FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I

Nobody, not even the rain has such small hands. A phrase that still appears in my head from time to time. Remembered when I first saw this phrase in a journal; poorly cut and pasted from a piece of blank white paper, the text smeared in printer ink. Lori told me that it was a poem she recited Gregory a couple decades ago to express her love to him. Despite the stillness of my face, she must have been able to read my confusion as she explained what poems were and it's "beauty". She used this poem as an example to discuss what stanzas and rhyme schemes were, the symbols and metaphors that litter the page, and the emotion they contain. Her lesson on what she called basic poetry left me puzzled. I simply do not understand how they find something as useless as words on paper very important to their everyday lives.

What do poems have to do with the survival of their species? What does love and literature do with your survival? The way Gregory watches the television, humanity's lack of awareness of their surroundings, and their content nature: how do they survive or are able to operate? I have not yet received an answer to these mysteries. These traits contrasted to Mariah's stone cold demeanor and personal philosophy of no mercy. Nowadays the philosophy are on such soft topics such as literature and love. The two seem to coincide just like the poem Lori recited to Gregory. Even some of her pieces of poetry into little notes carry an essence of some sort of love. Maybe you can find it in her smiles, a parental smile for myself and a more intimate smile for Gregory. Maybe you can find it in this soft mattress that partially consumes my body complimented by the feathery pillows cushioning the back of my head and unraveling the knots in the back of my neck. Maybe you can find it in the glimmer of the sun beginning to rise upon the horizon, a reminder that I still am alive.

I rose from the cozy confines of my bed and began to stretch. I was hoping to sleep until the sun appeared above the maple tree but the cool air exhausting through the floor vent began to brush against the back of my legs. I've been living here for a few months and Lori and Gregory have yet to invest in a larger mattress, though they often ignore my incessant requests. Gregory has suggested me to sleep on the floor, telling me "There isn't any mattress in the whole goddamn world that'll hold a gargantuan like you". Maybe he is right but after years of fighting to sleep comfortably on the cold steel floor in that facility, I don't think requesting for a larger mattress is unreasonable.

In an almost robotic motion, I headed down the staircase to the corridor where food is made and disposed of. The room had an overwhelming smell of stale tobacco smoke which was common, though even with the window open the fresh air could not distill the smell entirely. I began to peer out the window to investigate any changes within the perimeters of our territory, this time remembering to only reveal one of my eyes between the curtains. I once made the mistake of revealing my face while investigating only for a couple of young girls from the territory across the road to spot me looking around. It was not long before the girls appeared at the doorstep asking Lori and Gregory to see their pet tiger. Haven't heard anyone else knock on the door over that slip up, so I think I'm still in good standing.

Unsurprisingly the road was vacant in the suburban neighborhood. No sounds seem to be apparent except for the screeching frogs by the creek behind our house. The sky's horizon began to bleed a bright red and the night sky once draped in bright stars began to glow a dark blue. I began looking out every window around the first floor of the house to keep look out despite the harmless atmosphere. Mariah always told me to check my surroundings no matter what. I made that mistake once and it left an entire patrol dead. This was a good decision as I began to hear faint voices coming from the sloth room window while patrolling the perimeter's interior. Chital. Chital. I kneeled on the couch in front of the window and opened the curtains slightly to see exactly three chital stumbling within our territory, clearly having trouble balancing with every step. I could hardly interpret what they were saying as they seemed to be mumbling a bit.

"It's fine, the woman is asleep. I come here all the time," said the one on the left, it was all I could make out from their gurgled speech. My heart began to race and my pupils dilated, my mind raced to the most essential of questions: What do they think you are doing on our territory? Chital. The absence of weaponry and their poor formation expresses their lack of threat. They act as though they are any other human around here, yet they have a motive to invade without warning. Even the drunken rogues who inhabit the claustrophobic caves of Levit hide their intentions behind such welcoming arms. For all I know, they may be here to rob or even kill us. Seems likely as they know Lori and where she resides. Chital. I watch them carefully for their next move, unsheathing my claws. They take a step; I give them a warning.

They take another step...

And another step...

And another...

I begin clawing the back of the sofa, filling in some of the claw marks I've left in the past. Luckily neither Gregory and Lori nor any guest discovered that their piece of furniture was ruined as I don't know what they would do. I take a breath, my conscious mind blanking out. With their last step I steadily crouch, ready to break through the window and gut the soft underbellies of such blinded chital. Chital-Chital. Chital. They are nothing but easy prey. Chital.

"Ichthys, back away from the window right now!" I heard a familiar voice scolding me, a voice that always seems to bring my mind back to reality. With one deep breath, the blurred vision of shapes dissipated and the muscles in my body start to relax. I slowly backed away from the curtain and faced an aged woman draped in a long night gown. Despite Lori being a little more than a meter shorter and made up of mostly skin and bones, that irritated glare of hers slays the ravenous creature yet again, leaving me to fall into a pit of relief and disappointment.

"My apologies ma'am, I got out of hand while on my morning patrol," I greeted in a nervous stutter, hoping that the apology can tame the booming voice of the inner beast whose disguised underneath such an graceful human being. Instead of raising her voice, she turned her head away from me cringing. A response too familiar to moments like this one as to put it bluntly, I am standing in the middle of the sloth room without any article of clothing.

"You know you're going to get yourself caught with these patrols of yours. You know for a fact that the worst you are going to get are some drunk university students." Before she could continue, her attempt at scolding was interrupted by a series of dry coughs. "This neighborhood isn't a war zone Ichthys, you are safe here." I wish I could believe that but humans tend to be oblivious to the idea that danger can happen anytime and anywhere. For all we know, those criminals in our territory could break in and rob us or even kill us.

"I would like to inform you that there are in fact three chital in our territory right now and they are getting closer to our house," I replied, letting her know of the potential danger that is at stake.

"It's those kids again, just a second." With a sigh, she left the living room and paced to the back door. Peeking out the sloth room window a second time, I realized that the intruders sneaked by while Lori distracted me. I let out a small growl in frustration. Chital. They didn't get far as within seconds I could hear Lori shouting at them from the backyard. I couldn't make out much of what she was shouting but it seemed to do the trick as not long after I couldn't hear the scattering footsteps of the three intruders from the side of the house all the way back onto the street. When I could no longer hear the mumbling of the intruders, Lori returned inside the house and walked back into the sloth room with a smirk.

"Good call smart ass, now get back to sleep. It's four-thirty in the morning and I was hoping to sleep until at least eight, but I can't sleep with you shaking the whole house with your stomping and growling."

"But ma'am, why are you so certain about the safety of this environment? Anything can happen!" I replied, resisting her demand. The room fell silent for a moment, it was clear that Lori no longer wanted to with argue. She leaves the room and drags her zombified body up the stairs. I could hear every footstep and the opening and closing of the upstairs closet door through the paper thin walls. She returns with a few folded bed sheets and my large, worn out brown robe.

Lori walked by me and began to collect the small clumps of red-orange and dark brown fur left behind on and between the couch cushions. She unfolded the beige sheets, placing one over the cushions and armrests and one covering the back. I caught the robe that she tossed at me and I slipped it on as soon as I could.

"Finish the patrol and sleep here when you're done," Lori tried to say while interrupted by a much needed yawn.

"Thank you, ma'am," I responded nodding.

"Can you please stop calling me ma'am? It makes me feel older than I already am," Lori added as she turned on the television, twisting the volume knob to '2'. She ascended up the staircase and disappeared out of sight.

Instead of finishing the patrol I try to lie down onto the stiff couch, not wanting to create even more of a ruckus. Lori must be very envious of Gregory with how lost he is in his own slumber, deep into his own conscious world outside of our own. My heavy footsteps must be nothing more than the tapping of the raindrops upon the earth and my growling must be nothing more than a receding tempest. Even I am quite envious of Gregory myself. The way he is able to sleep in such a comfortable bed and in such comforting clothing. Maybe it is the fabric of the robe pressing up against my body or yet another hive of parasitic bugs that must have gathered on to robe, but the irritable itch snuck up on various spots of my abdomen and back again. Knowing that my body could not fit on that minuscule couch, I took the sheets off the couch and slept on the floor accompanied by the light and faint hums of the television.

Hours later my eyes were greeted to sunlight as soon as I opened them, temporarily blinding me. I thought I couldn't move a muscle at first, starting to fear that I was paralyzed. It didn't take long before my whole body was able to reply to the sunlight's greeting with after a few attempts to roll onto my back. Gregory's option of sleeping on the floor was a disaster. I was able to sleep without the uncomfortable brushing of the air vent but my back muscles felt significantly tense. As soon as my senses started kicking in, my head directed to the television taking notice of how loud the volume was. The screen casted two women in posh suits behind a table delivering the latest news.

"Owners, you may now have to keep an eye on your cat. Paranormal enthusiasts have had quite the mystery on their hands this week as thirty-four year old Manuel Reyes claimed to have seen a feline monster within the woods located in the town of Lawrence." I feared the worst. After a soft chuckle, the news story then cut to the interview with Manuel. His large, intimidating body and rugged beard was contrasted his eccentric and almost obsessive energy he presented. His testimony was hard to understand with all the 'so yeah's and 'uhhh's littered throughout the interview.

"And uh... I found the picture, evidence that this creature is out there," he said as in the next cut the photo was revealed. I was right, that was me. The picture itself was in poor quality, being able to see the pixels and the blur of my visible head and shoulders made it indistinguishable. To the everyday suburban human this would looks like a foolish hoax by an eccentric man. But this exposure means only one thing: POLY will be on their way to track me down. My thoughts were interrupted by a distinctive smell. The aroma coming from the other room stung my nostrils. The smell was intense but that was common to a sensitive nose, no disrespect to Lori's cooking.

Entering the room where food is prepared, I saw a delighted Lori sitting at the far right side of the table finishing off her morning cigarette, exhaling the smoke toward the open window beside her. Her achromatic jacket dress didn't complement well with her colorful attitude, wearing a long obsidian black dress and a worn out white jacket. The aroma of cooked meat became overwhelming. The food made its presence known with the sizzling and popping of grease coming from the pan on the gas stove, making my mouth salivate. Noticing my presence, Lori turned to look at me with a wide smile which always seemed like a beacon of sunlight within the blue-gray tint of the room.

"I see that you are quite groggy this morning," she said, standing up from her chair to place plates, utensils, and sliced fruit on the table. Ever since I first arrived, I've always been very thankful as she has given me the privilege to the delicacies of consuming the food humans eat.

"Yeah... I apologize about earlier. I shouldn't have woken you up."

"Oh it's fine, you know I can never stay mad at you," Lori replied to my apology as she reached up and petted me behind my ear. I wince a little bit to act like I was irritated, but both her and Gregory know that's my favorite spot.

Even after inhabiting the Johnston territory for the past few months, there is this feeling of uneasiness that continues to crawls up my skin. The temperate room, the sunlight seeping its way into every room, and the lingering smell of apple and cinnamon incense: a complete contrast to the stench of blood and feces as well as the hours of pitch darkness that I've been accustomed to within the testing facilities. The look on Lori's face is what I find the most unsettling within this house. The maternal smile that warms her face also contrasts from the terrified faces of prey I've seen in the past. Is she and Gregory feigning their hospitality? Do they even know who I am? How can they be so irrationally calm when facing someone like me?

My thoughts were interrupted as Lori placed her self-titled "Supreme Breakfast Special" on my plate. Knowing my colossal legs would lift the table in the air, I started eating Lori's delicious cuisine while standing up. After much practice, I was able to eat with utensils. I'd be lying that it didn't giving me a sense of gratification every time I'm able to eat like the humans. Unfortunately in the eyes of Lori and Gregory, I'm still eating this food as if I am looking down at my prey before, blissfully devour it without mercy.

"He said he would be home around now," Lori said to herself, flicking her lighter to start on her second cigarette. Lori filled another plate and placed it on the left side of the table where Gregory sits. "Well, it's on him if his food gets cold."

Breaking the near dead silence in the room, Lori turned on the radio that was sitting at the middle of the table. After twisting and turning the knob a bit, she found her favorite station. The serene song flowing through the speakers completed the peaceful state of this very moment:

"She wore Blue Velvet

Bluer than velvet was the night

Softer than satin was the light

From the stars

She wore blue velvet

Bluer than velvet were her eyes

Warmer than May her tender sighs..."

"Ma- I mean Lori, did you see what was on the television?" I asked, watching Lori opened the shutters, observing the neighborhood.

"Yes, I have," she replied, her smile waning into a concerned frown.

"It might not be long before POLY arrives here. Would you like me to finish them off if they decide to come in?" Lori sighed as she heard my question.

"No, you're hiding in the basement."

"I'm sorry, but I must decli-"

"No Ichthys, you're staying in the basement."

Before I could protest we could hear the crackling gravel from outside, our stomachs were in knots. Lori briskly walked to and opened up the front door to see who it was. To our relief, it was only Gregory pulling into the driveway. Lori motioned me to stand in the corner as she opened the door to greet Gregory outside, the mid-morning light leaking its way to the middle of the room. Along with the light came the ambience of the wind's harmonious howls and the softest of chirps to the bold, aggressive gull-like calls of the blue jays. One such blue jay comfortably perched itself on the porch; its paint chipping and its wood wearing but soft enough for the bird to find a nice place to rest, though I guess the hardness of wood would not matter to a bird as I can often spot them perched for what seems like hours upon erect tree branches. The blue jay was picking and eating the day old seeds Gregory scattered around the porch and path to the sidewalk, treating this nest as if they were like pigeons, hoping they would congregate in the front lawn but never did. It made swift movements; turning its head to check its surroundings with each time it pecks at its food, peering into the open door close by. It stares into the doorway, a new world that has yet to be discovered. Yet is exploring such a new world worth the stifling conditions, the claustrophobic rooms that can barely fit its wingspan? The congested environment and labyrinth like structure surely would scare off any creature who dares to walk into the depths of a human home. The bird detected footsteps coming its way, flying off the porch and onto the nearest oak tree. Lori and Gregory walked into the doorway mid conversation, with many plastic bags in their hand full of items.

"I felt the need to apologize to them many times. You and I both know we should have showed up to their son's birthday, they would have appreciated the company," Gregory said while placing the bags on the large ice box to the left of the front door.

"Well I can't help that we have a lot on our plate right now," Lori responded, placing each item in the plastic bag she was carrying in the respective cupboard. "I fixed your plate for you. It should still be a little warm but I recommend you microwave it for a minute."

"How lovely! What could I ever do without your omelets?" Gregory chuckled loudly. Lori responding by rolling her eyes to his usual ingratiating comments, yet they always seem to put a slight grin on her face. She proceeded to walk out of the room leaving Gregory and me in the room, Gregory shutting the front door and digging into his food and me still standing in the corner.

"Good morning sir, how was your morning?"

"Oh yes, good morning Ichthys. You know how it goes, just helping Lori out with getting the things that are in these bags. There is a place for that, at the store," Gregory said, his eyes always focused either on the floor or the ceiling whenever we converse.

"I'm well aware what a store is."

"Ah yes, I forget that you aren't completely helpless." Gregory chuckled, covering his mouth in order to not let pieces of his chewed up food fly around. It's funny really, he's the one telling me I don't eat like a human. His laugh came to a halt, noticing that I wasn't very amused by his so called jokes. "Oh come on, I was just messing with you. Can't you ever take a joke?"

Gregory reached for the bowl filled with sliced assorted fruit placing a large spoonful on his plate while poorly attempting to dance to the music playing from the radio. Suddenly I heard a light knock coming from the door, Gregory didn't seem to hear it while he turned the volume up on the radio. I stayed silent, knowing the sound of my deep, gruff voice would make the Johnston's guests suspicious. Or are the ones knocking at the door associated with POLY? That thought alone terrified me. I made quick, quiet footsteps toward Gregory to get his attention.

"What do you ne-" It probably wasn't the most thought out plan to get his attention but I placed my hand paw over his mouth to silence him, though most of his face was covered in the process due to the size of my hand paws. Before he could demand what I was doing, I pointed to the door followed by more knocking. Gregory nodded his head, understanding the situation. I rushed out of the room and into the space between the food room and sloth room, still making sure every step I took was a silent one. I opened the door on the right side, the staircase leading to the basement. I decided to oblige to Lori's demands, to my dismay.

As I reached the bottom of the staircase, the feeling of disgust began to grow as my nose was infiltrated by the wet, musty smell of the basement. It doesn't help when the tiny slits that appear to be the basement windows have no way of opening. The floors felt like damp spots on a smooth, cold rock under my feet. The feeling oddly reminds me of that morning, waking up to the distant footsteps and the laughter of chital. So reckless, they thought their cowardly ambush against our sleeping men would go without casualty. Stepping out from the comfortable grassy canopy, I lurk towards the wilderness. The smell and taste of the chital's blood, the sound of their fearful heartbeats, and the feeling of the damp grass on the ground; there was never an experience that matches this one.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Johnston, I hope you have had a great morning. I'm not sure if you were watching the news but it has come to our attention that a chatoan has been spotted in this area." I heard an unfamiliar man's voice, one so polite but filled with deceit.

Running behind the stairwell, I squeeze myself through a narrow passage that wasn't very well hidden. The passage's width was the same as a regular doorway, allowing for Lori and Gregory to walk back here with ease. It is moments like this where I wish I was a human being. The coarse texture of the dry walls tugged at my fur while pushing myself through the tight hallway. My ears picked up on the sounds of footsteps and creaking of the basement door. Chital chital chital chital chital chital...

There were only two options: continue down this hallway or kill it. It would be easy to kill the chital, gut it and call it a day. The problem is that this is no battlefield, the odor of the decomposing body will be ingrained within the walls of this house. The lack of company by fellow neighbors will drive Lori and Gregory insane. A long period of isolation can drive any human to break and lose their civil standards that they have the privilege of. I guess any animal could lose control at some point without a companion.

Creak...

_ Thump..._

_ _ Creak...

My heart is pounding and my eyes dilate as I hear it coming down the stairs. I grunt in frustration while backing away further into the pitch black hallway in hopes it doesn't spot me. At the base of the stairs appeared two silent figures armed with flashlights. Chital Chital. They were hunting me down, swinging the circular light for aid in finding me. Such easy prey but I must run for Lori and Gregory's sake. I back up further in hopes I don't give myself away with the sound of my robe and fur lightly dragging against the wall. My perception must have been lacking today as I hit my head off the pipe to the heating tank. I wanted to yell, a usual response to sudden pain.

"What was that?" One of the figures asked. My cover has been blown. Chital. I swiftly ducked under the pipe and back into the small space behind the heater tank. The light from the flashlight glances over the long passageway I was just standing in. My back lays on the left side corner, just barely out of sight of the light. I stop breathing. I apologize to Lori and Gregory in my head for if they walk down here, the chital will be gutted. There is no way out of this. Chital. Chital. Chital. The light stood still, the room was silent. I could feel their hesitation that halted their once threatening presence. They knew what could possibly happen if they step foot into the passageway. I can hear the faint clicking; probably a gun. It's just the matter of whether it is a tranquilizer gun or a pistol. Even I can't withstand the power of antipsychotic drugs in my bloodstream. My claws unsheathe and I expose my large incisors, preparing to strike. Chital.

"Just be on the lookout and if you see anything, please contact us at..." When they finished their warning speech to Lori and Gregory, I heard the front door open and close.

The basement fell silent, there were no more footsteps or breaths that carried hesitation. Within a blink of an eye, the shining of the flashlight was no longer there. There was no one down here except for myself.