a forest of tall, thin aspen trees stood clear in the dark of night. their branches shook and rattled in the canopy, a great gust of wind sweeping through the land, sending yellow leaves to swirl through the air.

sitting between a large cluster of bramble bushes and the trees was a cat. his eyes were round, scanning the woodland around him, gaze sorrowful.

the tom's gray striped pelt rippled over his muscles as the wind rushed past him. he had to dig his claws into the grass to avoid being swept away with it.

he jumped when somebody wound around him, swallowing his side in fluffy cream fur. the tom stiffened as she sniffed his cheek.

"what're you doing out here?"

the tom didn't reply. he couldn't. long moments dragged by slowly, the cream molly sitting close at his side.

"i asked you a question, haze."

"...i must go." haze's voice was hardly a whisper, his eyes remaining focused on the trees. the wind stilled for a few moments.

"excuse me?" the molly snarled. she was taller than haze by about a mouse-length. "haze. we've discussed this. i need you. you don't want me back in that river, do you?"

the memory sent emotion swirling in haze's heart. he remembered the night they met so well, even if it was over six moons ago. he'd been taking a stroll through the woods and found hazel standing on a branch above a river, leaping into the water in a suicide attempt. haze, being the good cat that he was, dove in and saved her.

at first they got along great, but when hazel begged him to be her mate things went downhill. haze couldn't let her down, they were friends, so he agreed. but hazel was a terrible mate. she focused everything on herself and didn't trust haze in the slightest. the past moons had been close to torture.

"i... i cant stay here." haze's voice cracked, eyes staring at his paws until hazel shoved her nose to his, eyes narrowed and cold.

"so you can't stay with me? you aren't happy with me? of course, i should've never loved you!" hazel barked, teeth baring and tears gathering in her eyes.

haze choked back a sob, his chest aching horribly. as bad of a cat she was, somewhere deep inside he'd miss her. "i'm sorry."

with that, he shoved past her and ran. his tail streamed behind him, leaping bushes and rocks and fallen aspen trees. wind pushed against his back, seeming to propel him further from the little camp he and hazel had set up.

haze ran all night, pausing only for a minute or two to lap at a puddle or catch his breath. as dawn broke over the horizon, he crested a high rise, sliding to a halt as he stared wide-eyed at the land before him.

great fields of yellow aspen trees and big oaks stretched as far as he could see, hills rising and falling smoothly. a river glowed golden as it wound through the forest. early, milky sunlight spilled over the valley, coloring it a welcoming yellow.

and for the first time in moons, haze felt free.

~ × the end × ~

i ??? i dont even know