FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

They cannot hide from me in human form on this night. So far the air smells clean, no sign of anything I don't recognize. Given the time I left and how slowly I moved on my way these few miles to keep from wearing myself out it's already almost predawn. I can smell that Elizabeth is in her home from scents of her car and herself several hours old. I move to the back door and knock gently. For the sake of simplicity and to help me move as easily as possible I left without my bag, taking only my cloak, my clothes and my mask. At first I don't get an answer so I knock a little harder, wondering if I'll have to break my way into her house again. I start to hear something moving around and knock again just to make sure they hear me. I'm more than patient enough to wait. My plan doesn't hinge on me moving to the next step right away so I'm more than okay if she sees me and shoos me off till the morning or just goes back to sleep. When it takes far longer than it normally does for her to arrive I turn around and find a nice comfortable spot to sit. I almost half wish that I had brought some food with me but with how much the pastor was feeding me and how little I got to exercise the past few days I can probably afford to go a little hungry.

Despite the inactivity and the opening song stays true to the arrangement, staying completely silent. This does also mean that I can negotiate with song in the future. Though it would mean agreeing to a slip it would make tight situations all the easier if I can just promise to let song take over once things have calmed down again. As I stare off into the night's sky I hear a click which causes me to jump up, having not expected to hear the door move at all given the delay and it slides open. I look and am filled with a bit of guilt. She's looking rather disheveled but alive and well enough I suppose. She is, however, in a wheelchair. Still looking half asleep she waves me in, shivering in the cold as she rolls away from the door so I can enter. I step in and close the door quickly, making sure to wipe my feet as best I can so as to not track dirt and mud. It would be rude to do so and then ask for a favor at the same time, especially given how much she's paid for her friendship already.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'll live," she yawns and pushes herself further into the building and towards her kitchen. I stay at the door just the same. "It's nothing that won't heal in time. Nothing too badly broken beyond my legs and some ribs."

"I'n sorry."

"Don't be," she blinks a few times in a rather slow manner before filling a pot of water and putting it in the coffeemaker. "I knew that I was going to attract a lot of unwanted attention with that article. I was actually more worried about you, myself. When I woke up while I was being carted away I saw a ton of blood on the ground and the color was wrong for human blood. Also don't worry about the curtain. Insurance and those government types paid to have it replaced as a means to silence me, I'm guessing. Looks like you're fully healed already. I would sure be glad if I had your healing abilities right about now. But I'm guessing you didn't come in the middle of the night just to see how I'm doing so out with it."

"I need a thathor. I'n going athter the ones who arranged all this."

"Vengeance is never the answer."

"They need to de stot."

"Then tell me about it in more detail if you want my help."

I tell her everything I know up to this point and she listens well enough though I do have to stop a few times for some water to help alleviate the soreness of my throat. Finally once done she agrees and pulls out a little blank piece of paper and writes what I need of her. I take it and then as the sun begins rising I slip back out the back door, letting her choose between whether she goes to bed or stays awake. It is a bit of comfort to know that just seeing me again seems to have put her a bit more at ease. My next destination is the trickier one. People are already starting to move around and a dog even rushes out of the house and rushes to come and greet me. Recognizing this dog as one of the ones that song would play with I greet it like any human would and rub the back of the head near the ears, somewhat surprised that song has remained completely quiet even with this playmate. I half wonder if song would stay quiet even if I ran into Friend but at this point that is not what I should be focused on. My abominable appendage still raised in anticipation of what must be done I retrace the scents.

Though I wasn't there for very long I was still at their place long enough that I can get a general idea of what the surrounding area smells like. From there it shouldn't be too hard to figure out which one is theirs. It seems to be a weekend since most of the people starting to come out do not seem to be too intent on getting anywhere in any rush, instead spending time shoveling and conversing with each other or walking to some nearby destination. I do see quite a few cars though. My destination is in the outskirts of the city and actually quite easily located. Apparently not only are they overconfident but extremely lazy. Their half-form scents are scattered all over this one dilapidated building and it's clear that they are still actively using it. Reaching down I grab a rock and throw it at a window near what I'm guessing would be where they sleep. I resist the urge to scent mark the place to add insult to injury but that would be too indecent and leave me too compromised in the interim. I start to walk away, hearing motion and knowing I might need as big a lead as possible.

"Hey!" a small female shouts after throwing the door open. I flick my abominable appendage at her before sprinting off.

Considering that she would not want to bring attention to where they call home she chases after me in human form, giving me that advantage at least. I race along the streets letting her continue to chase me. I'm already starting to have troubles from even this short run. I keep scanning the streets for a police officer and almost curse the fact that the one time I actually want one I can't seem to have any luck. Just as I'm starting to worry I might run out of breath and need to stop beforehand I spot one across a very busy road. As I approach it without stopping, looking to see if there's a window of opportunity. Even in human form she's actually faster than me and is catching up. If I had to guess she's transforming herself just enough to get some access to these abilities she stole from other people. I rush past the street, car horns blaring at me in protest but I push on. I hear a screech and a collision and I turn to see that a car has run her over. But if anything that doesn't seem to have been enough to actually take her out. Frowning I continue with the plan and push on, hearing her screams turn more to a sort of felinoid roar. I reach the cop and without pausing for breath turn him towards the changing lynx girl.

"She's trying to kill ne!" I plead, hoping that the call for help is enough for him to not bother looking too hard at me.

Turning he investigates the source of the crash as well as my plead more than me, one hand drifting to his gun and unclipping it. I slip the piece of paper into his back pocket as I do so. Seeing the half form of the lynx he aims his gun and issues a warning for her to stop. Though staggered a bit she responds by grabbing the headlight that had been dislodged when the car hit her and throws it at the cop, shouting obscenities at him and myself. Seeing her continue to move towards me he issues one more warning before opening fire. The first shot misses barely but the next one scores its mark. It isn't enough to stop her, though, so he keeps firing. It takes almost the full clip before her wounds become too great that she finally drops. Knowing I need to get away before too long I pat the back of his pants where I put the paper.

"Rest of them are there." I quickly state, knowing that the directions are not going to be enough to give him the exact location since I did not know it immediately myself.

He turns and regards me and pulls out the paper before looking at it.

"They are that way," I point in the direction I had come. "Three dlocks."

"Why are you wearing a mask?"

"Don't trust. They are ones you want," I comment, taking a few steps backwards, remembering to hike my abominable appendage down.

"Where are you going?" the officer demands, his gun still drawn.

"Don't trust. No want hurt. They are ones you want. Three dlocks that way," I quickly reiterate myself before turning and running away.

He makes a half hearted attempt to follow but since he did shoot someone he has to take care of that incident first. I walk, panting heavily as I try and catch my breath and begin taking my position for the final stage in my plan. Hopefully I have done as much as I really need to do but if the need arises I can take care of more. I move myself downwind of the building and find a good vantage point. It takes a good long while before a few squad cars arrive at the building and several officers step out, each with their weapons drawn. There is a call out to the people in the building and for a moment I wonder if perhaps they had left but sure enough the huge elephant comes out, removing the door from the frame and throwing it at one of the cars, nearly hitting one of the officers. With that act of aggression the cops all open fire. At first I'm starting to wonder about the logic of this decision. It ended up taking a full clip to take out the lynx girl and this one is easy four times her size. He grabs another thing and throws it, this time hitting one of the cops and severing an arm. He lasts another good moment or two, making it about halfway down to the cars before he finally goes down. Knowing it's best not to remain at the scene I turn around and make a quick sprint away to a safe distance.

"Okay Song. Thank you for carrying out your end of the bargain. Let me get a ways away from this place and find somewhere I can stash my stuff safely without someone stealing it or setting a trap on you and I'll live up to my side of the bargain."

Song chirps up again, almost strange considering the silence I had been dealing with but quiet enough to more acknowledge my statement as well as having completed the extent of having had to be completely silent rather than already trying to take control. It takes a good part of what I'm guessing is an hour by the time I find a good hiding spot a few miles from where I normally move around and strip, taking care to obscure the location of where I'm hiding them and then listen to the song, letting it overcome me as I slip into the normal sleep I find myself when song takes over as my hands lose their dexterity and my body shrinks considerably.

I am happy. Other give me body of own will. Maybe we be friends again. I like being friends. Tail is raised and wags. Body still weak. No know how Other cope with body so weak. Maybe food give strength. I hunt. No luck. Food not around. I not too hungry though so I no mind. I find human nearby, play with dog on other side of wall. Human throw food to me, makes eyes hurt with flashy thing when I eat. I keep walking. I head towards Friend. Other give me full day. Want spend full day playing with Friend. When near Friend's home I call out, get quick response. Friend was worried. I no run cause still weak but I head towards Friend. Friend very happy to see me, was worried about me.

We play for a bit but my body too weak to play long and I lie down. Friend expresses concern but I am fine. I just tired. I tell Friend so. I yawn. Friend lie down near me, nips at ears. Needs want be satisfied but won't let, can't be left vulnerable right now. Friend wants to help but I shrug off. Friend get very insistent. I get annoyed. I snap at Friend. Friend leave to go get food. Promise bring me some. Things not all right. Only two dead, not five. Bad smell close too. Must be able to run if need. I take care of self needs then go find food. Find food Friend buried yesterday. I no have fun. Too worried. Three more alive. I be here mean I in danger. Friend in danger. I huff and knead the ground, digging at something not there. I was given body all day but I need give back. Not done. Can't enjoy when in danger. I find. They no smell me since I smell like all like me but I can smell them. Learned their human scents. Learned their half scents. Can use to learn animal scents too.

I find quickly. Find area where other fox are scared. They on hunt. I find looking. I bark at them and run. I lead. They chase. Half forms fast but I know land. I lead to Bad Smell. Bad Smell make them run away. Bad Smell not far. Other is confused. No know what I'm doing. I hear them get close. I find empty large human home, no one here. Lots of places to hide. I jump into, find decent hiding spot. Bad Smell near. No want Bad Smell find me. Other want control, take care of other three. I agree. Other has better chance than me. I give control back. I hope I get rest of day later. I want play with Friend more.