Fooling Yourself

Prologue
She could hear it. The thunder outside. She cowered around her kits, her fur bristling for two purposes--out of fear, and keeping her little ones warm. The thunder struck again, and this time smacked the one of the barn's support columns. She screeched, biting one of the kits' napes and nudging the rest along as she scurried away. The column burst into flames as it fell, slamming in front of her and her family. Where was he!? Where was Gorsestar!? She skittered to a halt as the flames fanned her face, feeling her fur singe as one of the sizzling wisps had reached out at her cheek.

Suddenly, the floor had caught the burning plague of the fire. A figure screeched and barreled into her, grabbing one of her kits. She saw it was Gorsestar. "Hollyfur!" He hissed through fur as the kits wailed nearly over his voice. "Head for the entrance, and avoid the fire! Take the kits away from plants or anything flammable! Your best bet is to follow the Thunderpath! I'll meet you there!" Growling as he leaped sideways on a burning log to get around her, Gorse disappeared. Hollyfur nodded, thinking she was going to meet him outside. She hadn't thought about the fact she didn't know how to get to the Thunderpath.

She took a gasp as she reached the smoky atmosphere outside, dropping the kit before picking it up again. One got caught in the flames, trapped in by a fallen log. Hollyfur screamed in agony, watching her kit burn. But she had to go. She carried her remaining kit--the other one being carried by Gorsestar, whom of which was now nowhere in sight outside--to the fork in the dirt paths. One led to the Thunderpath, the other, unknown. She knew neither, as only Gorsestar and his patrol had dared travel one of them. Queens like she hadn't gone outside; in their temporary homes they were safe, caring for their young. Then starting to weep, Hollyfur collapsed, whispering to her only remaining kit.

She hadn't realized she inhaled too much smoke. The kit mewled, looking at its mother with soot all over its fur. It was black like her anyways, so it didn't look different, just grimy. "H-Hol-l-lyf-f-fur?" He stuttered, shaking uncontrollably. She looked at him, puffing for breath, her face clearly running out of energy. She coughed violently before merely whispering,

"Go find your father, Hailkit." She shut her eyes as a small tear was shed. The kit cried, putting his paws on her face, shaking her. He would have to be on his own now. Big and strong, and find his father.

Chapter 1
Hailkit looked up, tear-soaked and soot-covered. He coughed, his lungs burning. His mother lay breathless, chilly. "M-Mom?" He mewled. "I-I will." He got up and walked away, turning back for one last time. Sighing, then coughing, Hailkit turned tail and ran. His first thought was to find his only remaining sibling--his sister. With Gorsestar.

So he ran through the smoke the fire starting to die out. The front of the barn was crushed, but he managed to squeeze in, getting some ash-covered raindrops on his pelt. ''Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss. Drip. Hiss. ''the rain sounded against the burning wood as Hail frantically searched the perimeter of the barn, dodging the cracking columns and leaping over the aflame haybales. "Gorse!" He mewled, his voice cracked. It sounded so pitiful..."Gorsestar! Cedarkit!" He cried, then going out the back of the barn and looking at the forest. "Maybe they're--" He coughed. "--In there!" He ran, full speed into the forest as the trees covered the night sky. The smoke seemed to get thinner and thinner, and the sound of the crackling wood seemed to die. Instead, the pitter-patter of rain was presumed the main sound; crickets and other creatures roamed the brush making their usual sounds.

Where were they!? Hailkit stopped to pant, lifting his head to catch the raindrops as a refreshment. Where to look, where to look. Under the rocks! That's the safest place to get away from smoke! Hail ran to all of the different rocks(boulders, if you will) and checked under them, in the cracks, on top of them, behind, and all around. No Gorsestar.

Checking in the bushes? No luck there either.

''Hail gave up and crawled under the first rock he checked, shivering and sighing before shedding a tear. He listened to the rain makes splish-splash noises in the mud as he slowly closed his eyes. The sounds were the only thing to comfort him now.''

Chapter 2
Hailkit sighed as he woke up to a dim light. he heard the crickets still chirping as the rain was a steady, gentle 'pit pat, pit pat'. He had to find them soon.....''They must be deeper into the forest....the fire was pretty bad. I must do it for mother.'' Hail stretched, looking into the stretched....

....dark....

....scary....

....shadowy forest....

He had to do it anyways. He hesitantly ran, looking left and right and skimming past trees on his short, stubbly kit legs. He didn't catch any glimpse of Gorsestar's gray pelt, or his sister's bright white one. Suddenly, a squirrel squeaked and ran. Hailkit turned to look at it scurry up the tree. His stomach madly rumbled.

I must find food soon..... He thought as he watched the fluffy creature run. But I don't know how to hunt. Sighing deeply, Hailkit trudged on. He came across a couple of berries. They weren't red, so what were they to him? Berries, of course. He leaned down and ate them.

....They actually didn't taste bad.

Hailkit got up, looking up to the trees as raindrops slipped off of the leaves. One hit his nose, and he sneezed. Gotta keep going. His ears flicked as another raindrop fell. His stomach still grumbled, but he forced himself to ignore it. Soon, he assured himself, I will find my family.

A voice in his head whispered, You're fooling yourself, boy.