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A chilling breeze passed its cold breath over my shoulders, and I faced a peculiar landscape. They were mounds of green lands, like mountains, three of them side by side of each other, covered with lush trees and bushes. Behind them was a rock cliff with a jagged edge to the top of its platform.
I looked on, my eyes scrolling to the bottom of the cliff, between the mountains. There was some noise emitting from there, and when I saw where the noise was, I noticed a table with three rodents sat, eating, drinking, and laughing.
"So, I picked up the cheese, and I ate it before he could get it!" The two others laughed boisterously at the one in the middle that told the joke, all three of them putting their cups in the air and making a toast. Their words I could hear clearly and precisely, even though they were miles away from me. But I could not see them clearly. The images of them were blurry, intangible. It was only a rugged outline of them that I could see.
"To cats, rats and rivalry!!" the middle one cheered on. I narrowed my eyes and looked closer.
It was Mother Mince, Cheesy and Sharp sitting and having a discussion; their tables filled with all kinds of delicious delicacies. Shredded chicken, cut ham in the square pieces I liked, carrots, apples, grapes, and cheese. All of them appeared to be having the time of their lives, looking so happy together on that table surrounded by food.
My mouth started to water, and my stomach growled, seeing all that food gave me an appetite. So I started walking towards them, and then I stopped. There was something appearing on the cliff high above them as they sat around the table, encroaching slowly to the rocky, jagged edge.
The only thing I could see was an unsure outline, and vague colors. I walked closer to get a better view, and then, I saw it.
Bright, blood shoot eyes beamed back at me, the glare so intense that I dropped and fell with a thud, raising my hands in the air and flicking them as if I had touched a scornful object.
Intuition moved my eyes to ponder in front of me.
It was in front of me now.
The frightful crimson eyes were now inches in front of my face; I staggered back, my heart sinking to the pits of my gut.
It was the cat.
It stood there perched on its feet, ears perked up, whiskers draped in crimson. Blotches of blood dotted its forehead, spikes of it clung to its eyebrows, under its eyes, coming down to the bridge of its nose and staining its orange and white fur. He was breathing heavily, his body heaving up and down as he glued his reddened, demonic eyes to me.
Mother Mince's body was squeezed between his lips, blood seeping out and dripping down the white compass of his fur covered chin. Her eyes were showing nothing but paper-colored irises, her teeth baring as her mouth was fixated into a permanent scowl. Her body twitched, her tail swinging lifelessly between his jaws.
I couldn't move. I could feel a faintness begin to stop the blood that flowed through my body, a shiver running through me, a coldness that I had never felt before.
I rubbed my eyes again to make sure.
It was her. It was her dead body. He had killed her, was about to devour her, and now after he was finished with her, he was coming after me. After Sharp. After Cheesy. I held my hand against my chest, going back as the cat strolled his way toward me.
All I saw were acute fangs hovering over my head, I felt the warmth of his mouth enveloping me as he leached toward me; hissing like a snake, sharp fangs ready to tear through me.
...............
"Leave me the hell alone!!!!'' I screamed out in anguish.
I sprung upwards off the floor, kicking and squealing with my limbs into the air. Chest heaving up and down as I panicked, my eyes shot open, immediately capturing the environment around me. Four corners of wooden walls were enclosed all around me, Mother right in front of me with the napkin covering her wound while she slept soundly. There was something squishy and soft in my hand, I moved my fingers around and felt it; unhurriedly, my eyes revolved to my left hand and I discovered that it was the Aloes plant. I squashed my fingers into it, a translucent slime oozing from the blood stained, thick jelly of the green plant that had spikes to the side of it. It seeped through the cracks of my fingers, oozing onto the floor. Looking up and closing my eyes, I sighed in relief, happy that it was only a nightmare.
'' I fell asleep with the aloes in my hand..." muttering to myself, I started to force myself up, off the floor. I remembered how I was rubbing the Aloe vera jelly on my mother's open back wound, and how I dressed and placed a napkin on it.
Sharp and Cheesy were fast asleep, both of them with blood-stained pieces of Aloes in their hands. We were taking turns to rub the Aloes and someone had to stay awake to watch her. I must have fallen asleep during that process.
I got up, scratching my head, wondering what I saw in that nightmare. Damn I was tired of these nightmares. Usually, they were very vague and unfocused, but this time I could clearly see the images, and I recalled exactly what I had seen. They were becoming more and more detailed.
At least it wasn't an Apple that tasted like meat but was actually a Cat's head this time, I chortled to myself.
I never had a dream like that, ever. Long as I've lived in this house, (which was basically my entire life,) I've never suffered from nightmares that fearful. Suddenly, the image of two fearsome eyes drowned in red creeped into my mind, Mother's lifeless body hooked into the curvature of the cat's sharp talons. I shuddered thinking about it, shaking my head vigorously and attempting to throw that thought to the back of my subconsciousness. I moved towards Mother, touching her head and placing the back of my hand across her nose. She was still breathing.
"Oh goodness" I whispered, a relief washing over me.
Maybe it was just fear projecting itself in my head from the whole situation that happened with Mother. I sat down before her, watching the slimy thick sheet of Aloe gunk that covered her wound. There was a yellow slime forming around the craggy edges of her skin. I guess that was the Aloes doing its job.
She was in and out of consciousness every 2 to 3 hours, and whenever she was slightly awake, I would feed her water. That was the only thing she could get for now. I walked around to her face, kneeling down beside her. Her puffy eyes were slightly open. She parted her mouth to say something.
"Burrow" she barely managed to whisper.
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Sharp was awake now, unbeknownst to Burrow, while he kneeled before his dear Mother and listened carefully to her wishes. He would do anything, go anywhere, be anything, for Mother Mince. He successfully managed to have gotten her the Aloe Vera plant, having stripped and rubbed it on her wound for most of the afternoon leading up into the night.
Now her wound had already started to show signs of healing, though it had just been a few hours of applying the aloe gel. He was relieved that she had stabilized despite having lost so much blood.
"Thank.... you, Burrow. Your...so...dependable '' Mother Mince grumbled under a raspy tone, whispering lowly to him.
"Mother, you don't have to thank me for anything. Now, have some water" Burrow held the bottom of her head gently. She pivoted her head up slightly and opened her mouth, Burrow cautiously pouring the water into it bit by bit. As soon as she took two sips, she slowly motioned that she had had enough and he stopped, placing her head softly on the pillow and putting the water bucket back on the ground close by, for next time. At this moment, Sharp cast his eye in annoyance, cursing under his breath.
Everything that Burrow did he was glorified for. It was obvious that Mother favored him more than everyone else, and Sharp was sick and tired of it.
He moved a piece of garbage out of the room, he was praised. He got more water from the kitchen and filled up the bucket, he was praised. He breathed, and he was praised. He was celebrated for anything he did, while Sharp was cast in the background, her disappointment of him covered by sweet little nothings of "Oh baby keep trying. You'll get it next" and other such words of "encouragement" to hide the fact that she thought of him in a lowly manner, Sharp reasoned bitterly.
"I would do anything for you Mother. Now, please, get some rest" He responded, gently resting his hand on her as he smiled.
He wanted to be right there where she slept, making sure that she was safe. He needed to ensure she was safe. That was his priority over everything else right now.
"I promise Mother, I'll do every and anything in my power to make sure your better. I give you my word" he spoke softly, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Sooner than later, he went to his nesting, straightening his cotton padded bed, and drew it closer to Mother's.
Sharp's eyes were half open as he peeked, keeping his ears open for every word that came out of Burrow's mouth.
What a suck up Sharp thought bitterly to himself. How desperate can a son be to gain a Mother's approval? Everything was Burrow this, Burrow that. Even when Burrow disobeyed and messed up he was never seriously punished for it. He couldn't believe that Mother favored him over everything. He could never wrap his mind around why. He knew he was better than Burrow. He was braver, stronger, fiercer, quicker. So why did she always choose him??
Sharp sighed, feeling deeply agitated. It had always been like this. Cheesy was Mother's baby, and Burrow was the Prodigal son. That left him the role of being the unruly, quick wittied snap that he was. But what if he wanted to be something else? Something other than..this? He turned around and shifted his face to the wall, placing his back to Burrow.
"Burrow will do every and anything in his power to make Mother feel better? Not before I do" On that night Sharp vowed to himself that he would never allow his brother to outshine him, ever again.
No matter the consequences.