what they had acquired. However, in their haste, they failed to notice that they were being followed.

The kitten suddenly tumbled to the ground, the black box sent flying out of their arms and silvery fur now disheveled as they lay dazed, unsure of what had just happened. When they tried to get up, they were shoved to the grass once more, eyes forced wide open by the shock.

“Hey there, mute!” a brown Wickerbeast snarled, eyes red and gleaming with maliciousness as he shrugged his arms across baggy blue clothes. Behind him was a pink and purple Angel Dragon and a gray Manokit with many golden piercings and dressed in a red suite. Farther back was a timid looking white Gem Raptor with red gems speckling his body and torn, shabby-looking rags for clothes. Only they didn’t laugh at the poor kitten’s situation.

The kitten’s eyes widened in terror-they were familiar with the group, for what child hadn’t met the bullies before? They jumped to their feet fearfully, staring at the black box lying at the Wickerbeast’s feet. Noticing the kitten’s concern for the thing, he then picked it up slowly as to antagonize the feline.

“Now now, what have we here?” he chortled, tearing open the top with a quick swipe of his claws. He reached into the dark abyss with a paw, and came out clutching a black shifty plush. The snickering of the Manokit and Angel Dragon behind him were nothing compared to the booming laugh of the Wickerbeast.

“Dolls! Little mute here is playing with dolls!” he roared, waving around the figure like a flag. His cronies laughed even harder at this, while the kitten’s mouth turned downwards in a horrified gape. “Boy, you’ve been holed up in your house for forever! Are your parents not getting you what you want anymore?”

The Wickerbeast taunted the little kitten, holding the doll above their head and keeping the kitten at bay with his tail. Finally, the Wickerbeast looked in the box once more. Four more shifty plushes, identical in every way, sat neatly in their dark cavern. The Wickerbeast let out a snort, and tossed the first plush to the Angel Dragon, who caught it eagerly. The second one he pulled out went to the Manokit.

“There’s the spoils for today’s hunt!” the Wickerbeast mocked in an accented voice. The Gem Raptor uncomfortably shifted, eyeing the box nervously. “U-um b-bos, what about m-me?” he mumbled. The Wickerbeast sent him a glare for having dared to speak up.

“Shut up runt!” the brown delinquent snarled. “If it wasn’t for your sister, you would be worth nothing! You should be thankful I let you join us, even though you have yet to prove the worth of your pitiful little self!” The Wickerbeast kept the furious look on his face, and the Gem Raptor lowered his eyes. After what seemed to be an eternity did a sly grin spread across the Wickerbeast’s snout.

“But speaking of your sister, perhaps you can do me a favor.” The Wickerbeast took out a third shifty plush from the box, then quickly threw the box to the Gem Raptor, who barely managed to catch it. The silver kitten let out a silent cry, arms reaching out as if to keep the box from getting hurt.

“Now,” the Wickerbeast ordered. “Take that box to your sister. I’m sure she’ll like the gift from me. And if I hear that you touched what’s inside,” he glared evilly, and one could already see the blood stains splattered on his muzzle and claws. “You’ll be dead where you stand.” The Gem Raptor fearfully nodded quickly, then took off without another word.

The silver kitten felt his last thread of hope wither away as the box disappeared into the distance. Anger coupled with despair, and without thinking, he sunk his teeth into the Wickerbeast’s tail and tore out a clump of matted fur.

It didn’t hurt, as the fur was thick, but even the smallest retaliation would send the Wickerbeast in a rage. He let out a furious cry, then kicked the kitten in the stomach. They were sent flying backwards, clutching his midsection in pain as they landed. The Wickerbeast laughed in delight, and his cronies as well.

“You’re going to pay for that, mute,” he growled. The kitten stared at the black plushies encased in the trio’s deadly grip, the mere sight making the kitten himself feel as if the life was being squeezed out as him. And then the Wickerbeast’s fist collided with his face, and the world went dark.

~~~

A droplet of rain upon the kitten’s stinging muzzle brought them back to life. They sat up groggily, observing the area around them. They were in the same place as before, but it was much darker now as huge, angry clouds had obscured the sky. They shakily stood up, before noticing the three small, huddled masses lying upon the ground.

The kitten walked over to the nearest object and picked it up, observing it. It was made entirely of black cloth. Without color, the shape was nearly unrecognizable, though certain parts were thicker or stook out. The kitten claimed the other two masses as well-having lost a lot, it was nice to have gained something. Then, the kitten began the long journey home.

~~~

A knock on the front door brought the kitten running, hesitating before they opened up the front door to their home. They were surprised to see the white Gem Raptor-the one who had taken the box.

“H-hey,” the Gem Raptor said weakly with a wave. The silver kitten quiety returned the gesture. They stared at each other for an eternity before the Gem Raptor let out a long, labored sigh, and spoke once more.

“Listen, I’ve come to say sorry for what that Wickerbeast did to you. H-he stole from and hurt you, a-and that’s just not right. S-so, I’ve come to apologize, for all of us.” The kitten offered a small, forgiving smile, but continued to stare at him. They could tell that he had more on his mind. The Gem Raptor let out a sob, confirming the kitten’s suspicions, and he continued as tears began to roll down his face.

“M-my sister… she-s gone m-missing…. Y-you know her, r-right? Have you s-seen her?”

Oh, his sister. Of course the kitten remembered her. The meanest kid in town,responsible for many crimes. She wasn’t afraid to get her claws dirty, and would kill anyone for money. The kitten distinctively remembered that she wanted to kill them.

The silver kitten shook their head, and the Gem Raptor slumped, defeated. “A-alright, th-thank you,” he whimpered, before pulling something out of his pocket. “I-I found these in h-her r-room after sh-she went m-missing, a-and I thought y-you might want them…”

They stared at the objects in the Gem Raptor’s claws. One was one of their missing shifty plushes, and the other was an unrecognizable mass of pitch-black cloth. The kitten nodded quickly, and with only another wave exchanged, quickly closed the door. The kitten stood still, just staring in delight at the objects, before scrambling up the stairs.

They entered their room, which was much darker than the rest of his house-however, the kitten’s eyes had long since adjusted to the dark, so they could easily see the plushies on their desk, as well as the two unmoving figures sitting on his bed.

The kitten made their way to the desk tucked into the darkest corner of the room, gazing upon the objects on top. He dropped the shifty plush in a drawer, and set the black unrecognizable mass next to the rest of the plushies. There were five, counting the one only made of black cloth. The silver kitten could recognize the faint features of a Gem Raptor, sure the colors would set in soon. The kitten was surprised the shifty plush hadn’t affected the brother who had brought him the items, but concluded that the Gem Raptor didn't actually hate him at all. Hate was what activated the magic, after all.

The silver kitten picked up the plushie of a gray wolf. The canine carried dark clothes, and an incredibly realistic gun. Some might realize the plushie resembled an infamous murderer who had gone missing not but a few months ago. The kitten looked at the rest of the plushies-a brown Wickerbeast with shiny red eyes and baggy blue clothes, a pink and purple Angel Dragon, and a gray Manokit with golden piercings and dressed a red suite. They were so lifelike-the kitten could practically feel the fear radiating off of the lot of them.

He snatched the remaining three, and with four terrified plushies in his arms, bounced into the laps of his parents who were sitting on the bed. The kitten let out a purr, sitting back into the stitched up corpses that were only fairly recognizable due to the killing wounds they had received by the wolf.

The kitten would always remember that night-the night his parents died to protect him from the murderer, and how his only weapon had been a tattered shifty plush which he had thrown at the wolf. Apparently, the magic worked fast.

The kitten sat on the floor, an unnaturally wide and toothy smile spreading across his face. He hoped his parents would be proud, he had finally found some friends. And they would never leave him.

“And now, it’s time to play!~”