17 September 2012
"Avisha! Don't kill that snake!" I growled. Avisha, my daughter, was only two weeks old. But she had grown fast, as panther kittens do. Hurricane was as strong and as brave as ever. He told me the day we escaped, when I had to decide between freedom and my father, that my father was tricking me into coming back to the zoo. I'm glad I went with freedom. There's no epidemic here. Hurricane brought back some fresh salmon he caught in a river. We ate the fish making sure that Avisha didn't choke on the bones, I gave her some milk, and we all settled down for sleep.
The morning brought bad news. Avisha was sick. Very sick. She couldn't growl, nor use telepathy. All she did was breathe. Hurricane and I were distraught. I knew my father was telling the truth, I had to go back, even if it was going to kill me, it would save Avisha. I told Hurricane and he disagreed. "you'll die! We'll find another way." he snarled. What was I supposed to do? I searched high and low for any medicinal plants. To no avail. I couldn't see what was wrong with Avisha, she just wouldn't move, wouldn't make a sound. Nothing. As the hours passed Avisha became sicker and sicker. Sticky slime was coating her fur, she was trying to mew for help but she couldn't. I was not going to let her die. And Hurricane was not going to stop me. I picked Avisha up in my mouth, and ran. Hurricane roared after me, attempting to bowl me down. "They'll kill us all! Stop it Ailsa! Stop it!" but I wouldn't listen. I didn't care if I died, I couldn't just let Avisha slip away. She had to have a chance in life. Just once. I kept running, I was becoming disorientated. Lost even. I eventually slowed down, Hurricane caught up with me, and grabbed at my tail with his paws. I yelled out in pain. 'What are you doing!' I slashed my claws as Hurricane, trying to make him let my tail go so we could run again. 'We could all get killed if we go back, they won't save Avisha, they'll keep her alive, and kill her when she has her first baby. Just like your mother. Just like you if you go back. You can't go back. Avisha's had two weeks of a happy life. I don't want her to have to endure years of hell, just for the sake that she's living. Don't do it Avisha. Let our baby die.' I shook my head, my eyes felt watery. My husband was going to let our baby die? Perhaps he had a point. I lay little Avisha on the ground, her limbs had become swollen, her eyes covered with sticky goo. Whatever epidemic that was going on, it was a nasty one. I moaned. I long painful moan, that told the whole world I wanted to die, I wanted to sacrifice my life for her well being. She didn't deserve this. So young, so small, so innocent. That night. I left. I was going back to the zoo, I was leaving Hurricane behind, I was going to save my baby, in return for the sacrifice of my life. Like all mothers here do. I kept walking for hours, listening for the soft sound of Avisha's breath. The longer the hours droned on, the softer her breath was, her life was slipping away. Tears were slipping down my fur. I never knew cats could cry. And then I saw it. The entrance to the zoo, where the forest ended, and the hell began. Only this time it wasn't hell, it was a lifeline. And then I felt it. A surge of pain, like when I was having contractions. And then another, and another. My head was becoming foggy. My sight was becoming blurry. My breathing became heavy. I was dragging myself towards the zoo. I kept dragging, but it wasn't looking any closer. I felt a sharp pain on my hind, I was too weak to look behind. I was about to collapse when I felt something dragging me forwards. Hurricane. He was pulling me on, he looked sick too. We were all dying. He was just about to give up when we all felt hard tarmac under our feet. The zoo! We were here. I groaned trying to let somebody know we were here, but my mind went dark, and my consciousness slipped away...
Claws 8: Epidemics • Opuss № I