FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

1

Three-hundred sixty-four days, twelve hours, and thirty minutes after the conclusion of the Suicide Massacre, the steady winds of Mayville, North Carolina start to gradually rise. Grass and papers blow through the breeze, running through the streets. The sky fades to a dull grey. Everyone in the town is getting ready for a big event that is coming. Boards are being nailed to the windows. Half of its citizens evacuating.

On the west side, a handful of the teens are taking advantage of the then-quiet city for a celebration. Yet the party is bound to be crashed by Sarah, a tropical storm that has been recently upgraded to a category one hurricane as it hit Florida.

The house in question stands two stories high, grey slanted roof with a rusted chimney. The walls outside are white, the paint chipping off in small bits the size of dimes. A green front door hangs a silver wreath as a welcome for visitors. Sitting on the ground is a mat that reads "MacIntosh". A personalized one for the homeowners, indeed.

Their son, Tyrus, pulls up in front of the house in his Volkswagen Beetle, a car that him and his two best friends, Raquel and Titus, have been saving up for together. In his paws are several 6-packs of beer that his uncle smuggled him.

He leans his head against his shoulder as he talks on the phone. "Dude, this is going to be the sickest party_ever._" The wolf digs in his pocket for the keys to his house.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Titus asks on the other line.

Tyrus sighs. "Man, would you relax? Everything is going to be fine." He finds his keys and jams them in the lock. "Mom and dad are out of town visiting Aunt Virginia and won't be back for a week." He sets the beer cans to the side and closes the door. "You and Raquel got the stuff, right?"

"Yes," Titus groans. "But I still have second doubts about this." Here we go again. "I mean, have you not checked the weather? Hurricane Sarah should be here in about twelve hours. I don't think I should go."

"What?! And miss out on the chance to hang out with the coolest kids in town? Fox, don't do this to me. I don't want to do this without my best friend!" Though this is one quality that Tyrus enjoys about Titus: he's always thinking about his rights and wrongs. When silence greets him on the other end, Ty clears his throat. "Besides, you know that Lee-Ann and Cassie Carver are going to be here; the hottest twins in town."

"What is it with you and people who look alike?" Titus finally says.

Tyrus shrugs. "I'm not sure. But come on, please? I'll do anything for you!" Crickets on the other end. "Okay, one hour and you can go home, I promise."

A soft sigh comes out. "One hour, and I'm not drinking alcohol or smoking meth or whatever evil scheme you have planned."

"What? I would never do something like that to you," he says as he pops the tab off a Bud Light. He takes a slow sip. The liquid tastes like shit but the aftertaste is tangy and addictive. "Gotta go, I need to get this whole party set up." He leans closer to the phone. "By the way, have you told Raquel yet?"

"No." Titus says it frantically. Tyrus can already see the sweat bearing down his forehead.

"Perfect. You can tell her tonight." Ty hangs up before Titus can try to stop him.

He downs the rest of his can before dropping it in the trash. In his kitchen, there are a bunch of supplies bought. It has taken weeks to raise the money, which most had to do with Tyrus taking in some extra hours for his job at Denny's. Inside the Target bags are plastic cups, strobe lights, and a brand-new copy of the latest hit VR game, Pop & Chop, an escape game that has instilled fear to even adult players.

He used his fake ID to get something his uncle couldn't: marijuana. Ty has never smoked it in his life, yet he has had an occasional cigarette. Not his proudest moment in life but his policy in life is "If you haven't yet, do it".

The party is planned for tonight, just a few hours before the hurricane is supposedly going to hit Mayville. Tyrus hopes that Titus will be able to look over those who will be getting drunk or getting stoned. After all, he's the most responsible guy he knows.

Yet in the back of his mind, he wishes that Titus would break his own rules for once and just get laid already.

2

Unlike the west side of Mayville, the north end is normally quiet every second of every day. It wasn't always silent, though. That's because nearly one year ago, one of the residents of uptown Mayville solved the case of the Suicide Massacre.

His big house on Cane Street rather reflects his larger-than-life personality. And appearance. The structure looks as if it's one story tall, red walls with white windows. The black roof matches the dark colors around it.

Inside, however, his home is two stories high with the bottom floor underground. His kitchen sits directly across from the living room, which houses a large blue couch and a recliner. In it sits a bear with a brain as large as his gut (which covers his thighs and reaches his knees). He snacks on leftover ice cream while he watches his flat screen TV the best way possible: in his underwear.

Behind him is his coatrack which houses his fedora and overcoat. On a mini table sitting next to him, his keys and wallet sit, the inside ID showing the bear's bright smile along with the name "Calin Madala" in big bold letters.

Calin, or to most people "Cal", dips a large spoon into the frozen dessert and pops it in his muzzle, the icy chill tensing him up a little. He changes the channel and the news pops up. Anchor Fiona Martinez, an orange tiger in a glossy red outfit, stares back to her viewers. "Coming up, more news on the whereabouts of Hurricane Sarah, who is slowly making her way up the Eastern Coast."

She disappears and some infomercials appear trying to sell some bullshit no one cares about. Cal mutes the TV, just focusing on his ice cream.

As far as he's heard, a Category One is not that damaging, perhaps some siding torn off homes. A few branches ripped out of trees and a bit of flooding but other than that, nothing much.

Except there is one thing missing to help ride out the storm with him. The diamond ring on his left paw reminds him. His husband, Ren, a black fox who went to Seattle for the weekend to visit with friends and family. He wasn't coming back until tomorrow. With this upcoming storm, who knows how difficult that will make his return happen.

Seeing as there are still a few bars on his cell phone, Cal dials up Ren's number. He answers on the second ring. "Hey, Hun, everything ok? I heard about Sarah." The fox's deep voice spills from the speakers.

"Yeah things are okay," Cal answers. He asks Ren about how things are up north. He says his brothers are just fine; his mom is battle a nasty head cold though. And his twin nieces, Renay and Scarlett, had recently turned ten last week so they were still excited from their party (usually it's SpongeBob themed).

Before he gets too off topic, Cal asks "Are you able to make it home before the storm hits?"

"Not sure about that. The entire southwest airspace is being shut down until it passes." And sadly, that includes North Carolina, Cal adds to himself. "But don't worry. I'm catching a red eye to Kentucky to stay at a motel then coming straight home the second the damage is done."

"It won't be that much damage. And just make sure to be careful of any debris that might be on the road."

"I will."

"I love you."

"Love you too, Hun."

Can hangs up in time for the commercial to end.

3

By the time the fingers of Sarah reach the town of Mayville and Cal hops in the bath for his bi-daily cleansing, Tyrus MacIntosh has the front door to his house open, letting the damp teenagers of the city in his front door. "Come on in, people, the party's just getting started!"

Heavy music echoes throughout the house. The wolf presents himself tonight with a leather, sleeveless jacket and a gold chain with a dollar sign pendant. Ghetto, he knows, but he found it "cool". Inside, there must be around fifty guests, all around seventeen years of age.

Only there are two things missing: his friends. Ty checks his watch. Just ten minutes past ten. There still could be enough time for Titus to come, right? Maybe he's finally being chill about this whole hurricane party.

Right when Ty thinks that his friends are not going to show, a little red car comes rolling down the street, parking under a streetlight. Out comes a fox with a bright shade of blue fur and a tigress with orange and black stripes. "Raquel! Titus! You came!" Tyrus runs up to them and throws his arms around his friends.

"Easy, there, we're in public," Titus says. He returns the hug for a second before coming to his senses. "Hey, we should probably get inside before we get soaked."

Ty leads him inside where all around the house, the local teenagers are partying around, dancing, talking, getting drunk or high. It smells like a smoke bomb went off in the house. "Welcome to Casa del MacIntosh," Ty introduces.

"We know, dork, we've been here before." Raquel casually punches his shoulder. A wide smile spreads across her cheeks.

"I know. But I said it to everyone and it seemed appropriate." Tyrus chuckles.

Raquel trots off to the kitchen to drink a little. When she's gone, Ty turns to his best friend. "So, are you going to tell her? You know she's going to find out eventually."

"I know." A blush starts to form on Titus' cheeks. "It's just that I'm a little nervous. I'm not exactly the best at talking to people ever since..." Ty holds a paw up to shut him up. The wolf knows what he's referring to. The time Titus' parents went bonkers and were taken away. Luckily, the fox was adopted by another couple in the city. One that is less insane but still a little bit like a coocoo clock.

Tyrus reaches into his back pocket where an empty pop bottle was resting. "Look, I already told you. We use this to play Spin the Bottle and I hook you two up. Where upon you can reveal your feelings with her."

Titus sighs. "It still seems wrong. If I want to tell Raquel the truth, it should be coming from me; not some classic party game."

"I'm just trying to help." Ty tucks the bottle away. He notices Titus looking down and the tip of his tail twitching about. "You know you have to hurry it up, though. If not, she's going to be attending college on the other side of the country."

Titus groans and rubs his eyes. Ty holds up the bottle again, shaking it suggestively. "Fine," his friend finally caves. "I'll play your stupid party game. But even then, how are we going to get it to spin between me and Raquel."

"You leave that to moi."

4

The little hand on the clock in the kitchen strikes eleven. Outside, the wind starts to pick up speed and the rain begin to pour heavier. For Raquel, though, she doesn't mind the heavy weather at all. For some odd reason, it seems to calm her down with all the wild and crazy events happening at the same time.

In one of her paws is a small bottle of rum. Her two girlfriends showed up to the Hurricane Party; two tigers. The one in red is Ruby and the one in sapphire green prefers to be called Camille. Both are sitting on the couch in the living room, watching some of the boys playing Pop & Chop. Camille looks a bit frightened yet Ruby keeps a neutral look. The latter of the two is supposed to be wearing her glasses.

When Raquel takes a seat at the arm of the couch, both girls look up to her and squeal with delight. "Ray!" Ruby shouts over the music. "When did you get here?"

"A moment ago," she answers. "I carpooled with Titus since my truck broke down again." She was always having trouble with the engine.

The second his name slips from her tongue, Ruby and Camille giggle to each other. Raquel swivels her ears in their direction. "What's so funny, girls?" She takes a sip of rum; the alcohol washing down the taste of dust that coated her throat.

"You rode with that blue fox?" Camille asks. "He's so handsome."

"And cute," Ruby pitches in.

Raquel rolls her eyes. "You guys are such idiots. He's not that cute." Though as she looks down, pretending to inspect the rim of the bottle, her cheeks start to blush a rosy red.

"Liar!" Ruby calls out. "You find him adorable and you know it!"

"So what if I do?" Her blush deepens. "I mean... we've been friends for a long time. And suddenly one of us wanted to change that? What if he doesn't feel the same way? For all I know, he could be out with another girl at this party."

Camille shakes her head. "No way." She refuses to believe it. "Titus is one of the quietest kids in the school. The odds of him having a girlfriend are very slim."

Ruby nudges her on the elbow. "I think she need to kiss him." She winks at Raquel, who sinks back in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable. "Come on, girl, you know you need to tell him before you're off to California. After all, if you don't speak up, what are the odds you'll ever see him again?"

Raquel hates the way that those two share a brain because Camille pipes up as well. "Yeah! Come on! Just one little kiss and it's over. Please?"

Her head starts to hurt and it isn't from the alcohol. "Fine! I'll kiss Titus!" The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. Camille and Ruby scream again in a boy-crazy frenzy. "But I'll need the perfect alibi."

"What alibi? Just go up to him and smooch him!" Ruby says.

Ray hops off the couch and paces around. "No, I need some way to tell him that I like him without actually telling him that I like him." Though that wasn't going to be easy. Ruby and Camille are not exactly the best at thinking things through.

Before an of them can speak, Tyrus comes into the living room, clearing off the coffee table of the snack bowls and beer bottles. Raquel spots an empty glass bottle tucked into his back pocket. Perfect, she thinks.

She turns back to her friends. "I think I may have just found a way to kiss Titus."

Behind her, a polar bear shouts and hollers as the Pop & Chop game says in a demonic voice, "You lose". He tosses the VR glasses aside and runs into the kitchen.

5

Thirty minutes have passed. Replacing the video game watch is the classic game of Spin the Bottle. Tyrus sits between Lee-Ann and Cassie Carver, twin red foxes. Titus admits that they are cute. But his only focus is the tigress that sits on his left. Raquel was okay with him sitting next to her for the game. His heart pounds so loud that he thinks she can hear it.

Titus pays little attention to the glass bottle that spins around and around until it points at two people. Instead, he clears his throat and asks his friend, "So... did you hear back from the University of California, yet?"

"Yeah, last week," Raquel answers. "I got in. How cool is that?" Her tail swishes.

"That's good to hear." Come on, Titus, he tells himself, tell her already before she leaves your life forever! "Listen, I was wondering if I could tell you something."

She looks over and smiles. "Sure, bud. What's up?"

Sweat drips down his forehead. He stutters to find the right words to tell her. Stop! You're looking like you're about to piss yourself! "I was just wondering... if you ever wanted to..." The back of his neck starts to itch. His paws tremble when he reaches up to scratch. He glances over at Ty with a look that says "Help me!".

Ty nods back. "My turn! Hand me the bottle!" He reaches out to it before anyone else can. Titus sees him wink before the wolf gives a flick of his fingers. From the way the bottle starts slower than usual, Titus can tell that Ty did it on purpose. His brain is pleading Don't let it land on us and at the same time, his heart is begging Please let it land on it us.

It spins in a full circle once. Then stops. The opened end points directly between the fox and tigress.

Raquel smirks as if it was just another one of Tyrus' jokes. "How about that?" she says. "Looks like you and I have to kiss."

She's being completely cool about it, Titus notices. So, why can't I? "Y-Yeah. I guess so. I mean, if you're not completely weirded out by it because who wouldn't be? We've been friends for so long and-" His rambling is cut off by Raquel's lips.

Butterflies fill his stomach up to his throat. He wraps his tail around himself. All the feelings he's ever had for Raquel burst in his heart as he kisses her back. Tyrus stars a whoop around the room but he ignores it. Titus wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. The sound of her purr soothes his ears with each second. She starts to get slightly rougher, kissing him as if she'll never get him again.

When they finally pull apart, they look into each other's eyes. Usually Raquel's beautiful eyes are full of wonder, curiosity, and adventure. At this second, there is only desire.

"I think we should talk upstairs," she breathes. "Come with me." Titus lets her pull him up off the floor. They step around the circle and leave the room.

As they do, Titus can hear Tyrus say, "You two have fun up there!"

Jackass.

6

Just as Titus and Raquel are about to kiss, Nancy Cartwright fires up the computer that sits on her desk. It was the only thing she has unpacked since moving to Mayville last week. Everything else is still in their boxes sitting in the room its contents belong on. Yet her whole life is basically her computer and her cell phone.

Her ASUS laptop pings again. Another email from Jerrie. Delete. Why doesn't that rat ever take a hint? The whole reason that Nancy moved to Mayville was to finally start her new life _without_him. She already has a job as a junior editor for the Mayville Publisher. That is, if this hurricane doesn't destroy anything. A quick look at the weather radar shows that Sarah will dissipate in about 48 hours.

The scarlet 'yote sighs and closes her laptop. That email spoiled the rest of her night. Her history with him was something that she hoped she would never have to revisit ever again.

Why does she hate Jerrie Quincy? Because he loves her. Not in the way that she would normally like.

It's better to start from the beginning. A few months back, Nancy was a reporter for a newspaper in a small town in New Mexico. Her then-boss, Jerrie, was known for being a little edgy. That's why she taught him to count to ten slowly before he speaks. It worked for the most part. He learned to calm down during stressful time, keep his voice low, and not be so fidgety all the time.

One day, Jerrie approached her in the office as she was getting ready to head home for the night. He said to her, "Hey, CeCe, I was wondering... since you've been so helpful to me lately, how about you take tomorrow off?"

Her ears perked. Jerrie rarely gave people the day off. "Gee, thanks." At the time, she meant it. She was grateful for anything she could get.

Jerrie continued. "And... if you're not doing anything, maybe I could take you out for lunch sometime?"

Nancy only said yes was because she knew that he was only being generous. Plus, at the time, Jerrie's ex completely broke his heart over the telephone. She was a scarlet coyote just like she was.

The next day, she arrived at a restaurant that Jerrie had told her about. Nothing too fancy, but she did try to look as nice and casual as possible. She wore her best khaki pants, a pink blouse with a black shrug. Over her neck hung a small pearl necklace that her mother had given her. She thought it would go well with her dark eyes.

Jerrie, surprisingly, was dressed in a full tuxedo. Did he go all out just for me? "CeCe, you look ravishing tonight," he complimented. She didn't know how to make of him using her nickname.

"Thanks," Nancy said back. "You look... sharper than usual."

That rat chuckled. "Well, I haven't gotten to wear this since my senior prom. It feels good to know I have a reason to wear it again." He held the door open for her. He seemed like a gentleman. Why didn't she see his true colors sooner?

Jerrie let Nancy order whatever she wanted. She couldn't remember what it was exactly she had but she knows that him and Jerrie both had a glass of white wine. When she sipped it down, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in her seat.

The fucking rat had drugged me when I wasn't looking! Why didn't I see that coming?!

By the time she came to, she was in enormous pain at the hip and between her legs. She was in a bed she didn't recognize. She was afraid for her life. What if Jerrie came back and tried to hurt her? She thought that they had a serious friendship starting. All of it gone with a simple drop of rohypnol.

She got out of the bed despite her legs feeling like jelly. Each step makes the pain stronger. Nancy found her clothes tosses on the floor. When she bends to pick them up, she hears a beep and a click coming from behind her. She swipes a pen off the desk and pops the cap off. Better than being defenseless.

A door to the room opened, Jerrie slipped inside. His mouth was turned up in a wicked smile. "Good morning, CeCe," he said.

"What did you do to me?" she whimpered. "Why would you do that?! Where the hell am I?!"

"Relax, darling, you're in the local hotel. And to answer your question of why I roofied you, I think it's obvious." He inches towards her, pinning her against the back wall. "I've seen the way you've noticed me and acted around me. The way your paws tremble and your tail gives that swish every time we lock eyes. Plus, you look very hot without those clothes to hold you back."

"You're insane," she said. When she tried to slip around him, Jerrie grabbed her wrist hard and jerked her back.

"You're not going anywhere. I'm not done with you." Jerrie's expression turned from evilly nice to dark and hostile. It's because you remind him of his ex! Perhaps he isn't over her!

Jerrie pushed her towards the bed. She saw him reach into his pocket for a condom. Shit! He was about to rape her again! "In your dreams!" Nancy launched herself at him, pen outstretched. The writing utensil got buried into his neck. Jerrie gasped and croaked, trying to pull it out. His grip on Nancy loosened. She bundled up her clothes into a ball and ran for the open door.

Over her shoulder, she shouted, "Don't ever talk to me again, Rat!" She called for the elevator and slipped back into her clothes as she went down to the lobby. Nancy took a taxi back home and cried for the rest of the day.

She will never ever forget the abuse she's suffered.

Nancy didn't press charges against him. Instead, she packed everything up and moved south. She'll have to look up a way to block his email to prevent any more mail from him.

One reason that this town appealed to her when she moved is a catastrophic event last year known as the Suicide Massacre. Unable to help herself, she has researched the event more. Fourteen teenagers who attended the local high school had killed themselves over two weeks. A local detective, Calin Madala, had figured out the case.

Local mother, Sheryll Bremner, had seduced the teenagers into suicide. Her reason for doing this was that she was a psychologist who was interested in studying suicide. She wanted to figure out more about what went on in the brain of a depressed adolescent. Luckily, she was stopped before a fifteenth victim could jump off a cliff. The last the media has heard of her is that she's safely behind bars in the jail the next town over.

CeCe gets up and heads into her kitchen. In one of the boxes is her favorite glass and a small bottle of champagne. She doesn't know why she continues to drink even after that mishap. It's hard to believe it was only a few weeks ago that the whole Jerrie thing went down.

She pours herself a glass to the rim and makes a toast to herself. "To a new life," she mutters.

Bottoms up.

7

Raquel shuts the door to Tyrus' bedroom. Titus looks worried, scared even. Without thinking, she pushes him onto the wolf's bed. The blue fox cowers a little, scooting back on the mattress. But behind him is only a wall.

This is your only chance, she can hear Ruby tell her.

"Titus, there's something I need to tell you," she says.

"I have something to tell you too," he replies. Raquel gives a lash of her tail. Has her heart always been this heavy? Maybe it's just the thrill of being put in this situation. Ty purposely spun the bottle slow so it would land between them. When she gets her paws on him, she's going to...

I have to tell him, she thinks. Tell him! "I like you!" she blurts out. The tigress looks down on Titus, eyes wide. Call her crazy but she thought she heard him say the same thing at the same time. Titus has the same look of astonishment. He overcomes his cowardess and stands up before her.

"You... you really like me?" he asks. It takes all Raquel could to nod. Girl, pull yourself together! The man you're in love with loves you back!

Her lover leans with confidence, his lips fitting onto hers. Electricity flows through her veins. Her paws find her way around Titus, pulling him as close to her as he can. She parts her lips for him. She can feel his large tail swaying back and forth.

This time, when they part, their breaths have increased, breathing in each other's air. "I don't want you to go to California," Titus pants. "I want you here, with me."

Raquel kisses him on the nose. "I have no choice." She shakes her head. "Maybe you can come to California with me." The words are out before she can process them. She isn't sure if Titus would be able to live with her yet she doesn't want to let him go so soon.

"I don't know if I can. I mean, what would my parents think?" It's so cute the way he gets panicked like that.

"Well for Fuck's sake, you should have thought! We only have three months together!" She doesn't mean to raise her voice. A tear starts to form on Titus' eye. Calm down! Calm. Down.

After a few breathers, she rests her paws on his shoulders. "I love you, Titus Bremner. A lot." Just behind the fox is Ty's twin sized bed. It looks durable and he is the reason they're both in this mess. "Want to make Tyrus really mad?" she purrs.

This gets Titus to chuckle. "Obviously. He's been trying to get me to tell you the truth all night."

"Then I'm sure he wouldn't mind if we used his bed..." Raquel winks then pushes him back onto the bed, getting on top of him. The electricity is back with a vengeance. Passion quickly turns to hunger. Want. She throws Titus' shirt off and tosses it over her shoulder. Her fingers trace the subtle signs of muscle in the fox's chest.

They work to get each other's clothes off. The pile that started with Titus' shirt gets bigger and bigger. Their sounds of love fill the room.

Outside, Sarah gets a little rougher. A breeze makes its way through a crack in the window.

8

It all happened fast. They move together as one. Their scents catching onto each other's fur. Titus hopes that the door is locked. Though it doesn't matter. He has Raquel.

With him.

9

After getting out of the shower, Cal slips on a new pair of boxers (dark blue so it blends into his fur better) and dries himself off. He tosses his towel into the hamper and heads back into his bedroom to wait out most of the storm.

As he waddles down the hall, he passes one room that's creaked open. The spare room. It smells heavily of fox. I should probably get that room cleaned up soon, Cal thinks. That is, unless Titus ever decides to come back. Then it would be pointless.

Ren and Cal have had quite the history with Titus. It began around two years ago when he first came onto their doorstep in the middle of the night, tears dropping down his face and onto the pavement. "Mom and dad are yelling again," he said, his lips quivering. "I don't understand what's wrong with them."

Cal felt bad for him. He's known the fox for ages and has known that his parents don't always get along. But never has it been to the point where Titus would run away to the other side of town. Generous, the bear offered, "Why don't you stay here for the night?" It was enough to get his tail wagging.

Titus was surprisingly good company. Unlike most of the teens in Mayville, he wasn't interested in drugs or sex or doing insane dares for popularity. In fact, most of the time, Cal and Ren would wake up to the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. As it always turns out, it was only their guest fox whipping something up on the oven or stove.

"I'm used to cooking for myself," he explained when he was asked about it. "Mom and dad don't really make breakfast since they don't have time to." Their stomachs were usually full those mornings.

At first, Titus was only over for the day or overnight. Yet over time, things were getting worse. Titus had begged to stay for a second night. Soon enough, he was over for the entire weekend; bringing a packed suitcase to take up temporary stay in the spare room.

It was only when Titus had stayed over for a whole week that Cal knew that he needed to do something about his family. Around the same time, the Suicide Massacre had begun to haunt the town. Ten days in the event, Cal had no idea who was behind it or what to do to stop the teens from killing themselves. But after talking with the relatives of the first thirteen victims, Cal discovered a common element in each other their stories: that the victims had payed a visit to Dr. Sheryll Bremner the previous day.

The detective caught her red-handed and her, along with her husband, were thrown in jail for the assisted suicide of 14 teenagers. With no home, Titus was put up for adoption. Ren proposed to Cal that they adopt the fox so he stays in a loving home, but another married couple beat them to the punch. The only good thing is that he now lives closer to them than before.

The visits continued, though. Only now with a new set of parents, Titus only stayed during the day. Cal never tried to make time to meet his new parents. He wasn't sure if they would appreciate their previous connection with Titus.

At least he's finally in a happier place, Cal always tells himself.

Detective Madala brings his laptop into his room with him. He plugs the machine onto its charger and sets it on his nightstand. He yawns, loud enough to be mistaken for a mini roar.

His phone pings. A text from Ren.

*Stay safe during the storm, hun <3*

His fat fingers type out a response, sleep beginning to tug him under.

*U 2. I <3 you*

He sets his phone to the side and curls up under his blanket. The soothing sounds of the rain outside help drag him into sleep. Cal can hear his phone vibrate once again. He only assumes that it is another text from Ren with a smiley face or a heart on it.

Though when he awakes in the morning, he will find that it isn't from Ren. Instead, the displayed shows BLOCKED NUMBER in all capital letters. And the text itself is more terrifying than Cal will ever imagine.

*Your son is going to die tonight*

10

Lee-Ann leans into Ty's shoulder. Because of the hurricane, it's difficult for some to head back to their house. Most of the guests are staying for the night until the storm dies down. Seeing as the power was miraculously still working, Ty thought it would be a good idea to put in a scary movie.

It's an old one called The Under. All Ty could interpret from it though is that it's about some demon who won't stop haunting a family and one of the kids travels to the Underworld to stop him. The graphics are scary, though. All the bloodshed looked real and every time someone's neck got snapped, it was too much for those watching. A few times, Lee-Ann buried her head into Ty's chest.

Once the movie was over, Ty was feeling okay (albeit slightly jumpy) but the others were a bit shaken up. Even the quarterback of the football team, Michael Tenn, had his arms wrapped around his knees.

The sounds of Sarah get slightly louder for a second followed by the sound of groaning coming from the dining room. (Some of the guests brought sleeping bags in case the storm got worse and they needed to stay. They weren't wrong.) Ty gets up to investigate.

"Easy, guys. Just wanted to drop by and say hey." Ty freezes in the threshold of the living room. There's only one person that he knows of who owns a deep and teasing voice like that.

Standing just beyond the table next to the glass china hut is a polar bear in a blue rugby shirt and a pair of jeans. Water drips from his soaking fur onto the carpet below.

The wolf cringes at the sight of him. "What are you doing here, Brian?" he asks through clenched teeth. "I thought I told you you weren't allowed to come to my party. Not only that, but there's a storm outside and you're soaking wet."

"What? Am I not allowed to come over and say hello to my favorite wolf?" Brian's brows come together. His muzzle is turned upwards.

"Favorite? We've been rivals since the third grade." Ever since an argument about... It's been so long that he forgot what started everything. All he knows is that he hates him.

"Okay. I truth, I came here because I heard that Raquel was here at the party. Now, where is she?" He rubs his paws maniacally.

Ty takes a brave step forward. "She's upstairs. With Titus."

Brian chuckles. "Titus? Why would she want that scrawny little fox? She deserves better than that. I know! How about I just head upstairs and show her how a real man can have a fun time." He steps over a few of the people trying to sleep.

Tyrus leaps over them, his slender legs giving him the advantage as he runs for the bottom of the stairs. He gets there mere seconds before Brian. "Dude, you're not going up there," Ty growls. "Titus is up there trying to confess his love for her and I am not going to let you destroy it."

"MacIntosh, move out of the way before this turns ugly." Brian cracks his knuckles. "And by this, I mean you."

"Things turned ugly when you came into my house. By the way, didn't anyone teach you the number one rule? 'Lay off the fudge or you pack on the pudge'."

The bear's eyes widen, browns turning downwards. Ty notices his fingers curling up. "Get out of my way!" Brian roars. He shoves Tyrus aside, the wolf tumbles onto the bottom step as Brian hauls ass up them. The wolf pushes himself onto his feet and darts up the stairs.

"Leave my friends alone!" Ty throws himself up, fingers latching onto the ankle of the bear. Brian falls with a loud thud on the stairs, groaning. Ty pulls him down using his weight to pull himself towards the top. But Brian brings his elbow back into Ty's stomach. He doubles over, coughing like he's about to throw up. He probably should. He doesn't.

Brian and Ty scramble onto their feet. Though the bear makes it to the top first, Ty ducks under his arms and makes a beeline for his room. He checks the doorknob and finds it locked. Good, he thinks, there's no way Brian can get to them.

"Move out of the way, Ty!"

"Never!" Brian slams him against the door. Ty throws his arms out to keep the bear at arm's length. His fingers strain to keep him back. Brian pushes forward until the door gives out and falls backwards. Ty falls onto his back and growls up at him.

"You're getting my door replaced!" Foam spits from his muzzle.

Ty only holds Brian's attention for a few seconds before he looks over his shoulder and his eyes widen. Unsure, the wolf turns around until he notices the same thing. His blanket completely covers a large lump in his bed. Behind it, the window is creeped open all the way, letting in the cold wind and wet rain.

Reluctant, both take one step closer. The window is open, Sarah's winds howling through. The blanket begins to look red instead of its usual dark blue. The room smells heavily of strawberries, so much his nose burns. Did they try to mask their scent?

But the possibility of them having sex doesn't bother Ty. When he lifts his blanket, a horrifying sight is shown before him. A knife is in one paw and the throat is sliced, blood slowly pouring out and seeping onto the seats. Tyrus gets sick to his stomach. Where's Raquel? Is she dead too?

Titus' body remains still as Ty screams at the top of his lungs.

Lightning and thunder rumble in the sky.

11

The next morning, in the calm part of the city, Cal awakes at the crack of dawn. Sarah has calmed down a little. Enough that it almost passes off as a normal rain storm. The bear stretches and opens his curtains to observe how bad the damages are. From what he can see, it's nothing too bad. A few fallen branches, some debris in the road, but no obliterated houses or flying cars so that's good. The rain that normally went Roar! now goes pit-pat-pit on the window.

Cal grabs his phone of his nightstand, slips on a new pair of briefs and heads into his kitchen for his first breakfast. Just as he gets his carton of milk out of the fridge, he notices his phone has several notifications. Ren, maybe?

But no. When he turns it on, all of them are missed calls from Tyrus, a good friend of Titus Bremner. The last one was made a few minutes ago. Cal dials up the number. Ty answers on the second ring. Cal swears the first thing that he can hear is muffled sobs. "Tyrus? What's wrong?" the bear asks.

His milk pours into a tall glass. Ty finally breaks down into full-on tears. The hairs on the back of Cal's neck stand up at the sound. "Talk to me! What happened?"

"Titus..." Was he injured during the storm? "... he's... he's dead!" The last word sounds more like a choke than a voice.

Cal forgets to stop pouring and his milk overflows. No. That's impossible. Titus can't be just... dead. Maybe the storm got him after all. Right? That's all it was. Maybe there's a chance that he's still alive. Tyrus must be playing a joke (in which he will get in major trouble about in the long run) but maybe Titus is still alive.

He must be. "I'm coming over right now." Cal hangs up. He grabs his overcoat, fedora, and detective ID. He throws on his shoes and runs over to his car, an Audi Rs7. Please don't let him be dead, he chants in his head. Cal ignites the engine then backs out. He steps on it, zooming the car forward.

From prior knowledge, Cal knows Ty's house is a few blocks away. He comes across his house, two-storied white house that looks like it's about to fall to pieces. Cal parks on the side of the road. He throws open the door and launches himself out of the car, forgetting to close it. He leaps up the few steps on the porch and pounds his fist on the door.

"Tyrus! Let me in!" Please don't be dead. "Ty!" The door opens to reveal a few dozen teenagers inside. The cheetah at the door moves aside for him. Cal slips by and searches the house for the wolf who lives here.

"Does anyone know where Ty is?" he asks around.

"I think he went upstairs with Brian," a red fox calls out.

He turns around and heads for the stairs. When he reaches the stop, his breathing is a bit heavier. At the end of the hallway, Tyrus cowers in fear; looking inside a bedroom with the door on the floor.

Cal walks over to him. "Ty, what's going on? Why did you call me?" Please tell me he was lying over the phone. He doesn't move. Cal shakes him hard. "Answer me!"

A tear trickles down Ty's already wet cheek. His eyes are puffy and red, as is his friend. Cal follows his eyes into the bedroom. Inside, a dark figure sits on the bed with something shiny in his paw. He moves past the door, onto the soft carpet. From what he can see, there are numerous footprints on the carpet; it's hard to differentiate which species they came from. A pungent smell comes from the room; a mix of iron and... strawberries?

It made no sense. But as light starts to creep in from the window, Cal can see Titus' limp form on the bed, throat and chest covered in blood. The shiny object in his paw is a giant butcher knife.

Cal gasps in horror. The fox's eyes are nothing but glass orbs in his head.

He backs up slightly, arms trembling. He's dealt with suicides before. Not with someone so close to him. The same fox who came to him for help when his family was having trouble will never again see him or Ren. He'll never smile, laugh, or speak ever again. Why? Why would he do this?

The bear turns around to see Ty still trying to choke back a sob. "Why did you call me?" Cal asks. "Why not 911?" Ty doesn't respond. Cal shakes him again, rougher, as if he's desperate. "Why was he up here alone?" The wolf starts to hyperventilate. "Did you give him that knife?!" The questions flow out on their own as if Cal never had control.

He turns back to his dead friend. Just the sight of him starts to make him sick to his stomach. Only a few more seconds before he forces himself to look away. Cal heads back for the stairs. With trembling fingers, he takes his phone out. It takes two tries to dial 9-1-1.

When the dispatch picks up, Cal explains everything. "There's someone dead here. I need help sent over right away." He gives the address to Ty's house.

From downstairs, the same red fox from earlier shouts, "What's going on?!" A few of the other party-goers mumble in agreement with her.

Cal looks from Ty at the end of the hall to back downstairs. His own tears begin to slip past his eyes and down to his chubby cheeks. A close friend. Gone. In only a matter of hours. Never to walk to earth again.

"Titus," he hears himself say. "Titus is dead."

12

CeCe spends her morning like most of the other women do: in front of the mirror on her bathroom. Though it keeps steaming up from her morning shower. She opens her door to let the fog out. She applies her makeup and tosses on a blue shirt with some jeans. By now, Sarah has died down a little more. By tonight, she should be gone completely.

She fires up her laptop as she makes herself breakfast. The toaster hums with heat and the pan on the stove sizzles as eggs are cracked onto it. Various smells mix in her nose, tickling it into a sneeze. She must remember to dust this place later before she unpacks too much.

When her breakfast is done, she sits down at the counter and munches down her breakfast. An instinct keeps her on the news website in case anything new comes up. Only more articles about Sarah and her minimal damage.

Her ears stand at attention when she hears a high-pitched whine. At first, she passes it off as nothing, but then the noise gets louder, closer. She covers her ears as the tone gets even closer. Her ears begin to ring for a second until the noise warps into a different tune.

Was that an ambulance? Her answer comes when the unmistakable sound of police sirens slip by her house.

She didn't plan on going anywhere. Whatever this is, though, it must be news-worthy. She grabs her digital camera in her room and slips on a black sweatshirt. The keys of her brown truck hang off her fingers as she races outside in hopes of following the sirens.

CeCe's truck roars to life. She turns right into the street where she thought she heard the police and ambulance go. A minute later, she loses them as the sirens turn off. They must be nearby, she hopes. The scarlet fox turns off Main Street towards the suburbs. Sarah's light drizzle pounces on and off her windshield yet it cannot block the blue and red flashing from the next street over. She parks behind an Audi Rs7 and hops out, camera out. Only then does she remember that she doesn't have her notepad or recording. I knew I would forget something.

In front of a big white house, a few policefurs mill about the yard, sticking their noses where they can. Inside, it seems that a few dozen local teenagers are talking with those inside. She notices a few furs in white coming outside with a gurney. On it is a white body bag with a large blood stain near the middle.

CeCe gasps. "Oh dear," she mutters. One day into her life here in Mayville and someone's already dead.

On the other side of the lawn, a couple tiger cops (one white, one orange) talk to a brown bear with an overcoat and fedora. Talk about a typical Sherlock Holmes. Though the bear looks a bit more... depressed than Holmes. She can see a couple tears through the rain.

The tiger cops turn away and they head back for their own cop car. "Ma'am, you cannot be here right now," the white tiger says. He starts to escort her the other way but the bear they were talking to intervenes.

"Hey, leave her alone, Officer White. She's with me." His voice his slightly higher than what's normal of a bear.

White growls to himself before his buddy urges him to move on. "You probably just saved me a couple hours from the station," the fox says. "I'm CeCe." She holds her paw out. It becomes lost in the bear's larger one.

"Detective Calin Madala," he says. "But my friends just call me Cal."

"I see." CeCe nods towards the house. "What happened in there?" She hears a slam of two doors. The ambulance stays silent this time as it drives down the lane. All she could think about was the body that was inside.

"Suicide," Cal explains. He sniffles. "What's worse is that I knew who the kid was that killed himself."

CeCe stares, shocked. It must be difficult losing someone that close to him. Fourteen families lost their loved ones in the Suicide Massacre last year. "What is it with this town and teenagers killing themselves?" she asks.

"I have no idea." Cal shakes his head. He looks as if he need to shed a few more tears but he holds them in. "Last year was awful. But the officers told me that it doesn't seem like another massacre; just an isolated incident. For some reason, I believe them."

She nods. "Is it okay if I get a few shots of the house?" CeCe holds up her camera. Cal tilts his head and looks at her as if she admitted to being a rapist. She digs into her pocket for her new work badge. "I'm the new junior editor for the Mayville Press."

"Ah. Go right ahead." CeCe gets on one knee and points her camera at the house.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about what happened?" Then she remembers she doesn't have her notepad. But a good reporter gets the full story anyways.

Cal shakes his head. "I have no idea. I do know that the teens were just having a party while Tyrus' parents were out of town. He didn't give me the full story."

CeCe tucks her camera back in her pocket. "Tyrus? Does he own this house?"

Another head shake from the bear. "No. He's the son of the owners. Laine and Terry MacIntosh are out of town. Ty wanted to stay home alone to throw a party with his friends." He starts walking around the yard. CeCe sticks by his side. "From what I got out of him, Titus, the kid that was..." Cal gulps. "... you know..."

"Oh," she says. Her ears pin down.

"Yeah. Anyways, he had a crush on his friend Raquel, a tigress who was heading to California for college in a few months. Ty wanted to set the two of them up so they wouldn't spend the school year sad. So, they went upstairs together and the next thing Ty knew, Titus was dead."

"I see. Do you know where this 'Raquel' is?"

"No idea. The window was open. We assume that she fled the scene after Titus killed himself."

"We should head over to her house," CeCe suggests. "Maybe she's at home." When Cal doesn't respond, she says, "She might know the real reason that Titus killed himself. Because all suicides have a reason, don't they?"

Cal shakes his head. "I still cannot believe that he would do something like that." CeCe, though has only known him for five minutes, wraps an arm around his shoulder and gives him a side hug. "Thanks for that."

"It's no trouble. Let's head over to her house. Do you know the way?"

"I don't."

A younger-looking wolf comes up to them. "I know where she lives. Let's go." He wears a blue jacket with a gold arrow on the chest and khaki pants. His red eyes show that he's been crying too.

"Tyrus, you're not coming with us," Cal says sternly. "For all we know, Raquel might not even be at her house."

The wolf names Ty opens his mouth as if about to complain again but he gets a look at CeCe and he closes it. "Well, you're obviously not Lee-Ann. Who might you be?"

It is a weak attempt at a flirt but CeCe picks up on it and blushes. "I'm Nancy Cartwright," she introduces. "I'm the new junior editor for the local newspaper." The two shake paws like she did with the bear.

"'Nancy'?" Cal asks. "I though your name was-"

"That's my nickname," she explains. "I've had it for years and it just stuck." Cal says nothing after that. "Are we going to Raquel's house or not?" She jogs over to her truck and hops into the front seat. Tyrus talks with Cal a little more, seeming to be arguing. It dies down as Ty gets in the passenger seat of the Audi car in front of her.

She buckles up. The thrill of seeking the truth reminds her of how much she loves her job. Only this time, no harassing boss to try and drug her.

CeCe follows Cal and Ty down the street towards the southern end of town. In this part of Mayville, it seems, some of the houses are brighter and bigger. It would be a shame if Sarah tore some of them up.

They all stop in front of a sky-blue house with a large oak tree in the front yard. A tire swing sways in Sarah's dwindling wind. Cal holds his fedora on his head as he walks up the porch steps with Ty and CeCe following. Cal pounds on the door with the side of his fist. A tiger wearing a brown sweater and spectacles open the door.

"Detective Madala?" he asks. "What are you doing out in the middle of the storm?"

"The storm is dying down actually," the bear points out. "Dennis, we were wondering if we could come in and speak to your daughter." He shivers, implying "getting inside" being another reason to enter.

"Raquel? She's not here. She went to hang out with friends last night and never came back. I've been trying to text her for hours but she never responds." Dennis invites them all inside anyways. Presumably because he doesn't want to let his heating out.

Inside the first room is a leather couch and wood flooring. Ty immediately goes to the couch, gnawing on his claws. Cal remains standing. As soon as the door is shut, he asks, "What do you mean she isn't here?"

Dennis tilts his head. "You cannot be serious right now." Ty stands back up, his voice cracking. "First, one of my friends is dead and now another has vanished into thin air? What the fuck is this day doing to us?!"

"Dead?" Dennis repeats the off-putting word.

Ty pins his ears down. Cal gives him a glare that makes him sit back down. "You know Titus Bremner?" The tiger nods his head." He... he killed himself at Ty's house last night." He looks down at the ground as if afraid to say any more.

"Oh my," Raquel's dad says. "Do you know why?" Both boys shake their heads. "Do you know where my daughter is?" Shake of the head. "Well, you can find her, right?" Cal nods again.

"I can help," CeCe says. When Cal looks at her (a familiar look of uncertainty in his eyes), she regrets talking. She has dealt with a lot of stuff in her time as a news coyote. She doesn't know what makes her think she's ready to jump aboard the first case she hears of. Perhaps the thrill of her new life is a good reason. Before things get too awkward, she adds, "If you want me to."

Dennis' tail lashes about. "Who's this?"

"CeCe Cartwright." She holds out a paw. "I'm the new junior editor for Mayville Press."

At the word editor, Dennis rolls his eyes and scoffs. "I don't really talk to news people, if that's okay." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he opens the door and ushers the trio out of his house. "I've got lunch to make and 'Lost Child' posters to make."

All of them leave without another word.

13

Calin goes his separate ways from CeCe. She wanted to head back to her house for the night. He doesn't trust her all that much. What newcomer jumps onto a murder situation with no second thought? Whatever he learns about this, he reminds himself not to tell her everything.

He tries to drop Ty back off at his house but his paws shake and tears come back to the wolf's eyes. Cal reaches a paw onto his shoulder. "I know this is hard for you," he says. "It's hard for me too. Titus was a very good kid. You know that more than everybody."

"I just... I don't know if I can go back to my house after seeing that," Ty croaks. He sniffles as tears drip down._Don't cry again, Cal; don't cry again._But when Ty looks up at him with big watery eyes, he finds himself wiping tears away from his own.

The wolf sits up in his seat. "You can figure out why, can't you?" he asks. "Why Titus killed himself?"

"I can try," Cal reassures.

"I know you can. You discovered why the teens in this town were offing themselves last year. You can do it again. I know it. I know it. I know it." Cal can detect was what left out. I need you to do it again.

Cal takes his paw off his shoulder. "I will. I promise."

14

Sarah officially ended on Sunday March 29, 2020. The city of Mayville is left intact yet a bit torn up. A few branches are on the ground, leaves and debris on every lawn, road, and sidewalk. Sidings from houses are torn off and on some streets, houses have lost power, leaving them in the dark.

The mayor of Mayville, a cheetah whom most of the residents have grown to despise, has rallied some of the town to begin rebuild effort. It won't take long, though; that is, if everyone in the town had originally signed up.

After a brutal storm like this one, you would think that after a few weeks, all the madness will be over. In no time, Call will find Raquel, Titus will be remembered properly, and CeCe will get her first major story in the paper.

But there's still an unseen text on Calin Madala's phone; one that could spell everyone's doom. It goes off again that night, the night before Ren comes home from his Seattle trip.

*you will thank me later*