FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The mid-spring sun had just began to set behind buildings in the grungy suburban city. Gentle oranges, pale burgundies, and crisp yellows spread in a hue across the sky as I stared up high at nothing in particular. You wouldn't think a dirty, littered alley to have an air of tranquility to it. But as the polluted smog rose from the factories to blend with the colored sky, I felt peace. That peace was abruptly shattered when my stomach rumbled loud enough to spook the rats that were dining in the shadowed corners of my surroundings. A thin paw reached down to gently hold my caved-in stomach as I half sighed, half winced at the pangs of hunger that reminded me I hadn't eaten in days.

_ '_I need food. Wonder if the bakery is still open... Only one way to find out.'

Slowly, I rose onto shaky feet and waited for the dizziness to pass before walking along the side of the alley. It wasn't a long trek to the bakery in question, perhaps a mile or so. With any luck, I could catch the manager before she left for the day. Mrs. Nelson was one of the first individuals I had the pleasure of meeting after I ended up calling this side street my home. She found me one early morning laying against the back door entrance to her store. Instead of scolding me and rushing me off of her property, she kindly took me inside for coffee and breakfast. Since then, I've been promised by her that I could have any of her bakery's food that would otherwise be pitched, just as long as I stay safe and come to her when I needed help.

Just as I rounded the corner onto the connecting alley that would lead me to her doorstep, the loud click of a door or latch being shut echoed within the brick walls. Panic gripped tight in my chest as I sped forward, fearfully thinking it was Mrs. Nelson getting in her car to leave for the day. Wind ruffled my fur as I ran as fast as my shaky legs could carry me up the slow incline of the alley until I spotted the bakery, as well as the terrier walking down the building's steps. She paused and swiveled her ears in my direction before doing so with her entire head, her eyes growing wide as she caught sight of me.

"Adam, what's the matter?" She shouted while rushing over to me. A pang of guilt pounded in my chest once I saw the fear in her eyes, but it couldn't even begin to compare to the pang of hunger mixed with pain that was constantly tearing through my stomach in that moment. "Why are you running? Are you hurt?" She firmly gripped both of my shoulders - one in each paw - and stared at me with concern.

I shook my head while taking a few deep breaths to slow my heart down. "I wanted to catch you before you went home for the day. I'm not hurt, but--" I couldn't stop from wincing as a the pains grew more incessant "...starving. I'm starving."

"My god, you poor thing. Come inside quickly; it's getting a bit chilly out here, isn't it?" Her muzzle adorned a smile as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders without hesitation and lead me up the steps to the bakery. Swiftly, she unlocked the door and ushered me inside. A blast of warm air carrying aromas of fresh baked goods hit my face while the terrier walked in with me, letting the door swing shut behind us.

"Maria," she called, "bring me the tray of food that you were going to throw out before you left today, along with a few bottles of water." Mrs. Nelson had to shout over the sounds of an active kitchen hard at work as she helped me to what I had been told is the employee break area adjacent to her office. She lowered me down onto the seat and sat across from me at one of the booths. A few seconds later, the sounds of muffled claws scraping against hard flooring became audible in the far distance. My ears swiveled to the right, trying to pinpoint where they were coming from. The clicks grew louder until a petite, green speckled lizard wearing an apron rounded the corner carrying a large tray waitress-style.

"So this is where you went off to; I thought you were at the front door still!" She gently laid her paw on the terrier's back before turning to me, never once losing her smile. "And who might you be? Don't think I've seen you before."

I felt my tail try to tuck between my legs as my ears quivered. "Oh, uhm... I'm Adam."

"He's a homeless feline I met a few months ago. Whenever possible, I try to give him food that would otherwise end up in a landfill. That's why I requested you to bring out the barely stale pastries," Mrs Nelson explained, flashing a wink at me before turning her attention back to the lizard.

Maria's eyes grew wider as she gently placed the tray onto the table. "That's the kindest thing I've heard in months. You're really trying to rack up the karma points, aren't you?" She chuckled and faced me, smiling sympathetically. "It will get better, Adam. If you need something, just knock loudly at the door and someone here will help you. You have friends here." She pat my head before turning to stride away, the clicks growing more distant after she rounded the corner.

"She's right, you know." The terrier interlaced her fingers together, forming a bridge to rest her chin upon while she talked. "We will do everything in our power can to help you, and I want you to know that." After a moment of silence, she nodded toward the food sitting in front of us. "Don't let me stop you, you need to eat."

Hesitantly, I picked up a pastry at random and took a nibble. Even though it was a bit stale, the breading quickly melted in my mouth, coating my tongue in a slightly sugared substance.

"Sorry that it's not quite up to standard..." Mrs. Nelson sighed and shook her head.

I narrowly opened my eyes to stare at the Yorkshire. "Please, don't apologize for giving me free food. This is still infinitely better than being without anything to eat." I muttered before taking a larger, fuller bite.

She chuckled and held her paws up in surrender. "Okay, I'm sorry." The terrier grew a bit more serious and looking at me. "How long has it been since you've eaten last, sweetie?"

I paused, looking down at the table before gently raising my eyes to meet hers. "What day is it, again?"

"If the last place you've eaten at was here, it's been a little over four days." She rubbed her temples slowly, sighing. I didn't say anything and continued to nibble on what I had been offered. "Why didn't you come here sooner, Adam?"

"I... didn't want to be a bother. I know that you throw away breads and other baked goods a few days after being first put on the shelf. I thought four days was a safe enough time to come see if you had anything."

As my left paw held the morsel of food, my right began to thrum on the desk. After ten or so taps, I felt a paw gently rest on my own. "We throw things out daily, sweetie. Sometimes, we accidentally make too much. Other times, we mess up on the decorations or frosting, so we set that aside to either eat ourselves or just simply toss out. So please, stop by daily. I would so much rather have everything we make end up in bellies as opposed to a portion in trash bins."

I took my eyes off of the floor to stare at the canine sitting in front of me. As expected, the only thing she had on her face was a warm, loving smile, the same one she always wears. Without thinking, I turned my paw so that I could hold onto hers and smiled, genuine and kind. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Nelson."

"Please, call me Tina dear. I appreciate the respect you always show for me and my employees, but I think we are past the professional phase." We shared a giggle as I finished off the first bit of food I was given. She grew a bit more solemn before squeezing my hand gently. "May I ask a question? It's quite personal, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"How did I end up on the street?" I asked, my smile taking on a sadder edge, but never vanishing. She turned her eyes to the side, then up, then down; anywhere other than meeting my gaze. "I ran away from my foster home. They... did things to me..." My voice trailed off as I stared into the water bottle. Cautiously, I looked back to the terrier to see her wide-eyed stare.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked."

"You deserved to know. That's also why I haven't been seeking too much help. I'm afraid that if I tell people why I'm on the streets..."

"...that you'll be sent back to your foster parent's home without a second thought." Tina finished my explanation for me, her thumb gently rubbing circles into the back of my paw. I nodded and shivered, suddenly feeling cold in the still relatively warm room. Without saying anything, she walked over to my side, gently pulled me onto my feet and wrapped her arms around me, cautiously placing her paws onto the small of my back. "I can't say I know what you've been through or understand your struggles. However, if you ever tell me the names of the monsters who hurt such a nice, loving boy..." She stopped herself and held me closer for a second before easing off. "You have help here, and you have friends here. You don't have to be alone anymore."

I was doing well at containing my emotions until I heard that last whisper. I expelled a quivering sigh as a pair of tears fell from my eyes and onto her shirt, leaving twin dots. "Thank you so much... thank you." My voice was shaky as she pat my back and took a step back, each of us wiping our eyes using our arms.

"No, thank you for holding on long enough until you found safety." She sat back down and smiled, prompting me to do the same. "That took a lot of strength to tell me, so thank you for that as well. Am I okay to ask another question? This one isn't nearly as personal."

I chuckled as I bit into what I later learned was a chocolate eclair, the flavor making me hold back a moan to save me the embarrassment. "Shoot," I muttered after swallowing the bite.

"I'm close friends with the chief police officer in town. If you want to get help, I can arrange for you to meet with him while guaranteeing your security, as well as promising that you'll never see your foster parents again."

My jaw froze while gawking at her, both in disbelief and intrigue. "How can you be so sure?" I choked out a second later.

"Ben is one of the most lawful and respectful furs I know, as well as the nicest. There is no way he would send you back there, Adam. He would rather you live with him and his partner before doing such a..." She broke off her sentence with a shake of her head, seemingly trying not to think about the information I had disclosed. "He wouldn't do that. You would be safe with him."

Staring blankly into space, I continued eating while trying to process that information. Weighing the risk versus reward, I turned back to her. "What would you do, in my position?"

Her eyes widened in surprise, not expecting that answer. She didn't have to think long. "I'd trust my gut. Only you know how bad your life is right now and if you would rather chance trying to seek justice. I can call him right now." Tina glanced at her wrist watch before adding, "He's off work in ten minutes. What do you want us to do, Adam? This is your call."

Completely and utterly dumbfounded, I slowly leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling.'I can't go back there... anywhere but there. Though if I can get off the streets...'_I closed my eyes and inwardly sighed.'It's really not bad out there. The worst part is not being self-sufficient. He could help me turn my life around... maybe I can go back to school like a normal child. Maybe I could have a somewhat normal life again, after...'_My eyes felt glazed over as I opened them again to stare at the terrier. "No, it's your call. Please, I don't want to live like this anymore."

Tina reached across the table to take my paw in hers, brushing and rubbing it reassuringly. Fishing her phone out of her pocket, she pressed a few times on the touch screen and set it on the table with the receiver directly under her. I was confused until the device began ringing in a much louder volume than I expected. Only then did I realize that she put it on speaker for me.

After a few rings, a masculine yet calming voice rang out from the phone. "Tina! Wasn't expecting a call from you; have a special sale you wanted to tell me about?"

Grinning, the Yorkshire responded. "You know you can always get a discount here. However, I'm calling because I need your help. Specifically, I need a policeman's help."

"What's going on?" The voice, which I could safely assume was Ben's, took a much more serious edge, losing its mirth to gain concern and professionalism.

The canine glanced up at me, squeezed my hand, then looked back to her phone. "A few months ago, a homeless feline showed up on the back entrance to my store, starving and freezing. Instead of throwing away food that would otherwise end up in my dumpster, I've been giving it to him. Frankly, he needs more help than I can provide at this point, and told him that I trust you completely with doing just that."

Shuffling could be heard from the receiver, along with the tapping of what sounded like a keyboard. "What do you know about him? Full name..? Species..?" The policeman's voice trailed off, obviously waiting for an answer. Tina and I stared at each other for a few seconds before she mouthed "go on" to me.

Steeling myself, I took a deep, calming breath before exhaling through my nose. "W-What do you need to know?"

"Oh, why hello there. I'm assuming that I'm on speaker. May I run a background check on you? It's nothing bad, I just want to know a bit more about you." Ben spoke in a very soothing and understanding manner, which I appreciated.

One glance at Tina's reassuring smile gave me a boost of confidence. "Of course, sir. My name is Adam Silva, Maine Coon, seventeen years old."

A few more clicks could be heard. "Adam Terran Silva?"

"That would be me."

"Seventeen years old and you're on the streets... First of all, I'm sorry that life handed you that, especially at such a young age." More mechanical taps before another shuffle. "It will take a minute or so for everything to process. What happened to you, Adam?"

I suddenly felt cold as a shiver went down my spine, causing me to curl in on myself. "I... ran away from my foster home. Living out in the alley was a choice, not a requirement. Sadly, I'm happy with my decision as well." Feeling two paws curl around my own tenderly caused me to bury my head into my arm and mewl quite pathetically.

"You poor thing. Adam, please listen to me. There is no chance of you going back there. I promise you that. If I have my way with things, you won't even be put back into the foster care system."

"I told you he was a great and dependable man, didn't I?" Tina prodded.

Ben chuckled a bit dryly. "I just do what I can. It's actually about time for my shift to end. How about this: I'll go home, get changed out of my uniform into something a bit less intimidating, and drive over to the bakery with my fiance. From there, we will figure out what to do. Sound good?"

Silence filled the air while I processed everything that was happening. "Thank..." I trailed off as my voice quivered hard from emotions. I shook my head, forcefully squeezed my eyes to get the tears out, and tried again. "Thank you, Ben. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Adam. You're very welcome. See you guys in a bit." With that, the call dropped, causing the phone to illuminate with the time of the call and Ben's contact photo. Judging from the picture, he looked to be either a bobcat or lynx, with tufted ears and an infectious smile.

Tina picked up her phone and stuffed it into her pocket before standing and sitting next to me, wrapping her arm gently around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry that all of this happened to you, Adam."

Taking a chance, I wrapped my arms around the canine, nuzzling underneath her chin while sobbing silently. "You're the only one who doesn't have to apologize. You're saving my life..."

She pulled me closer, bringing a paw to cup my cheek and cradle my upper body and head, secure but tender. "What a life worth saving, as well..."

Knowing any attempt to stop the tears from flowing would be futile, I simply didn't try. Instead, I carefully twisted my lower body against her in order to reach into my front pocket. I took my time in order to insure I didn't damage the item wrapped in the soiled red rag as I held it up before the two of us to see. Fluidly, I peeled the fabric away to reveal the only possession I had managed to keep in all of my time out on the streets.

Tina gently held the other bottom corner of the photograph and nuzzled my cheek. "Is this you and your parents, hun?" I nodded as my eyes began to sting again. The photo was taken nearly seven years ago, right before I turned eleven. Mom and dad were flying out on a business trip, so we all decided to take a family photo before they left for a little over a month. I was never sad to see them gone for long periods of time; they had their dream jobs, I knew they loved me unconditionally, and we always made sure to video call for at least one hour every other day. Our weeks to months apart were never sad, until...

The terrier hugged me closer still and timidly whispered into my ear. "What happened..?"

I closed my eyes, recalling the night on which I received the worst news of my life. "The plane they were flying on had engine failure over the Pacific Ocean." A sob cracked from my chest so hard it hurt as I whined. "No one survived."

Hearing a gentle hiccup in her breathing, Tina reached up and pet my head, her paw trembling as she gently placed a tender kiss on the back of my head. "I'm so, so sorry Adam..."

Sighing silently, I let myself lay limp against her. A significant portion of the time that I've been without a home I spent mourning the life I once had. While it still stung, talking about my parents didn't get to me nearly as bad as it once did. I tilted my head up to look back into her amber eyes. Although a bit foggy, her eyes were still warm and gentle. "Thank you, Mrs. Nelson."

"You should have never needed my help in the first place, dear." She whispered, gently wiping a thumb over my snout to dry it somewhat.

"Still, I can't put into words how much I appreciate you and everything you've done for me. Without you... I'm not even sure if I could have survived."

"You would have found a way. Despite what you went through, you never gave up and you stayed strong. You're a lot tougher than anyone realizes, Adam... including yourself."

My face flushed at the compliments. "Thank you, but you're still the savior in this story. At the very least, you opened up a lot of amazing options that I wouldn't have had without you being who you are."

Her smile grew wider as both of our ears swiveled to the front door chiming as it was swung open. Tina gently guided me onto my feet and lead me to the front of the store. Nervous chills ran down my spine and through my stomach, causing me to trail behind her a step or two once we reached the locked door that separates the sale and dining area from the kitchen. I took a deep, steady breath as the terrier unlocked the doors and slowly pushed them open.

Two shrill gasps in near perfect unison tore through the air, echoing weirdly around the empty dining room. Even though the big cat was the one I was supposed to be primarily focused on, nothing else in the room mattered besides the arctic fox that stood beside him. Memories I had long ago buried deep within my subconscious came roaring to the surface as I stood petrified, loosing myself into the fox's pale amethyst eyes. Those gemstones held a layer of mist as he took one shallow half step forward and swallowed hard. "Adam? Sprout, is that you?"

My own quivering voice mimicked his own as a single word escaped my mouth. "...Tan."