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Fauhst was always my favorite season. The cold, the snow, the ice, and most of all the long peaceful nights. More often than not I'd wander out into the moonlight and walk the silent streets, enjoying the feel of the snow and ice against my paws. But that was fifteen years ago when things were different, when things were normal. Now the arrival of Fauhst is something I dread. A day of reckoning, a fateful remind of what happened on that fateful day all those years ago...

On that day, the city was on red alert. Two weeks' prior a young criminal had committed a string of brutal murders before being arrested by the officials the child bolted, disappearing into the dark back alleys of the city.

Being only five at the time I had been restricted to the house for my own safety, something that, over the long two weeks that passed, had driven me to the point of great frustration.

After the first week I had begun to resent my parents for enforcing the lockdown. It wasn't as if I couldn't take care of myself. I was five, yes, but I was also much stronger and smarter than my peers. I wasn't going to let some random murderer kid scare me into hiding myself away!

Nevertheless, my parents insisted that we take the safe route to ensure that I did not get hurt.

And so, there I was, two weeks bored, sitting on the windowsill at the front of the house drawing snowflake shapes on the frosty pane of glass as the flurries drifted down lazily beyond.

I sighed softly to myself as I finished my fifth snowflake, drawing my claws over the cold wood of the sill as my facial expression slowly contorted into that of profound frustration.

It wasn't fair! I didn't do anything wrong! Why did I have to sit around while whatever criminal had everyone freaking out wandered around the city doing who knows what? The first snowfall had come a week prior and I had given my parents the fright of their lives with the temper tantrum I threw. Not once in my five short years had I been unable to play out in the first snow of Fauhst.

Well there's a first time for everything right?

Anyways, my parents had locked me up for long enough!

With a growl I threw my legs over the edge of the windowsill and jumped down, landing silently and rushing to my bedroom. Once there I opened my closet as quietly as I could, pulling out my coat and gloves and throwing them down on the floor behind me. Once that was done I closed the door ever so carefully and set to work pulling the bulky coat on over my night clothes.

After I got myself into the stifling garment I pulled my gloves on, looking up at my reflection in the mirror on the closet door. The small silver furred wolf boy staring back at me looked very disgruntled and pent up. Two weeks stuck inside was way too long. It was time for me to take things into my own hands.

I remember smiling at myself, perking my little ears and swaying my long fluffy tail and thinking about how It would be really fun to go out and play in the snow again. It felt like it had been so much longer than a few Months since the prior years Faust.

Content with my appearance I turned away from the mirror to look at my brothers bed over to the left of me. He was sound asleep, snoring softly in his stupor. The peace of his sleep that night. I will remember it forever. The last moment I saw him calm and happy before...

Once I was sure he was sound asleep I turned away from his bed, looking over at mine. Typically when I would sneak out I'd try to make it look like I was sleeping, but this time I did not have the patience to do so. Instead I averted my eyes from the bed and began to tiptoe my way back towards the front door.

The house was deathly silent. Everyone was asleep, the moment was right.

I continued to creep forward for what felt like an eternity before finally I reached the door and unlocked it, twisting the knob as slowly as I could stand to before cracking it open and scurrying out into the night.

Once out in the snow I began to run. I wanted to put as much distance between me and the house as possible so that my parents wouldn't ruin my fun.

Before long I was wandering between the high walls of the skyscrapers downtown. It must have been at least 4 am and aside from me not a soul walked the streets.

Finally alone I threw my arms up towards the darkened sky in triumph, flopping down in the snow and rolling about simultaneously trying with all my might not to squeal out in glee.

After rolling around like an idiot for a few minutes I flopped over onto my back breathing heavily as I watched the snow fall down around me. It was the most amazing feeling. Finally I was free! Finally I could enjoy the wonderful cold in peace!

Suddenly I heard a sound. I sat up, pricking my ears and looking around curiously. There was nothing there so I lay back down and opened my mouth to catch snowflakes with my tounge but before I could even get one of the frosty flakes into my muzzle I heard the sound again, much louder.

I bolted upright just in time to see a burly wolf in heavy tactical armor step out of the shadows of one of the alleyways. Three more officers of varying species followed after him, four more behind them, and five behind those, all moving towards me at a slow pace.

I tilted my head at them, perking my ears curiously and immediately they lifted their weapons, shouting to each other in alarm.

I flattened my ears and began to growl at them. They shouldn't have been pointing their guns at me, I wasn't a bad guy, but clearly they did not care. I watched anxiously as The wolf at the front of the group motioned for the others to lower their weapons, dropping his to the ground and walking up to stand in front of me.

"I need you to come with me kid." He said in a rough deep voice.

I shook my head, scooting away from him, "No." I replied anxiously, thinking that the officer intended to take me home so my parents could lock me in again, "I'm fine, I don't need help!"

The officer growled and grabbed my arm roughly, jerking me to my feet. He began to say something about me not having a choice but a rock collided with the side of his helmet mid-sentence

"Hey, why don't you pick on someone closer to your size!?" A familiar voice shouted from the other side of the street.

Immediately the other officers lifted their weapons and pointed them in the direction of the voice. "It's another boy!" One of them shouts, "they look exactly the same!"

"What?" the big wolf shouted, snapping his had around to get a look at my rescuer, whom I had already known was my big brother Zach.

"There's two of them!" another officer yelped, pointing at The silver wolf boy across the street. Being my brother Zach looked like a slightly larger version of me. He was holding a large rock in each hand, his fur bristling as he flung the burly wolf officer a defiant look.

In that moment I was so happy to see him. Even though I didn't even know what was going on anymore. It reassured me to have him there to keep me safe. To think I had come out to have some fun in the snow. Who would have known that those officers were going to come and start bothering me.

Awesomest big brother ever I had thought, smiling wide as he lifted one of the rocks up, glaring at the wolf officer challengingly.

"Who are you?" the officer asked him, looking confused, "and why are you interfering with official government business?"

"That there is my brother." Zach had said, waving one of his rocks in my direction, "no one takes him away without my permission."

I watch with wide eyes as the lead officer, the wolf, walks up to my brother slowly, his eyes narrowed to sinister slits.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull kid, but this is serious. You shouldn't be sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"you shouldn't be trying to arrest innocent little kids playing in the snow" Zach parried.

While the two were talking the other officers began to creep towards me, lifting their guns slowly. Terrified I leapt to my feet and raced over to my brother, cowering behind him.

"Don't let them take me away." I sobbed "I didn't hurt anyone!"

He patted me on the head with his tail as the other officers gathered round us, "nothings gonna happen to you little bro." He muttered.

The big wolf laughs at him, throwing his gun down on the ground, "and that, little kid, is where you got it all wrong. If you're gonna stand in my way I'll just take both of you!"

Zach growled at him menacingly, lifting his rocks up, "I'd like to see you try."

I whimper as the other officers throw their weapons down too, cracking their knuckles and laughing.

"they're just two stupid kids." One of them said.

"lets just grab em and go get our reward!" Laughed another.

Zach lashes his tail, looking back at me through the corner of his eye, "Sheath on the count of three I want you to run."

"But," I look at the menacing crowd closing in around us.

"one"

The big wolf flexes his fingers, grinning hideously as his troop closes in around us.

"two"

I braced myself, my fur bristling every witch way as I gathered up the last of my courage. Zach nodded to me as I began to look around for holes in the circle or armored men.

"three"

There! Spotting a small gap in the advancing group I sprinted forward, wailing at the top of my lungs. The officers were caught by surprise and they didn't even get a chance to try and stop me before I was several feet beyond the circle.

"Fuck!" I heard the burly wolf shout as I bolted, "Don't let him get away!"

From within the circle I heard Zach shout and then bellow furiously followed by the the telltale crack of a stone impacting with one of the officers helmets and then a pained holler from another, but I don't stop. Zach told me to run, he wouldn't want me trying to stop and help him. Anyways he was the awesomest strongest coolest big brother ever. There was no way those officers would capture him.

I kept running and running until I could see my home. My mother was standing in the doorway and she began to sprint towards me once I was in sight.

I had never been more glad to hear her voice calling my name. Halfway up the street to home I collapsed into her arms and begin to sob.

"Mom, mom, m so sorry" I wailed, "I just wanted to play in the snow! I didn't want anyone to get hurt, and then the police showed up, and then Zach-"

"Zach!?" My mother yelped, "where is your brother!"

I looked up at my mother slowly, scared by the panicked tone of her voice.

"He stayed behind to hold off the officers." I said meekly.

My mother began to shake her head, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes, "no, no, no," she whimpered, releasing my hands and racing back to the house.

My father was standing in the doorway by then. I could feel his horror as my mother explained to him what happened.

At first I didn't get it. While my parents sobbed in the living room I sat on the windowsill with my snowflakes, watching, waiting for my brother to return triumphant from his battle.

One hour passed, then two, then three. I began to grow drowsy and after waiting there for about six hours I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke the next morning tucked in in me and Zach's bedroom. Upon opening my eyes, I could already feel that something was different.

Sitting up slowly I turned to my left and began to cry.

Where there usually would be a telltale lump under the sheets in the bed beside me, there was nothing...