[justify][size=8]Orbs of swirled blue and hints of hidden gold peeked out from behind the thick foliage of the bush, the dark abyss that was the river churning behind her threateningly. Though her balance was that of an adult cat, elegant and tall, her frame was shaking uncontrollably as water droplets slid down her slicked pelt and collapsed into the soft grass beneath her paws. She would've been fine had it not been for the March chill in the air. The water felt as though it had seeped past the layers of skin and was clinging and gnawing at her bones, making her shiver and hunker down into the foliage further in an attempt to find warmth.
At only three moons old, the young she-kit had been dumped in the river as if her life didn't matter by the one being she thought she could entrust her life to: her mother. Without warning, the older she-cat had left the den and beckoned the kit to follow. Still fearing being left in the den alone, the young she-kit trotted after her and the two walked for a while before arriving at the river. She'd turned to ask her mother if they were going swimming when a paw suddenly slammed against her and forced her into the watery depths while the dark form of her mother sprinted away. Heart pounding, the she-kit had almost been dragged away by the current when she found a clump of dirt and clung to it with every fibre of her being before hauling herself out and crawling into the bush.
It hadn't quite hit her, that her life had been thrown away as if it didn't matter.
All she felt was this weight sitting in the emptiness of her heart.