Liuesi
Just a little something I'm slowly working on to practice my writing skills. I hope everyone will enjoy this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.
Run. I can't let them catch up. I have to run! Faster legs please... you can't give up yet… this is for his sake.
- Ah, what an age to be. The age where you finally leave high school and enter a post-secondary program where, hopefully, you'll get a degree. Me? I had no idea what I wanted to do when I started post-secondary, so I took a course in writing. English is the only thing I ever appeared to be good at in high school, coming out on top of the class with a meaty 97% grade at the end of my grade 12 year. You can imagine why I would decide to take a writing course, and also my choice in university.
Nippissing, renowned for its teaching of languages both foreign and native to any who managed to score 90% and above in high school. I was fortunate enough to have gotten accepted.
The move there was uneventful, to say the least. My parents packed up all of my belongings into moving boxes I had collected over the years from ordering various items off of Amazon and told me “good luck son." I haven't seen them since. That was 6 months ago exactly, September 18th, 2018.
Being at this university has been exciting to me for many different reasons, the most prominent being the change in scenery the move brought. Nippissing is situated in an area covered with greenery. I'd never really had the luxury of seeing nature in its full glory since my parents sheltered me in the city for so long. So I started this new tradition where every month on the 18th, I walk around campus and enjoy the nature that the rich environment has to offer me.
That's exactly what I'm up to now since today is February the 18th, a midnight stroll through the campus of Nippissing.
Lush green trees adorn the paths that wind throughout the campus of Nippissing. I walk past white wooden benches that are situated in areas where you can look out over scenic views of sparkling clear blue lakes. I see black-feathered ducks swimming lazily under the pale glow of the moon, their silhouettes and glittering eyes outlined by the moon.
I have walked these paths many times now, preferring to be outdoors when I can since I find myself indoors working on papers far more often than I would like. I tread them so often, that I've memorized my favourite locations.
Nature is the one escape I have from the tedious and stressful life that a university student, such as myself, has to live in. Nature calms me. Nature makes me feel less alone. Nature knows how to make me feel better about myself.
I stop on a stone bridge that is slick with water from a recent downpour, and prop my elbows up on the edge of the bridge's narrow stone railing that has cracks weaving like spider webs across its stone surface. I listen to the river quietly rushing below me and I look out at the large expanse of trees that line the river's banks. The trees whisper to me in the wind and I let out a sigh at the breathtaking sight I had gotten so used to over the past 6 months. Suddenly, I feel a buzz in my jacket pocket and I pull out my phone. My face lights up with both a smile and my phone's own dim light as I read the notification at the top of the screen. A message sent through Liuesi from the only one who texts me on a regular basis. Nature.
Wait a moment. You thought I was talking about the gorgeous nature that surrounds me earlier? I see the nature of North Bay every single day, it's nothing new to me anymore. The Nature I'm talking about is even more amazing. He's the one whose texts often direct my gaze away from the green scenery and towards my phone.
Before introducing Nature though, I should probably explain what Liuesi is... let's take a trip back to when I was first dropped off at university.
Flashback Starts
The setting September sun hangs in the sky, bathing the world in front of me with a pleasant orange glow. My father is taking out the last of 5 boxes from the trunk of his car. He sets it down beside me and turns his body in my direction.
“Well, I guess this is where my journey starts then huh?" I say matter of factly.
“I suppose this is…" My father trails off. “Look son, I'm no good at goodbyes and neither is your mother so…"
“It's alright, I get it." I reply, the tension between us is thick in the air as we look at each other, uncertain of how to proceed.
He finally breaks the uncomfortable silence after a few moments.
“Good luck son." and suddenly I'm wrapped up in a bear hug from my father that lifts me up slightly.
“Thanks Dad, I won't let you down," I reply with a smile as he pats my back and releases me from his embrace, setting me back on my feet.
He nods his head at me before hopping back into the driver's seat of his running car. My mom doesn't say anything to me, she just sits in the passenger's seat, idly tapping her fingers on the dash. My dad slams his door shut and he drives off with my mom. As I watch them go, I raise my hand in a farewell gesture, slowly waving back and forth. My hand hangs limply in the air though, as my wave goodbye is not returned by either parent. I stand on the black asphalt in the middle of the university parking lot, surrounded by brown boxes, unable to do much other than look on as they leave. A sliver of pain jabs at my heart and I can feel heat slowly rising in my eyes.
NO! No tears. I'll miss them, but I'm probably better off now that they're gone...
I watch them drive off into the distance until my eyes can no longer see the blurry speck that my parents' car has become. I shake my head, unclench my fists that I don't even realize I have balled up and, with that awkward situation out of the way, I start to stack my boxes on top of each other.
Okay, here we go then… One, two, three, four, and five boxes.
I nod my head in satisfaction once I'm sure I have all of my belongings. I pick them up in my arms and stagger slightly to the left and then to the right as they're slightly heavier than I'm expecting them to be.
Urgh, they could've at least helped me move my boxes! Good for nothing parents...
I grunt slightly with the exertion of carrying the boxes as I join the steady stream of students heading to the dorms.
15 minutes of carrying boxes up a hill later…
Whew! I've arrived.
As I approach the red-brick building that looms large in front of me, I decide the abode looks more like a prison rather than somewhere you would find university students. There are tiny square windows covered with black curtains that I can only assume would look into each dorm room. The windows go up in columns of 5, and it towers over the surrounding buildings, which makes me grateful that I managed to acquire a room on the first floor. There is no way I would've managed to carry these boxes to the top. Other than that, the outside of the building only boasts double-glass front doors and a few potted plants on either side attached to the wall to make the ominous building seem more welcoming.
I walk up to the front doors of the prison-esque building, my knees shaking under the stress of having carried the boxes for a good 15 minutes up a hill.
PLEASE be push doors I think desperately as I press upon the thick glass and ornate silver handles. They give way with a satisfying blast of cool air and I shuffle through with the boxes. I nearly cry with joy while I walk exhaustedly into the dimly lit hallway of my dorm.
Thank god, I made it!
I slump against the wall of the dorm's hallway to catch my breath for a moment and set my boxes on the ground, wiping beads of sweat from my forehead that had appeared over the course of the hard labour.
Now… what room key did I receive again?
I rummage in my jeans' pockets and pull out a silver key with a little number 7 etched into one end of its shiny surface.
Oh yeah, number 7. How could I forget that? It is my lucky number after all!
I walk down the narrow hall I have just entered and stop at a dark wooden door with a golden plaque that has a slightly faded black “7". I insert the key into the lock and- click! the mechanism inside unlocks the door for me. I turn the knob and wince a bit as the door's creaking noise assaults my eardrums.
Jeez, don't they at least keep things up to date, or at least well oiled around here?
I grumble to myself as the door swings all the way open. The sight that greets me tells me that they definitely don't keep things in this place updated.
I walk inside my dorm and am immediately unimpressed by the small rectangular room that I'm standing in. A measly bed that looks like it hasn't been washed in years occupies the entire left side of the bedroom. To the right there is a small black desk shoved against the back wall, leaving a small gap between itself and the bed. An uncomfortable looking wooden chair sits in front of the desk that I'm sure I will never use from just a glance. Above the desk is the small window that is covered by a satin black curtain that I had seen from the outside. The walls are painted with a sickly washed-out green colour that makes the room look bleak and uninviting as a whole.
All that hard work, and I get rewarded with an eyesore?
I groan unhappily as I realize that I'm going to have to get used to this mess of a room over the next 4 years.
Hmm, maybe it's not all that bad. Perhaps they'll let me repaint and redecorate the room to make it more livable?
With that thought in mind a smile overtakes my face and suddenly the room doesn't look so grim.
I am so going to make this room mine! I think happily as I stand in the doorway. I shouldn't get stuck here though, there's a whole new world out there for me to explore. It's not just this room after all!
With that big grin on my face, I practically skip out of my room and retrieve my boxes from the hallway. The weight of the boxes on my arms is completely forgotten as I drop them in my room, the excitement of adventure filling me up to the brim as I close and lock the door behind me.
Alright, time to explore!
I walk out of the building, my body shaking with excitement. I breathe in the fresh evening air that the season of Autumn brings and sigh.
Mmm, that's much better than in my… no, it's not quite mine yet... that stuffy room.
I walk down the path of gray cobbled stone I had travelled along to get to my dorm earlier, a slight spring in my step as I no longer have to lug all of those boxes with me. The sensation makes me feel as if I'm weightless; like I'm floating on a cloud, drifting along.
I walk past a beautifully carved fountain in the middle of what looks like a courtyard. There are a few trees littered about and some tall metal lamp posts to light the way. Otherwise though, the space seems pretty bare, but that didn't make it any less charming in my eyes. The courtyard is also filled with the excited chatter of freshmen and returning students alike, giving a warm atmosphere as I travel through.
Not stopping here though I think with a smile as I continue trotting straight down the path, past the flow of students walking the other way, their arms filled with moving boxes.
Several minutes of walking later...
By the time I make the trip to the edge of the forest, dusk is setting in and I stand next to a mostly dark forest framed by a purple sky. There is one lamp illuminating the treeline and I can see more lamps lighting the path deeper in the forest. Between those lamps are great patches of darkness, where nothing can be seen as the moon hasn't risen yet. I shrug my shoulders.
It's alright, I always was a night owl anyway heh.
I walk into the shadow-laced woods at the edge of campus with a bolstered confidence that I don't really need. As I begin my trek, I can hear the trees rustling in the night, and crickets singing away. I even hear an owl hoot at one point as I walk down the path that had changed to gravel at the start.
The crunch of my shoes against the gravel is loud in the night, despite all the noises the creatures of the forest are making. I continue further into the forest, enamored by the sounds and sights that had previously eluded me in the city.
A couple hours later...
How long have I been walking for?
I yawn loudly as I slide my phone out of my jeans' right pocket while I'm walking. I've been largely unimpressed by the forest up to this point. Hours have passed since the childish bewilderment that captivated me before had worn off. There's been nothing but shadows of trees and noises following me for what feels like-
“It's 12 A.M.?!"
I guess it really has beens hours, damn.
While my eyes adjust to the nearly blinding light of the phone screen, I don't notice my right foot catch on a big stone rock.
“Sh-!"
I lose my balance, and in an attempt to break my fall, my right hand instinctively splays open, allowing my phone to fly out of its grasp while my body falls to the ground. I hit the ground with a thud and my hands get scraped by the small sharp rocks of the forest path. I groan loudly and sit up, rubbing my head slowly.
Ow… I really need to be more careful!
I do my best to assess the damage to my hands and body in the darkness of the forest. I squint my eyes and I start to make out short cuts that aren't deep enough to be worrying. I'd still have to wash them when I got back to prevent infection of course. After I determine that I'm at least not bleeding or fatally injured in any way, I set off in search of my phone.
Let's see, I know that my phone flew over to the right after I tripped, meaning it's got to be somewhere to the right of that rock.
With that simple deduction, I slowly get to my feet and wince as the little cuts on my hands sting with pain. I power through the nuisance and begin the quest for my lost phone. I search blindly as I walk through black beds of leaves, taking care of where my feet are landing to make sure I don't accidentally step on my phone in the pure darkness of the forest.
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I catch a little glimmer. I can make out the rectangular shape of my phone due to the reflection of the moon's light! I walk over to where my phone is laying and look up to thank the moon but… the spherical glowing shape isn't there.
That doesn't make any sense, the entire sky is blotted out by a thick wall of leaves… so how the heck is there any light this deep into the forest?
I proceed cautiously to the location of my phone and notice more irregularities about the light that its unlit surface is reflecting.
Is that light? Surely not...
I rub my eyes to make sure they're not playing tricks on me, but sure enough, there's a thin line of light lying horizontally on the ground between the giant silhouettes of two trees.
I hunker down in front of the light and slowly extend one of my arms forward. Right as I'm about to reach the line of light though, it vanishes, leaving behind no trace that the anomaly even existed in the first place. I clench my fists frustratedly as the adventurer in me wants so badly to know what that peculiar line of light means. I inhale and exhale slowly.
It's alright, it was probably nothing right? Just a trick of the light- er, dark?
I try to reassure myself, but I know that the strange light is going to be nagging at me for a long while. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and pick my phone up, watching carefully to make sure the light doesn't show up again for any reason. It doesn't. Disappointedly, I pocket my phone and begin heading back to retire for the night.
Alarm going off
Ugh, alright... alright already! I'm up.
I sluggishly reach a hand out to pick up my blaring phone off the black desk. I'd left it there last night after collapsing into bed with exhaustion due to my long excursion out. I press the snooze button and then press my face into my pillow tiredly.
I'd barely gotten any sleep last night. A combination of both my thoughts and the extremely uncomfortable thin mattress keeping me tossing and turning all night long. The fact that I had gotten home around 2 A.M. last night hadn't helped either.
I desperately want to continue sleeping, but I know that isn't an option despite how clearly I need the rest. I slowly flip my body in bed so my gaze faces the ceiling and reach out a hand to grab my phone again.
I direct my gaze to the device's screen as I rub my eyes to rid them of any residual sleep plaguing them from my restless night. My eyes immediately fall on a notification, which is strange because nobody ever contacts me except for my parents and… nope, that's it, just my parents. Even then, it's an extremely rare occurrence for me to be receiving a notification so I press on the home button to unlock the preview.
My excitement falls when I see that nobody has actually messaged me, it's a different kind of notification.
Just an update… jeez, I really need to make some friends if I'm excited by just one notification and it's a letdown, don't I?
I shake my head and grin at my lonely self. There is one thing about this notification that bugs me though. Why didn't my phone give me any warning that there was to be an update? I unlock my phone with another press of the home button and go into general and then updates.
That's strange, there's nothing here… my phone is still on the same version it was yesterday… so why the update notification?
I head back to the home screen and swipe to the left to go to the screen where I keep all my apps. Nothing seems out of the ordinary... except for one app I've never seen before and that I definitely didn't download.
Liu… esi? I tilt my head quizzically as I try to sound out the name in my head. I've never heard of it before. More importantly, how did it get on my phone, and why did it appear as an update?
Without any explanation as to what could have caused this, I do the next logical thing, and press on the app that only has a large white L surrounded by a light blue background for an icon. I find the loading screen to be the same as the icon, and the app loads surprisingly fast.
Must have a low size and high processing rate.
When Liuesi finally loads, I'm taken aback by what I see filling my phone's screen. Furry profiles.
This has to be some kind of a joke right? Someone must be playing a prank on me because they know I'm a furry.
I close the app quickly and open up a search engine. I type in “Liuesi" and get one response that says “There are no responses for your query."
It's not recognized by my search engine? Alright, now this is getting even more strange. Did someone seriously custom code an app just to troll me?
I open Liuesi again and try to scroll down to look at more profiles but find that option is blocked. Suddenly, a notification pops up saying, “you must register an account before you may access all features."
Do I want to create an account?
The logical part of me is saying “of course not, you don't know what you're dealing with!" The adventurer part of me is curious though, and the logical part of me gets shut out as I press “Okay."
The account registration process seems easy enough. You simply type in your name, where you live, and your species. Then you upload a photo of yourself and the process is complete.
First off, name. I decide to go with my online alias instead of my real name just like all the other furries have done.
Sundor, perfect.
I input “Canada" into the live section as I don't want to be too specific and type “Husky" into the species section. That leaves only the photo.
Hmm, what do I do for the photo though? Everybody else has furry avatars while I don't even have art of my sona yet… let alone a good ref sheet.
Without the option of art for the photo, I'm forced to take a photo of a realistic anthro husky from the internet and upload that as my profile photo. While I don't like using somebody else's art, I'm out of other options. With the last requirement filled in, I hit the “register" button. The L screen pops up again, only this time, with my name and a welcome message below it. A smile pops up on my face as my account easily gets accepted by the app.
Alright! Now to shower while I wait and see if anybody messages.
I place my phone back on the desk and swing my legs over the side of my bed. I'm feeling considerably less tired than I was a moment ago as I wiggle my toes on the ground and stand up. I stretch my arms into the air and release a yawn that gets cut off by a little ding! from my phone. Surprised, I pick up my phone and my eyes go wide as I read that I have received one new message from a guy named Nature.
Seriously?! That was fast as hell!
I tap on the notification and open it with my touch ID.
“Hey there! Welcome to Liuesi, how was your voyage in?"
He has a brown and green faced wolf as his profile picture which looks very VERY realistic, not to mention handsome.
Damn, I need to commission whoever the heck did his art!
The question annoys me though, I didn't partake in a voyage of any kind, so why is that the first thing I get asked? I continue carefully.
“What do you mean sir?"
I turn off my phone, expecting him to reply after a little while, but my phone dings again almost instantly and I realize this is going to be harder than I expected. He wasn't going to give me any time at all to think. I open the app again and read Nature's reply.
“Haha, you're funny! How was your trip to Illem? And there's no need to be so formal with me, I'm only a prince after all."
Illem? I've never even heard of that place, and now this guy is pretending to be a prince? Wait… pretending… of course! He's roleplaying dummy!
“*Ahem*, yes of course, pardon me for my ignorance. My trip to Illem was wonderful thank you! I must say, it is quite a pretty city."
There, let's see how he likes that!
“That it is! I'm so glad you approve of the city. I hope you're finding the accommodations to your liking?"
Wow, he's really getting into this huh? At least it's something though, I can't say I'm not enjoying myself. Maybe I could make him my friend! It's been too long since I've had one.
“Absolutely! The bed is super comfortable and the room's decorations are top notch! The tub is massive and so is the rest of the bathroom for that matter. Is this tub made of marble? The material sure looks like marble! So shiny and white. The paintings on the walls are just gorgeous as well!"
Whew! Sure is exhausting coming up with all this pretend stuff, especially when it has to be so detailed. I can't let Nature down though! I want to be his friend.
“Really? I didn't know we had any paintings in the palace! What painting are you looking at now?"
So I'm staying in a palace eh? Not bad at all Nature hehe.
“Well I didn't know I was in a palace! And to answer your question, I'm staring at a painting of the Mona Lisa right now, Leonardo did such a good job on her don't you think?"
I see Nature typing back but then he stops, and there's an uncomfortable pause for a few minutes. I wait with bated breath, wondering if I have said something wrong. He starts typing again though and I release the breath I've been holding in.
“You… you're not from here are you? Do you know how much trouble I could get in just for speaking to you?! Our races are forbidden from speaking! How did you get on this app?"
Woah! What's up with the sudden seriousness of this guy? I thought we were having fun…
“I'm sorry…? Look, I'm new to this whole app and I have no idea how it got on my phone, truly. I just woke up this morning and it was there…"
“You came into contact with a portal didn't you?"
A portal?
“Look, Nature. I never came into contact with any portal and you're starting to take this role-playing way too seriously."
“You think I'm just like you don't you?"
Just like me? This guy's weird for sure, not to mention he ignored the fact that I said we're role-playing.
“Of course I don't think that! I'm sorry if I've said or done something wrong…"
“No… I'm sorry for snapping at you. You have no idea what's going on after all, it's not your fault."
Another change in mood?! He seriously needs to make up his mind about how he feels.
“It's alright Nature, I just really want to get to know you, that's all. I don't really have any friends, I thought the role-playing was going well, heh."
“Firstly, I wasn't role-playing at all and secondly… you seem more considerate than most people in my city, not to mention that I can relate to that want of a friend."
Wow, maybe we are more alike than I thought.
“Well, I can be your friend :D if you want that is. Also, don't be silly, of course we were role-playing :p I'm certainly not in a palace."
“Really?! You have no idea how excited that makes me! My tail is wagging like a Sawelet right now! It hasn't done that in a long while!"
“A Sawelet? What's that?"
“Oh right, that doesn't exist in your world does it? Think of helicopter blades spinning, it's similar to that… in terms of speed anyway."
He is so silly I giggle to myself in my room and a smile lights up my face as the tension from earlier melts away, missing the fact that Nature has yet again ignored the role-playing claim.
“Awwwh, that sounds adorable! Makes me wish I had a tail to wag, you know?"
I should've felt embarrassed sending that message but Nature somehow makes it more fun than anything else.
“Of course I wouldn't know, I actually have a tail to wag, unlike you."
Heh, the more he talks, the more I like him!
Flashback Ends
And that's how I met Nature! Onto the phone in my hand now.
“You really are just a big puppy on the inside aren't ya?"
I could practically feel the grin on Nature's face as I read the text to myself. I shake my head and my thumbs swiftly tap across the keyboard of my phone as I try to come up with some witty reply.
“Hey! At least I'm not pretending to be a big puppy unlike someone I know."
I can see “Nature is typing" after he immediately reads my message.
Jeez, I'll never get used to how fast he responds.
“Who, me? That's absurd. First off, I'm not pretending to be anything. Second off, I am a wolf, a real wolf. You know, claws, fur, etc. not a damned puppy."
Here he goes with his “I really am a wolf speech" again.
“Did you want another picture of me to prove my words?"
This photo thing, he always sends a selfie of himself in a wolf fursuit. Every. Single. Time. To be fair though, the suit does look very realistic. I have to give the maker credit in that regard, even if Nature won't tell me who made it for him.
“No I don't want another picture of you, you send the same thing every time!"
“Well I tell you every single time that it's not a suit and you STILL won't believe me."
“Of course I won't believe you, if you truly were that would be one of my fantasies come true. Anthropomorphic animals simply don't exist… not in this day and age anyway."
“They do though! I'm in a world absolutely filled with Illemians… or as you call us, “anthropomorphic animals"."
Ah, and of course, there's that. Nature supposedly lives in this city called Illem which I giggle at because the name sounds so strange. He really does have a huge imagination, but after knowing him for 6 months, I've gotten used to this.
“You should try book writing, you could make a fortune with that massive imagination of yours."
“Hah! I'm sure I could. That would lead to slightly less time with you though now wouldn't it? Besides, stories aren't that big over here."
I can feel a slight heat enter my cheeks at these words and I know I'm blushing. Luckily, nobody comes outside right after a downpour in the middle of the night because they can't sleep except for me. Hooray for whacked up sleep schedules!
There's definitely no chance that he likes me right? I mean, that would be silly! Even if he did, we haven't met… so I decide to ignore the flirty implications of said statement.
“You know, me spending all of this time on my phone doesn't look so good. I can't make any real life friends like this."
“Well… we could meet up in your world, then we'd be real life friends."
I read the message and it doesn't process in my mind for just a bit.
Eh, EH? I nearly drop my phone into the river below me as my hands start shaking with excitement. I fumble with the delicate device for a moment before finally holding it steady and collecting my thoughts.
Meet up? Is he for real? How come he didn't offer this sooner?
“Sorry I didn't offer this sooner, I have a hard time trusting people. I'd really like to tell you more about it when I get to you though, you're the first real friend that I've cared about."
Well there's that question answered I think and grin to myself. The smile on my face is so wide that it cramps and starts to hurt.
“I'd LOVE to meet up, I've been waiting forever for you to mention that!"
“You know that you could have mentioned that you wanted to meet up instead of waiting for me, right?"
… he makes a good point.
“Well duh, of course I knew that! Just wanted you to say it to me, and now you have!"
“Alright then! I'll come to see you when I can Captain Obvious, how about that?"
I'm not THAT obvious I think indignantly, Not enough for a nickname like that anyway. I start typing a reply but before I can respond he sends another message.
“There's my dad telling me lights out, I'll see you tomorrow!"
“Alright, goodnight Nature :) see you tomorrow!"
I see Nature go offline and I sigh happily, placing my phone back in my pocket.
How lucky a guy am I to have met a friend as great as Nature? As good as Nature?
Nature is the reason I've been functioning like a newly oiled machine for the past 6 months. He keeps my mental state healthy, something I really needed over the several years of my lifetime. As I stare out over the river, all I can think about is how much Nature has done for me. He flipped my entire life on its head, gave me somebody to care about, and continues on acting as if he's done nothing special. Back on that fateful day of September the 18th where my phone had fallen under the light between the trees, I wonder if Nature and I were destined to meet.
Speaking of that day though… the light. Nature keeps my mind occupied most of the time, but whenever he's not raiding my brain, that strange light always drifts across my thoughts and I wonder what its purpose is. I've gone back to that area at multiple different times on multiple different days, but each time yielded the same result, and the light did not reappear for me.
If the light doesn't have to do with time though, what does make the phantom light appear? This is the question that I constantly ask myself, but no solutions ever come to mind, and I'm left clueless and impatiently awaiting an answer that never reveals itself.
I should probably head back… tomorrow may be the weekend but the time is getting late.
I start heading to my dorm, a full moon hanging in the sky and casting down its pale and ghoulish light on the woods in front of me.
Sure is a pretty night I think with a smile as I reach the prison that is my dorm building. Before I head in though, I look up at the ghostly moon and smile at its brilliance.
Let's hope for some good luck tomorrow, I'll need all I can get.
With that, I walk inside and unlock my door with my silver key, forgetting to lock the wooden entrance behind me. I exhaustedly fall onto my thin mattress in a heap, with all my clothes on, and fall asleep.
The next morning
“Wakey wakey Sundor. Noon is almost upon us."
“Just a couple more minutes dad," I mumble tiredly, keeping my eyes closed.
“Awh, but I travelled so far to get here! Don't tell me you plan to sleep through my visit." I hear a snicker and my eyes open slightly to a brown blob in front of me.
What the… my dad never wears brown. He would also never visit me.
“You're not my dad, are you?"
“What are you talking about? I'm clearly your dad."
I've heard that line before. Nature. My eyes shoot wide open to see a huge brown and green furred wolf towering over my bed.
He looks down at me with a wolfish grin on his muzzle.
“Hey Sundor." he says with a wink and I faint.