The family of cats, and three kittens sat down to eat their mice. They eventually fell asleep, and their skynxwalker came home. But that didn’t bother them. Until…

“What is this? More cats!” Their skynxwalker  shouted. She scooped up the three kittens, and Rose hissed. Max and Martin sprang up. 

“You guys stay here! My kittens!”

Rose hissed and pounced at the skynxwalkers.’s arms, giving a deep scratch. Their skynxwalkers held on and raced to the door. Rose was still holding on too. She tried to grab the kittens by the scruff, but their skynxwalker swiped her hand across Rose’s face, and she yowled. A scratch was left on top of her nose. She fell out of their skywalker's arms and sighed. 

“Mom!’

“Rose!”

Martin and Max ran over to Rose as she blinked at them. “Martin…save the kittens, this scratch hurts…it’s bleeding.”

Martin told Max to watch over Rose, and sprang down the apartment hallway. But their skynxwalkers ran out the door with the kittens and locked the cat door.

“No!” Martin shouted. He ran over to the door and scratched it over and over. 

“There…gone….”

Max heard these words, and his ears pinned to his head. Rose started to sniffle and cry. “No..you have to be lying. There is no way you mean it.” Martin walked over to Max and Rose and said, “I would never lie about this.”

“But…my siblings…my best friends?” Max asked.

Martin sighed. “Maybe…she’ll come back with them.”

“This is why skynxwalkers are the worst. They always do mean stuff to cats. Like stealing kittens.” Rose said. Martin shook his head as he bathed Rose.

“It’s going to be fine…I’m pretty sure the kittens will be alright,” Martin whispered.

 Max just splat there on the cold living room floor, not even the carpet. Just right in front of the hallway.

The next day, Max yawned as he emerged from the floor. He looked around, and Rose was just laying down, her scratch still healing. Martin was right next to her, purring, probably trying to get her back in a good mood. Max looked around the house. He could have seen his siblings running around the room. Nonetheless, he had a mom and a father. He could have been alone. So he tried to stay thankful for this.

Rose suddenly got up and said, ‘We’ve been sleeping for hours,” she stopped to put a paw on her scratch, “you guys must be hungry. I’ll go get us some food…”

“No way! You got through a lot. Let me go. Plus, your scratch looks horrible.”

“No, no…please, I’ll be fine. Trust me, this scratch is nothing,” Rose said. Martin sighed. “Alright. Fine. Just please, be safe.”

Rose shook her head and walked down the hallway past Max. Max whimpered. Please stay safe mom. 

The rest of the evening was quiet. Max was laying on the white couch, and Martin was basking in the sunlight by the living room window. 

Max was still waiting for his mom to come back with the food. He was super hungry, but he was also super worried. I really hope mom is fine. She is usually faster than this. But then again, she did have a big bad scratch by her nose. The pain must really limit her speed.

Max jumped off the couch and padded over to the cat door. He let out a small meow.

“Max…” Martin said from behind. Max turned around and saw Martin.

“Oh, hi.”

“Rose will be here soon. Come on, let’s go.”

“Dad, how did Rose get out the cat door if our skynxwalker locked it?”

Martin sighed. “We didn’t tell you, but our sphynxwalker came in while you fell asleep and Rose went outside. She is in the bedroom.” Max turned around to the bedroom door which was next to the closet.

“Come on. I’ll sit next to you by our door until mom comes back,” Martin said with a grin. Max purred. They walked out the cat-door, and watched the sunset. This would be an even better sunset if my siblings and my mom were here. Mom, I beg that you hurry. And my siblings…I hope you're fine.

Suddenly, from across the apartment, Rose was in front of the road. The part she was on was another row of apartments. Rose meowed.

“Mom! Come on! I missed you!” Max shouted. Martin meowed back.

Rose coughed, and then slowly walked to the road. A car just arrived. Rose put a paw on her scratch and crouched down coughing.

“Mom! Move quick hurry-” Max was interrupted. 

“Rose! Hurry!” Martin yelled.

The car had just passed by Rose.

There was a small meow, but then it went silent. 

“M-mom…?” Max whispered. Martin and Max rushed over to the road, as the car left. 

“Mom! No!” Max shouted. He felt a river of tears rush down his face. Rose was completely silent. Not a sound came from her mouth.

Rose suddenly rolled to her side, and a tire sized bloody scar crossed her back and face. Max jumped on her back and whispered, “Please…please wake up mom…you're alive…I know you are...just please.”

Her blood started to spread across her body slowly.

Max turned his back to Martin. 

“Please tell me this is a joke…” he whispered.

“It’s not, Max,” Martin replied with a sniff. “She is dead.”