Poem 11

The gaze of a frozen river

Went hollow, never to be

Unveiled again as blood

Pooled around the body.

Everyone was quick to

Become frantic as the

Bear spoke to them.

My nose scrunched up

In dismay and confusion.

Why were all the humans

Dying one by one, and how

Could I put an end to it?

I went to the nearest human,

The one examining the body,

And pawed at his knee while

He was crouched down, gaze

Narrowed in swimming thoughts.

The gray-eyed human didn't stir.

...

I hesitated before piping up,

Swallowing my past silence.

"How do we stop the bloodshed?"

He jostled as I batted a paw

As his knee again, turning to me.

"Did you just meow?"

My ear twitched before I

Huffed and walked up to

The limp corpse myself.

He spoke from behind me.

"Do you want to help

With the investigation?"

I ignored the human with

A flick of my tail, instead

Nosing at white strands of

Hair until nutmeg skin

Revealed the injured neck.

There was a hole, too clean

For claws to cause, meaning

The neck injury was from a

Man-made object, sharpened

Enough to kill by a single blow.

...

My low growl was cut off

By a gasp from the human

Still crouched behind me.

I stepped away to let him

Examine the bloodied wound.

I nearly jumped as a voice

Broke the brooding quiet.

"Wow, nice going

Lavender! You found

Some more evidence!"

I tilted my chin up,

Tight-knitted nerves

Easing as I caught a

Violet gaze, steady

And calm like the

Torches that lit up

Streets at night.

His bright smile caused

A rumbling purr to escape

My taut and dry throat.

I felt a palm rest atop

My head. An airy chuckle

Followed suit, feather-light.

...

My eyes crinkled like

Ink-prints dancing on

Coffee-stained pages.

I clocked my sight

To a hardened red

Gaze as another

Human spoke.

"That cat really has

Taken on a liking

Towards you, for

Some odd reason."

There was an absence

Of the hand on my fur

As I peered upwards.

The violet flame had

Ignited into something

Uncanny, a darker haze

Clouding over his eyes.

His voice dropped lower

To match the lilted gaze.

"You're just jealous."

...

The other tutted and

Shook her head at him.

Sarcasm dripped off

Her tongue like the last

Drop of poison clinging

To a snake's split tongue.

"Sure, Kokichi."

My tail swished across

The hollow floorboards

In stark realization--

That sounded like a name.

The human who called me

Lavender, was his name

Kokichi, like she said?

A misguided line curled

The corners of his mouth

Into a petulant frown.

I stared at his narrowed eyes,

Faulty hazel from the light

Above us turning them into

A swirling fire of fickle violet.

I finally knew the name of

The human I trusted most.

♡

Character Key (Based on Eye Color):

Gray- Shuichi

Violet- Kokichi

Hardened Red- Maki