Close Your Eyes to Bleed

[ηight]

The cool air of a greenleaf evening enveloped a gray-brown tabby she-cat. Mothice sat alone on the bank of the stream, motionless as she listened to the water splash over rocks. Night was approaching. Shadows were draped across ShadowClan territory, and stars had begun to emerge in the darkening sky.

The nagging awareness that she should've returned to camp by now sparked up. But, rather too forcefully, she pushed it away. This was the only opportunity to be alone that Mothice had received all day. She'd been anxiously waiting for the chance to arrive, having grown sick of doing Clan chores while the feeling of anguish sat on her shoulders. When she'd woken that morning, a stabbing emotion had woken with her. It'd stayed inside of her for the rest of the morning, continuing to pester her throughout the day while she accompanied several patrols, substituted for an apprentice's ill mentor, and finally left camp on a solo hunt to clear her head. Confusing thoughts had been swarming in her mind, shadowed by regret and misery that seemed strangely old. While she'd been pacing back and forth on the muddy bank instead of hunting like she'd told the Clan she would, the reason for her "off" day had occurred to her. Oddly, it brought anger instead of relief.

"Rosepaw!" Mothice hissed aloud. She hadn't meant to let her thoughts turn into words, but somehow, her own voice soothed her. "I hate you for putting me through this!" Unsheathing her claws, she leaped off the bank and onto a stone sitting in the stream.

But she was lying. She couldn't hate her. It was impossible for Mothice. She loved Rosepaw more than anything else, even now; seasons after her tragic death. But she thought that she'd left the sorrow from her sister's departure behind long ago. It was that unbearable sadness that, moons ago, had caused her to spiral into depression so deep that she'd grown sloppy at her warrior training, for she'd never pay attention to anything besides Rosepaw and the image of the fox, blood lining its mouth, standing over her.

Perhaps she'd never gotten over Rosepaw's death. Maybe she'd been suppressing her feelings all this time, which only resulted in even greater sorrow. She couldn't take having to deal with that. Why couldn't she be an ordinary warrior without rubbish like this getting in the way?

Mothice could feel rage at her own sadness rising in her throat. Fighting back cries, she snarled and jumped to another stone.

"How dare you take her from me?" she growled firmly, glaring up at the stars.

She leaped to a third rock in front of her, though she wasn't sure where she was trying to go.

"How dare you kill her?! You killed me too when you let that wretched fox murder her. I hope you know what you did to my life!"

As she attempted to continue to the next stone, her claws slipped. Spitting in fury, she landed dreadfully in the shallow water, hitting her shoulder. The pain shooting through her body was the last pebble on a pile of rocks that'd been growing on her back ever since she'd begun the day. Before she had a chance to fight it, a screech tore from her throat, echoing around the marshland.

"HOW COULD YOU RIP HER AWAY FROM ME AND LEAVE ME ALONE?!" she yowled, tears streaming down her face.

Seeing blood swirling in the water, Mothice gasped and staggered to her paws. There was a large cut on her shoulder, and blood was oozing from it.

"Mouse dung," she hissed. It was clear that her wound needed the medicine cat's attention quickly, or else it could become infected. However, for a reason she didn't care about, a quivering Mothice laid back down in the water, rested her head on the nearest stone, and closed her eyes to bleed.

[[Anyone can join. ^^]]

[Fell]

Jaywing sat back at camp, his bright blue pools stared aimlessly off into the distance. He had been out hunting all day, and was angry to have little to show for it. A few measly scraps of prey. The thought made his claws unshealth and he dug them into the ground, bringing up bits of dirt. His eyes blinked slowly as the light faded from the camp. And he turned his attention to watch the shadows engulf the camp. His claws slowly slid back, and he stretched out his legs.

His favorite time of day was night time, the calm and secluded nature of it soothed him. In the darkness he felt invincible, like the pain of his life was disappearing around him. The handsome tom cat smirked and his bright pools narrowed slowly.His silver/grey fur slightly glowed in the rising moon light. His whiskers twitched as the night breeze tugged at his pelt. Pushing himself to his paws, he shook out his pelt. Stretching out his long limbs before giving one final shake.

Turning he padded towards the camps entrance. His tail swaying behind him as he walked. His head lifted to the sky as a few stars poked out from the darkness, and glittered above him. He turned his head. Turning he wandered alone, letting only the sound of the night animals ring in his ears. His eye lids closed, sending his vision black. He took a deep breath, taking in the cool crisp air, and sighed.Why did you leave me... he thought, a bitterness rose in his chest and a growl escaped his maw.

The sound of yelling distracted him and he turned towards the sound. Trotting along, a bit curiously the tom cat slithered quietly towards the stream. His bright hues twinkled coldly as he spotted the rushing water, and then a cat.His lobes went forward to catch what she was saying. Then a splash and he turned to see Mothice fall. Serves her right for going out on those rocks. he thought bitterly, snorting as he started to turn away. Red water caught his eyes and he turned back to see blood leaking on her sholder. His blue eyes widened.

Making his way towards the stream, a bit of anger aroused in him. "Are you mousebrained?!" he growled, leaping onto the first rock carefully. His hind legs slipped, but he regained his balance quickly. "Its dangerous out here, do you have a death wish!" he snapped and leapt to the next rock. And then to the next, reaching her his eyes narrowed. A loud sigh escaped his lips and his shook his head. "Are you ok?" he asked looking at the bits of blood that trickled from her sholder. "You should get that looked at." he mewed in a less hostile tone.

"And, you need to keep it clean." he grumbled and started to lick at the cut, they didnt need another injured cat, and left in the open without cleaning it, could get the cut infected. His ears fell back onto his skull. The taste of blood wasnt exactly apetising. After he was done cleaning the wound, he sat back. His pools narrowed slightly as he watched her.

[ηight]

The sound of paws splashing into the stream was almost muffled. Mothice was fully conscious, yet she felt detached from the world. She fought to remain awake as a cat approached her.

"Are you mouse-brained?" came a harsh growl. "It's dangerous out here. Do you have a death wish?"

Mothice curled her lip when she saw Jaywing. She had left camp to escape from her crowding Clanmates, and the last thing she needed was this one in particular. However, perhaps it was lucky that Jaywing had come when he had. If things had been different, she could've given up and let herself bleed until she joined StarClan. Mothice was skilled at telling herself what to do -- it was how she compacted her emotion into a tight chamber -- but when she was consumed by her own distress, she lost the very will to live, and she couldn't convince herself that anything would be better than dying.

"Are you okay?" Jaywing asked as he reached her side, slightly more sympathetic. "You should get that looked at." He had obviously noticed her wound. "And you need to keep it clean."

She winced at the feel of a rough tongue running over the cut on her shoulder, but she tolerated it until Jaywing was finished. Mothice stood up and shook the water from her pelt, glaring at the tom.

"I'm fine," she hissed. "I'll come back to camp whenever I please. I've been waiting all day to be alone and I'm not going back because of one little cut." She knew that her wound was larger than "one little cut." It was a large gash, and every time she took a step, it sent pain through her body. The medicine cat was what the wound needed, but being smothered by other cats was the worst possible treatment her mental self could receive. She needed to be alone to let her mind rest.