The Test | A For-Fun One-Shot
Nov 2, 2018 2:10:59 GMT -5
phantomstar57, » ѕнαdσω ⚔️, and 3 more like this
Post by 🇲🇴🇷🇷🇮🇬🇦🇳 ⥇ on Nov 2, 2018 2:10:59 GMT -5
This was kind of just a warm-up writing one-shot I did when I was bored! I hope you enjoy, it's un-edited but I had a lot of fun writing it! EDIT: TW: Blood, death, running away, other things I'm not sure about??]]
Pressing my cheek to the cold stone, I tried my hardest to pick up any clear sentences. The roar of blood in my ears and my pounding heartbeat kept me from focusing on anything, all I heard were muffled whispers and exclamations. It seemed as though my entire chest had froze when a sudden noise made itself clear. My mother, crying out with words I couldn’t make out. All I could understand was that she was in pain. I knew what that meant. Great Stars, I knew too well. It was the same howls I heard from Spot’s mother before he was killed. He had failed. And like all the failures of our sept, he had to be purged.
From what the elders have told me, it wasn’t always this way. Apparently, no one was ever killed in ages past. They were simply given time to learn more, and try again. Somehow, that sounded so strange to me. So foreign and almost wrong. Spot and I weren’t that close, but we were friends, I think. He would share prey with me and my littermates when we were first weaned, and he would always seem to make time to play with us. I always thought he was smart, and kind. Why did he have to die? I can’t remember what part of the test he had failed. All I remember is the screaming, the desperate pleas of the young tom and his mother as his father became his executioner. Then, it’s really all a blur. The only thing I remember clearly is the blood… The blood that left a pool in the middle of the camp. It left splatters on the bright green leaves of the nursery when he had tried to flee, but failed. He had failed again.
My littermates and I trained hard, and tried to absorb every drop of knowledge we were given before our own tests. A silent lesson learned from witnessing what happened to Spot. My sister Rose was brilliant with herbs and working with others, it was obvious she was meant to be a Healer. The Healer test was easier physically, but it challenged your mind and spirit in ways the Soldier test didn’t. My brother, Hare, was training to be a Soldier like me. We did so many things together, and in many ways I suppose we were much closer than both of us were with Rose. Now that I think about it, maybe that had hurt her on a few occasions. I felt a twinge of guilt within my heart, where was I when she needed help? Just because I thought the Healer test was easier didn’t mean she wouldn’t need support. I suppose she returned the favor, since we didn’t talk much after becoming apprentices.
I felt the ground move beneath me as I ran towards the den we slept in as we awaited the results of our tests. My head grew light and foggy as I caught my breath, heaving icy air into my lungs. Rose and Hare were looking at me with wide eyes, each sitting on their own nests. I shouldn’t have snuck out, we weren’t allowed to know the results before they were announced to the sept. But I couldn’t help it. The anxiety and fear had gotten to me, I just had to know. And now that I knew, I was almost regretting it.
I stared back at them, as I took a deep breath, my heartbeat finally stabilizing. I felt my mouth move, but no sounds came out. I could tell they understood. Whether by my silence or my expression, they knew now, as well. We let a few seconds pass, just looking at each other. What was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to hope it was me? Was I supposed to be glad I had only one in three chances to die tonight? Was it wrong that I almost wanted it to be them?
“Cinder?” I looked up at my sister as she spoke softly. I could barely make out her voice over my roaring thoughts, “I.. I hope you’re wrong. I really do.” Right. My tongue felt as heavy and dry as stone in my mouth. I was again, struck with silence. She looked down at her paws at a lack of reply. Suddenly I felt worse. Hare was still silent. I didn’t expect him to really have anything to say to this. Maybe we should have expected it. My ears pricked as I heard the screams of my mother pour into the clearing, followed by a large ruckus. I wasn’t wrong. My siblings and I shared a look we couldn’t describe, and filed out of the den as we were called.
“My subjects, it is time for us to tell the results of the Test. The takers clearly had effort, their passion strong. But one of them has failed us, and for that they must pay the price.” Our leader, a scruffy looking, old tomcat with a patchy orange pelt yelled from his perch. I always hated him for some unknown reason. Something about him just always made my pelt want to turn inside out. Maybe this was the reason. “Rose and Hare, kits of Ash and Petal,” Here it is. They either die, or I will. “You have passed.” The whole world seems to stop. I failed.
I failed. Out of my littermates, I was the weak one. The stupid one. The one who will die because of her mistakes. And for what? What have I ever done wrong? I have only ever wanted to succeed, to serve my sept, and.. And.. No. That’s wrong, isn’t it? I only wanted to succeed so that I would live. The rules were cruel and the cats who follow them are even crueler. I hate this. I hate that I was born into this. None of this is fair. Was I really just going to die? I looked to my father, standing at the base of the leader’s perch. We met eyes, and I sent him the most rage-filled look I could muster. I hated him. He was going to kill me. He said he cared for me, loved me. Just to let me die, just to kill me in cold blood. I wasn’t even paying attention as the leader called me out for failing, and exclaimed I must now die by the cat who created me. I lept to my paws and was about to shout some choice words in his direction before chaos broke loose. My father had suddenly jumped from his post, but not onto me. He had jumped upwards. Up, towards the leader. There was blood. Just like when Spot- no, don’t think about it now. I need to run, this is my chance. I quickly turned on my heel and ran, as fast as my legs could go. My muscles burned with how suddenly I pushed them. I gave one last glance over my shoulder, and met my father’s eyes once more. The body of the leader had fell, and he looked at me with an unreadable expression. Then he was gone, covered in a barrage of soldiers. I stopped looking.
I don’t know where I’m going. I realized that as I was halfway out of our territory. Did I care? Not really. Anywhere other than this place would be good. I felt so many emotions, but I didn’t let myself process any of them. I had to focus, concentrate on running no matter how much it hurt at this point. I knew they would come for me. Until they knew I was long gone, and wouldn’t return. They wouldn’t pursue me after I had left. I was useless, after all, and I’m not causing any more problems for them anymore. My father was dead, that was for sure. Killing a leader? Punishable by death anyway. Deep within, I hoped my littermates wouldn’t come to harm. They weren’t likely to, after all, they were of use to the sept. They didn’t run with me, nor help me escape. Their blank expressions as I looked back will forever stain my memories, as the camp turned to chaos behind them. They had passed the test.
[[ Soooo I really don't know what I was doing with this one. That might be clear, yeah? I might expand upon this universe in the future, since writing the concepts was enjoyable! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this crappy little writing exercise :> ]]
Pressing my cheek to the cold stone, I tried my hardest to pick up any clear sentences. The roar of blood in my ears and my pounding heartbeat kept me from focusing on anything, all I heard were muffled whispers and exclamations. It seemed as though my entire chest had froze when a sudden noise made itself clear. My mother, crying out with words I couldn’t make out. All I could understand was that she was in pain. I knew what that meant. Great Stars, I knew too well. It was the same howls I heard from Spot’s mother before he was killed. He had failed. And like all the failures of our sept, he had to be purged.
From what the elders have told me, it wasn’t always this way. Apparently, no one was ever killed in ages past. They were simply given time to learn more, and try again. Somehow, that sounded so strange to me. So foreign and almost wrong. Spot and I weren’t that close, but we were friends, I think. He would share prey with me and my littermates when we were first weaned, and he would always seem to make time to play with us. I always thought he was smart, and kind. Why did he have to die? I can’t remember what part of the test he had failed. All I remember is the screaming, the desperate pleas of the young tom and his mother as his father became his executioner. Then, it’s really all a blur. The only thing I remember clearly is the blood… The blood that left a pool in the middle of the camp. It left splatters on the bright green leaves of the nursery when he had tried to flee, but failed. He had failed again.
My littermates and I trained hard, and tried to absorb every drop of knowledge we were given before our own tests. A silent lesson learned from witnessing what happened to Spot. My sister Rose was brilliant with herbs and working with others, it was obvious she was meant to be a Healer. The Healer test was easier physically, but it challenged your mind and spirit in ways the Soldier test didn’t. My brother, Hare, was training to be a Soldier like me. We did so many things together, and in many ways I suppose we were much closer than both of us were with Rose. Now that I think about it, maybe that had hurt her on a few occasions. I felt a twinge of guilt within my heart, where was I when she needed help? Just because I thought the Healer test was easier didn’t mean she wouldn’t need support. I suppose she returned the favor, since we didn’t talk much after becoming apprentices.
I felt the ground move beneath me as I ran towards the den we slept in as we awaited the results of our tests. My head grew light and foggy as I caught my breath, heaving icy air into my lungs. Rose and Hare were looking at me with wide eyes, each sitting on their own nests. I shouldn’t have snuck out, we weren’t allowed to know the results before they were announced to the sept. But I couldn’t help it. The anxiety and fear had gotten to me, I just had to know. And now that I knew, I was almost regretting it.
I stared back at them, as I took a deep breath, my heartbeat finally stabilizing. I felt my mouth move, but no sounds came out. I could tell they understood. Whether by my silence or my expression, they knew now, as well. We let a few seconds pass, just looking at each other. What was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to hope it was me? Was I supposed to be glad I had only one in three chances to die tonight? Was it wrong that I almost wanted it to be them?
“Cinder?” I looked up at my sister as she spoke softly. I could barely make out her voice over my roaring thoughts, “I.. I hope you’re wrong. I really do.” Right. My tongue felt as heavy and dry as stone in my mouth. I was again, struck with silence. She looked down at her paws at a lack of reply. Suddenly I felt worse. Hare was still silent. I didn’t expect him to really have anything to say to this. Maybe we should have expected it. My ears pricked as I heard the screams of my mother pour into the clearing, followed by a large ruckus. I wasn’t wrong. My siblings and I shared a look we couldn’t describe, and filed out of the den as we were called.
“My subjects, it is time for us to tell the results of the Test. The takers clearly had effort, their passion strong. But one of them has failed us, and for that they must pay the price.” Our leader, a scruffy looking, old tomcat with a patchy orange pelt yelled from his perch. I always hated him for some unknown reason. Something about him just always made my pelt want to turn inside out. Maybe this was the reason. “Rose and Hare, kits of Ash and Petal,” Here it is. They either die, or I will. “You have passed.” The whole world seems to stop. I failed.
I failed. Out of my littermates, I was the weak one. The stupid one. The one who will die because of her mistakes. And for what? What have I ever done wrong? I have only ever wanted to succeed, to serve my sept, and.. And.. No. That’s wrong, isn’t it? I only wanted to succeed so that I would live. The rules were cruel and the cats who follow them are even crueler. I hate this. I hate that I was born into this. None of this is fair. Was I really just going to die? I looked to my father, standing at the base of the leader’s perch. We met eyes, and I sent him the most rage-filled look I could muster. I hated him. He was going to kill me. He said he cared for me, loved me. Just to let me die, just to kill me in cold blood. I wasn’t even paying attention as the leader called me out for failing, and exclaimed I must now die by the cat who created me. I lept to my paws and was about to shout some choice words in his direction before chaos broke loose. My father had suddenly jumped from his post, but not onto me. He had jumped upwards. Up, towards the leader. There was blood. Just like when Spot- no, don’t think about it now. I need to run, this is my chance. I quickly turned on my heel and ran, as fast as my legs could go. My muscles burned with how suddenly I pushed them. I gave one last glance over my shoulder, and met my father’s eyes once more. The body of the leader had fell, and he looked at me with an unreadable expression. Then he was gone, covered in a barrage of soldiers. I stopped looking.
I don’t know where I’m going. I realized that as I was halfway out of our territory. Did I care? Not really. Anywhere other than this place would be good. I felt so many emotions, but I didn’t let myself process any of them. I had to focus, concentrate on running no matter how much it hurt at this point. I knew they would come for me. Until they knew I was long gone, and wouldn’t return. They wouldn’t pursue me after I had left. I was useless, after all, and I’m not causing any more problems for them anymore. My father was dead, that was for sure. Killing a leader? Punishable by death anyway. Deep within, I hoped my littermates wouldn’t come to harm. They weren’t likely to, after all, they were of use to the sept. They didn’t run with me, nor help me escape. Their blank expressions as I looked back will forever stain my memories, as the camp turned to chaos behind them. They had passed the test.
[[ Soooo I really don't know what I was doing with this one. That might be clear, yeah? I might expand upon this universe in the future, since writing the concepts was enjoyable! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this crappy little writing exercise :> ]]