FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Bolt walked around an exact number of three times, not because the grass wasn't already flat enough but because it was something he always did. He let out a yawn before letting his exhausted body fall the ground. Rolling over on his back, he looked into the dark night sky. Wiggling and twisting in the grass, the white shepherd tried to make himself comfortable, which was difficult with all the tufts and bumps pressing against his back. Ugh. He liked the grass in Ohio better. It was softer. But the stars ... the stars were just amazing. He had tried to count them nights before, but he would always fall asleep before ever finishing. It wasn't like he hadn't seen stars before, but now they seemed brighter and closer than ever.

Since he had embarked on his journey back to Penny, he had been stripped of everything he thought he knew about himself and the world, and as the three animals had followed the trail of waffles through strange new places, Bolt often felt like all the new experiences were simply too much for his brain to process. Sometimes, strange drops of water would fall from the sky and make his fur wet and cool, and sometimes flashes of light would discharge from dark clouds. It was both frightening and fascinating, but the black tuxedo cat who had accompanied him on his journey was always there to explain new things to him. Like how you beg for food or hitch a ride without being spotted and why you should always avoid yellow snow.

The area around their sleeping spot was a large field with flat, matted grass that seemed almost bluish in the silvery light from the moon. There was also a forest that crept along the side of the field. The only forest Bolt had ever seen before was the one he and his person had explored in search for The Greened-Eyed Man's secret missile silo, but that one wasn't anywhere near as big. Beyond it was a complex of buildings Mittens called "train station". Come sunrise, that would be their destination.

Lying next to him was the "top-secret" map which the three animals used for guidance. It detailed, with great precision, the distance between the cartoon waffles in units none of the animals could understand. Hence, knowing in which direction to go, and indeed how long, was anything but easy. However, Mittens seemed fairly sure where to go. Bolt just hoped that every step of their journey brought him closer to Penny.

After a few minutes of counting stars, Bolt figured that he probably wasn't going to get much sleep anyway. He got to his feed, padding silently past first the cat and then the hamster, the last of which snored loudly. Bolt frowned his nose, wondering how something so small could generate so much noise.

He didn't know whether it was the soft grass against his light paws, or perhaps the cool night air caressing his fur, but as he trotted over the field he suddenly felt his heart rise in a surge of inexplicable carefreeness. He spotted a pile of dirt which he vigorously attacked and before he could think of stopping himself, he was digging fanatically, rejoiced to feel the cool sensation of black earth under his strong paws. Snapping back to reality, he looked over his shoulder, ears cupped, almost feeling a bit embarrassed with his behavior. But what harm could come with just letting himself be a dog now and then? Checking that neither the cat nor the hamster was around to see him, he indulged in his canine nature once more, digging until nothing was left of the dirt pile other than some scattered grains of sand.

Suddenly he stopped, his sensitive nose having picked up a strange scent. He looked up fast enough to see a shadow disappear behind some bushes near a grove of elks.

What on earth was that?

Body lowered and ears, vigilantly erect over his head, Bolt stalked through a bush of wet ferns until he reached the trees. There was no sign of the mysterious figure he had just seen. Suddenly, his sensitive ears picked up rustling noise in some bushes behind him.

For the first time since the days of his former superdog life, Bolt felt the familiar icy claws of fear grip his stomach. His body froze. His eyes widened. He didn't dare breathing. For a few seconds, he just stood there; perfectly still, wondering when the attack from behind would come.

No attack came.

He finally turned around, teeth frowned and ready to attack, but instead of the anticipated sight of armed henchmen and gloves with electrified claws, the frightened, white canine was met by nothing but the silent stillness of the empty forest.

You are just imagining things, Bolty. There are no agents of the Green Eyed Man. There are no electro-claws or plasma rifles either. You know this...

His breath calmed down but those icy claws still gripped his stomach, as if that empty forest frightened him even more than any frightful enemy would have. Of course, what really frightened him was himself, and his inability to separate the two.

He let out a deep sigh, almost as if the sight of the Green Eyed Man's agents would have been more welcoming than the idea of his delusions haunting him. But just as he was about to turn around and leave, he could suddenly smell it... the scent. The scent he had picked up only a moment ago. It was canine. It was right there.

"If there's anyone there, you better just come out right now!" Bolt tried to sound more confident than he was, but no reply came, save the echo of his own voice.

The intruder was gone but he felt as so he was still being watched. Deciding there was no point in sweeping the vicinity, the disconcerted canine turned around, heading back to the others.

When he reached their sleeping spot, he could already see the sun rising over the horizon. The dog sighed to himself. Yet another sleepless night.