Want to Play a Game? (Rated R for Violence.) (Horror)

[Warrior Queen Hawk]

Color Cute

“Sweetie! Dawny dear!” A middle aged woman called up a flight of stairs before returning to a stove to flip a pan of eggs and bacon. Her hair was bundled up in a clip and twisted around a ponytail holder. Her face was baby smooth and her eyes sparkled in the sunlight that streaked through the window.

“Coming Mommy!” A sugar voice yelled and a little girl hoped down the stairs. A bright smile was plastered on the girl’s angular face and a stuffed panther hung in her arms. Her black hair reached the middle of her back and two dark green eyes helped bright out her pale skin. She wore a pretty purple dress that cut at the ankles and frilled at the end.

“Here I am!” She said happily as her mother turned.

“Well, good morning, princess.” A masculine voice interrupted, the owner sitting at a wooden table with a newspaper hiding his face. The woman began placing plates of eggs and bacon on the table as the little girl sat down opposite of the man.

“Yay!” The girl squealed while she eyed the food, a pair of black cat ears popped out from her hair and a tail swung lazily behind her.

Both adults looked at her with sweet and charming faces. “Look at you, Dawn! You are so adorable with your kitty features!” Her mom complimented.

The little girl tilted her head at them as she swallowed some yolk-drenched toast. “I’m not a kitty!” She argued. “I am a big, mean panther!” She put her arms up above her head and curled her fingers a bit. “Roar, roar!” The two on the other side of the table chuckled and the woman sat down next to the man as he poked at his yolk and set the paper down.

“Of course, Sweetie. Now hurry and eat. You and Mommy are going to go to the aquarium for a photo shoot!” The woman said, clapping her hands together. This young child’s parents weren’t one’s average set of adults both had jobs dealing with stardom. Her father worked as an actor and played in romance, action, and melodramas. He even worked in musicals and plays for money. Her mother was a model who walked across the catwalk with flowing dresses and gorgeous outfits. Because of their jobs, they are able to spoil their one and only child with whatever she wants.

Being a cute, modest girl, she lets them buy her things and doesn’t usually ask for much. The most she asks for is a new top for her stuffed animals that crowd in her room. She is always with her parents too. With her favorite stuffed toy nestled in her arms, she goes to photo shoots and theaters to see what her parents do. It is never a dull moment when she is out on the streets either. Whenever people get the chance, they come up to her and ask questions, cheer for her, and more often than not she is complimented on how adorable she is.

Dawn wasn’t human though. Her parents’ linage gives those in it to have a chance at being some sort of cat when faced with a strong emotion. The gene that gives them that chance skipped both her parents and was given to her when she experience the feeling of sheer joy when she got Dengo, her stuffed panther, at age 4. After that she has had enhanced senses, ears and a tail for 3 years.

As the group finished up, the man seemed to remember something and looked to the woman. “Juliet, did you happen to get the mail?” He asked and found his wife shake her head.

“Oh, oh, I will get it Daddy!” Their daughter squealed as she pushed herself out of her chair and landed on the floor. She squeezed her toy tightly and skipped to the front door. “I won’t be long!” The girl picked up her little purple backpack and opened the door.

When she closed it behind her, her ears popped up and rotated to the source of chirping. Her head turned and her eyes caught sight of a small blue bird sitting on a low branch. A smile came and her tail wagged slowly as she moved closer. Her steps were a bit loud, but not loud enough to draw the bird’s attention. Once she was three feet from the tree, she crouched down and watched the bird look around above. For what? She wasn’t sure, but she was glad it hadn’t spotted her yet.

“Nya!” She yelled as she launched her herself up to the branch and reached out for the bird. Unfortunately, the bird flew off as soon as Dawn yelled and the poor girl was left with falling back to the ground on her feet. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Meanie bird… I just wanted to see the feathers. Why do all animals not like me besides my kitty friends?” She asked to no one in particular.

Soon she was skipping down to the mail box again, keeping it in her sight so she wasn’t distracted from her job again. Upon getting there, she found a piece of paper on the red flag. She pulled it off and noticed it was a ripped piece of a coloring book. The girl jumped in joy and hugged both her toy and the paper to her. Every once in a while, since the mailman knew and loved Dawn, he would leave pages of used coloring books in the box or on the flag if he could. It always made the little kid’s day better to see one of them.

Dawn opened the lid to the mailbox and got on her tiptoes to reach the envelopes that laid inside. When she took them out, she closed the door and put all the papers together with her page on top. As she walked back up to the house, she looked down at her new page. It was of a kitten stretching in its basket. A gasped slipped from her mouth and she dropped to her knees. The girl sat her stuffed animal to the side and took her bag off her shoulders. She unzipped it and took out a box of 50 crayons and her own coloring book. With the items she placed the page on top of the book and snatched a color out of the box called “Eggplant”. The kid then began draing inside the lines of the cat lightly before going back over it a bit darker.

When she finished, she sat back and looked at her work with pride. “Ta da! Now the kitty is like me except…” She squinted at the picture. “Maybe she shouldn’t be purple…” Her ears drooped. “But if she had been black, the lines wouldn’t show and she wouldn’t be as cute!” The girl lifted her stuffed panther off the ground and dusted him off.
“What do you think? Does she look cute, Dengo?” She asked him and turned the toy to the drawing. The wind silenced what Dawn might have been waiting for and she hurriedly moved to keep everything from flying away. Lucky for her, nothing left her sight and she decided it was time to dash for the door. She gathered up her belongings and put her bag back on her back with the unfinished picture inside. The girl ran for the house and opened the door and closed it quickly.

“Back Mommy and Daddy!” The girl called to receive no answer. A frown creased her face and she moved further into the house. “Mom? Dad?” She called again, louder this time. Her ears twitched as she heard faint sobs coming from the kitchen. Nervous to know what was happening, she inched closer to the sound and it grew louder. Soon a forcibly calm voice could be heard over the crying.

“There there, honey. We will be okay. We have enough money to last until we find jobs.” A male voice said. Dawn instinctively knew it was her father and rushed in to see her mom crying at a counter and her dad rubbing her back affectionately.

The little girl felt confused and cut off at the moment as she stood at the doorway hugging the doorframe. “Mommy? What’s wrong?” She asked quietly, silently hoping she wasn’t heard. However, her mom and dad looked to her, both having red eyes to show they had both been crying.

“Oh, Sweetie.” The woman cried as she walked over to her daughter and knelt down to hug her. “Nothing too bad, don’t worry. It’s just…” She stopped as she sobbed a bit more. “Y-your father and I are no longer famous. We don’t have jobs anymore which means you can’t go with us to shoots and plays.” She wiped her eyes and tried to calm down.

“People don’t think we are good enough to be in show business is all, Dawn” Her dad explained, coming up to the side of the girl and hugging the two females.
For the 7 year old, this concept didn’t seem to strike her as sorrowful. “Why would anyone think you both weren’t good enough? You are the bestest in your jobs!” She whined as she hugged them. “Dengo agrees with me too. He says you are both the best in the world at your jobs!”

Both parents couldn’t resist the smile that came to their faces at their daughter’s kind words, but neither were really happy with the situation. “Of course, Dawny. It’s just that some people who are the boss don’t think the same way, so we have to find new job.” Her mom said as she patted Dawn on the head.

“Juilet, I will grab up some wine to drink for now, and our princess some milk.” The man next to her stated as he left to get the beverages. It wasn’t unnatural for her parents to have a glass or two of wine when they were upset about things, so the gesture didn’t concern her, especially since she was getting milk.

“Okay, Steve. Thank you for grabbing some for us.” The woman said before kissing the little girl on the forehead. “We will be alright, Dawny. How about after lunch today we still go to the aquarium just to look at the fish?”

“Sure Mama!” Dawn accepted excitedly. It’s a shame her mother didn’t know how wrong she was as the three sat down and spoke together.


Color Drama

Three months after a phone call that ended her parent’s careers, Dawn’s life did a 180 and left her to fend for herself. Over time, her parents went into a slump. Her dad didn’t even try to find a job and her mom couldn’t find one that paid her more than minimum wage. They of course had a bit of money left over from being famous, but they only used it to pay for food since a decent job still wasn’t found. After all, who wants a has-been to work for them?

The little neko child opened the front door to her house with her ears flattened against her head and her tail between her legs. “D-d-daddy? Mommy and I brought you presents.” She squeaked nervously, seeing her dad on the couch in the living room, a permanent scorn on his face. He now had a beer belly and spent his time in the living room simply watching reruns of old television shows. When he wasn’t sitting down glaring at the TV though, he was up causing distress to those around him.

“Bring it in here, you turd!” He bellowed, making the poor girl flinch and move further into the house. Before she could make her way to her father with a bag of alcohol, her mom came up behind her and took the stuff from her hands.
“I’ll do it, Sweetheart.” The woman said, new stress lines revealing themselves to the daughter. The changes on her mom were more surprising to the little kid than the ones on her papa. The mom’s face had grown wrinkles and eyes always had bags under them. It didn’t help that whenever the females entered the house, the male began to yell.

“Where is the beer!?” The man screamed, his words were slurred and Dawn’s mom closed her eyes in preparation to greet her husband. 

“Coming, Dear!” She called, heading into the room while the little girl ran off to her new favorite spot; a corner near the stairs that gave her a straight path for the back door. She sat down and brought her knees to her chest as she hugged her Dengo. When she saw her arms and legs, she could make out the scars and newest bruises that ran up and down them. She also knew there were a couple of marks on her face that had not yet healed. 

“What!? You still can’t find a job, Hag?” A booming male voice roared. “Are you even thinking about the mutant of a daughter we have to take care of!? If you can’t make some good use of yourself, that brat is going on the streets, ya know?” 

“It’s hard to find a job that wants me, Honey. I have a few more jobs to che-“ A loud smack interrupted her words.

“Get your ass in gear, wrench, or else the brat won’t be the only one without a roof over her head!” Her dad yelled again just as tears started to run down the little girl’s cheeks. Where was daddy? This couldn’t be him, could it? She thought to herself. He wouldn’t hurt mommy like this man does, would he? Every night she asked herself this as she whimpered in her corner and listened to the arguments. Every time she did, her heart dropped further into a bottomless pit. She no longer knew her limits and she didn’t understand anything that passed by her. 

Not only did she deal with her dad at home, mean laughter filled the air as she and her mom walked the streets. Because she was now a has-beens daughter and a cat girl, she had to wear a disguise around humans. Her mom had given her an ugly brown coat that was too big for her to wear. It covered her ears with a hood and hid her tail underneath. It didn’t help the laughter wherever they went either. Whether it was luck or misfortune to be homeschooled caused even more confusion to the child. If she went to public school, she would be teased or bullied, but staying home meant being with her father all day as her mom tried to teach her what she needed to know.

“You!” A voice said, jerking Dawn’s thoughts back to reality. “What are you doing in that damn corner again? Get up and be some use to us! We can’t do everything for you, you spoiled brat!” 

The girl winced and her tail curled around her for false protection. “O-o-okay, Daddy…” She sniffled, slowly getting up on her feet. Before she was standing up, the man brought his big hand down on her back and she slammed back down to the ground with a loud thud.

“When I say get up, I don’t mean next month, damn it!” He yelled when his wife put her hands gently on his arm.

“Honey, give her time. She is in pain.” She whispered gingerly before being pushed away. 

“Shut up! That doesn’t mean she has to waste my damn time!” He looked back to his daughter, hate filling his eyes. “Now get up!”

“I-I-I am, Daddy” She cried while she stood up, trying to move faster to avoid another hit. When she was up, she smiled weakly at her dad and opened up her arms with one hand holding Dengo. “T-Ta dah, Daddy. See?” She desperately hoped to appeal to her dad again, to make him happy again.

“Good, now get out of here before I get out my belt!” He slurred and pointed up the stairs. The little girl cried harder as she ran on wobbly legs up the stairs. “When I get up there, you better be in bed and sleeping, pest!” 

“Y-Ye-yes, Daddy!” She yelled down the stairs before running down the hall to her room. She opened the door and closed it with a thud before she slumped down and cried quietly. Tears stained her cheeks and wet Dengo’s fur as she started hiccuping. When she was afraid her father was going to come up, she could already feel the leather belt against the bare skin of her back and shivered. 

“Doushi- hic-te? Doushite Otou-hic-chan, nya?” She stuttered and buried her head in her toy. “What happened to giving me new toys and dresses?” Her eyes wondered to her back pack that sat in the corner holding her coloring book and crayons. Her mind scattered and came back with one thing. 

Leave. 

Quickly she rushed over to her bag and unzipped it, placing Dengo inside and zipping it back up. She then looked around the room just to lay her eyes on her bed. In the movies they used sheets to get out of the window. Maybe she could do the same? She dashed over and ripped off the covers. She tied them together at the ends and even put her baby blanket into the mix for extra distance. When she finished up, she threw most of the sheets out the window and kept a hold of one side. Dawn tied the sheets to her bed post and looked down to find the blankets almost reached the ground. A smile came to her tired face as she readied herself and pulled at her makeshift rope. 

She climbed out the window and descended, feeling a bit afraid of the height she was at. Her arms hurt dramatically from the muscle use and bruises that lined them, but she did her best to keep going with tears dropping from her eyes.

Unexpectedly it seemed like something ripped or came undone, sending Dawn down fast for the last 5 feet. Before she could scream, her back hit the ground and knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for breath and relief from the pain while her eyes closed tightly. Slowly, her lungs gained oxygen again and she stood up. “Are you okay, Dengo?” She whispered to the animal on her back before nodded and heading for the right side of the house. 

Struck by an idea, the kid remembered there was a window to the kitchen on this side of the house. She could grab something to protect herself. Her house was surrounded by trees and her mom always warned her that a mountain lion might live in a cave out here. Best to be prepared!

Finding the window, she almost squealed with joy to find it open and hear no voice. She crawled inside and caught sight of a wooden knife holder. She ran over, no longer minding the pain with the hope in her mind, and got on her tiptoes to reach the holder. Upon grabbing it, she pulled it closer and took out three knives included a big steak knife. Not wanting to harm her panther in her back, she placed the weapons in the pockets on the side for safe keeping. 

When she finished, she could hear footsteps coming down the steps, each one coming with a loud thud that made the poor girl’s heartbeat race. She moved swiftly to the window and crawled back out, hiding underneath the sill as to not be seen. 

Soft groans and moans came from the man in the kitchen. “Now what was I gonna do…?” He inquired to himself. “Oh, Dawn! You better be sleepin’!” He started back up the stairs and Dawn’s heart seemed to fly out of her chest. He was going to find her gone soon! In her panic she ran for the trees and bushes. Twigs brushed against her and she gritted her teeth to stop from squealing in pain. Her thoughts reminded her that she would be better soon. She would be away from the abuse and terror of someone she once loved and closer to being okay again.

“Juliet!” Screeched her dad on the second floor, obviously he had found her gone and her sheets tied. 

“Run, run, run” She urged herself, pushing back the thoughts that told her she was making a bigger mistake than she realized.

Color Terror


On tiny feet and short legs, a young girl ran through the forest. It was her third night in the woods and sleep never came when she needed it most. The child’s body was withering away and her body ached from running. Whenever she sat down to rest or try to sleep, the sounds of the forest made her know she wasn’t alone, made her scared of everything she saw. Paranoia had struck her on the second night of leaving.

The time of day was just past dusk and her sight was no longer decent and her other senses were on high alert all the time, making it hard to stay calm. As her thoughts and senses skyrocketed, she felt something in her foot’s way and found herself falling to the ground. 

Dawn whimpered quietly to herself, scared, hungry, and cold finally sinking in. She curled up in a ball and shivered with a continuous stream of tears rushing down her face.

“Daddy… Mommy… I wanna go home!” She cried, muffling her sobbing with Dengo up to her face. “I…I…” The girl trailed off as her ears picked up a new sound, soft footsteps coming closer. When she looked, she found a pair of yellow eyes staring at her. Her stomach churned and her heart rose up into her throat. 

A pitch black panther stood above her, an emotionless look on its muzzle. Dawn’s breath was taken and her eyes widened as she looked at it. Minutes passed before either moved. The big cat tilted its head to one side. 

Suddenly, a smile appeared on the girl’s face. It grew wider and she giggled a little while the panther looked down at her, unsure of what to do. The laughter became louder until it seemed she was yelling through her tears. 

“Mommy! Look! I might be eaten by a big hungry panther! Does that make him a cannibal?” She asked, tightening her tiny hands into fists to the point they turned white. “I can handle myself! I made it so far, Mommy! Try using your belt now, Daddy!” The girl continued her fit and closed her eyes. Her tail wagged as if happy and her ears twitched at each new sound that the leaves and panther made. 

The panther nudged at the little girl, almost as if it was worried about her. Her giggling softened and she was a bit quieter as time progressed. “Are you going to eat me? I am not a plump man though, so I might have to find another meal when you finish with me. Sorry mister panther!” The creature moved its muzzle to her arm and nuzzled it. “What is it mister panther?” She asked.

Dawn moved her arm and the panther moved underneath it. Slowly she got up on her feet with the cat’s help and she looked down at it. “Why aren’t you going to eat me?” She wondered, her mind calming down a bit. The panther rubbed up against her, the force beginning to make her fall backward; however, she tried to balance herself and fell on the panther’s back. 
“I’m sorry, panther, sir!” She whined, but before she stood up, the panther ran up, leaving Dawn to try and hold on. A few feet were gained before the poor kid slipped off and rolled in the dirt. The panther came back and purred softly to the girl. “Did you want me to come with you?” 

To say yes the creature turned away and looked behind to see Dawn. “Oh, okay! Why didn’t you tell me?” She giggled at her own little joke. “Of course you can’t. I was joking!” The animal simply started moving forward while Dawn skipped behind with a smile on her face.

^^^^ 

20 minutes went by before they stopped and when they did, it was a tree with a hole at the bottom of its trunk that Dawn could fit it. The panther had gone behind her as she looked at it strangely. “How is it not falling? Is it wider then I think?” She asked as the panther started to push her towards it. The girl sat down inside and the creature plopped down in the entrance.

Finding it adorable, the girl started petting the cat. “So, why are you helping me, mister panther?” She asked, hearing the purr of the animal. It began licking her, finding the girl’s tail and purring loudly at the sight. A gasp from the girl made the cat jump. “You are helping me because I am like you? Thank you, panther, sir!” A frown came to her face. “But now you need a nap… You can be Den-kun!” She cheered as she felt her eyes begin to droop. 

She yawned and rubbed at her eyes for a moment before speaking to the creature again.

“I’m tired… for the first time in a while… thank you for helping me, Den-kun…” Another yawn came and she laid her head on the inside of the tree. The panther laid his head on her lap and they both fell sound asleep. Hopefully, after finally getting some shut eye, the child will be okay.

Color Red
A muzzle nudged the little girl that was curled up on a fluffy stomach only succeeding in getting a moan before she rolled to the other side. The panther whined at the kid and tried again to wake her.

"Nya~! I don't wanna get up, Mommy..." She mumbled as she curled up tighter in a ball. "I don't wanna see Daddy, Mommy..." 

Almost purring with happiness that she had spoken, Den-kun licked at her neck in one final attempted to wake the cat girl from her slumber. 

She woke with a start at the cool, wet tongue touching her. Her breathing was shallow and her heart raced. She turned her head to either side, trying to figure out where she was. The forest... Was she safe? Had her paranoia actually settled down? Her eyes finally looked to the big cat that laid behind her. A bright smile came to her face. 

"You are the one who kept me safe! You helped me sleep!" She squealed and hugged the panther's head. A soft growling sound made the cat's throat vibrate and Dawn let go of him. "Sorry, Den-kun..." 

The big cat stood up and walked out of the tree den. He looked back at the girl and looked back and forth between her and the forest. "Oh!" She realized. "You want me to come with you?" The panther began walking away and the child took that as a yes. She stood up and grabbed her toys and bag before crawling out of the hole and running to the panther.

Besides the sounds of the forest, the space was silent as the sun rose higher over the horizon. She smiled at the beauty that was now apparently since she wasn't worried about being eaten. Whether it was because the panther had brought comfort to her, or because she no longer held fear, no one was sure.

Soon the panther stopped and lowered itself to the ground. In the distance was a deer grazing, unaware of the danger that now watched it. Dawn crouched down next to her new buddy. "Should I stay here?" She whispered and got a look that seemed to say 'yes'. She nodded and sat down on the cool ground as Den-kun stalked closer to its prey. 

Dawn watched with anticipation just as the cat pounced and landed right on the deer's back. His claws dug into flesh and the deer tried to move out from under the massive panther. The girl's eyes widened at the sight. Blood trickled down the light brown fur, clotting up in it as the deer slowly stopped moving. 

The little child giggled at the sight and Den-kun bit down on the innocent animal and ripped out a chunk of it by pushing on it with its paw. More blood spilled and some even landed in the dark cat's coat. A smile crept to Dawn's face and another giggle slipped from her mouth. 

As if to call her over, Den-kun moved his head to her and looked to the deer he had killed. She stood and dashed over, sitting next to the bloody carcass. More fits of giggles came over her and she remembered the knives she had taken from her kitchen before she left. She dug them out and held one up over her head before bringing it down on the deer's thigh. Slowly the blood oozed out and she held her hand to her stomach as she laughed. 

"Den-kun! Look! The blood is so slow and sluggish!" She squeaked before stabbing the deer again. She continued to do so and soon began sawing through the deer's fur and flesh. More blood splashed and Dawn's hands were quickly covered in splattered of blood. 

"This is so much fun! Maybe we can make a game that makes it more fun, Den-kun!" She said in excitement. In one quick sweep, the panther hit the knife with its paw and it flew out of her hands and landed near a tree. A growl seemed to warn Dawn and her ears drooped. 

"Sorry, Den-kun, nya... I got a little excited..." She said before the panther threw a piece of meat at her. She looked at it with a frown before biting into it. The raw meat didn't upset her stomach since she was not all human, so she ate till she was full.

"Thank you Den-kun!" She smiled and both stood and began walking further into the forest to continue their journey.

[Princess Holly]

I was expecting this to be about Dawn killing people. Nice to know it was only a deer harmed. You did good :) shows off how childish Dawn is (cause she is one) and how her life impacted her views. I liked it.