FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

• - -Continued- - -

* * *

Lena sat against a corner of her plastic prison, eyes shut with the salt of dried tears. She didn't know how long it had been since she was dumped in there, as her watch came to mind only recently; both it and the migration of the windows' light indicated nearly two in the afternoon.

She was worn in every aspect of her being, tattered especially in emotion. It was no accident, that had dawned on her quite some time ago, but how, and why, did Enika do it? How long had she been planning this? How long would Lena have to wait there, and why wouldn't Enika explain herself? She guessed it could be pretty easy to ignore someone that was now so insignificant.

It was the betrayal that hurt the most, the manipulation and deceit of it all. What looked like a good deed, one person helping another, devolved into this. She had been so grateful, too. And for what? To be locked up and ignored. Generosity doesn't put people in these situations.

Try as she did to repel negative visions of her future, its difficulty had grown in her state of pessimism. When she would imagine her fate at Enika's hands, her frustration and sorrow gave way to an emotion more potent than the two combined.

Fear.

The danger was present, and more importantly, inescapable. She could be waiting out her execution sentence in her cell, to be finished in whatever fashion Enika had in mind; her options were as plentiful as Lena's worries, and it was dizzying. Such was the consequence of thinking of her possible future. "Possible", she thought, nearly choking on her dry tongue when her organs lurched at the word.

She hoped that Enika had a sound moral character, for that alone may have been the only thing keeping her alive. A shuddered sigh escaped her parched lips as she tried to look at the bright side.

Enika had filled out some kind of paperwork that morning that obviously had something to do with her. Murderers don't fill out paperwork on their victims, they just skip straight to killing, right? "Right." Lena whispered. And she apologized before leaving the kitchen, so maybe things could be sorted out between them. For all she knew, Enika would be just as sick with grief if she were to go through with the kill. Size doesn't make someone a murderer - though it certainly gives them the power to be.

Lena went back to Enika's apology, and began to form a bitter suspicion that it wasn't only for what she had done. She could also remember the dreadful expression Enika had on her face before she left the room. Lena's suppressive aura began to radiate once again as she drew her knees close to her body and buried her face in her arms.

She just wanted to go home.

* * *

With the sun's descent, the kitchen had grown as dull as Lena's mind. She lay sprawled, slowly flipping her phone open and shut without thought; the last of its battery had died between her bi-minutely signal checks, leaving her with nothing to look forward to but the next grumble of her belly. She had also stopped checking her watch as often - there was nothing in her jar that she was late for.

It was unclear to her how much sleep she actually managed in Enika's car, because she was exhausted. That was at least half a day ago and sleep would normally be around the corner, but caffeine and the remaining adrenaline from her emotional riot had kept her up a long way. She also hated the thought of waking up to another surprise.

Staying awake allowed her more chances to appeal to Enika, but to no success. Whenever she entered the kitchen she'd either ignore Lena completely, or check up on her without a word. How cruel Lena thought it that Enika would disregard her tiny pleas, even when the two met eyes.

Concentration on her thoughts was taking an increasing amount of effort, and the dull burning in her gut was becoming a distraction. She was ravenous without a doubt, but deemed escape to be much higher in priority. Another growl of her stomach tinged with pricking pains compelled her to reconsider. After all, her current "escape plan" was nothing but sitting around and waiting until her jailor felt like something should happen to her.

She was in no position to provide for herself and was forced to rely on Enika for a solution. A reliance on the person who did this to her, and wouldn't answer even the most basic questions. To Lena, the lack of provisions meant either that Enika would let her go soon, or that she wouldn't need food any longer when the collie was through with her.

She closed her mind to whatever Enika had planned. The last thing she needed was another nightmare, or the drain it would have on her resources. She uttered a growl of irritation at her stomach pains; they were relentless and trespassed in her thoughts, marring any elusive surge of hope that she was fortunate enough to find.

Uncertain of her destiny, she had become the center conflicting frustrations: If her funeral awaited, then she'd gladly stay in the jar forever; If freedom was pending, then she couldn't hope to leave the prison sooner. Unfortunately there was no relief to be found in the former, as her combined hunger, thirst, boredom, exhaustion, and despair may have been just as potent as any physical harm - just not as swift.

She flipped her phone closed once more and tossed it behind her. Looking up, she watched it land with a clack on the ceiling of her upside-down jar, on an upside-down table, in an upside-down kitchen. She rolled onto her stomach, head supported by forearms.

Through a transparent wall she stared out into the spotless kitchen. It was clean enough to look like one found in a model home, as if it were barely used; Enika likely lived alone. Lena didn't think much of the details as a headache was joining her affliction.

She covered her eyes and idly kicked her feet just as the familiar padding of paws on tile drifted to her ears, and the kitchen's lights sprang to life. Reflex told her to look but she stopped; she knew better than pleading again, as it would do little more than burn off her dwindling mental resources.

She laid her head down in crossed arms, trying her best to ignore the presence. A few seconds of silence and she heard the screech of chair legs on tile. Yup, she was being watched. She dug her face in tighter as her stomach scratched at her with another growl.

"Lena."

She didn't move.

"Lena, look at me."

Enika spoke softly, but it didn't help with the rabbit's anguish. Lena didn't want to learn the result of disobedience and pulled herself to a sitting position, humiliation welling up as she looked to the canine.

"How do you feel?" Her expression was as blank was her voice, but caused an opposite reaction in the recipient. How could Enika not know how she felt? She had been kidnapped and imprisoned without food or water. She was just inches tall!

As she winced from a sharp pain that shot through her stomach, she considered that Enika was concerned with her health and would do something to help. She assured herself that food and water were coming now that the giantess was willing to listen. For whatever she did to deserve this, she was sorry and had learned her lesson - she was ready to be rescued from her misery.

"Enika, I'm starving and I really need something to drink..." Freedom was a distant thought from nourishment.

"I apologize for that", she replied calmly as she examined Lena.

Lena expected her to do something or continue, but she only watched. "May I have some, then? Water, I mean..." Her mouth was almost too dry to swallow, and she gritted her teeth to mitigate the next stomach pain.

"Sorry, doll." Enika turned her eyes to the paper stack she had brought, readying her pen before making more marks.

It took Lena a moment to process their short exchange, due to lack of focus and her disbelief at what she heard.

"Enika...why?" The collie's pen paused for a second, then continued.

Lena's long awaited request for food and water had been denied, and so simply. The two things she needed more than anything else, and after all this Enika still wouldn't tell her why. Why she wouldn't spend one effortless minute to allow Lena to enjoy the decades in her lifespan.

In frustration, she raised her voice before her better judgement could stop her.

"D-don't ignore me, Enika! This needs to stop!" Lena never was very assertive, as she was just a softy - if she had more energy she may have clapped both hands to her mouth. Maybe her delirium was getting the better of her.

Enika paused again, this time turning eyes on the small girl and sending a down her spine.

"Oh! Um... I-I'm sorry..."

The collie loosed a sigh, shaking her head as she returned to the papers. Lena lowered her head; she just wanted to give up and accept her fate. There was no part of her that wasn't a tired remainder of its healthy form, and she had reached the point where she couldn't make up any more excuses to fool herself into thinking she would survive this. If nothing else, she just wanted an explanation.

"Enika, why are you killing me?"

The pen paused for a third, long time.

Seconds of silence were broken by a phone's muffled beep. Enika stood up and drew it from a pocket, glancing at Lena before answering.

"What?" she asked quietly. Moving to peer through a window, only the night's darkness stared back at her.

Lena couldn't hear the words on the other end, just their faint garble. It continued for a while before Enika replied.

"Early deadlines make a girl grumpy, I thought you'd learned this by now."

"..."

"Yeah, and feel lucky that I've made quota early again this month."

Lena lied back down, headaches and hunger on the attack. Her life had been put on hold for some business call.

"..."

"Just three, however I was fortunate enough to find one from the high-demand subcategory; It's a four-for-one bonus this month due to shortages, though with your work attitude, you probably weren't aware of that until I told you."

"..."

"No, stop asking me. Meet your quota or I'll add you to mine, is that clear?"

"..."

"Alright, then."

Just before she lowered the phone to hang up, there was another faint garble.

"Hmm?"

"..."

"Oh, just...a rabbit..." Her voice was especially hushed, back turned to the jar.

"..."

"Yup. Keep me updated, goodbye."

She returned the phone to her pocket and made her way back, stopping at the table to lean over the jar and observe from above. Her sharp eyes gazed down on Lena, who wasn't sure if she was pinned by them, or her own exhaustion. She rolled to her side - there was plenty of waiting that needed to be finished.

"Lena?"

Lena didn't see a point in answering. If Enika wouldn't help her then what more needed to be said? "Please, just leave me alone..." She had already given up, and braced for whatever punishment she would receive.

Enika returned to her seat. "You'll be out of there soon."

"Will I really?" Lena asked weakly.

"Yes", Enika sighed, "so I guess you deserve some answers before then, at least."

Lena pulled herself up and near the wall, legs crossed like a child at story time. As strong as it was, her pain wasn't in the foreground of her mind for the first time in a while.

Once Lena settled, Enika picked up the papers. For a moment Lena thought that she'd changed her mind about speaking and would continue writing, or leave the kitchen. However, she did neither.

"These papers are about you, Lena." She held them up. They were documents with several marks and notes scribbled in various sections.

"Oh." She had figured that out, but waited for the collie to continue.

"I needed to document you in a profile before you leave."

"A profile? Are you letting me go when you finish?" It was relieving to finally have the chance at conversation she was hoping for.

"Well, yes, but you'll be going somewhere else." Enika looked to a window.

"Somewhere else? Where?" Her voice carried both curiosity and disappointment.

"It's kind of like a doctor's office." In Lena's state of mind, she didn't pick up on the difficulty Enika was having. "You won't be alone though, there will be others like you there."

"A doctor's office..." Lena repeated. A doctor would help, but she really needed a meal as well. "What's it like? You said there were others like me, do the doctors return people to normal size?" Lena had so many questions about the past and the future, but she was satisfied to be making progress.

"I really haven't been too far inside, normally I just drop people off."

"'Normally'? How often does this happen? What do the people say after they become normal again?"

"I don't know, I never see them again..." Enika rested her chin in a palm and looked away.

Never see them again? Before she could think about it, a sharp sting hit her insides that forced a strenuous cringe. At that point, Enika continued.

"I know you're hungry, and again, I'm sorry."

"Then why let me waste away? This is unbearable..."

"Well, I'm sure you're not familiar with any of this, but the process is a little complex; we can't allow your system to become chemically imbalanced by the common ingredients present in the majority of commercially available products, as that could interfere with experim-... err, test results. And your cure, of course...

The thirst is unpleasant but necessary, at least for now; we need a blank record, and that includes hydration level. They'll feed you all the right stuff, don't worry."

Lena frowned. Just how far into that doctor's office had Enika been? She seemed very familiar with their process... "Oh. I think I can understand, but Enika, why did you do this?"

The question grabbed the attention of the massive eyes, and their confidence wavered. Enika struggled to speak for several moments before she had an answer. "I...don't know. Sorry."

Lena was too tired to make sense of it, but she had her answer. "Well, I'll be grateful to see my family again. I think tomorrow is Thanksgiving."

Enika cringed like she had just been hit by a rolled newspaper. "Lucky..." she mumbled under her breath.

Lena heard. "Do you have family?"

The collie stared across the room, and answered slowly. "I had two foster parents that weren't very nice to me, and one day they disappeared. Not much else to say." Her eyes lowered to the paperwork. "We'll leave sometime tomorrow. Just need to make some preparations..." She went to the sink's cabinet to retrieve a few supplies, bringing back some empty orange pill bottles and a roll of sticker labels.

Lena watched her as she work, in lieu of other options. She was still letting the conversation sink in - she was going to make it through this! The doctors were going to fix her and she'd see her family again!

Her stomach roared. She hoped it wouldn't be a long wait for the doctor's office. If eating or drinking ran the risk of interfering with her cure then she'd have to muster the endurance to wait it out. She knew the irreversible point in starvation varied by species, but had no idea what it was for her kind; she hadn't learned that at university.

Enika shuffled through the paper stack as she filled out the small labels with information. Lena pressed against the wall for a better look, but the collie sat back and organized the papers. She then grabbed one of the bottles and removed its lid.

"You'll have to wait in here for me, Lena." She reached to the jar.

"Oh, ok..." Intimidation loomed over Lena just as Enika did. She hadn't had physical contact with Enika since she was dropped in the cup, and even then she wasn't awake to experience it.

Soft fingers carefully curled around her form, and she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see. While rising, she opened her eyes without thought. She wasn't high up, but it was strange to see her surroundings from outside the walls.

The hand stopped, palm-up on the table. Lena turned to the gigantic woman observing from closer than ever, nostrils pushing a light breeze through her fur. She could only hope that Enika would take no shortcuts with her safety.

Glossy claws reached down, plucking her up by the nape of her shirt without ripping out the underlying fur. Lena awkwardly dangled as she was craned over the biohazard-orange cylinder, catching a glimpse of her former bedroom before she was lowered into her new one.

She felt a little claustrophobic - she wouldn't be able to lay out or even sit properly unless she drew her knees in; it didn't help that her surroundings were now tinted orange, either. She wouldn't have to endure this for long, she remembered. Just until the doctors could help her tomorrow.

She watched Enika place the cap back on the tube, noticing the manufactured air holes around its rim. The canine then peeled a label from its backing and applied it to the bottle's side, but Lena couldn't see what had been written on it. Enika sat back to inspect her work before standing up and clearing the table.

"You had three bottles, does that mean you have others here too?"

"Goodnight, Lena." The collie turned the lights off on her way out.

Lena slid to a sit. Her ailments had only become more impatient with her life, but she could outlast them. Help was soon, and she would enjoy not only her favorite holiday with her family, but the rest of her life!

She laid her head back and closed her eyes. She would live.

* * *

A sharp sting brought her into consciousness; her body was slow to react, but she opened her eyes. The pains had made it difficult to get rest, which only made her misery worse. She looked up at the kitchen. It was light outside, but the orange tint made time prediction inaccurate. Her watch told her it was nine.

She heard a faint voice in another room. It must have been Enika, but who was she talking to? Her voice drew nearer, then Lena began to hear a second voice over a phone, like last night.

"No, I'm only bringing two."

"..."

"Because it's my decision, and that's final. Don't argue with me."

"..."

"The rabbit."

"... ... ..."

"Absolutely not, I'm still surprised you haven't had your rank removed yet."

"..."

"I've exceeded quota every other month, you and I both know that nobody will care."

"..."

The edge faded from her voice. "I know the fucking policy. I'll...I'll get it done..."

"..."

"No, because I'm not a jackass like you. It's not a requirement to finish them painlessly, but it's the least we owe these people. Most of them never deserved any of this..."

"..."

"Ugh! You make me sick sometimes, you know that?"

She entered the kitchen as she placed the phone in her pocket. At the table she checked on Lena, who remained in the cramped capsule but didn't react to her arrival - she simply sat, eyes down.

Enika stood in thought for a time, studying Lena's body. It seemed withered, which wasn't surprising after everything she'd been through. Poor thing was fading away, likely too dehydrated to shed tears. She wouldn't last through another night, Enika estimated.

Putting her to rest would only take a moment. Effortless, too.

Enika lingered on her thoughts, misty tail swishing slowly. She peered at Lena's neck with expressions of reluctance and indecision, as well as disgust while scenarios played out in her mind.

Her hand inched to Lena's container, the contents of which seeming unaware. Enika hesitated for over a minute before her pads made contact with the bottle's cap. Either by reaction or coincidence, Lena looked over her shoulder.

"Enika...? Thank goodness you're here...! Can we please leave now, I think I'm starting to feel dizzy..." She spoke softly with fatigue, but surprise and excitement carried on her voice.

Enika made a fake motion in response to Lena's attention, instead rotating the bottle to see the label. She pretended to silently read its contents. "I needed to check something on the label."

She braced and addressed Lena's question. "So, there's been a small change of plans - your appointment has been scheduled for...tomorrow morning."

Lena's face wrinkled in despair as she put her head down to her knees. Enika's ears flexed back at the sight as guilt coursed through her, forcing a cringe as she looked down to the table.

"...Lena. Come on, just stay strong for a little while longer..."

The bunny did nothing.

"You'll see your relatives again soon..." Lying nearly subjected her the same level of pain.

Lena looked up. "Enika, I...I think I'm willing to risk it. Eating, I mean..."

The collie couldn't look at her, but her words were unbalancing. "That could mess up the outcome, remember? What if it stops you from returning to normal size?"

The bunny looked right at her following another debilitating stomach cramp.

"I think I'll still try, I wouldn't m-mind this size too much..." Her legs were numb from poor blood circulation, but she couldn't shift from her sore position. She held a palm to her forehead to help alleviate her throbbing headache. "Anything to relieve this agony..."

Enika shook her head and backed from the table. "No, trust me! Waiting a little bit more will be worth it, I swear. This will all be over soon...

She hurried from the kitchen, away from the faint sobbing behind her.

* * *

Lena checked her watch, but forgot to note the time. She wasn't sure if she had her legs, either; she could see them, but not feel them. It remained a mystery. The razor lodged in her gut was real, though. It was there. She could feel it. She just couldn't see it.

She grabbed a fistful of hair in her hands, hoping to catch the vice that would ambush her. It would clamp on her head and squeeze before disappearing, repeating as if it had no family to be with. Wait - she said something familiar again. What was it...

Whatever it was, she reached forward to check. No, the blue barrier stopped her again. She would do better next time. Again.

There, she sat. "Alone again", she bragged.

She heard soft footsteps approaching and hushed her breathing. It was the clamp, but she was ready this time. Her fingers tingled with anticipation.

She was disappointed to see a candle floating through the dark room on her horizon. Carrying it was the Black Goddess. But whatever she was holding...it had a glow. Doesn't she know that would forfeit her status as deity of darkness?

It drifted beside Lena's house, making its blue walls all the bluer. It was at her height, too - maybe it was her. The former goddess turned to leave, but stopped at the Great Doorway and looked back, probably to check for Clamp.

Everyone knew that Black Goddess' visage had no eyes. Not only did this imposter have eyes, but each had a tiny glow. Double the signs of a phony.

Or triple, since a third glow rolled down her cheek before she left.

"Alone again", Lena bragged.

She hadn't had her cereal: no cereal, no energy. Clamp probably took it, but bedtime was near anyway. She could feel it in her bones, her flesh...her eyes. Her eyes were tired. Everyone grew darker as the imposter glow lowered into its hiding bowl. Everything inches tall always died, and it wasn't fair.

First, the plastic thing with no signal. It died.

Then Imposter Glow. It's dying now.

What's next? Hopefully Clamp.

I.G. seemed to agree about bed time, so she tucked in.

"Goodnight I.G.", she barely whispered, as she could feel bedtime in her lungs and jaw as well.

They blacked out together.

* * *

The young beagle dipped a doughnut in his coffee and leaned over for a bite, crumbs and droplets falling all over his uniform; he would need his strength to make it through the morning. He turned onto a road blanketed with autumn leaves that stretched on for miles through the mountains, but his appreciation was cut short when he noticed something down the road.

He squinted as he identified it. "Found ya."

Approaching the immobile truck at the roadside, he slowed as he neared to glance in the window. "Oh my god!" Pulling his tow truck in the dirt ahead, he unfastened his seatbelt as he jumped out, jogging to the driver's window and looking from up close. There a woman laid, unconscious.

The beagle knocked vigorously on the window and began to panic. "Ma'am? Ma'am!" He pulled out his phone, but froze when movement startled him. The woman lifted her head and looked out of the window, eliciting a sigh of relief from the tow driver.

She raised her hands, groggily inspecting them and viewing her surroundings before something caught her attention. In the seat beside her were several containers of food with a note attached to one of the lids; it bulged like there was something under it. On the floor sat a gallon of water and a bag of snacks.

"Ma'am, is everything ok? Are you ready to leave? It's already been paid for, and I was given the address. Apparently, it's somewhere you 'should've been all along'", he shrugged.

Lena stared at him, and he waved affectionately. She looked back over to the note, squinting at it in her daze. The handwriting was eerily familiar, but for some reason it didn't seem as large as she thought it was before.

'Happy Thanksgiving!!

Your friend and family,

-E'

Lena peeled the card from the container, revealing her phone. She turned the card over.

'You left this behind. Love you.'

Her gaze rose from the message.

"Err, you can keep all that stuff up front with you if you wanna ride shotgun. You look like you've been through alot, let me handle everything." The beagle licked his muzzle as he peeked past Lena to the junk food, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Thank you", she mumbled, mostly to her visitor. Sliding her phone, and the note, into her pocket, she got out and staggered when her paws reached the ground. The man caught her before she could fall, giving her a moment to steady herself. "Easy now, try to walk it off. It'd hurt me to see you in pain." With sore limbs she limped to the tow truck while feeling and rhythm slowly returned. "It's open!" The beagle called as he worked on her truck.

She pulled open the door and crawled in. There were crumbs and stains everywhere, but she wasn't surprised, given the driver's age; his age was the surprise, as he didn't look any older than her. Taped to the dashboard she noticed a worn, black-and-white photo of a muscular beagle in uniform next to an old-model tow truck.

The beagle approached and opened her door to hand her some of her gifts. "Your truck is all set up, just let me get the rest of your stuff and we're off!" Lena responded with a slow nod, and he smiled at her; someone up there must really like him, he didn't know cute girls and snacks fell from the same part of the sky! His parents taught him manners, though - the important ones at least.

When he returned, he opened her door and almost dropped her food in disbelief. He was glad he didn't. Lena finished chugging the last of her water, and pushed some empty containers aside before devouring the next one.

"Uhh, ok." He placed the rest of her food inside, making sure to mind his hands, before he shut the door and circled around to get in. A few deft button presses on the console caused a chain to rattle and crank behind the truck before he fired up the engine, and they pulled away.

The beagle had plenty of strategizing ahead of him if he hoped to grab a snack from the bag without losing a finger.

---