FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

When we arrived at the white-vinyl, cookie-cutter house that night, the music was already blaring out of the smallest cracks in the windows and doors. The bass line was enough to vibrate whatever crisp liquid was left in the soda bottle we had gotten on the trip here. I was surprised to find that his neighbors were so compliant with the blasting beats because I believed even the birds would file noise complaints. Looking out of the windows of Redd's 2008 Chevy Impala, people from all over town had gathered around the front porch and the front yard. It was almost hilarious seeing the guy from the convenience store that sold us the soda, now dared to jump off the second story balcony into the above-ground pool in broad twilight.

Redd parked the car across the street in the open field of the now-abandoned Churchill Park. The car's engine sputtered off as she shifted gears. I took note of the time and found that we had travelled for well over fifteen minutes. If our car broke down here, it was gonna be a long walk back home. Tazu and Usala shifted in the backseat as we all opened the car doors, rock music blasting even louder than before.

"This is ridiculous," Usala said.

Tazu approached her and tussled her hair.

"Don't worry; it's just the stereo outside."

"Stop touching me!"

Tazu put his hands up and backed away with a smirk.

"Are we ready here?" Redd asked.

"You know it!" I said.

We managed to cross the street unscathed. There were people from a melting pot of species. A couple of foxes and a wolf sat under a tree singing along to the music. Some cat guy chugged down off-brand beer and began to vomit into the bushes. The glow of a bonfire in the backyard highlighted an otter and a panther drunkenly sock each other in the jaw while a rabbit guy filmed it as if he thought it was going to go viral, overreacting to every action.

It was crazy, and I almost liked that it was.

The inside of the house was not as chaotic but still reeked of disaster. The floral wallpaper had turned beige and started peeling, revealing a crusty white drywall. The carpet on the floor was stained with alcohol, a few drops of dried blood, and what I assumed was someone not making it to the bathroom in time. Not only were people rocking out to the music, but a few seemed to be totally entranced, their eyes bloodshot and vibrating in place. A couple of vases had been knocked to the floor with scattered pieces of pottery dispersed about. There was even a couple cheering in the hallway closet for some reason. I didn't really pay attention that much, yet I could not believe it had gotten so crazy at 8:00 PM.

We entered the living room completely ignored until Jeff, Grayson's polar bear best friend, sprinted towards us from the kitchen.

"You're dead, mutt!" He shouted in our direction when suddenly, the blue fox from earlier appeared out from behind a soaked couch and zipped past us to the stairway on the other side of the crowded area.

"You have other shirts, you know!" he shouted back.

"That's not the point!"

Jeff seemed out of breath when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. His green and white plaid shirt was stained bright pink in the center. He looked at the four of us with confusion before giving a sly, beaming smile.

"Hey, guys. How are ya?"

"Good, good," I replied. "What happened to your shirt?"

"It was just that stupid fox spilled some cherry soda on my shirt." He looked at me with chagrin after realizing what he said. "Not that I have anything wrong with mutts, er, I mean, hybrids. No offense."

"None taken," I said. "The only time I've seen him was back at the ceremony, and he seemed like a nice guy."

"Excuse me? Did you not see what he did to my shirt? I swear I look like a picnic table cover for the Irish Mafia family reunion. And when I find you, Lapis, you better hope it didn't bleed through into my fur!"

"So, where's Grayson?" Tazu asked.

"Just outside, telling some stories about his trips into the woods. And guys, thank you for coming and enjoy the party while that guy upstairs gets a beating."

"Hey," I said, "I'm sure it was just an accident. You don't need to automatically start beating him up for it. Listen, he doesn't need you bullying him. It looked like he's scared enough as it is."

"Still, he needs his lesson. And I'm gonna teach him."

"If you beat him up, I'll do the same."

Jeff looked a little uneasy, but raced up the stairs anyway. I wondered where the fox would end up but lost my train of thought when the group decided to split up for some reason. Redd walked over to reunite with some of the seniors from the year before that she had grown to like. Tazu sauntered over to the kitchen and disappeared behind the wall, probably to get some chips if they had any. Usala just stuck herself to the far side of the wall, glaring at a group of teens smoking, their fur matted and unkempt. I took a closer look, but the smoke almost choked me before I realized it was not tobacco.

I hurried through the crowd and opened the sliding glass door that led to the rest of the chaos. Taking my sleeve, I covered my short, narrow muzzle to stop the fire's smoke from poisoning my lungs any further. The music was more muffled out here than inside, the walls providing a muted relief on my flattened ears. The fire itself had about fifteen people scattered around, and in the center back, the Doberman paused and stared at me, like I was a cheap projection of an apparition. Though the fire cast a warm glow, chills ran down my spine into my tail, and my fur stood on end. I was glad that I didn't take off my jacket.

Then he started to smile.

My heart pounded on the walls of my ribcage until my lungs and diaphragm faltered their vacuum to make room. I regretted coming and would have left if I hadn't thought about the fun my friends were probably having at that time. I looked back inside and saw Redd talking to her friends and laughing, her muzzle in her hands. Tazu was jamming out to what sounded like hard rock, maybe Kings of Leon, and his dark blue hair was whipping back and forth so much, the dye would've splattered all over the lacquered wooden floor of the kitchen. Even Usala started to warm up, her back unnaturally slouched as she talked to Lapis, his left eye blackened.

They are having fun here. I shouldn't ruin this night for them. Is Lapis even that guy's real name? Note to self: have a talk with Jeff. Who's that guy passed out on the floor? Getting off track. I should probably just stay here for another hour. Besides, what's the worst that Grayson can do here?

After cycling through the possibilities for the next ten seconds, I tried to find an escape, but no luck. Grayson stood up and motioned me over to where he sat, the other young adults sliding over on their logs to make room for me.

"Come on over, Isaac," he said. His deepened voice was in retrospect warm and inviting, but I felt a sinister presence around me as I shuffled towards him. The air became thick with heat when my body dropped onto the rough wood.

"Hey, guys. This is Isaac, that guy I was telling you about."

The Doberman's smile grew longer. He put an arm around me and pulled me closer before rubbing my head with his fist.

"Don't worry, man. I just want to say I'm sorry for what happened between us back in 2012. We were both angry kids that just didn't give a damn at the time."

I was genuinely surprised to hear him apologize. Truth be told, I hit him first in that fight, but he was the one who started the whole debacle.

"And another thing," he continued, "why don't you hang out with us while the party's happening?"

"You want me," I said, "to hang out with you?"

"I want to, uh, make amends. Got it?"

"After what you did all those years ago? Forget it."

"Come on, I'm trying to be nice here."

"I'm trying to stay alive here."

"What about your friends? I've seen you all chatting up storms during lunch. If things get too crazy, they'll protect ya, right?"

"I guess. But I'm watching you. Don't try anything stupid or we're gonna have a reenactment."

"Hey, don't sweat it, buddy."

He stressed the word buddy as if he wanted to make it very clear that I was now his friend. I did think, "This guy is totally manipulating me. I should leave." But as time went on, I thought more like, "Yay, another friend! Don't blow this, Isaac."

"Thanks, Grayson."

"Call me Gray."

The surrounding partygoers started muttering to themselves. When I asked them later why they did this, they told me that only his best friends get to call him Gray. I was so flattered and honored that he considered me one of his best friends that I listened to whatever he said. He dared me to drink a shot glass full of Tabasco sauce, and I did so, my face scrunching up as I desperately searched for some milk or cream cheese. Next, he pulled out an electric razor and began to shave patches of fur off blacked out patrons. I felt guilty at first, but seeing the transformation from fur to bare skin and flesh became somehow exciting. We took the liberty of shaving the acronym "B.O.D." into the thick fur of a husky's upper back. He would be known as "Black Out Drunk" for the next three weeks before his fur grows back. The rest of the night was of a similar caliber.

Eventually, Grayson dared me to climb the big tree in the yard and jump onto the roof. I complied, and I dug my fingers into the wood, pulling my body onto the branches. The tree was a good ten feet away from the roof, and from where I was standing, three feet lower. I climbed higher until I reached the topmost branch I could comfortably stand on, then shuffled out of the brush to look where the roof was. The dark shingles glistened in the moonlight, allowing me to see I was five feet higher than the roof's edge. I took a deep breath, thought about how this could cement our relationship, and leapt out, my feet barely breaking my fall. Everyone had gone out to see it, and they went absolutely crazy. They hollered and whooped for a minute or two before I crawled through the second story window inside.

Grayson seemed very pleased with me when I saw him next to the stairway.

"That was sick, dude. Now, I have something else to show you."

"What?" I asked.

"It's this game me and Jeff put together. It's only for the bravest and strongest people I know. I want you to play it."

"Me? Brave and strong?" I giggled a bit. "I hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not exactly what you call, 'strong'."

"Relax. It's nothing. All you do is wear this mask we have and dodge any projectiles that come your way. And you won't be able to see out of your mask, so you need good hearing."

"Well, I have that, for sure."

"Perfect. And as a bonus for doing that stunt, I'll throw the eggs to your side. Just move a bit, so people don't get suspicious."

"You got it!"

While we walked downstairs, I happened to glance at Redd drinking some punch by the TV. It was strange not seeing her even glance in my direction. It almost looked like she didn't want to see me at all. Maybe it was because Grayson was right beside me, but before I could speak up, he led me away.

We walked back outside into the open yard, and Jeff had already set up the area. The logs were moved away from the fire pit, and everyone had moved away from the center of the yard. I looked around at the crowd's eyes focusing on me, aside from a few couples embraced in a make-out session, including Mr. Early and someone I assumed was his spouse.

"Everyone's coming to the party," I muttered under my breath.

I grabbed the mask Grayson had given me: a thin mask made of cardboard with string made of duct tape attached to the sides. There were two almond-shaped eyes drawn on the front sans pupils, and a small smile with fangs poking out plastered below it. I fixed the wide mask over my muzzle, my vision limited to my periphery. Grayson (at least, I think it was him) directed me to the spot, and I heard his footsteps leave me. I turned my head to see him positioned with an egg carton about twenty feet away from me. My head twisted toward him, and my feet tapped in anticipation. Then Grayson's instructions kept popping into my head, and I calmed down, ready to "dodge" the eggs.

That's when he came back.

"I don't want you to cheat, y'know? So, I'm just gonna tape the sides closed, so people don't get suspicious. You trust me, right?"

"I'm starting to have my doubts."

"Ah, don't worry. You just shuffle along, and I promise I won't hit you."

"You promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die in a fire."

"Okay, then."

The sounds of ripping duct tape made me curious. What was Grayson doing exactly?

He taped the mask to the back of my head, sticking my fur and hair to the scrim. I felt the mask get closer and tighter on my head in time with the sharp sounds of unwinding tape. Grayson was constricting my breathing space and vision until a little sliver of light shone on the bottom, the only fresh air escaping into my mouth from there. It was a good thing I wasn't claustrophobic.

I had my doubts about Grayson. Sure, he started the fight, forcing me to run into the school bathroom while a crowd formed around the entrances. Yes, earlier that day, I wanted to strangle him after what he did to me. Yes, I was scared of him when I first saw him at the party, but there was always something about him that I admired. He was confident in himself, and he was always honest about himself. When he made a promise, he stuck to it. The fight itself was due to the fact that he was honest about his feelings towards me, and maybe, I had overreacted. Standing in the middle of the lawn, with very limited vision and only my thoughts to keep me occupied, made me realize that Grayson might just want to make amends after what happened. I needed to stop holding such a grudge against him, even after not talking to him for years after the brawl. In fact, the party was where I saw him and talked to him after such a long time.

Sure enough, he fulfilled his promise as I heard the sounds of eggs splatting on the yard next to me. I moved around as the shells cracked, and the yolks stained the green grass. One egg managed to crack and spill its contents on my sneakers.

"Sorry about that, Isaac!" Grayson called out, clearly within earshot of the entire household.

"It's okay!" I shouted back, the mask muffling my voice. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but I don't think I even heard myself when I did that, so I just gave a thumbs-up instead.

Grayson was a good guy. After our little activity, I was going to go up there, and apologize for what happened. I laughed a little bit at the silliness of what Redd was thinking. Nothing was going to go wrong here. I'm going to have a nice time, bragging to Redd about how she was wrong about him.

But she wasn't wrong.

Next thing I knew, I ran in circles, dodging a barrage of eggs, half-empty soda cans, and even a couple of shoes (I knew from the items scattered near my feet). I thought it was the "next level" of the game. Grayson was not going to let me get hit, so maybe he just going to tell everyone to hold their fire.

"Full force!"

My clothes became soaked, the sweet smell of soda and the distinct smell of alcohol nauseating me. I tried to block the items coming toward me, but my hands were too slow to stop the ammunition firing from nearly all directions in front of me. Soon, I gave up and collapsed onto the ground. The mask must have given a psychotic smile that said, "HIT ME AGAIN", because the objects didn't stop for a good two minutes. I covered the mask with my arms while I tucked my knees into my chest and abdomen. I laid there, pelted with cans and eggs, slowly losing control of my emotions. I shivered, softly whimpering "Make it stop."

"Hold your fire!" Grayson called out, his voice now instilling a sense of dread and terror inside me.

I heard his footsteps amble over to me. I snapped back into reality, finally ripping the mask from my head, now soaked with egg whites and punch. I threw it as far as I could into the moonlit darkness.

My face pleaded mercy.

His eyes said, "Never."

I sat up straight, my eyes now brimming with the shock and fear of the man who stood before them.

"W-Why did...you...do th-this?" I sniffed.

"Did you think I forgave you?"

"Y-y-yes."

Grayson towered above me, a sly grin as plastered as the smile on the mask. A crowd gathered around us, and the thoughts from the fight pounced onto my mind. Mostly everyone was confused, but my mind only focused on the people who were smiling and snickering to themselves, including Grayson. The only solace I could find was seeing Redd rush to my side, dumbfounded and appalled.

"Oh!" Grayson taunted. "Why if it isn't Isaac's little girlfriend coming to save him. How sweet."

"Shut your mouth before I rip your jaw clean off!" Redd threatened.

"Threats aren't gonna work, missy."

"Missy? That's the best you could come up with?"

"Oh, I have so many words in mind for you, but I'd rather not say them around my people."

Redd pounded her fist into the ground.

"Ugh!" she said. "Honestly, I'm not surprised that you would do something like this!"

"Me?" Grayson countered. "You know that fight that me and him had?"

"You nearly killed him!"

"Wrong. He had the first strike, and lashed out at me. I acted in self-defense, Redd! I was just making sure we were even."

"You're lying, you lousy son of a bitch!"

She reached out her arms to strangle him, so I quickly spoke up.

"He's not lying."

Hearing my own voice choke snapped Redd's gaze away from Grayson. Her eyes softened from the fiery red hatred back to the complementary jade green. She kneeled beside me, placing a limp hand on my shoulder before helping me stand back up. The egg whites and yolks slid off, leaving a sticky putrid residue all over my clothes. I took the jacket off and found my shirt, a galaxy print, had been stained and nearly ruined. Redd tried to lead me away from Grayson, but I ended up walking ahead of her into the house.

Tazu appeared from the stairwell near the front door. His face scrunched up from the smell, but loosened up seeing my sour expression.

"Isaac, are you okay? And why do you reek?"

"I'm fine! Just...a little wet with alcohol and egg stuff."

"Yeah, I saw the commotion out there from the second floor."

"Then why did you ask?!"

"Easy, dude. Chill. I didn't know it was you under that mask. Besides, I wasn't watching you get pelted. I just glanced at some guys wailing on some other guy probably because they were drunk!"

There was a slight hesitation in his tone.

"I'm leaving, Tazu. You can stay here and go crazy or whatever. I'm going home."

"Why so soon?"

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe I need to go to sleep for the final exam tomorrow, or my fish needs to be fed. Look at me! I'm soaked, I'm bruised, and I'm tired. Just leave me alone."

"What about the girls?"

Redd came up next to me rubbing her hand.

"Sorry, guys," Redd said. "I had to teach Grayson a lesson."

"Grayson did this?" Tazu asked.

"Yep, and it's a good thing he stopped sooner or else I would've taken his eggs and shoved it down his throat."

"Easy, girl, easy."

"Sorry. Lost my temper for a bit. Where's Usala?"

"She's still talking to that blue guy from before."

"Ah. And what about you, Isaac? Do you need me to drive you home?" Redd offered.

"I can walk," I said.

"You can't walk out when it's 10:30 at night. It's not safe," Redd said.

"Well, I'm leaving either way."

"Okay. Tazu, grab Usala from her little conversation and let's go home."

"Fine. I was just starting to have fun," Tazu said.

"You don't have to leave."

"Isaac," Redd said, "not five minutes ago, you were getting egg in your fur."

"I know, but I don't want you to not have fun here. It's the last time you get to see these people enjoying themselves like this."

"Well, it's not fun if you're upset."

"I'm not upset, Redd. I'm just a little...irritated. Please, let me go home to just cool down, and I promise I'll be back here to join you for the rest of the night."

"Isaac, your house isn't that far away. I could just drive you ov-?-"

"I don't need your fucking help, Redd! Where the fuck were any of you when I needed your help?! Just take that damn car of yours and fuck off!"

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I had never snapped like that before, especially not towards my best friend in the world. At the moment, I thought that kind of behavior would just slide under the radar because she knew I was frustrated. Hearing the echo of my words momentarily silence the nearby crowd of partygoers, I was distressed. My arms tensed up, and my eyes scanned Redd's apprehensive face. I figured I should just leave at that point before I do something I might regret later, as if what I just did was nothing more than a slight disturbance. Did I regret yelling at her? Of course I did, but in the heat of the moment, not even five minutes after Grayson's taunts had boiled my blood like the eggs should've been and the fact that none of my supposed friends helped me during the pelting, I was just waiting to explode.

"I'm leaving, and that's that!"

Redd submitted, and when I opened the door and caught the smell of fresh air again, I realized just how bizarre this world of mine was. One minute, you feel like you're on top of the world and nothing could possibly go wrong, and the next minute, you find yourself at the nadir of a relationship fifteen years in the making. Then, the world can just give you a gust of wind, knowing that in the movies, it meant something dramatic was happening. Well, that gust of wind that blew in my face didn't emanate drama, but rather a sharp contrast to the disgust I felt after leaving. I hated myself by that point.

I walked outside, expecting to stand in a RPG with nothing but NPCs, so that I didn't have to talk or even interact with anyone else. The world doesn't work that way, as Usala immediately started speaking to me upon seeing me.

"Hey, your clothes are glistening. Never mind. Is this not the coolest party you have ever been to? Well, it's the only party I've been to that wasn't some lame birthday party. Not that there was anything wrong with any of your birthday parties! I just like these more. So, anyway, how are you this evening?"

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth.

"Okay, then. So where are you going? Not being intrusive. Well, a little intrusive."

"Home."

"Not having any fun here?"

"None at all."