It's impossible to sleep anymore. I know he's watching. Somewhere, the nightmare cat is watching me, smiling softly as she snuffs out the fires of those I love.

Firepool sees me in the nursery one morning, and asks, purring into my ear, "What's wrong?"

"Nightmares."

"I'm very sorry to hear that. I promise that if you focus on what's really here instead of the realm of dreams, you might finally find some peace. Just breathe in, breathe out. Listen to the rhythm in the trees and the leaves, the sighs of the wind and the roar of water. Count to three and open your eyes, remember that I'm still here."

I close my eyes steadily. The wind whispers for me to hide, to run. Run far away. Far as possible.

I press into Firepool, and then without even trying to conceal them, I let the tears freely fall down my cheeks, and it starts to sprinkle from the graying sky. Words gush out like a waterfall as I explain everything- how Dawnpaw died, the nightmare cat, Cinderstar, the prophecy. Everything I've been concealing for so long.

"It's okay." Firepool reassures me. "I promise it'll be okay. Can you trust me?"

"I can't trust anyone anymore..."

"Shhh. It's alright."

Suddenly, a wail of distress pierces the camp, and Dragonwing bursts past us, looking in and around the nursery where my kits and Bonekit are still sleeping, along with Lilyfrost's new litter- Phantomkit and Mousekit.

I've begun to hate her less. We may never be friends, but there's no point in holding a grudge forever.

Dragonwing's eyes are full of fear, and she says to me, "Have you seen Flarepaw?"

I shake my head, and she runs off again. Snowkit walks up to me amiably, and whispers, "Mami?"

"Yes, Snowkit."

"When are we going to be warriors?"

"Soon."

The generic answer doesn't seem to appease her, but she just yawns and heads back to the nursery, unbothered. Rabbitkit and Bonekit are talking about something, and Brightkit is watching over Mousekit and Phantomkit, tail swishing in interest.

I go to listen to Mothstar yelling out the names of the daily patrols, Blazefur beside her purring contently. When I turn back around, the kits are nowhere to be seen. They must be in the nursery still, I think, but the paranoid side of me screams that something is obviously quite wrong here.

I run back to the nursery, but none of the kits are there. "Kits?!"

I turn around, praying that I'm not about to see what I think I'll see. There's a blue glint coming from part of the forest. "MOTHSTAR!"

Mothstar runs to me, a few cats who were going to patrol with her are sitting there behind her. "My kits... they're in the forest. They went right towards the-" My throat gags on the words I don't want to say.

"That's the StoneClan border they're headed to! Come on, let's go!"

The patrol, which consists of Talonfall, Lionfur, and Foxfang (who along with his brother Cobrastrike is now a warrior), races after me, and although they can't smell anything through the thickening rain, I lead them on, running towards the ever-growing blue light in the distance.

It's a small spot in the woods, with rain seeping through the cracks in the canopies. Four shapes are visible- one much older than the others. StarClan, no...

Everstone, the StoneClan deputy, stands smiling over a tiny body. He has no blood on his paws, but the kit next to him does. "Nice job, Bonekit. You will be rewarded when you join us."

Bonekit nods, terror plastered on his face as he looks down at the still white form paled by blood, mud, and rainwater.

"SNOWKIT!" I leap forward, screeching, and land at Everstone's throat. He has no time to run, sputtering as I bite down and tear the life-giving artery out of his throat. The blood and guts are everywhere, blood spurting like a geyser from the open wound, spraying me with more blood than the kit has.

"RUN!" Everstone shouts to Bonekit, gurgling as blood fills up his open windpipe.

"You lied!" Rabbitkit yells, tears streaming down his face. "You said we were going to stop them! You said they'd make us apprentices!"

"I- Rabbitkit, they said I had too! Come with us! We're going to rule the entire forest!" Bonekit yells, but Rabbitkit turns away and spits out the words.

"I'd rather die. You piece of crowfood."

Bonekit backs up, and takes one horrified glance at both still, bloody bodies, and runs. Mothstar darts after him, but as she lunges, something swipes her nose, blood drizzling down it.

Cinderstar is there with ten other cats, the terrifyingly underfed, insane warriors of DarkClan.

"YOU GET READY! TONIGHT, WE WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!" Mothstar yowls to them.

Snowkit is so still as I wrap her in my tail, begging her to wake up.

Please... please... please...

Now, it's too late.

I watch in terror as in the corner of my eye, two little blue flames extinguish, fizzling like real fire under a rainstorm and then disappearing forever.