FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

* * * CHAPTER I * * *

I couldn't think of a worse time or place to get stranded than in a desert during a sandstorm. But, there we were... The pickup truck we were given broke down, and since the dig site was substantially closer to us than camp, the choice was clear: We would have to press forward.

But, getting to the dig site was easier said than done... Not only was it getting dark, the blowing sand reduced what little visibility we had to nearly nothing. And, it stung our faces. "I would rather have a root canal..." I sarcastically thought to myself. I probably could've thought up a list at least a mile long of unpleasant things that were more fun than trudging through a desert in the midst of a sandstorm...

But, all things, good or bad, eventually passes. It felt like it took an eternity to do, but we finally reached the dig site--the dig site of a rather special and mysterious Egyptian pyramid. It went against our better instincts, but we decided that our only option was to take refuge inside.

Once we got inside, the first order of business was to try to get all of the sand out of my thick, vulpine fur. My partner and guide, a wolf by the name Rita Lopez, also got coated in the blowing sand. By the time we were as sand-free we could manage, the entrance's floor looked like a miniature version of the Sahara.

Now that we could focus on our present location, I began to realize just how eerie this pyramid was. The pyramid in which we sought refuge was dark and was filled with the fading sounds of the blowing wind as it whistled down the stone hallways. Sand had been caught in the faint wind, and was making a tapping sound against the walls.

Being the curious soul that she was, Rita decided to proceed into the darkness, throwing any sense of caution into the wind. Not wanting to be alone in this unnerving setting, I decided to follow her. I noticed how images of monolithic beings of mythical creatures were engraved into the walls, with strange writing filling the gaps. These drawings depicted all sorts of beings of different shapes and sizes. Mammals, reptilians, insects, and even avians. The common theme between them was they all seemed to face ahead down the hallway making a left facing turn into the next hallway. At the next turn, where the drawings were facing, we encountered a large staircase. We went up, and we were then greeted by a large ornate doorway stood. Against my better judgment, I found myself inching closer to the wall, almost as if I was under a spell.

I then opened the doors without thinking. Immediately, I felt sand falling on my head, but I was still in that weird trance. I was unable to move despite the peril I had just ran into. Hearing the loud, waterfall-like drone of the rushing sand, Rita turned around, startled. "RUN." Rita yelled. "RUN!" She yelled louder. I didn't move. "Dammit, Jamie! RUN!" she pleaded.

The weight of the sand became too much for me, and I collapsed to the floor under its weight. Rita could only watch as my body was rapidly encased in a sandy cocoon. Seeing myself disappear under the sand, I gave my partner a dazed and stupor-filled gaze as a plea for help before my face was also swallowed, completing my cocoon.

"J-Jamie!?" she asked, staring at the mound of sand on the ground, vaguely shaped like her friend. And then a strong gust of wind blew, blowing all of the sand away. Nothing but the sandstone-brick floor remained... A feeling of terror washed over Rita, and she instinctually ran back outside, hoping that what she had seen was nothing more than a bad dream. But when she felt the biting sting of the sand, she completely lost it. And there was nothing she could do about it except cry at this cruel twist of fate.

* * *

... ....... ...................

And then the silence and darkness were shattered as I took in a sharp intake of breath and choked up some sand. I sat up and realized that I was in a completely different room that I was just in a moment ago. I

"R... Rita!?" I asked. "Rita!? Where are you!?"

The room was empty and silent. I got up and dusted off the sand from my body. I looked around the dark and cavernous room, hoping to find just about anything.

"Hello!? Is there anyone here!?"

I asked, starting to feel somewhat panicked. I was alone, and I had no idea how I was going to get out of this room. I grabbed a lantern hanging from the ceiling and took a walk forward, until I found a sarcophagus lying on a plinth in the center of the chamber. I found myself drawn to it... I walked up to it and put my paw on the cold stone. And then I heard a loud, female voice yell,

"HAH HAH HAH! YOU'RE MINE NOW!"

A moment later, the lid of the sarcophagus blew off, almost as if a grenade detonated inside, and a black and shiny wraith-like creature rose from it. She approached me and put her hands on my shoulders. Startled, I yelled,

"Wh... Who are you!?"

She was a mummy, clearly. But, she wore a rubbery headdress and gown, and a set of bangles around her wrists, likely also rubber.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM?" Her voice echoed throughout the room. "WHAT A PITY, MY CHILD..."

And then I realized who she was.

"M... Mom!?" I called out.

I was bewildered, yet afraid. That creature, she couldn't be ANYONE else. And yet, it wasn't. It was her body--her husk. But it clearly was being manipulated by some other entity. The look of malevolence on her face wasn't what I saw in the photos. She kept on walking towards me, and I slowly backed myself up to the wall until I had nowhere left to go. Fuck, what did she want with me!

Almost as if I was daydreaming, I felt this sense of longing towards a certain other fur--My half-wolf, half-coyote boyfriend, Ash Cinder. And then this sense of longing turned into a sense of remorse; a sense of sorrow. Once he found out what happened to me, he'd be utterly crushed. Poor, poor Ash....

I remember how we first met... It was a late-summer evening at the cafe that my father ran. I was still deeply upset over a recent breakup I had with a lion by the name of Sooty Brassworth. I thought that it was going to be several months, if not a few years, until I found love again. But then, a new customer walked into my dad's cafe--The Fuzzy Muzzle--and walked up to the counter.

I didn't know it yet, but he was feeling rather blue, since he broke up with his girlfriend, Casey, the day before. Three years of dating had ended for him in a crushing failure... They decided to remain friends, but both of them knew that things wouldn't be nearly the same...

"What will you be having?" I cheerfully asked him.

I smiled at the canine and brushed my bangs to the side. "It looks like you've had a rough day. But, I can guarantee that some delicious food or a nice, cool drink will make you feel better." I said.

"Heh, I've uh, never been here before. What would you recommend?" He asked.

"Well, you sure look like you could have a nice cup o' joe, and maybe a doughnut to go with it. May I recommend a Boston Creme or a jelly-filled?"

"I'll take creme, that sounds great. And yeah, I've had a bit of a rough day... heh, is it that obvious?"

"Heh, yeah... You look like a dog without a bone... No pun intended. Heh, I've also seen better days myself."

"Hehehe, wanna talk about it? I've got two hours before I have to go to work a few blocks from here."

"Uh, sure!" I quickly looked around the restaurant, and seeing that there was nobody else here at the moment, I left the counter and led the canine to a booth. I took a seat and said, "So, yeah... I uh... My boyfriend just broke up with me today..."

"Really?! My girlfriend just broke up with me yesterday!" He couldn't believe the coincidence. I could tell that he immediately felt sorry for my situation.

"Heh, yeah... It was really rough... I loved him so much. But, he thought that it wasn't going to work out... Ugh, I hate being alone!" I complained.

"Yeah... me too..." He thought about comforting me, sliding his paw over a little, but ultimately chickened out. "We're still gonna be friends, but it still hurts not being with her."

I Looked at him and slid him his coffee and doughnut. "It's the least I could do..." I uttered.

"Thanks..."

He took a bite of the doughnut but then apprehensively stared at the coffee. He clearly wanted to be polite, but...

"The doughnut's great... but I can't stand coffee." He said to me nervously, hoping not to offend.

I laughed and replied, "Then why did you order it, silly? I can get you something else if you'd like."

"Oh... did I? Heh, I guess I was just so wrapped up in my thoughts I wasn't paying attention..."

"So, what would you like instead?"

"Got any hot chocolate?"

"Of course!"

I went back to the kitchen and prepared some hot chocolate for the canine. A few moments later, I returned with it, and sprayed some whipped cream on top of the hot beverage. "Enjoy!"

He took a sip. "Excellent!"

"You like it? Yay, that's great! You see, my dad runs this cafe, and some day, I'll inherit it from him. Glad to hear that I'm doing well."

"This is a nice place. It's my first time here, I'm usually across the street at Fuzzy's bar. I came here cause some people over there recommended it."

"Oh wow... My dad would be so happy to hear that..." I then heard the door bell go off and I said, "Oh, I'd better get back to the counter. A new customer just walked in."

"Okay. Great talking with you. And hang in there! A nice fox like you, you'll find someone soon, I just know it." He said encouragingly.

"Thanks! Uh... Before you go, could I uh... Get your name...?"

"Oh right. It's Ash, Ash Cinder... What's yours?"

"Jamie Foxworthy." I said, grinning slightly.

"Nice to meet you Jamie." He flashed me a warm smile. I then suddenly felt my face go hot. I was blushing! He also blushed and attempted to hide it by going back to his snack. I tried to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary as I returned to the counter. But, I knew that was a bald-faced lie. I felt something... Something special.

* * *

At closing time, I looked longingly at the bar across the street as I began to secure my luggage to my old, beat-up Vespa. Maybe I would be able to catch him on the way out...

I then realized that I was just staring off like a braindead moron. I finished tying my camera case to the front luggage rack of my scooter and then attempted to start it. But, it made a sputtering noise when I stepped on the kickstarter. "Shit..." I uttered. I gave it another try and still nothing. "Oh come on!!! START!!!" I yelled. I kept on stomping on the kickstarter, and the damn engine wouldn't turn over. Angry, I took off my helmet and dropped it to the pavement. But, then I saw the bar across the street again. Maybe Ash could give me a ride home?

I sheepishly walked into the bar and looked around for Ash. Once I found him, I grinned slightly and walked up to him. "Uh, hey! Uh, I hate to impose on you, but my moped just shit the bed, and now I can't get home. Would you be willing to give this foxxo a lift?"

"Uh, sure!" He replied, trying not to sound too excited. He took a key fob out of his pocket and unlocked his car, an ordinary late-model Hyundai.

"Where to?" He asked.

"I live at 386 Van Buren Ave...." I replied.

"Alright, just gotta put it in my GPS" He typed the address into his phone. "Welp, lets head over there."

He got into the car and waited for me to join. A moment later, I got in too.

"Nice car... This sure is much more comfortable than my stupid moped..." I commented.

"Heh, it's my dad's... I, uh, don't have my own yet."

He started up the car and pulled out into traffic, and I began to stare out the window, seeing night descending on my city of San Antonio. I always liked being out late. It was always cool seeing all of the bright lights and the being out in the cool air. I then turned over to Ash, who was intently watching the road ahead. Without even realizing it, I found myself smiling at him.

"What?" He asked. "I got something on my face?" He tried to joke.

Realizing that I was busted, I let out a nervous gasp. "Oh, uh... I uh... Fuck..." I was blushing once again and fumbling my words...

"You're a silly fox, you know that?" He giggled as I kept watching the road ahead. "So how long have you been in SA?"

"Quite a long time, actually. Ever since I was a few months old. My dad grew up around these parts and decided it would be for the best to return home after my mum tragically lost her life in a strange archaeological accident."

"Wow! That's... pretty heavy stuff..." He said, not expecting to hear something like that.

"Yeah... It really was. And you know, as good of a father my dad was to me, it was a damn shame that I never got to know my mother. She sounded like a wonderful person. A little bit fiery, but a good vixen, nonetheless. Heh, uh, do you believe in the supernatural?"

"...Yeah, I do..." He bluntly replied.

"Oh good... I thought I'd sound crazy if I said I believed in that sort of stuff as well. I truly believe my dad whenever he talks about mom... He always seems so spooked!"

"Yeah? So something strange happened to your mom you think?" He was getting more and more intrigued about me the more he talked with me.

"Well... This might sound utterly insane, but apparently, my mother spent years of her life trying to find an abandoned pyramid; one that was never used before, and when she finally found it and went inside.... She was.... Taken." I said, shuddering slightly, seeing the utterly haunted look on my father's face whenever he recollected that day.

"Wow... that's a mindfuck..." He said blankly, trying his best to pay attention to the road, but being utterly captivated by my story.

"Mindfuck? Never heard that used to describe it before. But, yeah. My mom's a modern-day pharaoh. I am not making this shit up!"

"Whoa! No shit?!" He said in disbelief. "Damn... I-I don't know what else to say..."

"Yeah... If you want to read up on it, look up science news in October of 1996, I believe. Her name was Christa Wilder... Anyway... Enough about that. Let's uh, talk about something more lighthearted..." I said awkwardly.

"Hehe... lighthearted?" He laughed nervously. "Like what?"

"Uh, I don't know.... Uh.... Maybe tell me a little more about yourself?

"Heh, well I was born and raised here, I'm half wolf and half coyote, and I'm a bartender... really would like to be a writer though."

"I'm sort of interested in writing. Heh, I'm actually aspiring to be a photojournalist." I said, patting the metal case in my lap.

"Wow! That's pretty cool! Bet you take some cool photographs!"

"I even have an online gallery!" I proudly boasted.

"Nice! You should send me a link sometime!"

"I sure will!"

A few moments later, we arrived at my house, a small but charming-looking ranch with a proud-looking picture window front and center. Despite his modest income, my dad took wonderful care of this little house and its landscaping.

"Welp, we're here! Uh, I had a nice time riding with you. Uh... Could I have your phone number...?" I sheepishly asked.

"Y-You want my phone number?" He replied, almost in disbelief.

"Yeah... You seem like a really cool fella. I wanna keep in touch."

"Cool! I'd love to keep in touch with you too!" He said, face beaming with excitement.

Once I we exchanged numbers, I said, "I'll text you later." I got out of the car and said my goodbyes to Ash. He then pulled back into traffic and I saw the red glow of the taillights grow further and further away until they were swallowed by the city...