16 - On The Verge (Patreon)

Passing corridors they don't remember passed before, the Shadow stopped on an unlocked entrance. And it looked the Orange Cat:

- Your journey will end after we look this door. - The Orange Cat stayed quiet. - After it you will back to your cell.
- I hope you learned something of this journey. - Slade said. - Because I did learn a lot.
- I think I learned too. - Finally the Orange Cat responded.

Then, Cheshire laughed when he saw what was inside of the room: two cats discussing each other. Sometimes hugging theirself, others hurting with their claws, and just looking each other on silence. Both accusing each other saying "you are guilty".

- Why are ythey doing that? - Asked Mune to Cheshire.
- Well first behold our final clue. - Said Cheshire opening his arms. - I think they are refusing on asume their guilt.
- What guilt?
- They lost their train for travel to the Cross of South.
- Lets separate they.
- Really? that´s so pity.

Mune and Cheshire taked each other one of the cats. They instantly cleared their minds of their trance and both reconized the crazy cat.

- Cheshire? - Both cats talked on chorus.
- They know you? - Asked Mune.
- I told you they are... relatives. - Replied Cheshire. - I knew they on other circunstances. On another picture, another story, another ending. These are Giovanni and Campanella, the purest cats of this valley of tears.

Slade and the Orange Cat aproached to see the young animals.

- So, for what do you need a pair of silly children? - Slade said to Cheshire. Campanella and Giovanni stayed quiet looking him with their empty eyes. Slade found disturbing their silence and felt regret on what he says.
- Yeah, silly cats because they lost their train. - Replied Cheshire smiling showing his huge teeth. - Now... little cats, tell us, why did you lost the train?

Giovanni and Campanella felt ashamed.

- A sheep tricked us and stoled my ticket of the train. - Said Giovanni.
- Yes, and he stoled our clothes too. - Said Campanella. - And here is too cold. I am so tired of stay here.
- Well, not bad, not bad. - Replied Cheshire reconizing the malice of the sheep. - How that sheep tricked both?
- He promised us give his golden bell if we invited him to go on the train with us. - Continued Giovanni. - But we discovered he had not ticket. I showed him my ticket to travel. But he stoled him. We followed him for big mountains full of happy horses and goats, but he  lost on a forest on fire and we had fear to enter.

Cheshire watched the cats carefully and in silence he was arming the puzzle. But something was not right.

- How did you lost your clothes? - Asked Mune. Both cats, again, stayed for a while in silence. Campanella responded looked the ground, he was totally ashamed.- We were preparing for travel, we were taking a bath on a small pool is near... but when the sheep arrived we borrowed him our clothes because he only weared a loincloth, he said he had freeze because traveled alone for the mountains. When he escaped he taked our clothes and dropped on the fire. Later we lost the path and then, a Shadow find us and put us here until our train arrive or a friend for show us the path.

Everybody looked to the Shadow, his tiny red eyes tried to dissappear but don´t happened and this responded.

- I didn´t knew you were searching they. Mea culpa. Maxima mea culpa.
- Well, our travel at least worked for help other lost souls... - Slade tried to justify the adventure, but Cheshire looked him on silence with his brighting eyes.
- So, what now? - Asked Mune totally confused.
- We need travel to the other border. - Said the Shadow. - On the Valley of Gehenna.
- Why there? - Asked Cheshire.
- Is penalized steal things of pure souls. Probably that sheep is already doomed there. If you want to see it is only for say goodbye.
- Perhaps... perhaps not. The corruption will continuing infecting more souls still near of the border. We need get out him of there. We need save him.
- But how? - Asked Mune. - How can you get out somebody of that place?
- Simple blue boy: this is not Eternal Doom... yet. Exist a posibility of save him.

The shadow started to advance and everybody started to follow him. However, the Orange Cat knew his journey ended...