Wings by Talmos Anonymous (good ebook reader .txt) 📕

"Scatter!" Sulfur shouted while flinging himself away from the group to run through the hole they had come from.

Flint flew in just in time to push his sister out of the way. He turned to hiss at the woman, dodging her high-heeled shoes at the same time.

Wings watched as the chaos occurred around her. She turned this way and that, looking for some sort of escape. She spotted Brooke running towards some bushes by the fence and followed her, thankful for a safe place to hide.

"Get out you monster!" the woman swung her stick out at Flint, who dodged it just in time to run into another bush.

"Wings, what did you do?" Brooke asked her fearfully, "Didn't you know it's bad to take plants out of a garden?"

"Sorry, I didn't know," she replied in distress. "I just thought they smelled good!"

The woman, after surveying the damage and kicking the rocks in anger, ran back into the house. The cats saw this is as an opportunity to escape and left through the hole in the fence, all the while shaking from their ordeal.

Moments later, the cats gathered underneath a stationed blue Mercedes a few miles away from the house. Sulfur had a frightened look on his face as he looked right and left for any sign of trouble, while the she-cats sat close to one another, grooming each other's ruffled fur. Flint arrived a minute later with news of no further trouble and sat down with the others.

"This isn't helping much at all." Sulfur murmured to no one in particular. He stared at his paws, scratching them painfully against the rough gray concrete.

Brooke lifted her head from where she laid huddled next to Wings and padded over to Sulfur. A look of concern was scrawled across her face, although she said nothing. She just pressed closer to him.

"What are we going to do Brooke?" he meowed quietly to her. "If this keeps up, we'll have no choice but to split up."

"Don't worry about it." She licked his ear affectionately. "As long as there are people there will be places to stay and things to eat."

Sulfur turned his attention away from her to look over at his sister and the siblings. They were sleeping peacefully next to each other, almost completely hidden by an outstretched wing.

"Do you think I should scold Wings for what she did?" He turned to his green gaze to look at Brooke, who stared deep in thought at the world outside.

"Wings is still young and experienced, and she makes mistakes, just like all of us. We can't follow your rules all of the time."

"I know that, but the prey that is around now isn't enough to sustain us. We could move into the park or another dwelling, but I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough. There are too many mouths to feed Brooke."

"Oh hush. As you said before, where there are people there is prey. Remember that hypotemus you told us about?"

Sulfur nodded. "Hypothesis, but that doesn't save the possibility that I'm wrong."

"Its proven right so far." Brooke flicked her tail teasingly over his left ear. "Don't worry about it. Shortage of prey or not, you'll be no use to us in the morning fretting over what you can't help. Get some sleep. We'll make up for it later."

Sulfur, now momentarily reassured by Brooke, lied down to relax. "I hope you're right," he murmured, letting out a huge yawn. "I hope you're right..."

An hour later Brooke, Wings, and Flint slipped out from underneath the car. Above them dusty gray clouds were gathering in the darkened sky, threatening to release an onslaught of rain and wind. It ruffled Wings's fur, tickling her nose, and she let out one big sneeze as a result.

"Daisy stay here and guard Sulfur for us please." Brooke called to the young feline as she emerged.

Daisy was in the middle of a stretch when she noticed they were leaving and ran up to them. Her eyes were wide, as if she couldn't believe what she was saying. "But I want to go hunting with you!"

Brooke gave a quick glance towards the black and white cat, who had hardly budged from his spot. "Sulfur barely gets enough sleep as it is and you know how much he was tossing and turning the night before."

Her fur bristled. "Why do I have to watch him? Its Wing's fault we didn't catch any prey and he's her brother."

Wings ears fell back as she remembered their ruined hunting trip. If only she hadn't been so stupid, then they could've brought back loads of big fish and Sulfur wouldn't be passed out underneath a car. "She's right, I should stay," she interjected.

"No." Flint spoke seriously, "Wings has to come with us to make up for the lost prey."

"But-" Brooke swept her tail over Daisy's mouth, silencing her instantly. "That's enough. There's a storm coming in and we don't have time to argue. We shouldn't be gone for very long."

"Fine." Daisy huffed, she turned around and quietly walked back to the car, her tail dragging behind her. Even she knew it was pointless to argue.

"I'll let you get the first bite of anything we catch ok?" Brooke called, a tinge of sympathy in her voice.

Daisy only gave a disappointed glance in their direction before the three walked up the street and out of sight. There was no way they were going to make it back in time.

"Where to first?" Brooke asked Flint as they bounded up the steep hill that led to the park. Her tail curled in anticipation, obviously delighted to practice her hunting skills.

Flint thought for a moment. "We'll make a wide circle around the trees that surround the area and then come in closer to the center as we hunt. If we split up, then all the prey will be in the center of the park."

Brooke rubbed her head affectingly on Flint's shoulder. "Sounds like a plan to me. It looks like Sulfur is rubbing off on you."

Wings watched the two with keen eyes, wishing she could just as easily warm up to her brother. Sulfur has been so grumpy and depressed lately that even he has been breaking his own rules. The ones that state you can't hunt in the forest, eat rats, eat trash, hunt near occupied houses, kill sick and injured animals, and most importantly go near junkyards and trash heaps. It made her worry. She sighed. "Are we going to hunt or what?"

Brooke jumped, obviously embarrassed of having something take away her concentration. She took a quick glance at Flint, who rolled his eyes, hiding his embarrassment as well. It wasn't unusual for siblings to share this kind of bond and friendship among each other, but it was another thing to completely take away their focus. "Yes, of course." He replied quickly. "Let's begin shall we?"

"Finally!" Wings mewed excitedly, and without waiting another moment she ran towards the edge of the park, the ground underneath her paw pads transforming from rough gray concrete into cool green grass.  She opened her mouth to detect the scents coming towards her but all she could detect were a few squirrels and mice.

From afar she spotted Flint and Brooke heading in opposite directions, Flint to the east end and Brooke the west. The north was protected by a road barrier, so that meant the south belonged to her.

Slowly and carefully, she followed the trail of the mouse. Although she had yet to spot it, her desire to chase it down was causing her anxiety. Thoughts swirled through her head as imagined what would happen if she failed to catch anything. Would the others be upset with her? Will Sulfur abandon them all together? With determined eyes she followed the mouse. And then just as suddenly she stopped.

Not far from where she was standing she spotted movement in the thick leafy branches of a bush. The rustling was too big to be an ordinary mouse, so it had to be something bigger. Instinctively she got into the hunter's crouch and stalked towards it, making sure to stay perfectly still unless the animal were to notice her brightly colored fur. As she watched, a fat brown sparrow hopped out, completely oblivious to the winged cat stalking towards it. She bent her legs, and leaning forward, touched her chest to her front paws. She would only have one chance, one second to get the right move. The bird wandered a few inches closer until strike! She landed on top of it and bit its neck, instantly tasting the mouthwatering scent of her prey.

"I caught it!" Wings automatically shouted to the others as she dropped the bird. She looked out into the center of the park to see if Flint and Brooke had noticed but they were out of sight. I'll have to show them later. She thought as she dug a hole underneath the soft leaves. She dropped the still warm carcass inside and then buried it again so that she can pick it up later.  I hope Sulfur can forgive me.

Back in his temporary shelter under the Mercedes Sulfur was fast asleep. He had his head tucked underneath his white-tipped tail and his paws were curled underneath his chest. The others had left him there to get some rest, as they knew how much he was fretting over food the other day. During the night he was tossing and turning and making little mewing noises in his sleep. They didn't need his permission to go hunting, so they left him there to catch some shut-eye. Though, even a 11 month old kitten can't sleep all day.

Suddenly a loud yowl and the heavy weight of  Daisy threw him awake. In a flash he was on paws and swiveling his green gaze anxiously around him. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing," she purred, "I just caught a squirrel." She pushed the gray carcass towards him.

"Ha! The way you were acting I would've thought that Wings was flying." He leaned down and took a big bite of the still warm prey, "or is there another reason?"

Daisy looked away. "Um, I just wanted to try and catch another fish that's all."

"Again? Even after what happened?"

She took a few steps forward, her ears flattened against her head. "I can't help it! It tasted so good! And besides, Wings ruined our chances last time. If she didn't come maybe we can catch a few."

"But didn't you already eat?"

"Well, no, the others told me to guard