What I Saw

It was a nice and sunny day of green-leaf as Fang set out on a patrol with his fellow Claw Guards. The heat of the season caused the tribe and the animals around them to limit their activities on the time of dawn and dusk when the sun wasn't at it's highest peak in the sky. The patrol moved through the shadows of the trees on their way along the borders of their territory, until they crossed over the meadows near midday. When they arrived on the other side, where the forest began again and the Sun Stones shone in the sun's light, Fang could see his fellow Claw Guards looking towards the water and the Sun Stones were some cats of their tribe were already resting and enjoying the sun. The large tom noticed that their Speaker Salmon, who was leading the patrol observed the same thing he did and so he announced with a cheeky smile "Well, I think we deserve a little break huh?" 

The patrol had only waited for the approval of their head of patrol, before they began to scatter around. Some slipping into the river to cool down a bit while others joined their other tribe mates on the Sun Stones. Fang followed the others and lay down next to Salmon on the warm rocks. He had never been a good swimmer and enjoyed the warm sunshine on his fur much more than he did the cold water. The Claw Guards shared stories of fights and glory between them, the ones listening staying quiet while the storyteller was given all of the attention.

Fang's eyes were pinned on the land somewhere beyond the river as he listened to the stories, which seemed to become a muffled blur while his sight remained sharp. Salmon stretching out in the sun next to him brought his attention back to the tom beside him, who had also been staring to the other side of the river like Fang had done. His ginger fur was flickering like fire in the light of Sun as his visible green eye seemed to be fixed on something.

Salmon's head didn't move as he began to say, his mouth formed into a smile "It sure is warm today! Nearly feels like Sun wants to burn the skin right of your bones."

A weird feeling began to make itself known in Fang's stomach at Salmon's word. A feeling he couldn't quiet pin down until the Claw Guards head moved to face him with the words "Don't you think so too, Fang?" and the side of the others face that had been hidden from him for now appeared to him. The Claw Guard jumped up in shock, the fur on his neck bristling as he stared into one green eye and one empty dark hole. Where Salmon's left face half should be, the skin was slowly melting off in the heat, the smell of burned flesh engulfing Fang. The skull of Salmon was appearing under his skin, as the empty eye socket seemed to stare right at Fang.

No one except for Fang seemed to notice what was going on with their Speaker, who also seemed way too calm for what was happening to him at this moment. The large tom backed away a step only to bump into a wall of rock and dirt, followed by the telltale sound of rocks crumbling. He tore his gaze away from his Speaker to look up, only to see the rocks and rubble coming from above, soon burrowing them under them as everything went dark around Fang and it became harder for him to take a breath.

...

Fang found himself snapping open his eyes and hurriedly sitting up in his nest to the sight of his lightly sleeping tribe mates around him. He stared as he tried to calm down his heavy breathing as the smell of burned flesh and dirt was still the only thing reaching his nose.

After a few moments to calm himself down, he shook himself slightly in the hope to shake of this feeling in his stomach and stood up. He could still feel the energy surging through his body from what he now realized had just been a dream and decided to walk it off as to not wake his tribe mates. They had all gotten too little sleep in those last days. As he stepped through the exit of their camp, some eyes followed him. Eyes as restless from the night as his own.