Selected Posts/Quotes from Session 1:First Story Post - Day 1:
The night before the 7-day festivities celebrating the coming of fall, Halloween, everything seemed well. But the next night was not so...
There was a scream.
And low and behold, the cold and bloodied body of Titstar was found at the back of the camp, murdered on their last and old life. In the dirtpile.
Pine - (IN THE DIRTPILE)
Ouisense - (TIT DIED IN SHIT)
"Who could it be?" cried everyone.
END OF STORY POST
Day 1 - Lizardstripe: Lizardstripe rolled her eyes. "Well, if I was a cold-blooded killer, I'd whip up some crazy story about a mother-daughter murder spree to draw attention away from myself. That's why I think if anyone here killed Titstar, it's Sootwhisker."
DAY 1 - NIGHTTIME - EXECUTION:
The full moon, high in the sky, shined down coldly with its white light. Lizardstripe was surrounded by the crowd of seething, angry cats, clan and non clan alike. As they advanced on her closer, she hissed. Someone threw a stone at the senior warrior.
More stones were thrown, battering Lizardstripe as she stood there.
"Any last words?" a cat in the crowd called jeeringly from the back. A roar erupted.
Lizardstripe inhaled sharply, tears pricking the corners of her hazel eyes. "I'm sorry, Doe. I love you."
And a shower of stones were launched, one after another.
"Here." A cat handed Doestep a huge, jagged rock to throw. "You'll need it."
That night, two bodies lay dead. Titstar, their old leader, and Lizardstripe, their old warrior.
A vigil was held only for their dead leader.
As the vigil commenced that night for Titstar however, dark clouds suddenly covered the full moon.
There were murmurs, cries, fear in cats' eyes as they all looked up. Starclan was sending them a sign.
Suddenly, the wind rose, shaking all the trees in the forest. Leaves whirled and smacked shocked faces. And suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck. When everyone's vision had recovered from the blinding light, a smoking corpse of Titstar was left.
Rain started to fall, little by little, until it poured.
An elder stepped up, an old medicine cat who could read the signs of Starclan.
"We have made a grave mistake. Lizardstripe was innocent! My younglings, we have committed a terrible deed!"
And as every cat in the clearing sought shelter for the night, it continued to rain into the night, until morning befell them. And there was still no proper burial for leader or warrior.
PREROUND 1 - NIGHTTIME - It could be said that every cat did not have a restful sleep that night. Not much sleep either, since it had been late. But that couldn't be said for the murderers. Sootwhisker was asleep, but restlessly turning and tossing in his nest. A shadow fell over the poor figure. This cat, Cat 1, was doing something fishy.
Day 2 -
Silentwhisper:
Silentwhisper's eyes widened immensely as slowly but surely, another accusation was made. Another possible suspect. Even if the speaker didn't intend for it to be harsh, it hit the charcoal tabby like a cold knife stabbing through his heart and beginning its tirade once again. He felt the world beginning to sway underneath his paws, and even Bristleheart couldn't stop his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. His body fell limply against the larger next to him that was previously enveloped in his shoulder, and his entire body flinched as he blinked open his eyes hurriedly a few heart beats later.They had already moved onto picking the next culprit, and it was heading downhill fast as everyone slowly started to agree. Blinking and staggering to his feet, the warrior could feel tears brewing behind weary eyes as he stepped forward into the circle they'd formed. "Now, h-hold on just a minute, we can't just do this again.Y-you were all there, we were all there! We all saw what happened to Lizardstripe! Please... We can't do this again, not like this. I don't want to see another cat brutally slaughtered at our paws. Sure, it sounds like a good possibility that maybe Crookedtail is the killer, but I'll be damned if we stand here and do it like this again." They'd been arguing with each other just minutes ago, but Silentwhisper didn't care about that. He knew well that it wouldn't work when his pleading gaze fell on each one of their solemn faces, and he knew just by looking at them that they'd already made up there minds. That was the moment his heart shattered into little pieces, piercing his lungs and causing them to constrict painfully. The tom's ears flattened onto his skull as his eyes found their way to the spotted Bengal tom only a few steps away, and he cast his eyes to the floor once again. "I'm not taking part in this... Vote without me." And he walked back to the dens, leaving the rest to decide what they wanted.
Doestep:
She had not slept that night. Not one bit. Doestep just couldn't shake the feeling that her mother's death was... her fault. If she had just said something more, or tried harder to convince them then her mother might still be alive. The rock she had been handed? It was still on the floor of the camp. Untouched. Now she sat by it, eyes tired. The rest of her Clanmates were nearby, talking. She heard her name mentioned, and then Lizardstripe's. Pricking her ears she focused her attention on them. Over and over she told herself that she must not retaliate. She must not get angry. It was a hard time for everyone and that would only make things worse. She must keep calm and be reasonable.
DAY 2 - LATE AFTERNOON - EXECUTION:
It was with a cry of alarm late into the day, when everyone was preparing for another fearful night of rest that a group of agitators from the camp had taken matters into their own hands. They could no longer wait for final arguments, and while the guards were on their breaks, the cats had drove Crookedtail out of the camp. Alarmed, the rest of the cats in the camp scrambled to their feet, rushing to the scene.
Fortunately, Crookedtail was still alive. Unfortunately, he had been chased to the point of exhaustion, with no where to run or hide anymore as he was driven to the edge of a cliff.
Shouts and cries of distress and anger sounded. As all the cats had gathered on the cliff, there were pleas to stop the killing, the fighting. But there were more hollers, demand that someone must pay in their blind, bloodthirsty mentality. Some cats had accepted the fact that Crookedtail would be pushed off the edge of this cliff, into the gorge below. They looked on, all hope lost. A few still attempted to maintain the peace. The rest surrounded the spotted tom, throwing accusations at him as he was forced to back up.
Slowly, paw by paw, step by step, Crookedtail was edging closer to his death, as others looked on with emotionless eyes. However, the tom was only a few mouse-lengths away from the gorge.
When all of a sudden, the earth beneath Crookedtail's feet crumbled.
Cats ran back in terror, gasping as a deep, jagged line formed, separating Crookedtail from the rest of the cats that hung around in fright. A look of shock and panic flashed through the tom's eyes.
And the cats, loners, kittypets, rogues, and clanmates alike, watched as Crookedtail fell back, a whole chunk of the cliff breaking off and falling into the gorge, Crookedtail and his echoed screams with it.
Everyone watched, appalled, but there was nothing left they could do as Crookedtail was out of sight. Forever.
---
Everyone filed back into the camp, making sure no one had escaped in the chaos. As the cats quietly talked amongst themselves, they glanced up to the sky, wondering where Starclan was this evening. Everyone looked up when their elder, the aging medicine cat who could read the signs of Starclan, limped out of his den. The old medicine cat assessed the cats in the clearing, sitting down with a sweep of his tail for attention. He said, with an weary and creaky voice: "Look at the sunset. Lighting up the sky, the clouds, the camp, with its blood red tinge. Starclan has spoken. When the earth split, cutting off Crookedtail from the rest of ourselves. Starclan had taken him off our hands. He was a bloody murderer. There will be no proper burial for him tonight. But. Beware. Look at the sun!" The elderly cat's eyes widened in a dream-like trance, waving his paw toward the sky. "There is another cat amongst our ranks. Another murderer that will stain our camp with the blood of the innocent. Lighting up the camp."
PREROUND 2 - NIGHTTIME - STRIKE TWO:
It could be said that every cat had a much more restful sleep that night. But one did not. Actually, two.
Sunsetsnow, of course, had trouble sleeping. Half-asleep, shifting around in his little, warm nest, you would've guessed that he was having a good night's rest. A shadow fell over the chocolate tom's body.
Paws brushed the restless tom's white fur beneath his chin. It was a soothing motion, and Sunsetsnow relaxed under the touch. Paws pressed against the tom's throat. Pressed harder.
Sunsetsnow's eyes flew open.
He opened his mouth, still waking up into the reality he was about to face, horror is his green eyes. His mouth opened, but he couldn't seem to breathe.
He realized, he couldn't seem to breath. He realized, as the murderer left him there, he couldn't breathe.
With a shaky inhale, he put a paw to his throat. And felt the blood seeping out, turning his once white fur red. Red as the sunset. As if white snow was tinged with the light of the sunset. He laid there, gasping, trying to call for help.
In his little, warm nest. Warm with blood.
DAY 3 - LATE AFTERNOON - EXECUTION:
While many of the cats mourned the death of Sunsetsnow, regretting that they had accused him of being a murderer, a few others ran inspections on his body. Sunsetsnow had been slit at the throat severely, and it seemed in the middle of the night too. Who was awake that night? No one had a clue. The murderer must have been very clean with this, only leaving behind a few strands of fur. It was almost unnoticeable on Sunsetsnow's bloodied white fur. A proper burial would finally be prepared this evening, for Sunsetsnow, Lizardstripe, and Titstar... Everyone had taken vigil the whole day, silent in the mourning.
However, some cats had decided to take out their anger and thrist for payback before the burial. In the shadows at the back of the camp, these cats had dragged off a particular cat out of camp through the bushes, taking advantage of everyone's mourning to do so unnoticed. The cat that was dragged off: Spruce.
There was screaming.
Almost as if it were yesterday, every cat leaped to their paws. A group was sent out to track down where the sounds were coming from, while some stayed behind to look after the bodies of the dead.
When the patrol made it to where the others, they witnessed a beaten and scarred Spruce being dragged off into the creek. The cat plunged Spruce's head into the river.
Then let him up. But as soon as Spruce had a fleeting moment of breath, the cat pushed him under again. Everyone was frozen in shock.
Then somebody said, "What are you all standing around for? Do something!"
There were cries of outburst of agreement and desparation, and at once a few of the bystanders rushed to the loner's aid. They separated Spruce and the cat seemingly blinded in his bloodthrist. But it was too late.
Spruce's soaked and still body floated to the surface of the river a few fox-lengths away. Everyone realized what was happening, but it was too late. Spruce's body got caught in the currents, amplified by the rain two nights ago, and floated downstream, never to be seen again.
Suddenly, the water beaneath the cats' feet started to swirl. The river rose.
And in an instant, the river turned turbulent, swiping the cats in the water off their feet. The other cats got to action quickly, not letting what happened to Spruce befell these cats, and dragged them out of the river ashore.
However, Starclan wasn't done.
The river suddenly rose, overflowing onto the banks and flooding the area. All the cats ran back to camp in a furious stampede, not wanting to be pulled in. Unfortunately, the water followed them, all the way back to camp, and flooded to area up to their chins.
---
Every cat helped out to create makeshift islands atop their flooded dens, making sure that their kits, queens and elders were safely situated on dry land. Everyone waited for their elder medicine cat for a sign. Anything. Was Starclan going to let up the water?
The elder sighed, shaking his head. He said, "Spruce was innocent my younglings. Do we have to be so rash?" The old medicine cat looked around at every individual, stern. Never before had they seen him so angered, or alive. However, the elder looked at the water around them and fell into a quiet trance.
It had been several minutes before he spoke up again. He said: "We must beware of the water. It may seem quiet and tender on the outside, we do not know anything else below the surface."
PREROUND 3 - NIGHTTIME - STRIKE THREE (YOU'RE OUT):
The water was still high. Everyone was forced to sleep without nests and huddle together for warmth that night. Makeshift bridges between each island of a den were created, since not everyone knew how to swim. And so night fell over the desolate camp, not another word from Starclan sent down as the sun set and the water turned red. Every cat had been shaken into fear once again as they tried to fall asleep that night.
And when the moon was high in the sky, way past anyone's bedtime
the murderer rised.
Silentwhisper, of course, was not having a good time sleeping.
He had been the first to find Sunsetsnow's body, after all.
But as the black tom tossed and turned under all the warm fur around him, something felt off. Some cat was rolling him around. It felt almost nice, as if he was in a rocking chair. It felt wet?
Silentwhisper's eyes cracked open in realization, as water filled his nostrils and lungs. Still half-asleep, he struggled in the water to surface, kicking wildly.
But some cat was holding him down
and as Silentwhisper slowly lost strength, the cat gave a power kick,
slamming Silentwhisper's head, into near unconsciousness, pushing his body downward.
The black tom sunk, deeper and deeper, never to wake again.
DAY 4 - MORNING:
The water had not emptied yet, and not many had awoken from their uneasy slumber. When they did awake, however, they were only met with the sight of Silentwhisper's corpse, which had floated to the surface of the water once more.
DAY 4 - FINAL EXECUTION - AFTERNOON:
The cats in the flooded clearing could wait no longer.
Everyone was done with the chit-chat, and 'how are you faring?' type of talk.
They turned on who they thought was the most likely canidate now.
Brown fur, gentle on the outside
water
They cornered her now on top of one of the dens, hissing and baring their teeth.
Doestep was crying now, as she was slowly backed toward the water, much like how Crookedtail was forced to near the gorge.
"Any last words?" a cat in the crowd called. Everyone was seething.
It took so many lives to get to this point, and hopefully it was worth it.(edited)
If the she-cat had an answer, it was not heard
as the brown tabby leaped into the water and started to swim.(edited)
The cats realized then that she was making an escape.
"After her!" a cat said.
And like a swarm of bees, all the cats leaped into the water and started to swim after her.
However, not everyone knew how to swim, and some cats started to drown.
In the chaos, Doestep was already, very much, getting away.
Then suddenly, the earth started to tremble.(edited)
The wind rose, and the trees rattled.
And instantly, the water started to lower
and empty into the river.
But the water was draining so quickly that every cat in the clearing was dragged down with it
Everyone was screaming, crying to Starclan and Titstar to save them.
Titstar licks his nose in anticipation.
The river was in sights now.
Some cats slammed into trees and clung on for dear life.
They formed chains of cats who were hanging on in this whirlpool of a disaster.(edited)
Others tried to save those who did not know how to swim.(edited)
And Doestep was slowly but surely getting heaved toward the river.
She and other cats were about to face the same fate as Spruce, and they prayed to the loner to save them.(edited)
And just as quickly as it had all happened
the water stopped.
Only Doestep, who was battered from the rocks and trees and bushes on the way downstream
was swept into the river.
Every other cat was mere inches from the shoreline, washed up and drained of energy.
And everyone watched as Doestep drowned, submerged in the river, heading downtown beneath the surface, until her ears were lost in the distance.
The river calmed, the waters suddenly returning to its peaceful and quiet state.
The cats watched in awe as a body floated up stream like an apple in the water.
Some cats helped to drag the body out onto shore.
It was Spruce's body.
So his body was not lost after all.
And Doestep?
She was never to be seen again, her soul long gone.
THE END
Aftermath:
They had a proper burial for all those who had died, all bodies intact no matter how disfigured some were.
And they celebrated finally, helping each other in their newfound camaraderie, kittypets, loners, rogues, and clan cats alike
to rebuild their damn camp because it's wrecked up.
It took many deaths and a murder mystery to remind everyone that they all lived together at time long ago, in peace, and they could still now.
Maybe it didn't go as Titstar planned, but after his death, his intentions were fufilled.
FIN
Day 4 - Dead Cats:
Sunsetsnow floats down from the heavens to escort Silentwhisper's soul to Starclan "Cmon bro we've got popcorn shrimp up here" Silentwhisper's soul lifted from the ground, frolicking after Sunsetsnow's "Woah, bro, that's so cool"
Crookedtail frowned from hell. "Fuck I want popcorn shrimp."
Spruce eyes the dead clancats. "You done fucked up yet again. Welcome to the club, Silentwhisper." He glares at the cats down below. "Your clanmates are fucking stupid."
Silentwhisper sighed with a roll of his eyes, chewing absently on a popcorn shrimp. "They definitely can be.." He dropped a piece down to Hell for Crookedtail. "Only because you were a favorite."
Sootwhisker wondered why every dead cat was talking about popcorn shrimp. He had never had them, so he looked up to the sky. "Hey starclan, give me some of that- uhhh, popcorn shrimp."
Silentwhisper swiveled an ear at the sound of Sootwhisker, and he dropped the shrimp on the tom's head with a soft chuckle.
Sootwhisker happily ate all of the popcorn shrimp. "Thank you god."
Titstar shook his head. "I was murdered in the dirt pile and this is what I get? Popcorn shrimp?"
"But it does taste good. mmmm"
Final Execution - Dead Cats:
Titstar licks his nose in anticipation.
Sootwhisker waits for the others to reply
Titstar licks his nose in anticipation.
Sunsetsnow licks Titstar's nose in anticipation
Spruce licks Nosestar's tit in anticipation.
