Thanks to Erin Hunter (A.K.A Vicky Holmes and Co.) for creating the Clans and the universe of Warriors! *Note: The territory was made with my imagination.* Feathermist found a comfortable spot on the ground and lay down to eat her squirrel. As she ate her prey, she heard something- growing louder and louder, the harsh whisper, "Turn back. Turn back." She glanced around wildly to see who is chanting- but none of her Clanmates seem to notice, and she can't locate the source of the sound, like usual. She sighs. This wasn't the first time this happened. Around every moon, she would hear this voice, chanting, "Turn back. Turn back." And about a moon later, after she had temporarily forgotten this strange whisper, it would come back *Am I going to be haunted forever?* She wondered. "Turn back. Turn back." The silhouette of a cat appeared, with glowing red eyes and in the middle of an evil laugh. Covered in scars, the face is terrifying. Terrified, Feathermist wakes with a start, gasping for breath. All around, her fellow warriors are curled up in their nests, Berryface snoring loudly. Still shaken, Feathermist quietly steps out of her nest and makes her way out of the warrior's den. This was the first time she had had such a terrifying dream, and Feathermist had to assure herself that this must, surely, be normal. Feathermist sat in a tree, overlooking the valley that marked Skyclan's border with Thunderclan. Looking up at the stars, she thought about her lost family. Feathermist had never been close to any of her Clanmates. She never talked and preferred to be alone. Feathermist had been born a rouge. Her mother had abandoned Spring, Feathermist's father, and Sky, Feathermist's brother, as soon as she gave birth to them, though Feathermist never knew why. Feathermist spent her childhood roaming the world with her father and her brother. In their travels, they heard about a large group of cats called Skyclan traveling to a lake to live with other cats. Though Sky and Feather had only been 5 moons old, their father was getting on in seasons. So Spring decided that Skyclan would take better care of his kits than he would be able to. So they followed the trail of Skyclan, asking cats along the way if they had seen Skyclan. But before Feather and her family could reach their new home, a badger attacked. "Feather! Sky!" Spring panted. "Run! Get to safety, please!" Spring gasped and collapsed on the ground, exhausted from running. The badger dashed up to him, ready to kill."Dad!" Sky shrieked, and on little kit legs, jumped in the way of the badger. The badger swatted him aside like a feather. Sky crashed into a tree and didn't move. Watching from above in a tree, Feather gasped. Trembling, it took all her self restraint not to go leaping on to the badger. Her father had told her to get to safety, and Feather needed to obey that order. The badger was too close for her to save Spring, and Sky- well, hopefully, Sky was ok, and the badger would forget about him. Suddenly, she heard a screech, coming from her father. Abruptly, it was cut off. Feather held in her wail of absolute despair, and let out a small whimper. Crouching on the branch, she waited for the badger to leave. Her father had taught her and Sky that badgers only killed for the fun of it, not to eat. Feather must have fallen asleep, because she opened her eyes, jumped down from the tree, and saw it was night time. She looked over at Sky. Still, in the same place as before, he was completely motionless. Feather crouched down beside him, tears in her eyes, and silently groomed his fur. Bringing Spring's blood-soaked body to rest near his son's, Feather settled in between them, whimpering, and fell asleep. 2 sunrises later, Feather was still there. She didn't want to think, or move, only to be with her family forever. Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the bushes. It sounded at least the size of a cat. Whatever it was, she let it come. She didn't care. A cat came out of the bushes. Exhausted, Feather passed out into a comfortable stillness, and let the cat come. Feather woke in a den that smelled of plants. She later discovered that this was the Skyclan medicine den. The badger attack had happened right next to the Skyclan border, and after smelling strange scents near that border for days, Oakstar, the leader of Skyclan, took a patrol to discover the source of the scent. Discovering Feather and her dead family, Oakstar to Feather to camp and buried her brother and father. After Feather reluctantly and painfully told them her story, Oakstar decided to take her in. Most of the clan disapproved, however, because she had been born a rouge. Now a warrior. Feathermist shook her head. That was seasons ago. Even if she did wonder what her father and brother would have thought of this dream, what mattered was the present. Why had she been hearing this voice every moon since her family's death? What was the cause of this mysterious, terrifying nightmare?
