FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The drive from my house to the train station was both an exciting and fearful one. It was like going to a new school, albeit a more interesting one than some of my previous. I was excited that I was finally going to be in a school with classes I enjoyed, people I could relate to, hopefully, and a brand new start in general. I was afraid, however, of the idea of beginning anew, as most children are on their first day. I had been packing almost the whole night last night, working from a list I've had been adding to since the day after I got the letter and had that little..."tiff" with my parents. The list was long and consisted of only really the basics: clothes, shoes, accessories, toiletries, and my trusty laptop. I was totally prepared. Mom had insisted that I bring some other things like picture frames just in case I wanted to keep some memories, my camera, and a pair of long, silk gloves that reached all the way to my elbows. I have to admit, I was pretty confused when asked about the gloves, but Mom said only that I would need them and walked away.

"Jarra, we're almost there. Get your computer put away, I don't want you to miss the train," Dad said and turned his head to look at me. I nodded subtly and started to shut my laptop down. I packed it up into its case when it was done and put the case down by my feet. We pulled up to the station and Dad parked in the closest spot he could find. I got out and moved to the back of the car while Dad went over to get a trolley to carry my numerous bags of luggage. The trunk popped open and Mom and I started taking bags out and placing them gently on the ground. Dad came back a few minutes after we had gotten most of the luggage out of the trunk. He helped us load the bags onto the trolley and then closed the trunk. Mom walked me into the station and looked around while Dad pulled the car around to the front and waited for her.

When we had found my platform, Mom gave me a kiss and held me in a long embrace.

"Good luck sweetheart, make us both proud. Anything you want to say to your father?" she asked me.

"Yea, tell him that I love him. And tell him not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone, kay?" I said and hugged Mom. She gave me one last kiss and then walked towards the exit. I looked around after she was out of sight. There was supposed to be an agent here from the school, waiting for us, right? I had no idea what this agent looked like...perhaps they should've been clearer about appearances.

"Oh well, perhaps I'll find him at my station," I thought to myself and started walking towards the platform. I looked around. Something was screwy here...there were other people waiting here at all, there weren't any benches or signs that you could catch a train here. There weren't even any tracks for that matter! I was really pissed and really scared. Did my parents mean to leave me here? Was all of this a trick to abandon me at this station forever? Did my parents want me as a daughter anymore? I was so confused; I didn't notice the man in the long duster jacket walk up behind me. He placed a gloved hand on my shoulder and started talking in a deep voice that chilled me to the bone.

"Excuse me?" the man asked kindly. He had bleached-white skin and dark shades that covered his eyes. His skin looked middle-aged and completely flawless, slightly wrinkled with little dimples in his cheeks when he smiled. "You wouldn't happen to be Jarra Skolion, would you?"

"I...um...yes, that's me," I said. He smiled.

"I thought so. Please follow me Ms. Skolion, your train will be here any minute," he said and walked towards the empty tracks. I followed him, thinking that he would lead me to the right set of tracks. I couldn't have been more wrong. He actually walked onto the spot where the tracks should've been and started strolling towards the tunnel!

"Um, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to take me to the train to Nexus?" I asked, slightly irritated and more than confused. He turned around and looked at me.

"Yes, of course. And that's where I'm taking you...please, follow me," he said and motioned for me to follow. I jumped hesitantly down to the trackless ditch. My trolley was still up on the platform. I called out to the agent who was already halfway down the tunnel.

"Um, excuse me? I kinda can't get my luggage down here," I said to him. He looked at me strangely and cocked his head.

"Is this your first year at Nexus?" he asked.

"Yes," I said hesitantly.

"Oh, well that explains some things," he said and walked back to me. He walked over to the side of the tracks where my luggage was and peeked over the edge. He gave an evident nod and then stepped back. He held his leather-clad hand towards the cart and it started to shake. He curled his hand to a fist and then pulled it in sharply, making the cart fly over the edge of the tracks and float in midair! He dropped his fist slowly and the trolley lowered with it, touching gently down to the ground. I was in awe, not so much that he used his powers, but more so that he used them in public!

"You're a demon too?" I asked before I could realize what I was saying. Of course he was! It was just that I hadn't gotten used to this kind of life yet.

"Of course! You didn't expect the Headmaster to send a human to bring a group of teenage demons to a school made entirely for the education of the most publically hated creatures in the world, did you?" he said and chuckled a bit. I looked at the ground sheepishly.

"My name is Exodus by the way," he said and held out his hand to me. "I suppose we should get introductions out of the way since we will be meeting each other later in the year and next year and the year after that and so on and so forth."

I took his hand hesitantly and we shook. I had just made my first friend and I hadn't even gotten on the train yet! After we had gotten the introductions out of the way, we started walking down the tunnel. The tunnel got very dark and soon I couldn't even see the nose in front of my face! Exodus didn't look phased and continued walking, but soon he found it too dark and held his thumb out as though he was hitchhiking a ride. Suddenly, the tip of his thumb lit up and filled the whole tunnel with wholesome light.

"There we go, much better," Exodus said and continued to walk through the tunnel with me close beside him. It was only a couple more minutes of walking we finally reached our destination. At the end of the tunnel, I saw the most amazing sight I had ever seen.

An entirely different train station, with pillars that looked like they were from ancient Rome, building styles that looked like Michelangelo designed them! This was amazing! Scrolls hung from all of the pillars advertising the latest in demon stuff: candy bars that I hadn't even heard of, places whose names couldn't be pronounced by the human tongue, all manner of stuff like that. The glass from the windows emanated a dark red tint that made the whole building shine eerily. Exodus walked over to the stairs that led out of the ditch and onto the nearest platform. I took the ramp so I could get my stuff up onto the platform with him. He led me to a train where a huge, red-skinned beast that looked nothing short of a devil, with black horns that were shaped like that of a ram mixed with the size of a bull's, was loading luggage onto a train. It looked at Exodus as he walked up to train with me by his side. It hissed and spoke to him.

"Draob no lla yeht T'nerew?" it said in a language I had no hope of understanding.

"No, this is the last one," Exodus said as he pushed my trolley towards the hulking monster.

It looked at me and snarled: "Kcul Doog."

"Um, I agree?" I said, not really aware of how to respond to the creature's gesture. Exodus leaned over and whispered into my ear: "He said 'good luck'."

"Oh, thank you!" I said and turned to the beast, which smirked a bit, and started taking my luggage and loading it onto the train.

"Well, this is where I leave you Ms. Skolion," Exodus said as he neared the train's doors. He gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Oh and by the way, that troll-like creature that you saw loading your luggage speaks in perfect English, only backwards, just for future reference."

"I thought it sounded familiar," I said and smiled at him. He smiled back and shooed me onto the train, which started moving the second I stepped into the main car. I had no idea where I was to sit; the train was so big and full of people I hadn't ever seen in my whole life. I started walking through tons of compartments, all filled with demons chatting and conversing with each other and laughing until I saw a compartment with only one boy and a girl sitting across from him sitting inside. The boy appeared to be a kind of lizard/human breed and looked about seventeen, with jet-black hair that reached about halfway down his neck. He sat on the edge of the seat with his eyes locked on the passing view of the large plain we had just entered. He had a medium-sized dufflebag that hung from the opposite shoulder and wore a long, black coat that lined his torso with rows of pewter studs. His skin was strong looking, scaly, and a deep shade of green. The girl across from him was a bit different. She was a brown and black Doberman who looked to be in her mid-twenties. She had a spiky, red collar that fully encircled her neck and the strangest part...that was her only piece of clothing. She was totally nude! She stared out the window and, occasionally, glanced lovingly at the boy. This was probably my best chance at finding a place to sit.

I knocked on the door and slowly opened it.

"Um, excuse me? Can I sit here?"...

T.B.C...