Chapter 7

I looked up.
The world was black.
A dark, midnight black.

I looked one way and saw a light. The other way was darkness.
Were would I go? Both ways were sensible.

I walked toward the light.
It shone in my eyes and glimmered off my skin.

Wait, what?

I looked at my hair. It was glowing!

I stared down at my feet. They seemed to be floating on an invisible amber force.

I lifted each in turn.

This, is cool! I thought.

I ran toward the dim speck of light, and it slowly became bigger.
I finnaly reached it.

It was... a dream come true!

I strolled in a beautiful, lush, green, fresh forest.
I found myself on a border. There was a stream in the middle. On the side I was on, it was the forest. On the other side, was a dark, forbidding forest. I warily reached a hand into it.

The hand sent ripples through the clear, still water. I stared at the other side.

I am not going NEAR that place! I snorted. Chicken! I mocked myself.

With that, I waded through the stream toward the dark forest.
Once I reached the other side, a starnge sensation was leading me toward the trees. I ran into the deep dark area, until no light existed.

"Hello?" I called.

I froze.

I had SPOKEN.
"What in Startribe's name?!" I hissed.

A menencing figure strolled from the bushes.

"Do not speak of that dreaded place here!" It screeched.

I took a step back. "Well, what is going on?" I asked desperatly.

The figure wore an evil smirk. "Why, I have just granted you a voice. Now that you live in our ranks, we will have you speak."

My heart froze. "I am...." I stopped in mid speech.

The figure laughed in a horrible way.

In the bushes, a sudden light appeared.

It became stronger with every beat of my heart.

Finnaly, a person appeared. It was a brown brindle haired woman, her eyes were amber, and she appeared to be floating on an amber cloud.

"No!" She hissed. "You are not meant for a voice,"

A sudden strengh pulled at my throat. I gasped for air and fell to the ground. My chest heaved, but the force was preventing my lungs to breathe.

"...." I tried to speak, but failed.

My body slunk, all of my orgins becoming flat, and may as well have been gone.

The brindle woman hissed and jumped on the shadowy evil person, and half the force on my throat cut off, allowing me to breathe a little.
She beat the man to the ground while I layed like a useless rug.
The man slashed her shoulder and ran as far away as he could. My throat was free.

What was that? I asked.

The brindle person glanced around warily. "I will tell you later, right now you must get back!"

He nodded, confused.

The brindle person led him back to the stream. When they reached the other side, she had him sit by the stream.

"I am Brindle," She meowed, not wasting any time.

"What just happened, was that Tiger was trying to seal your fate
as a Hell trainer."

I gasped.

"Yes, he was just flattering you."

I nodded, sorrowfully. I had had a voice... but what would I pay for it?

"But that is not important right now. We need to get you back."

Back? Were? Were do I have to go back to?

"You need to get back to the tribe. They need you."

I shook my head, I did not need to go back. I could live here... in the time of not living, and not dying.

She glared her eyes. "Look into the stream." She hissed.

I looked in. I saw myself, not in a reflection, but down in the
clans. I was laying in a bed with Little laying over me. "His breathing is slowing..." He whispered gravily.

Tawny and Snow were standing beside him, their eyes were stained with tears and faces twisted with worry.

Wow.... I never knew I was so important to them...

"Fleck, you are important to the entire futrure of your tribe." I stared into the stream again, and the image changed. The water made a star swirl and it stilled.

This time, it showed my reflection. I was standing next to Brindle, about 3 times smaller.

The worst part, was my appearence. My skin was speckled with faint stars. I was dying... my eyes were a glowing amber with no pupil. My feet, hands, and skin were edged with an amber glow, the same glow in which Brindle walked on.

This couldn't be happening....
Brindle nudged me. "Jump into the water." She instructed. It was useless, but I did so.

I stumbled in, expecting to touch the bottem.
But I fell, deep beneath the pool.
I closed my eyes tight, and opened them again to scan my surroundings and how far the surface was. But I wasn't in the stream... I was in camp!