A cat that seems invisible, a soul that needs help

[Crimsonheart]

Wolfpaw was sitting near the center of camp, his black speckled pelt dulled by the sun light. His light amber eyes saddened by his own loneliness. How he longed to have someone to talk too. Every passing heartbeat was filled with pain and agony. You will never be a normal cat! a voice growled in his mind. Wolfpaw's black out-lined eyes dropped to his paws.

If I am so useless as to never be spoken too... Is there a point for my existence? Wolfpaw asked himself. He usually found his mind wondering but always snapping back to that question. That horrible question. Then, silence. Nerve-wrecking silence. It was what he lived in. Every passing minute, every second that went by made him feel more and more useless. His tail wrapped tightly around his paws, and his ears flattened against his head.

Only the sound of his mother's voice filled his mind. Little one you are not useless... the voice said softly. Wolfpaw sat there, wondering if that voice was his mother, or just a fake voice his mind was forcing. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth. For the first time he felt dead. Absolutely dead. Every cat was walking past him, ignoring him.

All his life he had lived with that. And for what? More mistreatment? No, worse mistreatment. He knew his life was destined for silence. His future blurred before his eyes as if it never existed. If I have no future... If I have no destiny in this world... Please StarClan guide me to your place of happiness... Let me die and say my final, silent farewell and join you in the beautiful stars... Wolfpaw pleaded in his mind.

He looked around the ThunderClan camp. Silence. Stillness. Emptiness. Nothing. Wolfpaw felt like his paws were giving out and he was falling. Into a huge black abyss of nothingness. His heart. One word, one single word came from his mouth. "Help."

That word, that word that seemed to have no more meaning, repeated over in his mind. Help The tomcat glanced around once more. Again, nothing stirred. No sounds. Wolfpaw looked up at the sky.

He then meowed one single word that now seemed to have all the meaning in the world. He meowed, "Help."

[Hawkfeather]

Greenfire let out a yawn, blearily opening a blazing green eye. She stretched, arching her back with a satisfied purr. She didn't like sleep that much, but, well, it was sad to have to get up and go hunting again sometimes....

A low purr rumbled in her chest as she padded out of the Warriors Den, and into the clearing. The sun was warm on her face, and the scent of her Clanmates surrounded her. Everything was as it should be.

Then the word reached, little more than a whisper on the wind. "Help."

Her ears flicked, and she searched for the cat who had spoken. There was no one there...Except for Wolfpaw. She only knew the apprentice distantly, and had barely spoken to him before. But he sounded so....desperate. Greenfire ached to help. A look of concern flickered across her face. What was wrong with him?

With a twitch of her tail, she padded forward, nodding in greeting. "Hello Wolfpaw." She meowed softly. She had never been good at the whole 'being subtle' business. "What's wrong?"

[Crimsonheart]

Wolfpaw turned his light amber gaze on Greenfire. His eyes spoke of despair, though his face said nothing. He nodded slightly in greetings then heard the she-cat ask him a question. What's wrong? Greenfire had asked him. In the blink of an eye, the young apprentice's eyes told a new story.

One of loneliness and sorrow. If I could express my loneliness and sadness in words, it would take a life time of two leaders... he said in his mind. Wolfpaw fixed his eyes on Greenfire's and muttered two words.

"I'm alone..." he mewed. Those words, those words that had haunted him since he was a kit, repeated over in his mind. I'm alone... Wolfpaw tore his gaze from GReefire and looked at his paws.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he thought the -she-cat would simply go away, like he was imagining this whole thing. Opening his eyes again, he leveled his amber eyes with Greenfire's blazing green eyes.

She's still here... She's talking to me... he thought rapidly in his mind. His heart sped up a little then slowed to normal pace. His eyes dulled and he waited for Greenfire to say something.

[Hawkfeather]

"Oh really? I suppose I'm just a figment of your imagination then, if you're still alone." Greenfire meowed archly, the tip of her tail twitching. She immediately regretted her words. This was a serious matter, and not time for humour.

"I'm sorry." She meowed in a gentler tone and bent down, nudging the tom's shoulder, trying to offer comfort. "That was...uncalled for."

Blazing green eyes met deep amber ones. Her mother had always said that the eyes were the window to the soul. Greenfire knew that to be true.

And those amber eyes held too much sorrow and loneliness. Wolfpaw was right. He needed help.

"Why are you so sorrowful?" Greenfire meowed quietly. "Is it because you're...alone?"

[Crimsonheart]

Wolfpaw felt a little nudge on his shoulder and looked at Greenfire. He heard the first thing she had said. Oh really? I suppose I'm just a figment of your imagination then, if you're still alone. the she-cat had said. Wolfpaw flinched at that remark and then heard her say she was sorry.

Wolfpaw focused more on the last questions. He lowered his head a little. Wolfpaw nodded to the last question. No cat has ever talked to me before... I am not sure what I am suppose to do... Or say... All I know is that I want a friend... Even if I only have one friend... I'd be much happier... Wolfpaw meowed in his mind.

Suddenly a voice came into his head. You will never have a friend! She's pretending, leave her be and go on with your silent life! the voice hissed. Wolfpaw shivered a little. Now he didn't know what to think. His thoughts were jumbles of trust, sadness, curiosity, and fear.

He didn't know what to say. Though he thought of something to say to the first question. "I feel like a ghost... No cat has ever spoken to me... No cat has ever noticed me..."

[Hawkfeather]

Greenfire licked his shoulder, and rubbed against him, trying to offer silent comfort. "It...used to be like that for me too, I guess." She meowed hesitantly. "My mother was Hawkstar's sister, and a lot was expected from me. I didn't have a close friend, and my mother always seemed to be keeping....something. Keeping something away from me."

Her green eyes misted over as she looked back to the past.

"Things got better when I became a warrior, I guess. Friends don't matter as much when you get older. Or perhaps they do, and I just got used to being alone...." She trailed off, seeming to snap back to the present. She smiled slightly at Wolfpaw.

"I'm not making you feel better, am I?" She murmured, seemingly to herself.

"C-can I be your friend Wolfpaw?" Greenfire asked, her eyes clearing. She felt so...young again. "Friends forever?"

Age didn't really matter, Greenfire realized. She also realized the thing that she wanted most was this tom's friendship. How strange.

[Crimsonheart]

Wolfpaw heard the she-cat's words and froze when he heard C-can I be your friend Wolfpaw? Friends forever? Looking at Greenfire's eyes, he could tell that they had much in common. And for the first time since he was born, Wolfpaw smiled.

"Friends forever." he mewed in agreement. Wolfpaw's light amber eyes now were full of happiness. He never thought he'd have a friend, until this day. He finally had a cat that understood him.

He finally had a friend. Wolfpaw pressed his muzzle to Greenfire's shoulder and repeated what he had said. "Friends forever."

[Hawkfeather]

Greenfire let out a low purr of sheer contentment, licking the top of Wolfpaw's head gently. "I'm glad." She murmured quietly, her green eyes half-closing with contentment. That and she was still more than slightly sleepy.

Wolfpaw's touch was so comforting....

But she had duties to attend to.

She let out a soft purr and rasped her tongue over the black speckled fur again, then broke away.

"I better get going." She meowed. "The fresh-kill pile is hardly going to fill itself up. I'll....speak with you later, alright? If you're not busy or anything?"

[Crimsonheart]

"Okay." Wolfpaw purred, and licked the she-cat's ear. Wolfpaw looked around and sighed. He was going to be left alone again but you know what? This time he didn't care. He was alright. Smiling, he got to his paws.

Not saying a word he gazed around. Not really looking for anything. Then a voice to his mind. I told you... You're not useless... it was his mother's voice. he was sure of it. A tear slid down his face, but it was joyfull. Not sorrowful.