FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The clock tolled midnight. Its loud clang rolled through the town and surrounding hills like thunder, making the already dark and stormy night more creepy. He should have been asleep but here he was walking the streets with no destination no memory of how he got there. But still he kept walking. His footsteps splashing in the water collected at the side of the road. Slowly a fog as thick as marshmallow cream rolled in and he found himself unable to see more then a meter in front of him.

Despite all that he continued his walk, unable to stop if he wanted to. For his body was not his to control. He was locked in a mental struggle with a consciousness stronger than his own. Suddenly his mind's invader left him. He was once again in control but he feared that the invader, the presence that was in his mind would return and seize control. He stopped as he thought about what he would do to ward off the invader but had no idea how to stop it should it attack again.

He then noticed the light rain that was falling and his surroundings. The road he was walking down was lined with old brick buildings. Like those one would find in a town from the 50's. He took in a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, something the cool midnight air always did for him. He walked over to the nearest building and, finding it locked, sat against the wall pondering his whereabouts. He had been there for a few moments trying to calm down when he heard a noise, a soft mew. He looked around for the source of the noise and saw an orange and brown kitten sitting a few feet away looking at him. Its fur was oddly dry looking considering the weather. It quietly padded over to him and rubbed up against his legs in the typical cat fashion. The man leaned foreword to pet the cat and it began to purr. The man continued petting the cat, but after a few moments the cat stopped purring and stared off into the fog. Its fur stood up on end and it let out a low angry growl. The man quickly stood up and readied to defend himself against what ever was coming toward them. From the fog came an unearthly cackle. Suddenly the man felt something touching his leg. At that second he did what many have done in similar scenarios: he screamed like a little girl and jumped back, slamming his back into the brick wall as he did so.

"Ow" he said.

A board British voice popped into his head "are you quite done yet?" the man screamed again. "No I guess not."

"Where and who the hell are you?" the man asked.

"Look at your feet."

The man looked down and saw the cat staring at him with an amused expression.

"You are the one talking?"

"At this moment yes."

"B-but a cat... talking in my head? I must be dreaming."

"Took you long enough to figure that out."

"What? You mean I am dreaming? Why can't I just wake up? This isn't like some inception thing is it?"

"You can't wake up because you are in MY realm now. I control everything here. You will do anything I tell you." A voice like the fog, thick and ominous, said form nowhere yet everywhere at once.

"Now I want you to dance" the man began dancing. And the voice began to chuckle.

"You are in my realm now you do as I say."

"But if I am dreaming then this is my mind so who are you that can just come and take over my mind?" the man stopped dancing.

"I am..." the voice paused for a moment looking for the right words then continued. "I go by many names: evil, nightmares, doppelganger, and many others but most call me the shadow. I exist in all minds and I rule them when they are defenseless."

"Basically he is the evil part of your imagination that you keep locked up when you are awake. When you fall asleep however..." the cat said.

"So he is a part of me?"

"Yes. Normally one could think of him as the director of a movie. He makes all the choices and sets up how the dream happens but doesn't make an appearance."

"So this shadow is the one responsible for that dream where my grandmother shot me?"

"Oh you remember my work! I'm glad. Did you enjoy it?" the shadow said

"No. I prefer NOT to get shot in my dreams."

"Ill remember to put that on the list of things to use in the future."

The man face palmed at that. "Moron." He said to himself.

The shadow just chuckled.

"Wait if you are... um... you wouldn't happen to have a way for me to see you would you? It's odd talking to the fog... and a cat... No offence"

"None taken." Said the cat.

"If it will speed this up so I can get back to making you scream like a girl then I will show myself." The fog parted and a shadowy figure dressed in very black thick druidic robes stepped onto the sidewalk. The man looked at the shadow unable to see his face. Then felt a prick of fear creep up us spine. He shivered.

"Shall we continue this inside?" the shadow asked.

"That would be great but the door is locked."

"My realm I control everything, remember?"

"Oh yea. Sorry I have horrible memory."

The shadow opened the door, the large neon sign above the door was hard to make out through the fog, the man figured it out when he stepped inside. It was a quaint little diner, with red leather booths and stools at the counter, pearl white tables, large windows including a curved one at the corner, a jukebox in the corner, and a checkerboard tiled floor.

It was odd walking into the diner and having it void of life. Even stranger that he heard only his own footsteps clacking on the tile floor. The man looked to his left and saw the shadow striding silently across the floor.

"Soda anyone?" the shadow asked. As he slid behind the counter and lifted the hood back on his cloak. At a glance he looked like the man but upon further inspection many differences could be seen. The fog like quality of his voice now gone replaced by a more normal voice.

The man was dumbfounded for a moment. The creator of his nightmares was offering him a soda?

"Um... is they're any Coca-Cola?" the man asked.

"Cherry, plan, diet, or diet cherry?"

"Cherry I guess."

The shadow pointed at the counter and a glass bottle full of the soda appeared in front of the man.

The man was shocked; he was about to ask how he did that when the shadow said. "My realm."

The shadow then turned to the cat and said. "The usual?"

"Yes."

The shadow pointed again and a cup of milk appeared before the cat.

"Thank you." The cat said.

"Thanks." The man said as he took a drink.

"You were going to ask a question before we entered." The shadow asked

"Oh yes. Sorry I forgot I have a bad memory." he pointed to the shadow. "If you are the evil side of me then who are you?" he pointed to the cat.

"I am bob."

"Bob?"

"Bob."

"So what are you bob?"

"A cat that can talk to you in your mind. Boy are you stupid."

The man frowned "I mean if he is evil, and I am myself then what are you?"

"I am a cat that can talk to you in your mind. How many times do I have to tell you this?"

"Bob stop harassing the man that's my job." The shadow turned to look at him.

"He is here to prevent me from destroying your mind or breaking into your mind and seizing control while you are awake." He said coldly.

"Incase you haven't figured that out yet that would be bad."

The man glared at bob as he calmly licked milk off his paw.

"Soooo why chose a cat? Its not that I don't like cats but why not chose a dog or a dragon?"

"Because I am a cat." He said plainly.

The man thought on this for a moment and said, "So you are exasperation?"

Bob paused the cleaning of his paw and looked over at the man. "Yes."

"Finally! An actual answer out of you!"

"That was not an answer."

"Yes it was."

"Was not."

"Was to."

The shadow rolled his eyes.

"Was not."

"Was to."

"No that was... an accident."

"Yea right."

The cat suddenly stood up on his hind legs and waved a paw "it never happened." He said in a smooth voice.

"It never happened." The man said as if in a trance.

"These aren't the droids you're looking for." The cat waved his paw again.

"These aren't the droids I am looking for." Said the man still in a trance.

"Move along."

"Move along" the man said. And a few moments later added

"Um... sorry I forgot what we were talking about, my memory is bad."

At this point shadow and bob both broke out laughing

"What's so funny?" the man asked. The pair just kept laughing.

Bob leaned back but soon realized that the stool he sat at had no back.

"WOAH!!" the man shouted before falling backwards off the stool and landing hard on his back. "Ow." the pair laughed even harder. Then he said then began to laugh at the situation.

"You amuse me human." The shadow finally managed to say. "I will grant you tonight off from the wonderful dream I had planed out."

"Thank you?" the man said with uncertainty in his voice. As he stood up.

"He means nightmare fool." Bob said.

"Oh... um... thanks! One thing though."

"Yes?" the shadow, asked.

"Mind if I shake your hand?"

"Why?"

"It's a habit of mine. Whenever I find someone that does something amazing I make it a habit to shake his or her hand. It's a respect thing for me."

The shadow took a moment to think before answering. "Why not." He extended a translucent shadowy hand from beneath his robes. The man grasped it finding it unearthly cold.

"We should do this more often." The man said after shaking the shadows hand.

"Do what?" the pair asked.

"Just hang out somewhere and talk."

"Why?" shadow asked.

"To give you a break from coming up with new ideas. And to give you a break form protecting my mind against him."

"I like that idea." Bob said looking rather tired.

"Yes that may be a good idea I have been needing a break for a long time." This shadow replied looking excited.

"Ok then I look forward to it." The man said.

"Good bye human." Bob said as he padded off.

"Remember i'll be watching you in your sleep" shadow said rather creepily then stepped outside and disappeared into the fog.

The man then stood outside leaning against a wall drinking the soda for a moment before he thought. "Wait a minute how am I supposed to get out of thi-" his thoughts were interrupted by the far off sound of a rock band.

"What the heck?" before he could say another word he launched strait into the air. And then...

A man rolls over and fumbles in the dark trying to find the phone, the source of the accursed noise. He finally finds it and turns the alarm off bumping a soda bottle in the process. Man I had the weirdest dream...