Maxwell’s Story

Caitlin D.

Prologue

A gentle thunder rumbled above, drowning out the sound of heavy raindrops as they fell to the earth in sparse amounts. It was the midnight hour. Darkness engulfed the land, a pitch black blanket of storm clouds covering up the pale moonlight that nighttime brought. Nearly hidden by the darkness was a lonely road set in between two small hills of green, the freezing rain collecting in small puddles on the sides that were loaded with small pebbles and sand.

In the black of night and the heavy rain, there was movement. Several shapes emerged on the hills, slithering through the grass like snakes until they drew near the lone road. The first to rise was a large, sturdy feline, his icy optics shimmering with blatant aggression and hostility, darkened by the conditions at the time. This cat was powerful and well-fed, his muscles rippling beneath his thick, pale ginger tabby pelt.

Behind him stood yet another feline, though this one showed no sign of any negativity or violence. The skinny gray tabby appeared uncertain and nervous.

The other tomcat lifted his gaze to the opposing grassy hill, his long, bushy tail twitching from side to side with impatience. His keen eyes then caught a sign of movement. At last, the other tomcats had arrived.

There were three of them, all seeming to drag their soggy paws to the edge of the road. Once there, two of the three, a shaggy gray senile and a fairly young black-and-white shorthair parted to reveal the third. The opponent. He was a slender little fellow with sleek, jet black-fur. He didn’t seem to stand a chance in combat at all, however his bright golden optics were just filled with such incomprehensible intelligence. It was impossible to tell what was happening in this cat’s mind as he thoughtfully scanned the setting he was in.

Back to the other side, the massive tabby was barely caught sneaking an unsettled stare at his opponent, flinching slightly as the dark feline began to flex his claws as if envisioning his competition’s throat beneath them. In return, the tabby viciously slashed the ground with a fresh burst of fury.

The lanky tomcat beside him rested his thin tail on his friend’s shoulder in a reassuring manner, his pale yellow eyes filled with sympathy. The hard-muscled cat gave absolutely no sign of acknowledgment, however he did seem to calm down and eventually released the earth from his grip. His companion then reluctantly nodded to the black tom’s, as if he was sending him a signal. The black-and-white shorthair dipped his head confidently in return, expectantly shooting a glance at his friend.

The black cat lifted his head, letting out a shaky sigh as he caught his opponent’s eye. The two tomcats stared at eachother unblinkingly for what seemed like an eternity as their companions silently conversed using only their gazes. These cats definitely knew what was going on, and they were well aware of what would happen next.

Then, the senile gray tomcat let out a grunt to hide his anxiousness before taking a few pawsteps away and turning his back on the other four as if he just couldn’t bring himself to watch. The black cat’s ally nervously gulped, and the ginger cat’s friend began to sheepishly glance from side to side. The bicolor reluctantly joined the old cat while the skinny tomcat let out a feeble meow, projecting his voice as well as he could.

The other two cats crouched nearly in sync, and their eyes remained locked together. The tabby had his claws at the ready, letting them dig into the soggy earth below him. Little did he know that his opponent was completely relaxed and kept his claws tucked away.

The rain suddenly began to pour, and yet another roar of thunder echoed in the sky, though so powerful this time that it shook the ground. The tension instantly grew much, much worse. Something was going to go terribly wrong.

Another weak meow sounded amongst the loud and heavy downpour. The two tomcats tensed, dropping even lower to the ground and letting their hindquarters stick up in the air ever so slightly. They were now ready to spring into action. The intense stare of the tabby tomcat grew even more furious, seeming to scorch his opponent’s knowledge-filled eyes. They both began to tremble, as if they were inwardly dreading what could happen.

A faint sound then began to echo in the distance, growing slightly louder with every passing second. Though with all the rain, tension, and pounding hearts, it never seemed to be heard.

The two then forced themselves to sit still, desperately summoning every last drop of courage they had left.

Then, there was a pause, as if the world were holding its breath. For one shining moment, all was calm. All was quiet.

The silence was suddenly split by a deafening yowl. The tomcats launched themselves onto the road. The tabby was a full step ahead, his teeth bared with a furious snarl and his long, sharp claws outstretched. His icy hues shimmered with hostility. His opponent kept his claws sheathed, his gaze rather weary and lacking any aggression towards the tomcat before him.

The noise in the distance grew even louder. Blinding, bright yellow light poured over the horizon. Then… it all happened so quickly…

The black tomcat seemed to notice the approaching danger first. However, he never bothered to move out of the way. A million thoughts suddenly flashed in his eyes in a split second, and he firmly placed a single paw in front of him.

As soon as the tabby landed, the fury slipped from his eyes. They became instead glazed with terror as the world around him was shrouded in the blinding lights. Fear yanked him backwards, his ginger fur spiked out and his ears flattened. He could no longer see the little tom before him.

It was at that moment, through the all the bright light and the pouring rain, that a single, gut-wrenching caterwaul rose above the deafening noise, as if one of the tomcats were desperately calling out to another. Was that the tabby warning his own opponent?

Then came the dreaded sound that was heard by many, shattering an uncountable amount of already damaged hearts. The sound that seemed to stop the whole world in a single moment.

Bang.