Dark Horizon Chapter 2 Out Into The World
#2 of Dark Horizon
It was about two hours before Rourke came back with the clothes Sphinx needed, he really wanted out of that house, even though he told everyone he knew that he wasn't going to be coming out anywhere for the next couple of months, he was thinking that Rourke's visit had sparked a sudden realization that he was changing and that if he want to stay as human as possible he would have to go out into the world and bear what ever it through at him and that he would have friends like Rourke to help him deal with it. Rourke had bought him a pair of loose fitting black cargo pants and black loose sleeve shirt and a black ankle length trench coat like the ones from the matrix movies he like the whole combination, first he had to make some adjustments for his tail. While he had been waiting for Rourke to return he had tried to get his tail to try and pick up a small plastic cup to only slight success, he had managed to curl his tail around the cup and hold it up for about ten seconds before it fell through his grip. He tried them on, they were loose alright a little to loose he needed a belt to hold the pants up, the shirt was a little too wide across the chest, but the coat was just about perfect, it sat on his shoulders instead of hanging off them like the shirt, he was ready to hit the town. Both he and Rourke stepped onto the front porch area, Sphinx had his own car, a 4 liter V6 black Jeep Wrangler with leather soft top canopy, but it need a little bit of work because it hadn't used or even started in almost three months and it hadn't been washed either so it looked like it has been sitting in a desert for a year, the amount of dirt and grime that had accumulated was astonishing, but for now he would ride shotgun in Rourke's car, a 1980's GMV De Lorain like the one out of the back to the future movies. It took them about half an hour to get to the center of town, Rourke had offered to let Sphinx to drive, but he declined the offer saying that he wasn't sure if he should with his legs the way they were, they pulled up in front of the local pub. Sphinx looked over at Rourke "You sure the pub is the best place for me to go"
"Yeah if you can get excepted here then you can be except anywhere"
"I suppose you may have a point there" as he got out of the car. He didn't have any shoes on only because the ones he had didn't and wouldn't fit him and he couldn't buy any unless he went to a custom shoe store and got them specially made, but that would only serve to make him feel like even more of a freak than he alright did. As he walked towards the pub door he passed a bunch of girls who had been chatting amongst themselves until he had stepped out of the car now they were staring at him which made him feel nervous, very nervous he turned back to the car only to be stopped by Rourke gently holding him back "its ok man, they're only girls you don't know them and they don't know you, so forget about them and continue walking"
"Yeah back to the car" he pushed pass Rourke and head back to the car only to find it locked "Rourke open the car now"
"Not until you come inside the pub and have a round with me"
A deep, angry growl began to rise up through his throat and fell upon bared, clenched jaws, Sphinx was getting pissed, real pissed. Rourke took half a step backwards this isn't like him, he's far to agitated with Sphinx beginning to advance on him, Rourke wanted more then anything at that moment not to get mauled by he's best friend, he fumbled with the buttons on the key pad and managed to push the button that unlocked the doors of the de larine and Sphinx gave a slight grunt and then jumped inside the car and hid in the back seat. The group of girls that had stopped to stare were now beginning to advance on the car to get a look inside, but Rourke rushed over and stopped them. "Hey out my way I want to see the freak" one said as she tried to push her way past Rourke only to have him grab her round the middle and pull her back "I'm sorry, but I can't let you, he's been through a lot lately and I would appreciate it if you didn't call him a freak, so if I could get you move along please"
"Hey let me go you jerk I'll do what I want" she screamed and she began to pound on Rourke's arms to make him let her go. He turned around and placed her back on the ground and after about five minute of pleading he managed to get the group to leave, after making sure the group had gone he open up the car and popped his head inside the car to check on Sphinx. He was hiding on the back trying to look as small as possible, a large loch of his silver hair was covering half his face "Hey man they're gone now you want to come into the pub now?"
"No thanks I think I'll just go home"
"Well you're going to have to use the bus or catch a cab cause you're not getting home in my car, not unless you come out of there and come and have a drink with me"
He gave an annoyed growl "Ok, ok I'll come in for a drink, but one drink that's it" Rourke McKenzie was the most persuasive person Sphinx had ever meet, if anyone else had tried to convince him to get out of that car and go into the pub they would have failed. He pulled himself out of the car and headed straight for the pub ignoring anyone who stared at him he stopped at the door, took a deep breathe and stepped as unnoticeably through the door as he could, but sadly this had the complete opposite effect, for in trying to slip through the door he ended up getting his tail caught in between the door and the door frame and cried out in pain, but it wasn't a normal human cry it sound more like a tiger's roar and everyone in the bar jumped and turned around to see who or what made the sound "eh, eh sorry everyone my tail got stuck in the door" he turned around to pull his tail out of the door when everyone in the bar started to crack up with laughter, they thought he was in a party costume, a very good one and thought the roar was just a recording and played as part of a prank, because his face was covered in fur the confusion he felt didn't show, which was probably a good thing. He walked over to the bar trying to ignore the eyes that were staring at him and looked at the selection behind the counter and picked out a bottle of twelve year old whiskey "Sorry, but you ain't getting nothing until you take off that mask of yours buddy" chuckled the bar tender.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I said you ain't drinkin here until you take that ridiculous mask of yours"
"Well there's just one problem with that"
"And that would be...?"
"I can't"
"Why is this some sort of frat challenge or something"?
"No this is my face so sorry I can't remove it"
"What the hell are you talkin about of cause you can remove it" the barkeep reached over the counter and pull on Sphinx's face only find the claws of two fur cladded hands digging into his arm as they grabbed him and flung him over the bar and into the group of regulars, Sphinx's tail was swing madly behind him, the barkeep got up with help of some of the regulars "What the fuck are you"
"What am I you ask? I am human even though I may not look it, but I am or once look human just like all of you"
"Sure freak" on of the regulars said as he advanced on Sphinx with a broken bottle in hand oh crap this is not good he tried to make a run for the door, but found that his feet were frozen to the spot with fear Rourke where the hell are you just at that very moment Rourke came waltzing in thought the door "What the fuck is going on in here Rufus" the barkeep turned to face Rourke and smiled a big yellow toothed grin "Nothing we're going to have ourselves a old good fashion bar fight with the freak" Rufus pointing over to Sphinx.
"What oh no you don't Rufus" he pulls out a berretta 92 9MM semi-automatic pistol "You lay one finger on him, any of you" he swung the pistol across the room to make his point "And I will pull this trigger and trust me on of you wont be getting back up if I do" the group that had been advancing on Sphinx back off and Rourke waved Sphinx over to him and the both of them head out of the pub "Don't let me catch any of you following us unless you want to end up dead" he called back.