Loud heartbeats rang, breaking the silence as pawprints formed on the soft soil ground. Breathing rapidly, the path at his paws fades as it led into the darkness of the woods. After the never-ending lights of the city, Chipmunk seemed to underestimate the utter blackness in the woods under the faint moonlight. In his mind, the trees would be black trunks against a bluish flame sky, the path would become deepest brown and the moonlight would bleach the stones within it.

   He was wrong.

   He winked to adjust his vision as he gasped for more air. The monster that haunted his dreams screamed as the darkness blinded his eyes.

   One night, his life changed completely.

   One day, waking up in a completely new environment, how he wished that everything could change. But it could not.

   He did not belong here. Or did he?

   Memories faded, but scars did not.

   Chipmunk's ears rose as he listened, except for his loud heartbeat, he could only hear the sound of the bushes. He looked around carefully like scanning through the surrounding. After seeing that everything was peaceful, he let out a mew as Surf leaped out of the bushes, with Rise crept cautiously, soundlessly, and swiftly.

   The peak that lay peacefully in the day were dark ominous at night. The paths that were lost in a blackness that even moonlight could not help. The silhouettes of the trees looked like monsters, waving their arms and waiting for the next prey, quietly, swallowed by the endless darkness.

   Something came quivering in the shaded area of the bushes. A mouse. It squeaked and twitched its whiskers as its liquid black eyes shone in the dark. It quickly dived under a bush and disappeared as Rise let out a mew of fear.

   Chipmunk froze, listening to the sound as Surf led them on a trail of soil, then a piece of starless dark blue sky.

   The cold breeze brushed through his pelt as he shivered slightly, climbing up the craggy hill, his wound exploding with pain. He leaped between gaps as they scampered through the slender trees, stumbling over roots, clouds chased them from above.

   Reaching the peak, Chipmunk looked around with widening eyes as the stars lit the mountain top, shadows appearing under his paws. He took a breath at the fresh air as everything seemed to spin and swirl like he was the center of the universe. The city looked like toys that the owner's son played and shiny lights acted as another piece of sky packed with stars.

   "Told you that this place is amazing," Surf mewed with satisfaction and pride as Rise stared at her paws nervously.

   "Yes, you are the best, Lord Surf," Chipmunk mewed as he rolled his eyes, using a sarcastic tone.

   "Just what I want to hear, Chippy," Surf replied with a hint of laughter, "I-" His voice was cut short by strange sounds.

   There was a crunch of gravel behind them, not the kind of continuous noise that could get from a rolling car, but the defined short crunch.

   Of pawsteps.

   The darkness pressed in on Chipmunk as he fought the urge to turn around.

   Another crunch came, followed by a lot of crunches, sounding louder and quicker.

   Hearing the sudden noise, the smile vanished from the white tom's face as Surf went pale. Rise shot Chipmunk a confused gaze as Chipmunk returned with a shrug.

   "Let all cats old enough to climb the peak gather here beneath the Pointy Stone," A call reached Chipmunk as he stared at Rise and Surf with shock.

   Ignoring the desperate call of his heart to stop, Chipmunk did a tail-flick as he headed towards the sound. Following the scents of cats, he traveled through gravels and stopped in front of a big hole.

   Listening for any strange sounds, he glanced carefully at the hole, feeling the chilling darkness. The sound of water dripping echoed in his ears as he took a deep breath.

   Leaning closer to the hole, he listened carefully for any sound. His body was shaking as the nightmare stirred in his mind. It turned into a storm, struggling to drag him into the dark hole of madness, but he managed to push all the thoughts away.

   A voice rang through the darkness, "What can we do?"

   "Of course we fight! Just go there, snatch, then away. That is the easiest way!"

   "Obsidianspiral, I do not really think it is a good way. We should keep a look-out instead."

   "I agree with Hickorycliff, Obsidianspiral, I do not appoint you as a deputy to fight all the time."

   Chipmunk leaned forward as he could see some silhouettes of cats gathering around a strange-looking rock. The point of the rock was pointy and a black pelted cat situated herself there. Questions rose in Chipmunk's mind, a bunch of questions that he failed to seek an answer from.

   What...and why...?

   A small droplet of water fell on his paw as the cold spread through his pelt like electricity. More sounds were heard.

   "We want revenge, countless lives were taken. And now, it is time for us to fight back. I have heard that the daytime-warriors were searching for the right cat, right?" Malastar's tone darkened as she hissed dangerously, very unlike the peaceful mood that she just had.

   "Yes, they are on their way to find the cat, Malastar."

   "Glad to hear that, Wrenfeather, thanks for your help."

   "I am sure that we can soon find out the right kittypet."

   "Thank you, Hickorycliff. Ravenstalker, Morningdew, Ivorypaw, please form a patrol and search for the cat."

   The hit of fear blew Chipmunk's mind like a raging storm with furious waves. His wide and horrified eyes shone in the dark. He took a sudden intake of breath as he stumbled backward, his body shaking with fear as flashback filled his vision with abandonment.

   "Stay here."

   "Don't go."

   "Forget about us."

   BANG!

   The world rushed by in a blur as Chipmunk tripped over the gravel, gasping for breath on the ground.

   He heard the call of Malastar as footsteps rang in his ears.

   The nightmare came and tore his mind.

   Nothing mattered anymore.