[poppy]

[open ]

Asterkit sat in her makeshift nest, blinking rapidly every so often. Every movement she made was slow and uncertain, as if she wasn't sure she could move at all. The scrawny diluted tabico kitten was alone in the world, her nest was so big, for only one kit. She saw mothers curled up with their kits, and she suppressed a whimper.

Why did she have to fight tooth and nail for everything?

The sudden rustle of the den shifting with a breeze made her jump, and she looked up and around, as if scared something would happen.... like... a ThunderClan cat could pop up and hurt her.... or the den could fall over.

Her legs shook as she stood, surprising herself.

She hadn't told her body to move, why was it moving anyways? It always felt like she was on the outside, looking in. Every sound and movement she made felt like something else was making her move. It was strange.

A slow step forward was hard, and she almost gave up and flopped back down. The warmth of her nest felt magnetic as it tried to pull her down, and she almost listened, but the light seeping from the den entrance fueled her, and she began wobbling over to the entrance.

But she wanted to go back.... Turning, she wanted to crawl back into the nest. No one would notice, anyways.