Zombie Cat Apocalypse (Bacon)

Ariana hurried to Ryder, not even sparing a glance for her only son in her worry. Dropping the herbs, she quickly sorted through them and grabbed a couple, nudging Ryder.

Oliver was laying on the bed with his younger sisters when they came back, "Hi mama" The tom kit mewed softly, Ryder twitched slightly, he was still in the same spot as before and was asleep, his fur had dulled and his mouth laid agape.

Ariana ran up to the room, scared and worried.

Maple followed her mother, her ears drooped back.

Ariana came back a few minutes later with about half of the herbs she had gathered. Her frustrated look discouraged questioning.

Maple sat down and trembled, watching where her mother went.

Ariana ran into the den, dropped Maple and told her to stay, then ran back out.

The kit watched their home come into view, her little tail flickibg.

"You're more important," Ariana said through her scruff, catching sight of the den.

"What about that stuff you had mama?" She asked quietly.

Ariana hopped several more trees until she couldn't see the turned anymore then dropped down and ran for home.

Maple whimpered and trembled as she was picked up, "I didn't know" She said quietly, watching the turned still trying to climb the tree she had been in.

Ariana yelped, dropping the herbs and racing towards her daughter despite the turned. Jumping onto one of their backs, she sprang into the tree from there. "Maple, turned follow sound!" Snatching the kit up, she made a desperate leap into another tree.

"Mama!" The kit called out from the tree, turned surrounding the trunk, she didn't know that turned followed sound, she had been calling for Ariana the whole time, the tree jerked and Maple mewled, digging her claws into the branch she was on and she dangled from the branch.

Ariana didn't come back for a few hours, but come back she did, holding some herbs and looked exhausted.

"But mama" Maple whined, trembling in the tree, she whimpered and watched where Ariana went.

Ariana flinched. "Stay here, Maple. I mean it. Turned can't climb; you should be safe." She leaped down the tree and raced off.

"But shouldn't we be with papa? And what about my sisters?" She mewed, her tail flicking.

Ariana fluffed out her fur. "I don't know anything about whether all injuries caused by them give you the infection or not," she admitted miserably, "but I learned long ago not to get my hopes up on someone not getting it. That's why I'm trying so hard to get herbs."

"But why mama? Papa said that the scratches don't do anything, well that's what Oliver said that papa said" Maple tilted her head.

Ariana trembled violently and picked Maple up, carrying her up into the tree and giving her a hurried explanation about their world, tears shining in her eyes. Now I'll lose Maple too, and it's all my fault.

"It's just a scratch mama, Oliver gave me one before" She mewed, the innocent little kit didn't even know.

Ariana sniffed at her scratch, horrified. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! This is my fault!"

Maple trembled and whimpered, running to Ariana and clinging to her fur.

Ariana hissed furiously, killing the turned and worriedly turning to Maple.