Now You See Me: Chapter 1: The Long Run
#2 of Now You See Me
Now You See Me:
Chapter 1: The Long Run
I'm running hard, the sound of panting filling my ears, too scared to look anywhere but straight ahead. The muscles burning as my legs drive me on through a seemingly unending hallway. So dark all I can make out is vague silhouettes. A bend looms out of the gloom. Hope rushes through my synapses as escape seems so close.
I race around the corner only to see Her standing directly in front of me. A face half obscured by a mop of black hair covering empty eye sockets that seem fixed on me. Her grey fur matted in several places where visible, the remainder hidden behind a tattered white night dress, keeping her warm during her eternal unrest. Two gunshot wounds are visible in the material, long dried blood staining the surrounding dress. A third entry wound just visible in her forehead, covering what was visible of her face in dried blood.
"Now you see me," She says as she brings her hands up to touch each side of my face. Almost a soft and tender gesture. Frozen in shock I can't say anything, my muscles locked solid. Her hands quickly move from the side of my face to my eye sockets. Where her claws delve inside, scraping along the orbs. My bile rising with my realisation I can't cry out as her claws encircle and scoop out my eyes.
"Now you don't."
I screamed in agony, my vision swimming as I feel my eyes dangling out of their sockets still attached by the thread of the fleshy optic nerve. I vomit hard, losing my balance. I start to fumble around eventually finding something to lean against then recognising the matted material of her dress under my pads.
"Don't think I'll take you back that easily," she says as something metallic and cold presses against my throat and is slowly drawn across, savouring the moment of her victory. I can't scream now, my last thoughts are of the hissing sound from my throat. My lifeblood spraying and running down my fur as everything blacks out.
I awoke with a start clutching my neck.
"Thank god, only a dream."
I think aloud looking at the clock, 7:30am. Feeling fear sweat over my body, cold and clammy, shivering uncontrollably.
"What was it James?"
"Nothing darling," I told him, "just that nightmare." I look across at my lover of the last 2 years.
"The same one? You have that nightmare at least once a week... Come here I'll protect you from that mean dead lady," he says pulling me into a warm bear hug. Making me feel safe in his embrace. I take in a deep breath inhaling the scent of his thick dark brown fur. I look up innocently into his Persian blue eyes as he looks into mine. I slowly lean my muzzle towards him and we share a deep and passionate kiss. Our tongues slowly explore each others muzzles and our hot breath mixes. My hands slowly start to creep down towards his well toned rump.
"Ooh someone's keen this morning my little fox."
"I live to please" I said with a seductive tone in my voice.
"I love it when you talk like that, but I need to get that painting done, sorry I'll make it up to you tonight."
"Yes you will," I said to him chuckling.
He got out of bed and stood there stretching out; I couldn't help but stare at his physique. He was as handsome as you could think a bear could be. His powerful looking legs are well toned and large. Which led up my eye line to his short stump of a tail, he turned around and caught me looking at his beautiful rump.
"James?" as I was still staring at his ass.
"Yes Sam?" I said my eyes still locked on his rear, quite intoxicated with him as I always am.
"I know you can't help but look at my ass." he said tensing and wiggling it for a second. I could feel my sheath stir and I shifted on the bed, luckily he didn't notice. "But could you be a little more subtle about it?"
"Fine." I said pouting and crossing my red and black furred arms like a child.
"And as much as I would love to sit around and watch you pout all day I do have to finish that painting, and don't you need to work today?"
"I guess so, although I could call sick and spend the day with you." I said getting out of bed and giving him a peck on the cheek. "I'll be in the shower if you need me." I said giving him a wink from my emerald green eyes.
Damn he is hot, I thought as I jump into the shower. The hot water feeling great as it runs through my fur. After quickly washing, drying and getting dressed, I caught up with Sam in the kitchen. He was sitting at the table eating half an omelette; he looked up at me and smiled.
"Hey, there's some more on the counter if you want some?"
"Why not," I say and serve myself some and sit down next to him.
"This is good, unlike some of your other cooking," I said jokingly and give him my winning smile.
"Thank you," he said ignoring the bait and kept on eating.
I finished my meal putting my plate in the sink and started out the door, but realising I had forgotten something rushed back inside grabbing my mobile and briefcase.
"Can't forget those," I said to Sam as I walked past, "ok so I have my wallet, keys, briefcase and my mobile, I'm good to go."
"Aren't you forgetting something?" said Sam pointing to himself with a sad look on his face.
"Of course not, I was saving the best part till last," walking up to him I plant a hot passionate kiss right on his lips. His arms slip around me and we stand there locked in our embrace. Our soft tongues wrestling with each other playing our own private game of tonsil hockey. After about a minute the kiss broke, and I lay my head on his chest, listening to his heart as he spoke.
"I love you."
"I love you too, but I need to go to work so I'll see you tonight."
"Ok tonight it is then." I gave him a small peck on the cheek and walked out of the door.
I toss the briefcase onto the passenger seat as I slipped behind the wheel. We live around 30 km away from the city so I had to take the highway into town; the scenery changing from flat plains and dry paddocks of the country to bustling lanes of rush hour traffic on the freeway.
"Ok, big day ahead of you James so how are we going to tackle it?" I said to myself while the car in front of me changed lanes. Revealing a woman with grey fur and wearing a white night shirt.
"WHAT THE FU..." I screamed as I quickly swerved to avoid her and slammed on the brakes. It seemed as if everything was in slow motion, the high pitched squeal of tyres suddenly changing into the sudden deceleration and smash. The air bag exploding in my face, driving me back against the head rest. The brakes must've locked, spinning me into the barrier. But at Freeway speed it couldn't stop the car, bending and giving way. Suddenly I feel weightless, thinking I may be dead. But no, as soon as the thought occurs to me I feel the momentum of tumbling. What I can see around the air bag is spinning. Then with a jarring impact I hit the ground. The glass that had been intact after smashing through the Armco barrier now shatters, bombarding me with shards and debris churned up by the rolling car. After what seems like years it came to a halt.
All the blood starts rushing to my head as I realize that I'm upside down. My seatbelt holding me firmly in place, I look out of what once was the windscreen, now reduced to nothing more then buckled metal and tiny shards of glass to a woman, a mop of black hair covering half of her face. Empty eye sockets seem to observe me in my bloodied state. The half of her face I could see was covered in blood matted fur.
All the furs that had witnessed the accident rush from their cars, some calling for ambulances and those on side roads nearby rushed towards my car. As the first one came he passed before her, taking her out of sight for just a moment, when he passed she was gone. Leaving only questions of who and why, these questions all filling my head as I slowly drift into unconsciousness. The morning light slowly fading into blackness, beckoning me closer as I hang there, until it finally had me in its dark embrace.