FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

As the rain fell from the sky drenching the dark streets of the city, a young fox could be seen sitting on curb with tears of pain running down the sides of his face. The fox looked at the reflection of himself in one of the puddles on the street, only to cry even more as he noticed the blood running from the gash on his snout.

His snowy white fur was drenched in blood and sweat and rain and the sound of rain hitting the ground made him fall deeper into sorrow. He started to recall what had happened and he stopped in mid-thought.

"I'm....I'm useless." He said out loud, lowering his head to the ground. Things had happened today that hadn't before, so many things were all rushing to his mind.

"I could've stopped him... or something... I should've been the one who... who died" The fox cried more. He'd have to return home sooner or later. And then he would have to face the consequences of his actions... or in his case the lack thereof. What would they think when they found out? The fox stood up onto the sidewalk. He decided that if he sat there and cried, nothing would change, so he started to walk home.

Reaching the corner store at the edge of the town, he could smell the thick scent of drugs and beer. Ignoring them for a while the fox walked faster down the street. Suddenly he tripped over something and hit the ground ripping his jeans and scraping up his knee.

As he lay there wincing in pain he felt himself being grabbed and thrown into an alley. Looking up to see what had grabbed him he shrieked in horror. It was a panther, wearing a blood stained shirt and jeans; and he stepped toward the fox, his eyes glowing a dark red. His fists were clenched into fists. The black panther was known throughout the town. He was bigger than most grown men, he was at least three times the size of the fox.

"Where are you going?"The panther snarled. The fox just stared at him paralyzed with fear. "Answer me when I talk to you goddamn it!" The fox yelped as he felt the panther's foot kick him in the side. "No... let me go..." The fox answered with a mournful squeak.

"You didn't answer my question." The panther kicked him in the side again. The fox could only cry out again. I'm going to die tonight after all, he thought, I'm going to die like he did.

Grabbing the fox's head the panther pulled out a knife and put it to his neck. The panther smiled as Alexos gasped and began to jerk his head trying to get away from the blade as best he could.

Alexos used one of his paws to try to force the blade away and felt with his other across the wet ground for a rock, anything to use to hit the panther with to get away. As he searched the panther began to laugh, applying pressure to the blade, but still barely flexing as the fox put all his force behind keeping it from slicing through his fur.

"Scared? Don't be, you'll join your friend in hell where I helped to put him." The panther began to laugh again as tears flowed from Alexos' eyes. Finally his grasping paw found something.

Not caring what it was, he clenched at it and felt it cut him, it was a glass shard. He had found a weapon of his own at the cost of a cut. Using all the energy he could muster he threw the glass shard at the panther.

"What the... You little bastard!" The panther screamed as the glass shard flew directly into his eye and the knife he held to the fox's throat dropped.

Using his opportunity, Alexos mustered up all the energy he could and ran while the panther was recovering from the glass.

Running from the alley Alexos turned and ran. Not in any direct path or to any place, he just ran. Tears streamed down his face as the rain began to pour harder, and the water clouted him, making him feel like he was running through a barrage of small rocks. Alexos flew back and hit his head on the cement as he felt the opening of yet another wound begin to gush out his blood. He looked up at the fur he had bumped into, only hoping that it wasn't the panther, somehow getting in front of him to finish him off.

The figure was wearing a black trench coat and went barefoot.

It was a husky. The canine towered over Alexos and stared at him with cool eyes. He felt himself being scanned over by the figure. Looking over at the husky, he uttered a quick apology.

"No problem... just watch yourself, some people aren't so nice around these parts."

Alexos stood up as the husky spoke. The voice sounded so much like the panther, and the memory of what had happened to his friend, the fox collapsed back onto the ground as began to weep uncontrollably.

"What...What are you doing? Are you hurt?" The husky kneeled to Alexos as he lifted the small fox and stood him up looking over him again, only now noticing his injuries and the blood staining the sidewalk where he was.

Alexos continued to cry, his tears running down his muzzle and through the gash, making it sting all that much more as the rain continued to pour all around him. He put on his mask, blanking his face as the pain started to set in again. He then looked up at the husky's face, and, not having anything to say, he began to walk past him.

"Wait!" The canine bellowed out to Alexos as he walked away "My house is right here and I probably caused at least one of those cuts you have. Let me at least send you away bandaged up." Alexos turned around and walked back to him, unwilling to fight any longer.

"....T...th..." Alexos stuttered, trying to get out a thanks. The dragon smiled at Alexos and fished through a pocket in his coat for a key and started walking down the street with the fox following him. After a few minutes of walking the two stepped up the stairs of a purple apartment building and stepped inside. The dragon waved to the clerk at the front desk and walked to the stairs, Alexos limping behind him, wincing as he had to step up the stairs.

Finally, the husky stopped and looked back at Alexos to make sure he was still there. He turned his key in the lock and opened the door. Alexos followed him inside and looked around. The room was full of boxes and it looked like he had just moved in. A leather couch was put on the side against the wall, and a T.V had been set up on top of one of the boxes, too.

The canine took off his trench coat and Alexos could see what he was wearing underneath it. A black tshirt and a pair of blue jeans.

Looking at Alexos, the husky chuckled "I just moved in, but make yourself at home." The fox walked slowly over to the couch and sat down. Not knowing what else to do, he kept himself content with staring at the floor.

"Oh... That was impolite of me. What is your name?"

Alexos slowly began to speak, trying not to quiver or stutter. "My name is... Alexos."

The canine nodded, "Nice to meet you Alexos...My name is Mikael. Hold on a second and I will unpack the first aid kit."

Mikael left the room in a hurry into another room which Alexos figured must have been the bathroom.

Alexos wiped his muzzle along his shirt, wiping some more of the blood off. As he looked around the room and he noticed a photo album placed on a table, getting up slowly Alexos walked over and picked it up glancing through the photo album not really doing anything but glancing at the pictures, just something to do... as one really caught his eye. It was a picture of Mikael. He stood by three other people; a polar dragon, a silver fox and a black dragon stood next to him, they were all smiling.

The door to the bathroom opened and Mikael came out holding a small white box in his paws.

Turning around Alexos looked at the husky and almost dropped the photo album. Now that it was not dark and raining like it was outside, Alexos could see Mikael's face clearly. Alexos studied the face and noticed how handsome he was. Not a flaw in his fur.

"Alexos, are you there?"

Alexos snapped out of staring as Mikael talked. He chuckled and walked over to Alexos, kneeling down and opening the white box. He pulled out a tube of cream. "Stand still while I apply this."

Alexos nodded and looked at the husky as he squeezed a bit of cream onto his paw and began to rub it around the gash on Alexos's maw. Alexos stood still and began to think as Mikael applied the cream.

Where am I to go? What am I to do? He didn't know of any other relatives and he didn't have any money at all. One thing was certain... he couldn't go home. Thinking more and more about this, a tear slid down his cheek causing Mikael to stop applying the cream.

"What's wrong? Does the cream hurt?" Alexos looked into Mikael's eyes and shook his head, not saying anything. Mikael continued with the cream along the cuts on Alexos's face and the back of his head.

"There you go Alex, now come into the kitchen so I can finish cleaning up the blood." Mikael walked off into the kitchen leaving Alexos there standing by himself.

Alexos followed Mikael into the kitchen and looked around. He saw a table pushed against the wall and Mikael sitting in a chair.

"Please sit Alexos" said Mikael gesturing toward a chair, "I want to ask you some things."

Alexos sank into a chair and looked at the table, confused and slightly scared.

"Now." Mikael started quietly. "Where do you live? What is your phone number?"

Alexos sighed and tried to hold back tears "I... don't live anywhere anymore." He had made his descision and there was no going back. There was a rather awkward silence as Alexos finished speaking.

"Well I figured that no one would allow their child to be in that rain" Mikael grunted and slowly began to speak again. "Well for tonight this is your home, I have more questions, but you seem tired and it's getting late. We will talk in the morning."

Alexos looked up at Mikael. "I'm not a child."

Mikael smiled and got up, leaving Alexos alone in the kitchen.

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his head of the pain and memories of earlier. He had to be strong. He couldn't be weak again. Had to find a place to go. Live his life in the present and move forward from now. He couldn't break down. So he squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could and wrapped his tail around himself. He rocked slightly, trying to keep calm, trying to block out everything and recede inside himself.

That's why he didn't notice when Mikael came in. The husky kneeled beside him and grasped his shoulder lightly. Alex jumped at the touch. His eyes snapped open and his head quickly took everything in again. Mikael smiled softly and put a small pile of clothes on the table. "To sleep in." Was the only explanation he offered before walking off again.

Alex looked at the clothes and grabbed them, following after where the husky had been not a minute before. He quickly changed, not knowing what to do with his torn and bloodied clothes, just piled them up and left them for the night. He lay down on the couch, trying to get comfortable and eventually falling asleep very early in the morning.