A brutal insomnia took over Lyre’s mind, joined by the cool stone beneath his warm body. He couldn’t understand why he had low energy, even though he just slept yesterday morning.

  He stared bnkly at a fake scenario in which Splinter slept next to Lyre, hidden in the bush instead of out in the open. The trio then explored past the stream, past the wolf den, and after a two-day walk, they found Velvet’s father. Slip was curled up on a tree branch, eyeing them curiously. Once he spotted Velvet, he leapt down and the two purred loudly as they reunited.

  While Velvet went on to live with his father, Lyre and Splinter headed back to their own home in the grassnd three days ter.

  The good ending.

  But what also was three days was the amount of time that passed since Splinter’s death; four now, as Lyre gazed up at the sky, which was now dark blue. And half a day since the rest of his family was taken away from him. All that was left now was just him and this annoying voice that had been here ever since he first entered the forest with Velvet.

  He tried to remember when he first heard it. It was first mixed with his own thoughts, only speaking when his thoughts were. The more annoying it got, the more he began to wonder where it even came from. He also wondered if others could hear it, like Quartz, and how.

  Lyre sighed, closing his eyes. His ears perked up at the faint sound of loud pawsteps and a sniffing nose, wandering towards him. He opened his eyes to see just how much more visible the Bobtail was as the sky lightened.

  She stared at the bush for a moment, searching it, until she found him. She beckoned him with a slight moment from her head.

  As Lyre emerged, shaking out the debris from his pelt, he was grateful for her silence. He went over to the clear water and sniffed at it. Strangely enough, no one drank from this. He turned back towards Quartz and followed her as she led him towards an area where the stone abruptly gave way to the olive green grass.

  “I was joking when I asked to follow you until you left the forest, by the way.” She awkwardly smiled. “Just be careful out here. Some strange things always happen in this particur area; not just this forest.” She turned a bit, still looking at him. “Oh…and if you ever see my brother Whirlwind, please let me know. I’ve been worried sick about him.”

  Leave now before she forces you to hear what he looks like. The voice said.

  What's up with you and this cat? Lyre asked, narrowing his eyes. And why are you making it my problem?

  Quartz blinked before heading back into the clearing.

  Relieved, Lyre turned his back towards the entrance, then randomly went left, catching the glimpse of the dirt ground, then cracked stone. As the sky brightened more and more, he could barely see the thick, dark smoke in the distance, rising from a blurry orange line that looked like the sky during a te sunset. The fire’s still burning…like it’s making sure it won’t miss a single spot.

  Lyre looked away as his ears fttened. He began wandering through the short grass, ignoring the pestering voice as it kept telling him to go the other way.

  The sun was peeking through the trees by the time Lyre stopped at the edge of a clearing. It wasn't really a clearing- there was a singur, stone-colored leafless tree with branches that stuck straight out from its sides. Frowning a little, he turned the other way and walked again. He didn’t care about whatever strange things were going on in this forest.

  As the light of the bzing fme appeared in the corner of his eye once again, he finally managed to quicken his pace, re-entering the thin forest. Should I return back once the fire’s gone, just in case? I’m sure Mom and Dad knew the grassnd long enough to know where all the water sources were. Lyre deliberately let out a long exhale, knowing he clearly wasn't thinking straight; his thoughts constantly changing from one subject to another.

  The creepy quietness of the forest wasn't helping, either. No birds were chirping, despite the sun’s bright light reflecting off of every surface that failed to be saved by the tree’s shadows; the only buzzing that was heard was from the constant thoughts that invaded Lyre’d mind; the wind was “slowly” picking up, and although it wasn't too bad since there were at least some trees, it was still unusual. Normally only the grassnd was this windy.

  Lyre felt it now; the air gradually cooling as the light from the sun began dimming. He felt and saw a huge shadow come up from his right and cover him and everything else like a curtain. Then a not-so-gentle breeze that felt more like a gust hit him from behind. As it blew, he could see his own face fur looking like it was desperately trying to rip itself off.

  After the wind died down, he gnced at the sun, not surprised to see a thin yer of dark gray-blue clouds mosey their way to cover up the rest of the horizon. This is going to take a long while. Lyre pulled his head back in front of him, his neck starting to protest at the atrocious posture it was put in.

  You’re just wandering aimlessly at this point. The voice compined.

  You don’t say. Lyre countered as he made a random turn around another stone-lined tree.

  The overcast made the cool air colder as the dark blue-gray clouds covered the sky completely, desaturating and becoming brighter until it was a pale blue.

  Lyre wasn't shivering yet; the wind was only ruffling his fur. He stared ahead, hoping he was going the right way and wasn't about to get lost.

  A loud creak sounded from somewhere ahead, followed by an echoey cracking noise. Lyre’s ears jumped upwards, though with his low energy he lifted his head and began sniffing the air in a painfully slow movement. Head lowered and unaware of his fur rising and starting to spike out as a slow fear crawled inside him, he dragged himself towards the sound.

  He stopped at the edge of yet another clearing, and just like the previous “clearing”, there stood a stone-colored tree with branches that poked out like eager spines waiting to stab any innocent strangers who dare walk too close.

  Am I even going the right way? He thought as his tail swished.

  The moment Lyre took a step back, he felt himself bump against something. He froze, fur fully standing up like smooth bdes of grass pointing upwards towards the sun. The thing he bumped into felt soft like a literal bundle of fur, but also solid. Kind of like…

  Stony cws suddenly reached out from the ground of the clearing and tightly grabbed his fnk before violently dragging him towards the tree. As soon as he was forced into the clearing, the forest was immediately shrouded in a thick dark mist, simir to the mist in the cracked stone area.

  Lyre screeched in arm and terror, digging his cws into the soil. The cws continued until he eventually slowed. After being dragged about halfway, he slowly stopped being dragged. The stone cws still moved though, scraping against his sides, tearing out fur in clumps until it reached his shoulders. It was about to grab them, but it stopped moving as the tips of the sharp cws touched the skin.

  Lyre trembled, tail tucked and ears pinned to the back of his head. What looked like thin tendrils of rocky vines were attached to the cws.

  “Do not turn back.” A low, raspy, half-growl half-yowl sounded from behind Lyre.

  He crouched low, slowly turning around. As he did, he caught a quick glimpse of a dark figure. The figure was only there for a quick moment, vanishing as soon as he blinked.

  Lyre colpsed onto the ground, hyperventiting as his heart raced against his quick breaths. His heart pounded and pounded as his widened eyes stared in fear at the tree, and the stone cws above him looking as if they were still grabbing him.

  Get up.

  Lyre slowly felt the sight in front of him begin to shrink and blur as the mist spread.

  Get up, Lyre.

  Lyre couldn’t blink. He couldn’t do anything. He was sprawled out on the ground in an unusual position that would be guaranteed to make every muscle in his body ache and cramp painfully.

  Lyre…

  The next words were drowned out by the increased wind that buffeted his fur, stabbing his sensitive ears with a piercing cold.