In My Time of Need - Chapter 1 (Redo)
#4 of In My Time of Need
Chapter 1... Again?!
Hello my furs! I know some of you might be thinking "redo"? What the heck is this? Well I went back yesterday and reread the chapter a few times, and with the help of a few constructive commenters found many design flaws in the chapter. I realized I was missing a lot of backstory and the escape plan was not very well though out, so this time around there are a lot of improvements. And so with this redo of chapter 1 I hope we can have a fresh start with the new story! Hope you enjoy and I'll see you all at the bottom of the page!
My eyes squinted shut at the bright light being shown above me, but they adjusted quickly and I sighed knowing what was coming next. Just one of my daily tests these monsters performed on me for their research. I hated my existence, wishing that it would just all end so I could finally rest in peace.
In a world ravaged by a new disease, humans inflicted with this virus were transformed into anthropomorphic animals without warning. Now some of you might say "a tail and ears with some extra fur can't be that bad right"?
Well I haven't gotten to the particular side effect that has been responsible for countless deaths and this now torn nation. Those who are inflicted with the disease have a very high chance of degenerating into primal status where the animal's instincts and irrational thinking takes over.
Hunting and ravaging become the main priorities of the individual which isn't a good thing in an urban population where other disease holders are found, leading to fights over territory and food. But there is a bright side to this story.
There are some who hold genes that render this undesirable side effect null. My brother and I just happen to be a couple of them. We turned into foxes, nothing crazy, but it didn't take long for scientists to realize the potential for a cure lied in those who were immune to the side effects.
They found us easily, a couple of teenagers living on the streets waiting to succumb to our fate. They told us we were special and that they would take us in and protect us... one of the worst decisions I could have ever made.
Now as I lay here with a needle in my arm taking blood and a scientist taking fur samples from me I wonder what I ever did to deserve this fate. Part of me wishes I would have just gone primal so I wouldn't have to be here, but the one thing that kept me going was my younger brother.
I swore to my late mother that I would protect him no matter what and I didn't plan on breaking that promise any time soon.
"Alright 432, we're all done." One of the scientists spoke as he withdrew the needle from my arm. I rubbed the spot slightly before sitting up on the table.
"Open up." He spoke once I was sitting straight. I glared at him defiantly, not wanting to take the medicine I knew would help ease some of the pain I was feeling. I didn't want their help anymore, not after what they've done.
"Open up or no recess today." He said, hitting my soft spot immediately. Recess time was the only time I got to see my brother during the day, so I reluctantly opened my muzzle and he made sure the pill made it down my throat. I had some nerve to not clamp down on the finger forcing the medicine into me, but I knew I'd get punished big time for that.
"Take him back, we're through for today." He said to the guard. I hopped off the table and the guard cuffed and blindfolded me, precautions so I had no way of knowing where I was going in the building.
It didn't keep me from memorizing the layout of the building in steps. 11 steps down the hall then a left turn into another corridor in which we took 17 steps down before a sharp right and a few steps to my cell.
He uncuffed me and I entered the small cell that represented my home for the last 3 years. A twin mattress laid in the corner of the room and I collapsed tiredly onto it. I was ready for recess time so I could see my brother, but I knew it would still be a while before then.
I closed my tired eyes for just a moment when footsteps approaching my cell caused my ears to stand up straight.
"Nathan? I brought your lunch. You should eat, you look exhausted." I smiled at the sight of Edna my caretaker, one of the only people that treated me like an actual person in this hellhole.
"I'm really not hungry Edna, but you can leave the tray there. I'll get to it." I told her quietly. She frowned at my response.
"I worry about you Nathan, please eat so I know that you're okay." She nearly begged. I felt bad for making her worry, so I stood up and took the tray from her through the food slot. My nose scrunched up at the smell of the stale ham sandwich and apple, but I sat down and began eating.
Edna watched the entire time as I ate, the small smile forming on her face with every bite I took. I finished the meal quickly and she smiled at the empty tray that I handed back to her.
"Thank you Nathan. Get some rest, you look like you could use it." She told me.
I nodded before responding, "Could you check on him for me? Make sure he eats, he looks skinnier every time I see him." I asked her.
"Of course, I'll send a guard when it's time for recess." She replied. I nodded again and laid back down on the tiny mattress, feet hanging off the end. I let out a long sigh as I closed my eyes and tried to rest, my sleep haunted by nightmares of the past. I jostled awake at the sound of pounding on the bars of the cell.
"Up 432. Time for recess." The guard spoke sternly. I yawned before responding.
"Would it kill you to use my name? Do you even know my name?" I asked sarcastically. He ignored the smart remark and cuffed my hands together and tied the blindfold around my eyes. He guided me down to the recess room, nothing more than another cement room with a different name.
He led me inside and removed my bindings before shutting the door behind him. I was immediately hugged from behind and I turned to embrace the slightly shorter figure of my younger brother.
"Hey Zach, how are you?" I asked him.
"A little sore from yesterday, but I'm fine." He said quietly. I noticed the bruises on his arms likely due to rough handling of my brother, causing a light growl to simmer in my throat.
"I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." He reassured me. It didn't help me any as I sat down on the cold cement.
"I hate how they treat us. We might be half animal but that doesn't mean we deserve to be treated like them." I grumbled. He sat down in front of me, staying quiet. I frowned at his quieter-than-usual state.
"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked him concernedly.
"I'm just tired is all. Nightmares had me up all night." He replied. I nodded, being able to relate to that. The consistent nightmares were a constant reminder to the endless tests we'd be subjected to over the years. Dreams at this point were a thing of the past, all good memories having faded away a long time ago.
"Did you eat today?" I continued the questioning. He nodded in response.
"Edna wouldn't leave until I did." He said quietly. I made a mental note to thank Edna later and we sat in silence for a moment.
"So what do you wanna do?" He asked me, breaking the silence. I pondered the thought for a moment before I sent a mischievous glance his way. He recognized the look instantly and I watched as he scrambled to get to his feet.
His nails skidded against the cement giving me the opportunity to jump on top of him and begin tickling him mercilessly. He screamed and laughed at my giggle inducing ministrations.
"Nathan please! Please no more I can't breathe!" He gasped out between laughs. I finally relented and watched amusedly as he heaved on the ground trying to catch his breath.
"I... hate... you... so much..." He gasped out. I wiggled my fingers again at the statement, and his eyes widened in fear.
"I mean I love you big bro! Please don't tickle me again!" He pleaded. I reached over and ruffled his hair lightly.
"Love you too bud. We should probably do our exercise." I told him. I stood up and helped him up off the ground as we began our daily exercise. It wasn't much, just a few laps around the room and some pushups to keep our muscles from deteriorating.
A loud buzzer rang through our ears alerting us that our time was up and I hugged my brother once again before we had to part. I offered him one more smile as he walked up to the door and received his cuffs. The guard must not have been having a good day as he added a shove as he began leading Zachary away.
We both growled, my deeper growl much more prominent than his. It didn't last long however as the guard whacked my brother on the back of his head hard enough for him to see stars through the blindfold.
His pained yelp was enough for me to see red and my growl developed into a viscous snarl as I slammed my shoulder against the door, trying uselessly to force my wait out of the room.
"You hit him again and I tear your throat out! You hear me?!" I shouted ferociously. I reveled at the look of fear in his eyes as he led my brother away as I paced around the room angrily, the hair on my back raised in rage.
"432 we need you to calm down before we can send the guard in." A voice spoke through the intercom.
"Fuck off." I said as I sat down in the corner of the room, tail thrashing angrily behind me.
"432 you need to cooperate with us or we will be forced to use more persuasive methods." The voice spoke again.
"And I said fuck off. And learn my name while you're at it." I spoke agitatedly. A few minutes passed as I sat in silence in the corner of the room. In my still prominent rage I failed to notice the glass barrier lowering down to block off the holes in the one wall that wasn't cement.
My ears perked at the light hissing sound that filled the room, and my eyes widened as I realized what they were doing. The scent of the sedative filled my sensitive vulpine nose and I felt my mind grow hazy. The sight of the door opening was the last thing I saw as I felt unconsciousness take over.
I groaned at my pounding head as my eyes slowly opened. I was back in my room, the incident from the recess room still fresh in my mind. I was savagely defensive of my brother; if you wanted him you had to go through me.
I'd put his life before mine on a constant basis, volunteering for experiments to make sure he wouldn't have to suffer. I couldn't imagine life without him, he was basically the only thing that kept me going strong in this sorry excuse for a life.
"Nathan? Are you alright dear?" Edna's voice sounded from the door. I met her concerned gaze with a hard gaze of my own.
"Is he okay?" I asked her, ignoring her concern for me.
"He's fine, I asked if you were okay Nathan." She said sternly. Her forwardness surprised me, but I responded nonetheless.
"I'm fine, although I would refrain from sending that guard to get me any time soon. I promised that I'd tear his throat out earlier." I said bluntly.
"Nathan you need to learn to control you-"
"You didn't see him hit him. Edna I couldn't help it, I just lost it. It just made me so angry and..." I trailed off as I felt emotion begin to overwhelm me.
"Edna I can't take it anymore. I hate my life and every day I wish I could just die so I can be done with this hellhole." I exclaimed. Her expression softened as I felt myself cry for the first time in a while.
"Nathan... I'm going to help you out of here. But I need your full cooperation for this to work." She said hesitantly. My head shot up to meet her eyes again, searching for any sign of deception in her gaze.
"How?" I asked simply, still somewhat unsure of her proclamation.
"At nine o'clock all the day guards go home and the night guards switch in. There's about a 5 minute period in between shift changes which would allow you to escape through one of the exits if we time it right." She said quietly. I nodded slowly, letting the idea soak in.
"We would have to swing by to get Zach but I think it could work." I replied.
"It's about 6 o'clock right now, so you need to be ready. I'll go let Zach know but you have to act normal until then. If the guards think something is up they won't delay during their switches." She exclaimed.
"No problem. I'll just lay here and be bored as usual." I responded. She smiled slightly and shook her head.
"I'll be bringing your dinner shortly. Be back later." She said. I nodded at her as she turned and walked down the hall. I sighed in suppressed anticipation for tonight. This could turn out very good... or very bad. But I'll take any chance I can get.
Aaaaand we're done here! That is the (hopefully) new and improved version of In My Time of Need Chapter 1, I'm happy with how it turned out. But that's all for me, it's late and I wanna get some sleep. Thanks for understanding and I hope you all enjoyed! I'll see you fuzzballs tomorrow, see ya!