Strays Prologue - Years Ago

MAKE BLOODY SURE THAT YOU HAVE READ “FROM KITTENS TO CATS”, “SURE SIGNS”, AND “DANIEL” FOR THIS STORY TO HAVE FULL EFFECT. This chapter takes place during “Daniel”; this is basically what Audrey didn’t see. There will be two chapters, the second one posted... um... whenever. I don’t quite have a set date. And never fear, for while this chapter is rather lacking of characters ACTUALLY FROM THE SHOW, chapter two will remedy that. So please don’t kill me with a pitchfork yet.
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The December night was unseasonably warm. There was only a slight breeze, just enough to blow the brown, dead leaves across the forest. High above the trees in the starry sky, a full moon shone. All in all, everything seemed peaceful and perfect; a contrast to what was about to happen below. Deep in the middle of the woods sat a calico female, waiting intently for something. She didn’t move at all, not even when a scrawny, black-patched cat came strolling into the area.

“Hello, Daniel,” she said to him, still not moving. The only change in her expression was the fact that her eyes narrowed into a glare. Daniel did not notice this, or more likely, he chose to ignore it. “Where have you been?” she asked. “I was waiting.”

“None of your business, Camilla,” Daniel responded. “You seem to forget that I’m the leader and you’re only second in command. There are some things that are only for me to know.” Camilla did not seem to like this answer at all. “Now, Camilla,” Daniel continued, “there’s something we have to discuss. I-” Daniel’s eyes fell upon a small figure. “What is this?” he asked, walking over to it. It was an orange kitten, fast asleep. Camilla walked over with Daniel and the kitten.

“My latest rescue. Max helped me with him. Good thing, too, since he had to get this stupid thing off of his neck,” she said, picking a ripped collar off of the ground with her mouth and dropping it at Daniel’s feet. He bent down to get a better look. In the moonlight, he could read the name on the collar’s charm.

“Brutus...” he read out loud. He then looked back up at the kitten. “Where’d you find him?”

“I saw him in his human’s front yard. There was no one there, but he kept tugging at the collar as if it was choking him... I figured they weren’t treating him very well, so I asked if he wanted to come with me. You’d think I was taking him from Hell itself, the way his face lit up... I don’t want to know what was going on in there.”

“So you stole someone’s pet,” Daniel said and then sighed. “Honestly, Camilla, sometimes I wonder about you.”

“Sometimes I wonder about humans,” Camilla scoffed. “They’re horrid, horrid animals... don’t you think?” The glare returned to her eyes. She watched Daniel intently, knowing what his answer would be.

“Now, Camilla, I’ve explained this before. Some humans are just awful, true, but not all of them are like that. You really should stop viewing them all in such a negative light. Why won’t you give it a chance?”

“I thought so,” Camilla responded. “Really... I should have expected such an answer from a cat who would stoop so low as to choose a housecat as a mate!”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “How... how did you know?”

“You were gone a LOT recently,” Camilla answered. “I was so WORRIED about you, since I never saw you anymore... so I decided that I would follow you and see just what was up. A good choice, too, seeing as you’re now in the clutches of one of those human supporters...”

Daniel bent down in a fighting position, claws unsheathed. “So that WAS you! I thought that was you following me! When, Camilla, WHEN will you learn to respect my privacy?! What I do away from here is none of your business!”

“It is when you’re going against the very honor of a cat and being near those twoleggers. Just because your sister is such a fool doesn’t mean you should be...”

“LEAVE ERIKA OUT OF THIS!” Daniel roared. “I should have listened to her while I had the chance... she was right, Camilla. She told me you were INSANE and she was right! Do you even have any idea what true honor is?! There is none of it in this idiotic brand of racism you possess! You’re no honorable cat, you... you’re... you’re a MONSTER!”

“Now, are you entirely sure crossing me is the best idea at the moment?” Camilla asked calmly. Their argument was interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. Camilla looked over at the source of the noise. “MAX!” she called. “Max! Get over here!” From out of the trees stepped a large, dark gray animal who more closely resembled a panther than a domestic feline. There were no pupils visible in his gleaming yellow eyes. His eyes also showed no kindness. Max was a cat raised to fight without remorse from birth, and every inch of him radiated his fact. This was not someone to rub the wrong way unless you possessed a death wish.

“Max. Fetch,” Camilla commanded, nodding over to the bushes. With a nod and a gruff growl, Max obeyed Camilla’s order without question. He went where Camilla had indicated. After a few seconds of silence, there was a loud pained squeal and a hiss. Max stepped out of the bushes clutching a small white cat by the scruff of her neck in his jaws.

“Put me down, you brute!” Erika cried, squirming and panting for breath. In a way, Max respected her wishes, throwing at Camilla’s feet. Before Erika could react, Camilla’s paw was on her throat, claws extended.

“How kind of you to drop in,” Camilla purred as Erika struggled to escape. “We were just discussing you... weren’t we, Daniel?”

“Let her go, Camilla,” Daniel said, trying not to let his worry show in his voice. “I’ll leave and I’ll take her with me. I’ll never come back, I promise. Just let go of her! She didn’t do anything to you!”

“On the contrary,” Camilla replied, not moving her paw. “Not only was she spying on us, but according to you she called me something rather unkind. I thought you disagreed with spying and name-calling. Don’t you think she should be taught a lesson?”

“Let her GO!” Daniel shouted. “I swear, Camilla, if you kill my sister I will make you pay for it! This is your last chance!”

“Very well.” Camilla raised her paw from Erika’s neck. She immediately seized the chance to rush to her brother’s side. “Go,” Camilla said. “Get out of my sight, and take the little slave of humans with you! You said I was on my last chance, Daniel? Well, so are you. LEAVE.”

“Gladly,” Daniel spat. “Come on, Erika.” He quickly turned to leave. Erika stayed to glare at Camilla and Max for what they had done, but Max’s growl convinced her that she should get moving. Camilla watched until they were out of sight.

“Max?” she asked. “They promised that I’d never see them alive again. Would you please make it certain that they keep this promise?”

Max understood full well what was being asked of him. He followed Daniel and Erika slowly, much more quietly than one would expect from a creature his size. Camilla had taught him well. “And that is that,” she said to herself, a wicked smirk on her face. “Two more human lovers down...” Satisfied that she would never see the Quid cats again, she went over to the still sleeping Brutus, picked him up in her mouth, and retired to her sleeping quarters. At first glance, it would have seemed that no more living beings remained in the area. But behind a tree sat another calico. The pattern on her fur was identical to Camilla’s, but there was no way that this could be her. In her face there was fear and guilt, two expressions Camilla would never display. She went in the same direction as Max, attempting to keep quiet. She had to know; just what was going to happen to those two...?
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The two members of the Quid family walked the deserted pavement, headed towards the Cramdilly house just as Daniel had promised to Audrey. Daniel was incredibly bitter, an emotion which showed on his face.

“I still don’t believe it...” Daniel grumbled, partially to himself. “How could I have been so stupid? I actually thought I could change her... I thought I could make her see she was wrong...” he sighed. “Am I always such an idiot, Erika?”

“Don’t say that, Dan,” Erika scolded her brother. “We all make mistakes. You were just trying to save who you could from her... I’d say that holds much more honor that Camilla thinks. She was just a nutcase. Nothing tonight was your fault.”

“I suppose...” Daniel muttered, still not entirely convinced that he hadn’t screwed something up somewhere down the line. “But after tonight, I don’t think you can go back home. You’d have to go through those woods, and if you ran into Camilla or Max... I’d rather not think about what would happen then. I can’t let you go back there, Erika.”

“My humans are going to freak,” Erika said, “but you’re right. I’m going to miss it, but... there’s no other way, huh?”

Daniel shook his head. “No other way.”

“I don’t think I’m cut out for street life, though,” Erika said. “That’d probably be even more dangerous than going back home. So now what?”

“Edna probably wouldn’t mind,” Daniel suggested. “You could come stay with me. Besides, the kids would probably like having an aunt like you. It’d be great. Edna’s such a great caretaker, and maybe you could even help with the kittens. You’re such a motherly type.”

“So you’re inviting me?” Erika said, almost in disbelief.

“Why wouldn’t I invite my own sister? I’m not leaving you to die out here, Erika.”

The two of them exchanged a smile. Silence fell between them as they continued heading for new life. Daniel had never felt more free; he was no longer tied to the group, he didn’t have to worry about Camilla or what she thought anymore... Audrey was going to be safe... his family was going to be safe...

His ears suddenly pricked up. “Erika. Hide. Now. I think I heard someone following us...” he whispered.

“But-”

“I’ll take care of this, Erika. You hide. Don’t even continue to the house, just get out of sight until I figure this out.”

Knowing that her brother probably knew best, Erika nodded and ducked behind a cluster of trash cans. Daniel turned around. He knew just who could be following him that quietly; he almost didn’t hear at all...

“Hello, Max,” he said before even seeing him. Knowing that he had been found, Max stepped out of the shadows and into view, his lips folded back in a snarl.

“Going to have a little fight, are we?” Daniel asked, sounding more bored than afraid. In a swift motion, Max pounced forward. Daniel jumped back, barely dodging Max’s large bear-like paw. He swung his own claws in defense, but Max shot out and gripped Daniel’s wrist to prevent his attack. Max then flipped Daniel into an alleyway, slamming him right into the wall. Unwilling to give up, Daniel struggled to his feet. “You... you won’t win... I won’t let you, Max... I won’t let you win... you’ll never- AAAGH!” Max had sunk his teeth into Daniel’s back in the middle of his speech.

“Let... GO!” Daniel hissed, but for once, Max did not listen to a command addressed to him. After a few violent shakes, Max finally tossed Daniel back into the wall. After deciding that Daniel was going to die soon and no further effort was needed, he walked away and headed back towards the woods to report his kill. He’d hunt for the other one later...

Erika went into the alleyway as soon as Max was out of sight. “Daniel...?”

“Go get Audrey,” Daniel asked. “Please... please bring her here... I want to see her one more time...”

Erika nodded and fled to grant Daniel’s dying wish.

In the shadows, the same calico who had watched earlier sat. Shaking and panting, she rose to her feet and rushed back to the woods. Camilla would give her hell if she was found to be missing. Only one thought echoed through her mind as she ran...

Was there anything she could have done...?