FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ten Miles to Austin

By Archangel Vulpine

Chapter Two

The weapon looked to be of a modern design, jet black with a pump under the barrel, though Vincent knew little about firearms and couldn't identify it beyond that. The owner of the shotgun was a wide, brown-scaled lizard. His head was triangular, ending in a point at his nose, and his black eyes were thin slits between their lids.

'You one with your senses, friend?' the man asked. His voice was gruff and he spoke with a thick American accent.

'I am,' Vincent replied.

'You trustworthy?'

The maned wolf raised his paws to show they were empty. 'Yes.'

The lizard looked Vincent up and down, then finally lowered his weapon.

'My name is Vincent.' He lowered his paws as he spoke, hoping to make a good first impression.

'Eli. What you want?'

'Just to wait out the rain.'

One of the lizard's eyes moved to look through the store's windows, while the other eye remained on Vincent.

'Was just about to make food when I saw you comin' down the road.'

With that, the lizard slung the shotgun onto his shoulder, then walked to the door and exited the shop, his long tail dragging on the floor behind him. Vincent watched as Eli sat in a plastic garden chair, then set up a small gas camping stove and placed a saucepan on top. He was still under the cover of the station, but also a reasonable distance away from the fuel dispensers. Deciding to make the most of the opportunity to interact with another person, Vincent left the store and joined Eli.

The rain was coming down in force now. The taps on the canopy had become a hum, reminding Vincent of radio static.

'You want some?' the lizard asked.

'Yes, please.'

Eli gestured to the wall of the station where a stack of chairs stood. Vincent fetched one of them and sat opposite the lizard. Meanwhile, Eli had produced a tin opener and a tin from his pockets. A moment later, the pan was filled with beans and sausage.

'So where are you from?' Vincent asked.

'Texas.'

'Did you move recently?'

'Yep, set up here just a few weeks ago.'

'Long way to travel these days.'

'I couldn't stay. Things were gettin' worse every day. As much as it broke my heart, I had to leave my home.' The lizard reclined in his seat and his eyes took on a misty quality. 'Ain't a day goes by I don't miss it.'

'What was it like?'

'My first home was El Paso, which is in a desert if ya didn't know. You could drive them roads for hours, just you and the sun and the sand.' Eli paused and his eyes closed for a moment. 'But Austin... Austin was paradise. Moved when I was nineteen. No sand there. The water was the same colour as the sky.' As he spoke, the lizard's scales changed colour, shifting from the dusty brown into a vibrant green. There was always something goin' on, so much life. And it was always warm, mostly... not like this place. Pick out a good chair or a nice patch of grass and just sit in the sun.' The food between the men bubbled and Eli was pulled out of his memories. A second later, his body had returned to its shabby brown colour. Grabbing two bowls and spoons from beside the fire, Eli doled out generous portions and handed one to Vincent. As the lizard ate, Vincent caught glimpses of the large, wet pink tongue inside Eli's mouth.

'Sounds like a wonderful place.'

'Yep, and I wasn't about to leave without a way to get back.'

'You have a plan?' If the lizard had a vehicle nearby, that was something worth knowing.

'See, I had to take the long way to get here. But when I go home, I'm taking the short way.'

'What do you mean?'

'My sign says ten miles to Austin. That means ten miles that way,' the man pointed as he spoke, 'is Austin, Texas.'

Vincent didn't reply at first, waiting for Eli to expand on his statement.

When he didn't, Vincent pressed, 'Texas is in America. This is England.'

'I know that.'

'I don't understand.'

The lizard cocked his head to one side in a sharp motion. 'Did you see the sign?'

'Yes.'

'And what did it say?'

'Ten miles to Austin.'

'That means... ten miles that way... is Austin,' Eli repeated, pausing to stress his words this time.

Vincent blinked. The statement was impossible, yet he doubted he was going to get any clarification on the matter. Changing tack, he instead asked, 'How did you get the sign all the way here in one piece?'

'Carefully.'

Answers weren't forthcoming. The rain was moving on and only the occasional tap on the metal roof sounded, so the maned wolf stood up.

'Thanks for the food. I'll be on my way.'

'You can't leave now. Better if you stay for the night.'

'What do you mean?'

Eli made a scraping sound with his spoon as he collected the last of his meal from the bowl and swallowed it. 'Not safe at night.'

Before Vincent could ask anything else, the lizard had stood from his chair.

'The office is mine, but there's a storage room you can sleep in. Both got locks.' With that, the anole lizard returned to the station.

The storage room was cramped and dusty, but it would do for the night. True to Eli's word, the door had a turn lock on the inside. A wide, short window stretched across the far wall, letting a slit of evening sunlight into the room. Between the shelves stacked with food tins and drink cans, there was just enough room for Vincent to unroll his sleeping bag.