Premise
After a series of tragedies nearly destroys their [[colony]] and convinces them that their black fur brings bad luck, a stray cat must venture off on their own and discovers that everything that happened, the good and the bad, was necessary to lead them where they needed to be.
Colony
Deep in the brush on the edge of the forest and the outskirts of town lives a close-knit colony of feral cats. There are several families in the colony, the largest of which is yours and the head of the colony. You are the youngest, the last born of your mother’s one and only litter. And you’re also the only black kitten in the litter. While your siblings sport tabby coats, your coat is black as the night sky. Your mother dotes over you, as you are more vulnerable than the others. You’re small, blend in at night, and the humans say you’re (link: “bad luck”)[(goto-url: ‘https://humanities.drury.edu/good-luck-bad-luck-complex-history-black-cat/’)]. Black cats are rare in your colony, as most have been hit by cars or even attacked by humans. You used to think the humans were crazy. How could you bring bad luck? Now you’re questioning if they’re right, though, because [[things are getting bad]].
Things are getting bad
You’re only six months old, and in your lifetime, you’ve watched your colony shrink drastically. The elders try to hide it from the kittens, but you know what’s happening. The humans are snatching up strays and imprisoning them in a building on the other side of town they call a shelter. You’ve seen them, after all. They show up in their big van full of cages and grab any cat they can find. That’s why your colony stays deep in the brush and the reason it’s forbidden to go into town. Some families have already chosen to leave the colony, and others have argued that everyone should move deeper into the woods. Your grandfather insists that the colony must stay put to survive. The town provides resources, and the woods are full of predators. You just wish [[your friends]] were still here. But that’s not the only problem. [[Your family]] is falling apart, too.
Your friends
When you were only a couple months old, you had many friends. You would frolic through the brush, getting into all kinds of mischief. Sometimes, you’d even break the colonies rules and venture into the woods or to the edge of town. Of all your friends, though, Chestnut was by far your favorite. You and Chestnut would go further than any of the other kittens dared. Boy do you wish you hadn’t, though. You knew it was dangerous to go into town and that there were cats who did that never came back. But you and Chestnut never listened, and now Chestnuts gone, along with the countless others.
Your family
Your grandfather has led the colony since his father passed it to him long before your time. But now your grandfather is [[dying]]. Your father is next in line to lead the colony, and if the colony still exists, your brother will take over after him.
Dying
When it finally happened, your whole colony mourned for days. As time past, though, unrest rose among the remaining families. Soon, they pushed your father to move the colony deeper into the woods, and your father obliged.