Forbidden Shadows Chapter Nine

The scientist moved swiftly toward the cages containing the lifelong friends. What also moved swiftly into the mix was terror that clenched at the two strays' hearts.

Were they going to die today?

Was this their fate? Would the others give up, if they hadn't already, on finding the Forest of Forbidden Shadows?

That name. That forest. Somehow it seemed familiar to Stormcloud. She had not yet dared to let Bluejay know that she felt she knew this forest well. But if the scientist planned to end their lives right here and right now, Stormcloud would never get to tell him. This feeling nagged at her, so she felt she should let it out while they had at least a few seconds left.

"Bluejay, there is something I need to tell you about our journey."

"What is it, dear friend?"

Bluejay had tears in his eyes. What an emotional time it was. But him addressing Stormcloud as "dear friend" was too much for her right now. She tried to tell him, to let it out, but she knew that now she had no time. The scientist was now at the shelf of the cages. With her throat choked up and her heart feeling lost and pained, Stormcloud knew this was her end and that she could not tell him now.

But what neither of the cats thought would happen but both had hoped would happen did happen, after all. The scientist put the nozzle in a cage below them. Thud went the poor cat that had been in that cage.

Stormcloud's sad feelings instantly vanished like water under the desert sun. She forgot about Bluejay calling her "dear friend." She even forgot about telling Bluejay what she had planned to tell him. Her sadness was gone now, and she bounced about her cage with joy. "We're going to live! We're going to live! We're going to live!"

Bluejay, however, was skeptical before he rejoiced. He was only acting skeptical about the scientist, however. He was actually wondering about what Stormcloud was trying to tell him. Was it about their destination, the Forest of Forbidden Shadows? Or something else? Whatever it was, his first task that night would be asking her what her question was going to be.

Later that day, when the clock read 12:00, the scientist pulled out his lunch meal. Bluejay, being the only cat in the Corporation that studied the humans for fun and for knowledge, knew that around this time was the human lunch time. Based on that information, he was able to tell the hunters what time to find the most food back in the New York City alleys. They had had meal times after his studies on human food, but new food at any time was greatly appreciated.

Before the scientist's lunch break, nothing much had happened. The human only wrote in a notebook, glancing at the two cats from time to time.

~Later, that night, 11:45 PM~

Bluejay awoke to the sound of a door opening. The scientist awoke too, at the same moment as Stormcloud did. They looked to see who was there. It was one of the exterminators. In fact, Bluejay and Stormcloud recognized him instantly as the one Suneyes had scratched. He held a cage with a live cat inside it.

He was trapped just like them.

But when he looked around and spotted the two cats, they instantly knew each other.

Bluejay and stormcloud were looking directly at their old foe, Hawkscreech. And he looked at them with bloodthirsty eyes. War.