Chapter 25: There It Is

It did not take me all that much longer to find a place to hide, after I eventually put my mind in to all of it, even if it was a bit hard for me to see, and to look for where ever it was that I needed to go over to. I went with the lowest of the low of course, which was the fact that I had decided that I was going to sleep on a branch for the night in the end, even if it was not comfortable at all for me sadly.

I would be fine, I just knew that I was going to be aching in the morning, but I knew that I had to get over all of that, as I was certain, that when all was said and done, I was going to be aching all over my body from such a long trek. It really was not all that long ago when I had lived in a two leg nest, and it was rare for me to ever go out and exercise, even when I knew that I had the chance to do so when ever I so pleased.

I just decided not to, due to the fact that I was quite a bit depressed that I could not go out and live in the wild, and that I was stuck in that two leg nest. It was like they had made that cat door to try to temp me to go out, and run away, which of course, in the end I had in fact done such a thing, so they got what it was that they had wanted, and I was glad that they were pleased with all of that, as so was I, as I knew that I loved to be out in the wild.

It was quite a beautiful place to be at, and a beautiful place to look at. Oh, how it had such a much nicer smell than the two leg nest that I used to sleep in a while ago. I had the best views most nights, even if it was completely dark out right now, and I was out in the woods, knowing that there was not all that much for me to see in the very first place any ways, it still felt a whole lot nicer than staring at a blank, not colored in wall every night.

I sighed a bit to my self at the same time as well, as I knew that it was not all bad about the two leg nest, as I knew that it was a safe place to live, and none of the scary creatures, such as the coyotes that had killed my father, could get in to your home, which at least was a little bit of a plus. What was not a plus how ever, was the fact that there was nothing to ever do there, and you lived a miserable life style.

A part of me wanted to stop thinking back on the place, as if I was still a little bit worried that I might all of the sudden go back there, which of course I had tempted my self to do more than just one time at this point. A part of me at the same time too how ever, was glad that I was thinking on these types of thoughts how ever, as it reminded me as to the reason as to why I was so happy out here, and why it was that I was fairly certain that I would never go back to a two leg place.

I smiled just a bit to my self, as I then looked up at the sky through all of the leaves, all of the branches that were all around me right now, and above me at this very moment in time. I knew that this was my home, and that this was where it was that I was meant to be. Maybe not one place in specific just yet, but I was sure that I would find my new home at some point in the very near future.

I remembered what it was that I had been told about the sun trail, as it was going to take me to my new home. I was a bit afraid that the new home was going to be the death of me when I had seen that two leg path in front of me, that was in the way of the place that I had needed to go, but to no surprise, as it had not been the first time that it had happened to me as of late, I was saved, and I ended up being okay, as I got a safe way down to the other side.

Now I did not have to worry about that again, at least, I hoped for quite a bit of some time, as the rest of the day had been a lot easier, and I had just been out in the woods up to this point, as to where it was that I was at, at this very moment in time none the less. I smiled a little bit to my self, as I sighed a bit at the exact same time as well. I knew that I needed to get my self at least a little bit of sleep, as I then all of the sudden closed my eyes.

I was not going to lie to my self, it was quite a cold time of the seasons, and I hoped that at some point it would soon warm up a bit, as it put shivers all over to me, as to the fact that I was out in the cold right now, on top of this branch. I wish that I had a safe and warm nest like I had last night, even if it had given me a stench of a rotten smell, it was safe, comfortable, and it was warm.

The only benefit that this had, was that it was safe, so long as the branch did not snap on me for some odd reason in the middle of the night. I did my best to just shake off all of those thoughts all at once how ever, as I knew that I just needed to clear my thoughts, and all of my focus, as I knew that I was tired, and that I needed my sleep. After I was able to do as such, it did not take me all that long to fall asleep after all of that in the end.

I blinked my eyes open, as I once again saw that I was not in the same place that I had fallen asleep in last night. I let out quite a bit of an annoyed groan all at once, as I really did not want to be in another one of the dreams that I always seemed to get my self stuck in for quite a long period of time. To no surprise at all, I was in the woods, out in the wild, as it should be of course, as even when I lived out in the two leg place, I still had dreams of being out in the wild.

It was the place that I wanted to go in live at, and I had known it for quite a while. It did not mean that I wanted to dream of being out in the wild every single night how ever, as that was starting to get a bit annoying if I was not going to lie. I shivered just a bit all at once to my self, as I sighed a bit at the exact same time too, figuring that at the very least, I should at least move around to see as to where it was that I was at, at this very moment in time any ways.

Of course, it was out in the woods, so there was not all that much for me to see, besides the fact that there was a bunch of trees, and a whole bunch of leaves all over the place, mainly on the ground, as the leaves were dead at this point. I dipped my head, as it kind of felt like the scene that I was at, had a bit of a grim, and dark mood right now, if I was not going to lie to my self none the less, as I kind of just wanted to leave where it was that I was at, in the very first place any ways.

I looked all around me for just a few moments, as I began to search for a way out of where it was that I was at right now, as if I had some how forgot that this was simply all just a dream, and that there was nothing for me to be freaked out about right now. That was not what was going on in my head right now how ever, as to me, I felt like all of this was real, and all of it was freaking me out quite a bit, as I was looking all over the place all at once.

I turned my head around all at once, as that was when all at the exact same time as well, I saw some thing that kind of burned my eyes a bit if I was not going to lie to my self, as it seemed like it was the first thing that my eyes had seemed to want to lock on to when I had turned my head around, for some odd reason or another, unluckily enough for my self at the exact same time too.

I closed my eyes for a few moments, as I let it have a little bit of some time too heal its self, as I then sighed a bit once again, as my eyes seemed to feel a little bit better now, as I opened my eyes once again, making sure not to look back on what it was that I had seen just not all too long ago, which was of course the fact that I had just looked in to the sun, which had burnt my eyes quite a bit, if I was not going to lie to my self never the less.

My eyes seemed to be a little bit okay now how ever, as I then nodded to my self all at once, keeping my head, and my eyes dipped a bit low to the ground, as the sun was flashing right in to my eyes, and the area that was right in front of me. I was not sure as to how or why it was so bright right now, as I had never had it hurt my eyes that much before, when I had looked in to it at the exact same time too.

I breathed in quite a bit heavily, as I was a bit afraid as to what it was that was going on right now. It felt like it had been like that a lot as of late, as I just wanted to get my focus off of all of the thoughts that had me in a bit of fear at the same time too. I almost wanted to cry, as I kind of just wanted to give up at this point as well, as I was fairly certain that all of this was a bad idea, as it was coming back to me at the same time too, the thoughts on the two leg nest that I used to live in.

I was trying not to think on it, but it was a bit hard, as it felt like there was some thing in my head telling me to go back, even though I did not want to. I closed my eyes for just a few moments, as I tried my best to regain my self, and all of my thoughts that were going on in my head right now, as I knew that there really was nothing that I should be freaking out about right now, as this was all normal, and that every thing was going to be fine.

I nodded a bit to my self, and I sighed a bit at the exact same time as well, as all at once, I then opened my eyes at the exact same time too, only to see that Stoneteller was in front of me, and he had his eyes squinted at me, as if I had done some thing that was highly, and oddly suspicious to him, when the only thing that I had done so far was look around me, and close my eyes, which confused me quite a bit.

I tilted my head a little bit at first, to let the cat know that I was in fact quite a bit confused with all that was going on at this very moment in time. He did not seem to budge at all how ever, so I took it a step further, and I then squinted my eyes back at him, such as he was doing for me right now, it did not seem to bother him at all, much as it did in fact seen to bother me, as it felt kind of pointless, as to what it was that I was even trying to do right now.

My entire life kind of felt quite a bit pointless if I was not going to lie to my self. I was a kitty pet, like it or not, and I knew that I was always going to have that stigma on me for one thing, and also the other thing was, the fact that I had lost so many cats, as it felt like it was all just my fault as to the reason that I had lost them. It was not just the fact that it had been all my fault as to the reason that my father, Frank, had been killed by the pack of coyotes, as I knew that he would not have taken me there if I had not been with him in the very first place any ways.

There was also the fact that I had also lost Ben, as he had always been my best friend, and he had always been by my side. I knew that he had supported me in my decision, but at the exact same time too, it still hurt me to leave him none the less. I gave up on keeping my eyes squinted at Stoneteller, as I gave in to all of it, and I just let him have the small little win this time, as I hoped that it made him feel just a little bit better about him self.

I was not sure as to what was going on with me right now, as the thoughts that I seemed to be having, were quite a bit toxic. I just wanted to get rid of that mind space, and just get back to the normal way that I always was, as it made me feel a whole lot better when I acted in that manner. I shook my head, as I then shook off those thoughts all at once, then finally hearing the voice of Stoneteller all at once, beginning to speak up to me.

I was quite a bit grateful for it, if I was not going to lie, as it seemed to do quite a bit of a good job on the fact that I was trying to clear my thoughts. I smiled a bit at that all at once, and I then lifted my head up to the old tom cat, and I then nodded to him, to let him know that I was in fact, of course, listening as to the 'wise words', that the old tom had to say to me in the very first place any ways.

I looked at him, expecting to get a nod back from him, back to me, but that was not the case at all, as I remembered just how weird of a cat that Stoneteller was at the exact same time as well, as I did not let it bother me at all, as to the fact that he had not nodded back over to me. I did sigh just a little bit all at once, as I then began to listen as to what it was that he had to say to me at the exact same time too.

"Follow the sun trail, Kettle... It will lead you to your home..." He said to me, as I looked at him for just a few moments, with quite a bit of a blank look on my own face at the exact same time too, as I kind of felt like I was going crazy right now. I was quite a bit annoyed by what it was that he had said to me as well. I had got it the first time, and I did not need to hear it again, as it was not like I had all of the sudden forgot as to what it was that he had even said to me any ways.

I stared at him for a little bit of some time, until I all of the sudden squinted my eyes back at the old tom cat, to let him know that I was in fact a bit upset by him repeating the same line to me over and over again, and to let him know at the exact same time as well, that I was annoyed by all of it. I was almost tempted to run at the old tom cat at the same time too, and then just attack him, but I shook off those thoughts right away, and I got them out of my head none the less.

I still could not help but to be a little bit frustrated by all of it how ever, as I then  began to scratch my claws in to the soil that was beneath me at the exact same time too, only to notice that the soil was not dirt at all, but it was actually rock, and it hurt me quite a bit on the fact that I had scratched my claws in to it, as it kind of felt like it had all of the sudden seemed to tear my claws in to a bunch of different pieces, which hurt me more than any thing it felt like had hurt me before.

I regretted my decision, as I felt like a bit of an idiot for doing such a thing, as I felt like at the exact same time too, that Stoneteller was going to be laughing at me right now, as if he thought that all of this was funny, and that all of this was some kind of joke to him as well. That was not the case at all how ever, as, as soon as I lifted my head up, to look up to see the reaction that he had on his face, as to what it was that I had just done, I noticed that he was no longer here with me.

I was about to get frustrated, and a bit angry about all of this, as it felt like they all just expected me to do as to what it was that I was told to do, and that I was not going to have any sort of emotions in any of it. I hissed at nothing, as I was ready to swing at nothing at the exact same time too, as if I thought that Stoneteller might still be in that spot, and he had just simply all of the sudden some how managed to turn him self completely invisible.

I stopped my self all at once how ever, as I did my best to try to control my anger, and all of the heat that felt like it was building up in side of me right now as well, as I then breathed in a bit heavily, and I closed my eyes for just a few moments, as if I was about ready to wake up from my dream. I stopped my self from doing that how ever, as I then all of the sudden opened my eyes all at the exact same time as well.

I looked in front of me, as if I expected to see Stoneteller with me at this very moment in time, but when I did how ever, I saw that I sadly was still alone, as I was kind of hurt by all of this if I was not going to lie to my self. I was about to dip my head a bit low to the ground all at the exact same time as well, but instead, I did some thing that was much different than all of that, as I then lifted my head up at the sky, and I then began to speak to the sky, in quite a bit of an angry tone of voices at the exact same time too, not all too certain as to who it was that I was even talking to in the first place.

"You all expect me to do as I am told! You think that I have no feelings? What do you even get out of all of this? What do I get out of it?" I yelled up at the sky, as if I expected a cat to all of the sudden come down from the sky all at the exact same time as well, and then speak back a bit of a response to me. I stared up for a bit of some time, as perhaps I did in fact think that it was in fact going to be the case for some odd reason or another too.

Sadly, it was not the case at all how ever though, as it was simply just bleak and empty, as it was now starting to feel quite a bit useless to me, as to the fact that I was even trying to talk any sort of sense in to the cats that were up there right now. I knew that they were smarter than I was, as well as the fact that they were wiser than me at the exact same time too, but I still felt like the cats were being idiots by expecting me to just do as to what ever it was that I was told to do.

I looked up at the sky for just a bit of some time all at the exact same time as well, as I then hissed at it all of the sudden, as it seemed like I was cursing all of the dead cats, and all of the other cats that were up there, for what it was that they were doing to me right now. I felt like I had quite a bit of a fair point on what it was that I was saying, but it almost felt like they looked at me as if I was just some kind of joke to all of them none the less, and that I was simply just a kitty pet play toy.

It angered me, and annoyed me a lot, as I knew that none of them were going to step down from the sky, and all of the sudden speak back to me, and tell me as to what it was that they were trying to get me to do, so it felt like there was no use in me even trying any more, as I felt like I wanted to cry about all of it, but I instead seemed to do the opposite of crying for some odd reason, which was of course the fact that I all of the sudden began to laugh, as if I thought it was all funny.

I did not think it was funny at all how ever, but it sure did seem like the cats that lived up in the sky some where, did in fact view it as funny, and the viewed it to be a joke. It seemed like I could almost hear them laughing at me right now, but I quickly simply realized that it was my own subconscious that was laughing at me, as to perhaps the fact that I was still here, and I was still in this exact same spot at this very moment in time none the less.

I needed to wake up, and I knew it... I had a long day ahead of me, if I was in fact going to choose to do as I was told, and keep on following the hopeless, and the useless sun trail that Stoneteller kept on telling me that I needed to follow. I kind of felt like a bit of an idiot at the same time too, as to the fact that I was so willing to give up on all of this, when it had simply only been a few days, and I had already expected it to be a long journey to that place that I had been told to go, just based off of the fact from what I had been told by a lot of cats that had been around me.

I wanted to laugh a little bit for some odd reason or another, but I did not do as such, as I rolled my eyes just a little bit, giving up on it, as I then laid my self down on the very uncomfortable, and very rocky ground that was beneath me at this very moment in time. Normally it would bother me, but right now I just felt like I really did not care all too much about any of it at this very moment in time, as I just wanted to leave this dream that I had my self stuck in for quite a bit of a long period of time.

I sighed all at once, as I let the rocks scratch in to my belly, not giving a care in the world as to how much it hurt me, as I then began to close my eyes all at the exact same time too. As it was what I normally did to fall asleep, but if it was a dream, such as what I knew I was in right now, than I did the exact same thing to try to wake my self up, and get out of the dream that I was stuck in, which of course worked for this scenario.

I was walking, out in the woods, such as it felt like I had been having to do for quite a bit of some time up to this point now, as I was getting quite a bit tired of it, if I was not going to lie to my self. I was worn out, and my entire body ached, such as I knew how it was going to be on this trip. I knew that it was going to be a very long journey as well, so it felt to be to no sort of surprise to me that I still felt like I was no where near where the sun trail took me to.

I had started to get a little bit worried on the fact that I might have some how already gone past it at this point, due to the fact that it had been so long at this point, as it felt like it had already been an entire moon since all of this had even started in the very first place any ways, as I groaned quite a bit at the exact same time too. It was early in the day, as I really had not woken up all too long before now, but I kind of felt like I just wanted to get some sleep.

It felt like I wanted to sleep for several days on end, if I was going to be completely honest with my self none the less, as I had my head dipped a bit low to the ground. I knew that I just needed to keep on going how ever, no matter how much it hurt me, and how much it bothered me. I felt like, if I was to even stop my self for just a few days, than I might all of the sudden come to a bit of a decision as to the fact that I was fine with where it was that I was at right now, and that I was done trying to follow the sun trail.

I had not had those thoughts in a few days, luckily enough for me, due to the fact that I just had no sort of thoughts what so ever, as to what it was that I was even doing in the very first place any ways, luckily enough for my self, as I just kept on going, and grinding, making sure that I was following the sun trail, such as I had been told time and time again. Well... I had been used to being told that, but it seemed like they really had answered me when I had told them to stop telling me to follow the sun trail.

They had not come in to my dreams for quite a bit of some time, which a part of me was a bit thankful for that, as I was glad to just have normal dreams, where I was chasing a butterfly out in the wild for some stupid reason, or some thing altogether completely different than any of that. A part of me at the exact same time too, was kind of a bit scared that they had given up on me, and they had taken what it was that I had told them, a little bit too seriously.

I was starting to wonder if I was not going to ever reach the place that I had been told to go to at this point, due to the fact that I had made a bit of an idiotic decision, in the fact that I had told them to leave me alone. I felt a bit empty, and a bit lost, as to the fact that I had not got to see from my father in a long time, even if seeing him in the dreams he did not seem to act the same as he normally did, it still made me feel good just to see his face.

No... It was all empty and silence over the last bit of time, as of course, I knew that the only cat I could blame, was my self of course. I was about to dip my head, having those thoughts go through me all at once, until I then all of the sudden saw some thing in front of me, as I then began to sniff at it at the exact same time too, to make sure that what it was that I saw ahead of me, was in fact what it was that I had in fact thought it to be.

I sniffed up in to the air for just a bit of some time, as I then smelt all of it, and it smelt ever so good as well, as I then looked back over to where I could see it through all of the trees. It was an open area, and I could scent the fresh smell of water as well. It was not just the fact that I liked water a lot, but it was also the fact that I was very thirsty right now, and also too, the fact of the nasty stench that I had all over me right at this very moment in time.

I smiled just a bit to my self all at the exact same time too, as I looked for just a little while longer, and then I all of the sudden made a decision as to what it was that I was going to do, having no other thoughts on the fact that there might be other creatures that could be there, and that it might be their home. I had not smelt any thing else, besides the fact that there was in fact fresh water, so I really was not all too worried about any of that if I was going to be completely honest with my self.

I ran as fast as my aching body would let me right now, as I then all of the sudden landed in to the clearing, stopping my self for some odd reason or another, right in front of the water, as it did not seem like I wanted to jump in to it just yet. Perhaps that was a good idea not to at the exact same time too show ever, as I was beginning to realize the fact as to what it was that my thoughts had been thinking now.

I knew that I was about to not only drink in to that water, but I was going to clean my self off in that water. I felt like I wanted to first drink from the water, before I made the small little creek nasty, as I nodded to my self all at the exact same time too, knowing that I had in fact made the smart, and the right decision all at the exact same time as well, as I then dipped my head a bit low to the ground, and I then began to drink from the water that was below me right at this very moment in time none the less.

It tastes oh so much better than the nasty pond water that I had been finding as of late, or the moss water that I collected after it rained a fair amount during the night. I could not help but to smile just based off of the fact that finally, it felt like some thing was going my way for once in the last few days, or last few moons as well. Maybe it was worth going out in to the wild, as this was all so amazing if I was not going to lie.

I shook off all of those thoughts all at once how ever, as I then took my head out of the water all at the exact same time too, as I felt like I had drank enough from the little stream of water that was flowing past me right now. I blinked my eyes just a few times, as I stared at it for a little while longer, trying to remember what else that I had come here to do, besides the fact that I had gone to drink a little bit of some water.

I looked around me for a few moments, squinting my eyes, for some odd reason as well, until it all of the sudden hit me all at once, as to what it was that I had been planning on doing, as the nasty smell of my fur all of the sudden hit me at the same time too, as I felt like I was about to vomit. I held my self in from doing so how ever, as I then turned my head back over to the water that was beside me, and I then all of the sudden jumped in to it, to clear my self off just a little bit.

I rolled around, playing in it for a bit of some time, as it was really nothing like the big pool that I had in the back yard of my two leg nest, nor was it any thing like hopping in to a nice river, but it still felt nice none the less, to fill my self up with a bunch of water, as I played around in the water for a little while longer, as if I was a kit once again, back in the days when I used to just play by my self, as I had no one else that had been with me.

I did so for a little while longer, until I all of the sudden spotted some thing that was in front of me, that I had some how managed to miss before, as I then stopped my self all at once, and I then lifted my self up, turning my head over to what it was that I saw in front of me, a bit lost for a few moments, as I blinked my eyes a few times, then jumping out of the water that I had been playing in before.

It seemed oh so familiar... I tilted my head at it for some time, until it all of the sudden hit me, as to what it was that I saw ahead of me. For once, I now saw one of the places that I had seen in my dreams, just like the barn had been. I knew that it had to be important for sure, as I began to breath in, staring up at the massive hill that was right in front of me, as I then all of the sudden began to speak up to my self at the exact same time too.

"There it is... This is it..."