Alternative Lessons: Chapter Three
#3 of Alternative Lessons
Chapter Three:
The brakes of the bus squeal softly as it rolled to a halt at the bus stop, the hiss of air accompanying the door as it folded open. A group of furs climbed out from the bus at that point, the last two of that group being Athena and Fawn. The little feline was a full foot shorter than the semi-muscular canine, the pair providing an almost comical contrast in sizes and looks. Glancing back with a smile to her companion, Athena took hold of one of Fawn's paws, leading her along the sidewalk "So do you and your friends come to the club often?"
She's letting me hold her hand!
"Oh yeah, at least two times a week. Helps us unwind from school and all that stuff." Fawn had a bright smile up to Athena as they strolled along the couple blocks from the stop to the Blue Carpet, squeezing the canine's paws softly as it held hers, testing if she had forgotten. Athena gave her paw a squeeze back, giggling softly "From what I've heard about the place, it sounds like the perfect spot to do that."
"Oh yeah, it's lots of fun, dancing and talking and laughing, just everything that's great to do with friends!"
Athena nodded a few times to that, smiling down to the white feline before they paused at a cross walk, both glancing back and forth down the street as the light flashed for them to walk. Starting across, they caught sight of the blue overhang along with the blue carpeting on the sidewalk that marked the entrance of the club. Their pace picked up a bit as they approached the double doors, which several small groups of furs were congregating around. A soft R n' B beat could be heard through the doors as the pair approached "Should we wait out here for your friends?"
"I'm supposed to meet them inside."
"Well then, let's go inside."
The music gradually shifted over form R n' B to a thumping techno beat, overlapping the conversation between Fawn and her friends. Athena had excused herself after about a half-hour of talking, disappearing out onto the dance floor. It had disheartened the little white feline, but a few more minutes of chatting with her friends perked her back up, gossiping about just high school life in general. Finally, one of them made the suggestion of dancing, and they all cheerfully agreed, making their way out in a group of five onto the dance floor.
They spent almost an hour out on the floor before the girls made their way back to one of the tables, settling down in their chairs with a round of giggles. Fawn scooted her seat in close to the table, setting her elbows on it and plopping her head down into her paws before something occurred to her "Hey, did any of you see Athena since she left?"
"Um...no, now that you mention it, I haven't."
"Me neither."
"Yeah, do you think she might be in trouble or something?"
Fawn shook her head "I don't think she'd get in trouble. I'm just wondering where she disappeared to is all."
"Don't worry Fawn, I'm sure she's just off having fun." One of her friends ruffled her ears, the motion something that the little feline always hated, swatting at her paw with both her own "Heeeey! Yeah, you're probably right..."
An hour later found the group of five furs lingering together at the entrance of the club, talking a few more minutes before they each gave their good byes "See you guys on Monday!" Fawn called out, slipping her sweatshirt back on, zippering it up with one paw while she waved with the other as her friends started off along the sidewalk, turning to look back through the doors of the club.
I'll just wait here a bit until Athena comes back out...
The white little feline spent a good half hour loitering there in front of the doors, thanking the weather silently for being a warm spring night, glancing eagerly to any furs who exited before letting out a disappointed sigh as she failed to recognize them.
The streetlights were on by now, bathing the sidewalk in their orange glow. Clouds obscured the moon as the night set in deeper, the glow of the city keeping the stars hidden anyways. Fawn shifted back and forth between her hind paws, her shoes softly sounding in each nervous motion.
The doors of the club finally swung closed as the last group of furs shuffled out from the entrance, leaving Fawn still standing there by herself.
Where is she?
The little white feline was increasingly anxious, having planned to stay for Athena so that she would have someone to walk home with. The bus she needed to take had stopped its route for the night as she waited, which meant she would now have to make the half-hour walk back to Toma's apartment on her own. With a little reluctant sigh, she turned and started on her way.
It was already late when Fawn had left the club with her friends, and by the time she started on her way home, the streets had mostly cleared, save for a few furs wandering with their own friends that occasionally passed the now very anxious feline by. Her paws dipping into the pockets of her sweatshirt jacket, her pacing quick, as stretched out as she could manage. She didn't like wandering alone on the streets.
As she turned a corner, Fawn found the sidewalks empty, the dark storefronts bathed only by the orange glow of the streetlights overhead. A soft clank sounding behind her sent the feline whirling around with a terrified look, catching her bright as she found nothing there. She rolled her shoulders, slumping her head down slightly and perking up her ears before starting on a faster walking pace.
Another minute passed before a paw step echoed behind her, the fawn snapping to a halt, slowly turning her head back over her shoulder as images of the two rough furs she had been confronted by on the bus passed through her mind, a faint whimper parting her lips before she once again found no fur there. Swallowing softly, she tugged her jacket on more fully and turned, dropping her walk into a sprint.
Fawn rounded the next corner on the sidewalk, pressing her back up against the wall and panting heavily, heaving back against the brick as she held herself, trying to calm down.
It's all in your head Fawn, relax, it's all in your head, we'll be home soon, we'll be-
A figure rounded the corner with that, a strong arm reaching out, catching around the little white feline's neck. As Fawn opened her muzzle to scream, a paw clamped a wet cloth over her mouth. A heavy metallic scent flooded her nostrils, struggling weakly a few seconds before it overwhelmed her and darkness set in.