Pinch Me
As I got into the car we introduced ourselves. I learned then that his name was Nick. I told him mine as he started the car again driving back the way he came. I didn't know why and I really didn't care. I just wanted some explanations about what the hell was going on.
Nick laughed, "Umm your joking right?"
"No I'm not" I faced him as we started moving. "I have no idea what a fur suit is" I commented as I buckled myself in.
"Wow you must be in a hole," Nick remarked. "You're wearing one, let me guess, German Sheppard?" Nick kept his eyes on the road like a perfect driver as he said this, something I could not do at all. I laughed.
"I'm in a hole?! I don't know about that. I take it you've never seen a fur in your life before. And yes I am an all white German Sheppard. More to the point where the hell am I? What are these green things I see everywhere?" I looked around in a slight panic, so many things were different to my usually industrial area. Nick just kept saying more confusing things.
"Well if I have my bearings right, I think I'm driving down interstate 78, but then again I get lost easily. Calm down though. You already stand out a lot as it is and I don't need a cop pulling me over. And these 'green things' are called plants " I tilted my head in confusion.
"Interstate 78? Plants? Those still exist? I thought they got died out about 20 years ago." The Hume just laughed like he just heard the best joke ever. "What is so funny?"
" Can you show me your phone? I'm interested in weird things like that" Not fearing the request I thought was oddly strange, I reached into my pocket and handed the projection clip to him. He asked me to turn it on. I brought the touch hologram up and he just stared as if he never saw it. I caught him staring and he went back to the road as if he knew every thing. Taking a look at the signal strength I sighed as I had no 8G signal. I didn't have a 7G either, just a weak 4G. I sighed.
"Hmm, thanks." He commented. I looked at the window. I seemed to be on a distant planet or something as all the 'plants' looked like they were from a history textbook. As Nick drove the rest of the way, we sat in silence, like he knew more than I did. We soon arrived at one of my favorite coffee shops.
I took a sip of the coffee Nick so generously paid for. Granted it was from
Dunkin Donuts, but I like their coffee more than my own so I was perfectly happy to drink the coffee. Setting the scolding hot beverage on the out side table, Nick stared into my eyes with jealously. I wasn't sure why, though. We were sitting in a silence that was not necessarily awkward; more like everyone in the room hated me. I felt ostracized smelling their disgust, which made me sick. I never liked that smell.
I broke the silence with a question.
"Ok so why are the humans in the room staring at me. I know I'm in one of those human cities but this is ridiculous." I shifted in my seat with my tail curled between my legs; all I wanted to do is get up and run out of Dunkin. Those condescending stares pierced through you like a hot knife through butter. Nick laughed at the inside joke.
"What year do you think it is?" he asked light-heartedly. I tilted my head and took another look around me. Not once did I see a fur the whole way here, nor did I smell one on any of the Humes. I gasped in shock putting my paw to my hand.
"Last I remember it was August 15, 2070." I slumped my ears down, burring my maw into my folded arms. I began to sob a little as the reality hit me: I was never going back to my time. The human across from me placed a soft palm on my arm. I looked up to him.
"At least you got something right, today is August 15, 2011" he consoled. I looked up at him with disbelief. How did I travel back 59 years? I started balling. He got up and pulled my paw with him. "Lets go back to my place."
I collected myself and got up with my half drunk coffee. Throwing it out in the trash on my way out, nick shuffled me into his car without making a scene. We both knew I would draw unwanted attention, so he did his best not to make more of it. Unforgettably, we didn't get out of there so quickly. A passerby saw me and decided to start trouble.
"Hey, fucking fagot alert. And a freak at that too" He was tall, about 6'4'' with dark black skin and a dreadlock ponytail. I barred my teeth and glared at him with malice.
"Want to go punk? Cause this freak can kick your ass with one paw tied behind his back!" I growled with the ferocity of a rabid feral. Much to my dismay this only made him angrier. The tall human balled his fist up, positioning himself for a punch to my eye. I took my normal fighting stance. Left paw forward, right paw back with the weight shifted to my forward leg. I'm not sure if this was practical for a right-pawer, but it worked for me just fine in jujitsu classes. He took the swing with his right fist to which I caught it also with my right. I pulled him into my right knee, which landed him square in the face followed by a loud cracking sound, blood splashing every-where. I let go of his fist to take hold of his long dreadlocks. "Now have you ever heard the saying don't make fun of freaks, because some of them could kick your tail?"
I let him down and he plopped to the asphalt because of the injury. I no longer felt sad, to high on the endorphins to be any bit depressed. I turned to Nick who just stood there with his jaw agape. "Umm you ok? Because if you want to leave I'll understand"
He shook his head and rushed over to me, planting a kiss on my muzzle. I practically melted into the kiss. I broke it and smiled. "I like that a lot"
Nick asked me something, I asked him to repeat it because I was still high from the fight or flight and the kiss.
"So are you getting in the car?" he turned to the car as if he was getting in it. I followed suit, opening up the passenger door.
"Does this answer your question?" I joked.
We both laughed.
After a few minutes, Nick pulled up to what I correctly assumed to be his house. From the outside it looked like it was two stories tall and made of mostly brick. The driveway was long and straight leading into a garage in the back. He pulled off into the grass adjacent to front porch. He smiled hugged me.
"We're here. And you smell like one of my dogs." He mumbled into my chest. "Why can't I be more like you?" As he said this a few tears came rolling off his cheeks. I pulled his head up to meet mine and wiped the tears away. He was smiling immensely
"Why is that? Surely there is some way for a human to become an anthro." Licking his face I followed up by asking, "Maybe you should take me inside?" He promptly released the hug and opened the car door
"I should warn you that my feral goes by the same name, so things might get confusing." He said matter-o-flatly. I nodded, understanding halfway. Turning the key he opened the door. "Hey Mom, hey Dad, I'm home."
As soon as he said this, a very large dog came running toward him slowing down so he could jump on top of Nick safely. To my surprise he looked a lot like me. The feral was a German Sheppard like me, he had all white fur like me, and he smiled like me. I approached Nick non-coagulant in order to ask a question.
"Nick, may I smell your dog? I don't feel right about him" he smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
"Sure, he is just a puppy. Albeit aggressive, but Little Dart still just a puppy; totally harmless. Sad too, he is blind in one eye" I cringed as Nick said this.
Approaching him, the feral sniffed my groin. I bent down and sniffed the back, where the scent glands are located. I instantly became nauseous.
"Dart what's wrong" Nick asked in fear.
"Your puppy has the same scent as me" I responded.
"That's bad huh?" Nick said growing more concerned.
"Yeah, no two smells are the same in living things; not ever, but he smells the same as me."