JUST LET US ADORE YOU;; open - Visitor

[Atticus Roux]

The scene played by a broken record in his head daily. Traumatic and brutal, Atticus pictured the event with perfection. RUMBLE... Deep vibrations shook his childhood home. The boy, lost and confused, rose from his slumber. He stumbled out of his makeshift bed and tumbled to the floor with a deafening thump. A screech echoed from him. Not long after, his mother took ahold of him and watched as her children piled down the stairs in distress. She followed soon after. Moth staggered down the stairs as the roof above them began to CRACK! With momma’s boy in her jaws, her pace quickened. The earthquake temors grew. She grew uneasy. Her balance faultered. Moth slammed onto the floor, releasing the kitten from her jaws. Atticus’ flew towards the entrance, his ear being cut into within that time. With a skid, he came to a hault. Only to see her die. CRUNCH!

Moth succumbed that night. Underneath the beam of the door. She was steps away from her freedom, yet fate deemed her unworthy. The children were left motherless and in distress. While one child broke down and ran away, another stayed within Tanglewood in disdain. Upon the news of Atticus’ leave, his brother Ivan grew frustrated. He lashed out at his brother, proclaiming that he was a coward. The runaway golden child was adamant on not striking him back, yet eventually broke. Since then, he had yet to see his family or visit Tanglewood. Needless to say, The Roux family was in shambles.

As time went on, Atticus’ internal thoughts debated his choices. Should he have stayed? Could he have saved his mother? If he wasn’t in her jaws and ran like the rest, would she have lived? Was her death his fault? The guilt and shame echoed in his mind constantly as the memories of his past played out. RUMBLE... CRACK! CRUNCH! RUMBLE! CRACK! CRUNCH! RUMBLE... CRACK! CRUNCH! On and on. The dastardly musings would break his psyche. Even after a year of pondering, he couldn’t help himself. Sweeney’s coos of endearment left him questioning, Silent’s ominous sayings never assisted him, and the other’s words never filled the hollow void within his life. Atticus was alone.

His normal routine as an acolyte allowed him to patrol endlessly after training. For someone with all the time in world, he personally preferred it. As always, the male was an adventurer. Exploring the vast expanse of The Pitt was a gift, despite his familiarity to the situation nowadays. Even so, a new day brought a new nook or cranny. Today was no different... except... it wasn't a new cave to traverse or a skeleton to observe... The marvel before his eyes was not treasure, nor a gift from the gods. What appeared before his eyes was much more than that. It was a miracle.

The musty scent of Tanglewood's swamps oozed over his nostrils, alerting him of an invader as he patrolled. His nose raised high, sniffing the air. Atticus patrolled onwards, following the aroma to it's destination. In the distance he heard chattering, noting the Ardent's voice conversing with the stranger. The tabby wondered if he should go his separate ways, noting that this could be a business meeting, but continued to intervene anyways. He continued his journey over the desert's dune.

Yellow eyes peered over the sand dune, catching a glimpse of his mother. His feet froze. Atticus' heartrate spiked. His heart pounded against his chest as he let out a cry. "Momma?" What should he say? Was this a dream? Her crushed corpse flickered in his memories. Yet here she was. He stumbled wearily forward to take a closer look. His wide gaze surveyed his mother up and down, truly lost for words. Every stripe was the same. Her soft eyes. That damned smile. But why couldn't he believe it? Was the Devil messing with him? Had Ivan decided to play with his head? This had to be a dream... Yet he pushed on. He raised a paw to her cheek, delicately pressing against her skin. Her familiar warmth radiated from her pelt. Atticus gasped for air as tears began to well within his eyes.

He swallowed. A shaky rattle escaped his throat as he exhaled. "Momma..." Atticus moved his paw over to his eyes, trying to divert the tears elsewhere. His eyes lowered to the floor in shame. Crocodile tears fell into the sand as he sobbed. "How?" he questioned. A teary gaze realigned with her own. "This can't be-" The boy choked on his words. "Can it?" Once again, he raised his pawpad to her cheek and stroked her soft fur. While the evidence was presented before him, doubt swelled within his mind.

"How?"

/concussed post, be nice ;u;