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Dear Reader,

The following tale is an adventure of strange times with uncommon courage, bravery, struggles and challenges in an uncommonly dark world struggling to find a single ray of light. Here the difference in classes is not merely defined by money, species, nor color. It is a matter of your height, regardless of how smart, athletic, kind or evil you may be. If you are not even as big as someone's paws, then you are not even anything in the eyes of this world. For many, that means the they have no rights and no place within society beyond possessions; food, tools, slaves, toys and more.

At least, that is what everyone thought.

Our story begins with Archimedes D. Snowy, a tall snow leopard generally dressed in jeans with cargo pockets crammed full of geeky things and always found wearing plain polos. He's as geeky as a person can be, loves his computers, loves to learn and has refused failure at every pass.

As he progressed through college, he kept a record of all that happened, no matter what.

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Archy's Story - Moving Out

"Alright Mom, I'll be back on the weekend!" I said, pulling myself out of my mom's iron-griped hug. It wasn't as big of a deal for me as it was for others. We lived in Emerson, PA, just south of Reading and the PA University of Cinema, a stone's throw away.

"I know, but, you're moving out!" Mom said, still trying to hold on, "and you know about our problem... If anyone finds out!" That was, we weren't technically like everyone else, we had a very particular secret to hide.

"Look, its only because the college says I NEED to live on campus," I remind her, again, "I'll be home on the weekends, I'll be fine." I pulled away a bit more and managed to get out the door. My dorm was already setup with everything needed, everything else was in the truck for the ride out. We'd made sure of that on the special 'locals move in' day. A good chance to get our stuff in a little ahead of the massive move-in terrors when the whole place fills up. It was a nice perk to picking a fairly local college.

Anyway, the trip was supposed to be about two hours if I took my time. About the half way point though, something small flew in front of the truck and fell down the embankment off the road. It screamed as it sailed by. Various wild animals could make a number of sounds, but, none screamed like an intelligent one. Some poor micro had been thrown out of a car.??Classes didn't start for several days and there was nothing set for freshman until the next day. I had the time to help and, I wasn't gonna leave a little thing like that out here alone. Micros could survive on their own, but, those kept as pets? That was a little bit more questionable. Either way, there wasn't much choice.??By this point, the truck was a good distance past where it flew by and it wasn't easy getting off the road. To say the shoulder was narrow would be an understatement. With the side of the truck just about touching the guards, there was only a foot of clearance before the road started and only a bit past that before the cars whizzed by. It was a good day to be a cat, larger and less agile creatures would have had a struggle getting out of the truck.

A good bit back and over the embankment, I found the little micro. She was a small arctic vixen in rather bad shape. Her body was skinny, naked and assuredly had been beaten around. I wanted to help her, but, first was actually catching her.??The vixen hid as soon as I got near. She was trying to get into a little hole under a log. To her it was about the perfect cave, though for anyone else it'd be a pretty simple thing to move. Its just that, she was very fast and catching a small but fast object is not particularly easy.

"Hey, calm down" I said as I got down on my hands and knees to get closer. "I'm not gonna hurt you... Not that you're going to believe me." My ears folded as, well, I wasn't totally certain how to go about doing this. There was the family secret, but, that'd only put us both in jeopardy.

All that came from the little cave was some strange combination of growls and a hiss? She wasn't going to come willingly. The only solution would be to capture her and negotiate later, maybe.

My hand flew in with every ounce of feline-quickness I had, pushed the fox-girl against a wall and then gradually wrapped itself around her. An ounce to me would be pounds to her, but, there was no other way and, not a bit more force was used than needed. Even so, I was still careful with pulling her out and climbing back up to the truck. Once inside I opened my hand enough for her to see me and be comfortable. It was strange, but, now, she was much more calm and submissive???"Okay, now listen, you aren't in any danger," I explained, "My name's Archy, what's yours?"??"Eeeve" the little fox stuttered. She curled up and hugged her tail around herself.??"Its okay" I said, gently stroking her with my thumb, "I'm going to take you with me to college and take care of you. You'll be alright."??Eve only nodded and curled up tighter.

"Now listen, I need to put you somewhere where you'll be safe, there's an hour or so left til' were there," I said, gently placing her down on my leg, "you can slip in under my seatbelt or in a pocket or something. We just gotta put you somewhere you'll be safe if I have to stop or anything."

Eve nodded her head wordlessly and began to search for her spot. She elected to crawl down and wedge herself partially between and under my legs. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but, after loosing a good half hour or so to this lunacy, there wasn't going to be an argument.

When we finally got to the college, I was eager to just get inside, eat and relax. Eve was asleep, so, I very carefully transferred her to my coat pocket and zipped it tight until everything was unloaded and safely stored in my room. She was still sleeping, which meant it was time for some eating. Perhaps I could coerce her into a more upbeat mood with food???My little friend slept through our entire trek down to the lobby, through the concourse to the North Tower and into JT's Burgers. It was the college's solution to students wanting food and a convenience store. There was a small eat-in area just outside it in the hallway and inside a miniaturized grocery store with made to order food available. Of course, the hunger-solution was pretty clear: a cheese burger hoagie with chips and iced tea.

The girl behind the counter was a rather interesting wolfess. She seemed to be from somewhere trapped in the sixties. Her words came fast and it seemed like she was using some other language or form of English.??"Um, why're you talking like that?" I asked, "most of those words left common use fifty years ago."

"Ah ha, my slick speak's got your tongue Mr. Cool Cat?" the wolf said, moving around in a dancing manner as she prepared orders.??"Well, truthfully, yes" I said, "it seems uncommon and would seem to suggest you come from a foreign region that has somehow romanticized an older period of western history or some other unexpected reasoning for such old terms."

"Well Kitty," the wolf said, "I am the lead, the head, the front of the fast track train to fan-city in the biggest musical that's ever been written, not some third world, third class bimbo. Now, you'd better catch your train slick, unless you have a thing for cold beef."??Okay, my hoagie was done and, as interesting as that wolf was, she had a point. The hoagie was done and rapidly cooling. There was no telling how long until it'd be a piece of cold beef... Which actually didn't taste that bad if it was raw... Cold burgers however were about as appetizing as sour milk.??As I quickly paid and left, my pocket started squirming. Little Eve was waking up. That wouldn't quite do, she could panic and injure herself or possibly cut a hole in my jacket and escape. Neither possibility seemed like a good one. If she escaped, she'd be at the whims of horny college giants and, well, I didn't intend to let her fall into such rough straits. My intention was to be her friend, not her master and, if necessary an owner in ink only.

I all but ran to my room, bowling over a number of others in the hall way. Snow Leopards weren't the biggest cats, but, I was broad in the shoulders and well built. A furry-freight train when I had a place to be. In this case, that was a safe spot to help, care for and feed my recent freed friend.?