FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The waves lapped gently on the beach; the sun was shining brightly. Dally lay stretched out on a towel in a bikini, soaking up the sun's rays. She lifted off her sunglasses and took in the beautiful scene before her; she couldn't believe she had found the most beautiful beach in Florida, and to top it off, she didn't have to share it with anyone! Just then, she saw a really handsome dog walking towards her. He was wearing a pair of swim shorts that made him look really buff. Dally sat up as he reached her towel and said, "Oh... hi there..."

"Hello, Dally..." he said in a seductive voice, "I'm so happy to see you here."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes..." he answered, "Because there's no other girl I'd rather spend my life with than you." Dally felt a surge of triumph! Maybe this was who she had been looking for!

"So..." she said as she got up off her towel, "You would really stick by me the rest of our lives?"

"Yes I will..." he said, "Because like you say, I also believe in loyalty in mates." Dally was so happy that she had found him at last; someone who would love her forever...

"Thank you..." she said as she nuzzled up against his chest. The muscular dog looked down at her and said,

"And please... let me say... GRUM-GRUM-UM-UM-UM-UM!!!"

"WHA?!?" cried Dally. Suddenly everything she was seeing became warped, and for a moment she thought she was having a hallucination, but in an instant, everything became clear again. She realized she was in the bedroom she had fallen asleep in last night, everything she had just seen was only a dream, and there was a loud engine coming from outside the window. Dally grimaced and pulled herself up to the window to see a big truck with a loading arm lifting a junked car onto it's flatbed. She managed to open the window and screamed, "KEEP IT DOWN, YOU MORON!!! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!!!" She could see a calico cat operating the truck arm; he just turned in her direction and called,

"Morning, neighbor!!" in a cheery voice as he gave a friendly wave.

"ARGH!!!" Dally moaned, and she slammed the window shut again. She looked over at the clock and saw that it was actually eight-thirty; much later than she had thought. Then she remembered that she had broken down on the road the night before and a nice mechanic named Pup McGarth had towed her in and let her stay the night in his home. Deciding not to waste any more of the day, Dally got up and exited the bedroom into the hallway. At the end of the hallway, she finally got a good look at the apartment's interior. On her left there was a living room with an old fashioned box television just a bit bigger than the average stove on the left wall. There was also an N64 game console with two controllers. On the far wall was a plush looking couch, and on the right wall were two bucket chairs. Then there was something that surprised her; in the far right corner... was a record player. Dally had heard about those things, but had never seen one for herself. To the right of the hallway was a small kitchen with an electric stove, a decent sized fridge, and dual basined sink. On the other side of the left wall, in the living room, was a small bar with three seats, which Dally had to admit, was kinda cool. Well, enough of this, she might as well see if Pup was done assessing what needed fixing on her car.

"Good morning, Ma'am," said Pup as Dally came down the stairs into the garage, "I trust you slept well."

"Oh... I did..." said Dally, "Your bed is so plush, it may have been a coffin in disguise!" She laughed at her own joke.

"Can I get you anything?" asked Pup, "Tea? Coffee?"

"I'll take a tea, please." said Dally.

"Okay then!" said Pup. He went over to an urn and filled a paper coffee cup with a brown liquid; Dally guessed this was the tea. "Milk? Sugar?" Pup asked.

"Yes, please," said Dally, "Just a bit." Pup added a bit of milk and one spoonful of sugar, then brought the tea over to Dally. She looked down at it; it was a rich, creamy brown, and looked quite good. So she took the cup and took a small sip of it. "Oh..." she said, "That is actually really nice."

"No surprise there," said Pup, "It's English tea; if there's one thing those limeys got right, it's tea!" Then he suddenly became very serious, and said, "In any case, your car's pretty much cream-crackered."

"Say what now?" asked Dally.

"Wrecked..." said Pup, "The engine blew it's main gasket and all the electrics as I thought, in fact, the engine's basically falling apart. Not only that; the transmission is fried. Whoever had this car before you must have been a real gear jammer. And I found that your alternator just wasn't working. This would probably be one expensive repair build."

"Yikes," said Dally, "I don't think my insurance covers blown engines or broken gearboxes."

"There is a way to avoid a hella expensive repair, though," said Pup, "You may have noticed by now, but there's a junkyard behind my house, owned by a friend of mine. He lets me prowl around in there and look for parts; he's sure to have what I need to fix your car." He shuffled his feet a bit before continuing, "I... hope you're alright with me putting a junk motor and gearbox into your car. I'm used to making stuff like that work, and as long as I find the right engine, your car will be better than new." Dally took a look at her engine; Pup was right; there was no way anyone would be able to get it going again. She was just going to have to accept the repair build from Pup.

"Okay then," she said, "I guess I'll take your word for it and go with your overhaul."

"Sounds great!" said Pup, "We can head to the junkyard now and I'll find an engine and maybe even a new gearbox."

"I guess it's a plan." said Dally. With that being said, the two of them headed out of the garage.

It was only a minute's walk to the junkyard, and Dally was amazed as they walked up the road that led into it.

"Wow..." she said. "Would you take a look at this place?"

"Of course I would," said Pup, "I come here all the time, looking for stuff I can use in the mechanical projects I build as a hobby." Suddenly a voice called out,

"PUP!! HEY, BUDDY!!" Dally looked up to see a calico cat running out to greet them.

"S'UP, CALVIN!?!" Pup yelled back. The calico reached them and enveloped Pup in a hug. Pup hugged him back and said, "Anyway, Cal, mind if we do some scrounging in your junkyard?"

"By all means!" said Calvin. Then he looked over at Dally and said, "By the way, P, who's your girlfriend?"

"GIRLFRIEND?!?" Dally barked, a little insulted.

"Her name is Dally," Pup told Calvin, "And she's NOT my girlfriend, she's a customer."

"Oh!" said Calvin. He took off his cap and said, "I am so sorry about that, Miss Dally, I sometimes don't think before I speak." Dally was impressed that this guy actually had the decency to apologize, so she decided to forgive him.

"Eh... Don't worry about it," she said, "You got a lot of girls in this town of yours?"

"Not many," said Calvin, "Landmine Flats isn't exactly a big town. Just a main street, two side streets, a lunch house, a seaplane dock, a derelict railway station, a playground and a couple of residences." Dally was shocked by this information.

"Really?" she asked, "That's all you have?"

"That and nothing else," said Calvin, "We don't even have a school in our town; it's down the coast, and the school busses don't come around here because the roads are too crappy."

"So... what do the kids do then?" asked Dally.

"It used to be that the commuter train would take them to school and back," said Calvin, "But a few years ago, the railroad decided it was an... uneconomic line, and decided to decommission it. Ever since, the few kids that do live in this town, have to be driven to Miami, twenty miles away, for the start of school; and back again at the end of the day." Dally found herself lost for words, so Calvin said, "But hey, enough about that... I'm guessing you folks are here looking for parts."

"That we are," said Pup, "Need a replacement engine, gearbox, and alternator for a 1974 AMC Gremlin."

"Really?!?" cried Calvin, "A Gremlin? A good old American car!"

"Yeah..." said Dally, "If you ignore the fact that it breaks down more often than Congress!" At this, everyone laughed.

"In any case," said Calvin, "I'm sure I've got something in the yard to make your Gremlin set the pace again."

"Thanks, Calvin," said Dally, "If everyone in this town is as nice as you, I'm very happy to be here." She shook the calico's hand, and she and Pup wandered into the junkyard.

Two hours later, Pup managed to make a good find.

"Look at this, Dally," he said, mentioning to an old car, "This here is a Lincoln Mark II; the engine's pretty much shot, but it looks like it's got a decent gearbox. What do you think?"

"What are you asking me for?" asked Dally, "I'm a cheerleader; I know as much about cars as a football player does about knitting."

"I... thought it would be polite to ask your opinion," said Pup, "After all, this stuff's going in your car, not mine."

"Right," said Dally, "I guess it's a good find; mainly since I can't think of anything better, and I trust your judgment."

"Sounds good to me," said Pup, "Now all we need is an engine that'll fit, and a new alternator." The two of them wandered further into the yard, checking various cars and even trucks, and always turning down their choices. It wasn't until Dally came across a rusting Corvette that she stopped.

"Pup!" she cried, "Look at this!"

"Wow," he said, "A genuine 1987 Corvette stingray? Now who in their right mind would throw this away?"

"Probably someone who just wanted a new car." said Dally. Pup lifted the hood, and was amazed to see that the engine was actually in pretty good condition. He checked the oil level, inspected the fan, and turned it a bit to see if the belts moved freely.

"I can hear the valves going..." he said, "That's a good sign." After a few more minutes of inspecting, he turned to Dally and said, "I think we've found the engine; you alright with it?"

"Of course!" said Dally, "I'll probably be the only girl with a Corvette powered Gremlin!"

"That's a very real possibility!" said Pup. Suddenly there came a loud " BONG... BONG... BONG..." "Oh! Lunchtime!" said Pup, "We better get to the lunch house."

"Is that a good place to have lunch?" asked Dally.

"It's the only place to have lunch," said Pup, "But the food there is really good. C'mon, we can get back to scavenging after we eat."

"Okay!" said Dally, and the two of them headed out of the yard to head to the other side of town.

When Dally and Pup arrived at the lunch house, Dally was shocked to see a large group of people filing into the building in a slow line.

"Like I said," said Pup, "This is the only place to have lunch in Landmine Flats, that's why the entire town always comes here for lunch."

"There's no food store around here?" asked Dally.

"Not unless you count the one that's in Miami," Pup answered, "And need I remind you that that city is twenty miles from here." The two canines joined the line and entered the lunch house. When they entered, Dally saw that it worked kinda like the cafeteria back at school. Everyone went up to the counter, told the chef what they wanted, and then went to choose a table. When it was Pup and Dally's turn, a rather large hippopotamus with an apron and a chef's hat came up to them and said,

"Same as usual, McGarth?"

"Absolutely," said Pup, "Cheesesteak, nothing but the meat and the cheese, and a root beer with lots of ice."

"Thought so," said the hippo, "And your friend?" Dally took a quick look at the menu before saying,

"I'll have a burger with lettuce, tomatoes, and ketchup. No onions or cheese, please."

"Not a problem," said the hippo. Then he turned back to Pup and said, "This girl new in town?"

"That's right," said Pup, "Just got here last night." Then he turned to Dally and said, "Dally, this is our resident chef, Owen."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Owen." Dally said as she gave a slight nod.

"Nice to meet you too, Miss Dally," Owen said, "It's not often we get a respectable looking girl in this stinkin' town. Howsabout a frosty fountain soda on the house?"

"Thank you," said Dally, "Can I have cherry cola, please?"

"Of course," said Owen, "Yo, Bert! get these kids some drinks! Root beer on the rocks and a frosty cherry cola!" In just a minute, Pup and Dally had their drinks and went over to a table by the window.

"Look at that," said Pup as he pointed out the window, "That's the old railroad line that used to go from here to Miami. It hasn't been used in years."

"That's kinda sad," said Dally, "It must have been a huge disappointment when it closed down."

"It was," said Pup before taking a sip of his root beer. Neither of them said anything for a minute, but Pup was the first to speak, "Some of us hope that our children will find a way to restore the line to it's former glory." After a few minutes of making small talk, Pup's cheesesteak and Dally's burger arrived. "Trust me on this, Dall," said Pup, "Owen and his crew make the best food in Florida." Dally picked up her burger and took a bite of it.

"Wow..." she said, "You're right... This is good!" Soon the two of them were finished with lunch and feeling very satisfied.

"Did you enjoy your lunch, Dally?" Pup asked.

"Absolutely!" said Dally, "I had no idea your town had such great food."

"It's mainly thanks to Owen and his crew," said Pup, "It's one of the few things that are actually good around here."

"Actually..." said Dally, "I think there are a lot of good things about Landmine Flats." With that being said, Pup paid for the meal and they headed back to the junkyard.

Once back at the yard, it wasn't too hard to find a working alternator. But then came the task of extracting the engine from the Corvette and the gearbox from the Lincoln. Calvin was kind enough to bring in a forklift truck and lift the Lincoln's front end so he and Pup could get at the gearbox. It took a half-hour, but the Lincoln's gearbox was successfully detached and loaded onto a trailer behind a six-wheel buggy. It was an easier job getting the engine out of the Corvette; Pup undid a few bolts, Calvin lifted it out with a jack arm, and soon it was in the trailer too. Finally, they were ready to go back to the garage.

"I wish you guys the best of luck with that Gremlin," said Calvin, "They're the first cars that come to mind when you think of the lemon laws."

"I'm sure we'll be fine with it, Calvin," said Pup, "Thanks for letting us prowl."

"Are you sure you're alright with us taking the working components of those vehicles?" asked Dally.

"Of course," said Calvin, "Those working components are the only things on those old cars that worked; the rest of 'em is junk; which is why I'll be hauling them away to the foundry at the end of the week. Good night, folks!"

"G'night, Cal!" said Pup. With that, he started the buggy, and he and Dally headed back to the garage. After the parts were unloaded, Pup said, "Okay, Dall, I'll return the buggy, you can go upstairs and make yourself comfy; I'll be back in five."

"Thanks." said Dally. She went up to the apartment and decided to watch some TV. There wasn't really anything good on, so she just watched the soaps until Pup came back. He cooked some hot dogs and brought out some applesauce for dinner, and the two of them ate as they watched one of Pup's racing documentaries. As the film was coming to an end, Dally turned to Pup and asked, "Pup... Can I ask you something?"

"By all means," said Pup, "What's on your mind?" Dally did a nervous twist before she managed to ask,

"How do you feel about loyalty?"

"Loyalty is an indispensable trait," Pup answered, "My father was loyal to me in that he stayed with me even as the rest of my family turned against me. He was the only one who believed I would make it as a racecar driver. For that, I will remain loyal to him no matter what comes our way." He then turned to Dally and said, "Loyalty between family and friends is the most important thing there is; without it, there would be no family or friends."

"I see," said Dally, "I mean... If someone said to you that they wanted to be with you forever... would you believe them; and would you want to be with them too?" Pup had to think for a moment, but he found his answer and said,

"I guess that would depend on if I knew them well enough and felt like I could trust them. I'll only open my heart to someone who opens theirs in return; someone who helps me pull the cars on the train; someone... who loved me." Dally remained quiet; she had never claimed to be a psychic, but if she was reading Pup's mind correctly... maybe he believed in loyalty in mates as she did; maybe he could be the one she was looking for. "Well," said Pup, "We better turn in; I've got one heck of a build ahead of me in the morning."

"I can sleep on the couch, if you want." said Dally.

"You'll do no such thing," said Pup, "A girl like you needs a good night's sleep. I'll sleep on the couch and you can have my bed again."

"Are you sure that's okay?" asked Dally.

"I wouldn't offer it if I wasn't okay with it," said Pup, "I was raised to offer my seat to a lady."

"Okay then," said Dally as she headed towards the bedroom, "I guess I'll see you in the morning then."

"You sure will," said Pup, "And hey, feel free to go explore Landmine Flats if you want."

"Thanks," said Dally, "G'night!" And with that, she went down the hall and into the bedroom, ready for a good night's sleep and a big day the next day.

To Be Continued...