to the sun and back | [ skyy ]

She was but a flicker through the sparse trees, a sprightly figure dancing through the new-leaf grasses. She would weave in intricate patterns among the dew covered leaves, fragile giggles ricocheting off the trees of the open forest. The gentle feline’s lower body was caked in a thick layer of grime from past endeavors and her own carelessness, her pelt clinging to her ribs in a manner that seemed for too cruel for such a youthful spirit. However, Pearl seemed to flourish in difficulty, finding hope in despair and promise in harsh realities. She had survived (something that even her dear mother doubted ) and that in itself was an achievement, something to be proud of no matter the hunger that clawed at her, screaming for prey when there was so much skittering through the grasses and away from her untrained paws.

That’s what had coaxed her away from the acrid streets of this new and equally smelly Twolegplace during the early throes of sunrise, to find something that would satisfy her -- something warm and alive -- before desperation forced her to forage through the Nofur trash bins. It seemed that she had become distracted, however, as the first rays of dawn began to push through the trees, sparkling against the thin mist which crept around her paws.

It was a sudden scuffle in the forest debris that would snatch her from mindless fantasy.

Her ears shot up and she would drop into a faulty crouch. Her weight balanced unevenly on her front paws, chest nearly scraping the ground. The she-cat's hindquarters shimmied up into the air, tail waving restlessly behind her. Pearl would remain dreadfully silent, exhaling before sucking in a deep breath and taking minuscule steps forward, ones that would rustle nosily beneath her. Her target – a brown lizard of some sort – lifted its head stiffly, large eye focused on the pale ginger she-cat who continued to move despite being spotted. Her prey was not dimwitted and in an instant, it took off from lounging, sending Pearl bolting after it with heavy and graceless pawsteps.

She was loud and clumsy as she scampered to an abrupt stop. The lizard had found its own safety, darting under the shadows of a tall tree and winding its small body under a tiny crevice in the roots that Pearl could only dream of entering. "No," she hissed, ears pressing flat against her skull, expression falling into one akin of sadness and desperation, a rare feeling that made Pearl wholly uncomfortable. It was an ugly twist on her face, an ill-fitting contortion.

Unaware, or better yet, blissfully ignorant, of the danger that potentially lurked in the open forest – she had heard the tales of these groups of cats and yes, she believed them – she sat herself down in front of the tree, staring at the miniature gap in hopes that her early morning meal would return. If any other cat decided to question her, Pearl was convinced that they were no different than the territorial strays and kittypets among the Twolegplace and there were many of those that she had come whisker to whisker with. She wasn't afraid, no, but anxiety consumed her and occasionally, she would glance over her shoulders. If not for the miserable growl of her stomach, she would have left.

\\ skyy and her socks \\