FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I felt wind softly stroking my fur and hair. This sudden realization interrupted my thoughts and led me down onto earth. I lifted my muzzle upwards, towards the sun, letting it rays shine unto my face while I admired the beautiful blue sky with spots of bright white clouds. That was exactly my favorite weather, with shining sun enlightening every piece of terrain in front of me and gentle wind giving motion to the grass and trees, while keeping us from getting too hot. I smiled to the sky, asking myself why do I feel so distressed with such a beautiful weather, promising peace. Weight on my heart, weight that has went away for this brief moment came back, stronger. It made me look back down. From the balcony I was on I could have seen a crowd of people on the town square, around the wooden stage in the middle. On their sight my happiness perished immediately, letting the sense of hopelessness take its place of dominant emotion again. A place it has been occupying for over a year now. A place it never should've seen. The show haven't started yet, but I already found myself squeezing the metal bars of the balcony tightly. The shouts that had started to come from the square forced my attention onto the stage again. They could've mean only one.

The execution has just started. From military truck, that parked near the stage a moment ago, came two furs, a wolf and a bear. Both of them were wearing black military uniforms. Judging by the wolf's orders he must have been someone high in the hierarchy. Despite him looking rather old with strands of gray hair coming from his beret he walked fast and confidently. The bear was a muscular fur in his mid-thirties, he walked after the wolf onto the stage, even though I couldn't tell whether he had a holster on his belt I knew he was the executioner. As the wolf stopped in the middle of the stage the crowd calmed down, and when he opened his mouth, words came out. Words that were spoken loudly, but not shouting, when first of them was heard by the crowd, those who were still speaking stopped doing so. The word was "justice".

• Justice among other modern lies are often exploited by the government. Some people care only about themselves, some care about the others too. Fancy words keep both of them calm - I said in my mind. I wondered whether the general believed in his own propaganda. Judging by how passionate his gestures were, he probably did. I did not really care, what I did care about was the fact that the people also believed in it. They were the same people who merely few years ago would protest on the streets not to let things like happen. And now here they were, waiting for the blood to be spilled. Psychology is far more powerful than ballistic missiles, I realized.

The speech was not too long, after all that was not what the people were waiting for. The wolf stepped back and shouted towards the truck.

• Bring the first one in! - Seconds later an elderly canine jumped out. He had fur in red color, slightly brownish, he was wearing plain glasses jacket with thin, metal holders, heavily worn leather jacket, black trousers and a sweater which probably was also black when it was new, but now its color was dark gray. How could I see that his holders were of thin steel from this distance? I didn't really do. I simply met him before, he was a librarian, last time I have seen him was 7 months ago. He complimented me once on my choice of books, a likeable old man. That was the last time I was in library, apparently some government security program decided that I read to many books that promote "anarchistic behavior" and I should stop or else may be accused for plotting against the Union. I smirked as I have noticed that "451 Fahrenheit" was probably the reason for both me losing access to the library and gaining old dog's appreciation. Who knows, maybe for the same reason he liked this book he was now going to pass away. Oh, right, the execution! By the time I was contemplating he arrived to the center of the stage. He was obedient on the way, and soldier behind him had no need to push him. I felt a shiver go through me. I realized that I don't want to see this. I looked behind me to see the door to my apartment, opened wide, welcoming. I shook my head, no, I had to stay. I needed to see this, embrace the world I live in now.

• Jason Glee, behind the cover of an elderly librarian this man has been plotting against your lives and country! Before he have been able to cause any harm he has been captured by government agents, he has been tried for coups activity and shall not remain in position to continue his wicked actions. - The wolf stated. This last bit simply meant as much as "sentenced to get shot on the stage". The bear pulled a pistol from his holster. From the distance I could not see the shape of it but I knew what a bizarre weapon he was holding. Electric rifles or as they are colloquially called "Thunderguns" were a symbol of Union's power. They were rifles, just like any other except that the bullet was incredibly thin and rather long. Rather than rip flesh apart they were carrying an electrical current that cooked the targets nerve system upon impact. As much as they were incredibly powerful as actual assault rifles, electric handguns were simply pointless with barrel not long enough to charge the bullet on its way leaving us with incredibly over engineered and ineffective weapon, able to kill only when pointed right at targets head. But Union's specialists insisted on executing people with a thundergun anyway, they also stated that it had to be a pistol.

I looked down on the balcony's floor and got on one knee having problems with keeping vertical. I tried to keep an unshaken expression, but it was no use.

• I don't want to see this man getting murdered for a show! - I whispered to myself as I had nobody else to share my pain. A tear slided down my cheek.

  • As such, I sentence this man... - The wolf was not over yet, apparently. It didn't matter, Glee was going to die in a matter of seconds and I couldn't do anything. I moved my face towards the grotesque scene more as an automatic reaction to the old military's words rather than as my actual will. The bear moved pistol up, towards elderly man's temple. Jason Glee slowly lifted his head upwards and despite the distance I could've seen his expression, whether my eyes actually could focus that much, or this was only my imagination working I could see Glee's sad face clearly. No fear. No hate. No... pain? Just sadness. Why?
  • To death! - wolf hissed after a short pause. Bear pulled the trigger without hesitation letting out a thunder's roar. Glee fell on the floor with his eyes now having pupils extended upon the iris from the shock. Wood to the right of his head was sprinkled with blood, bullet left a small opening where it left. The crowd cheered and tears were leaking from my eyes. One more good man left this planet.

When I was able to get back on my feet again Jason's body was left in a bag at the very edge of the stage.

Sun was going to start setting roughly within half an hour. I was no longer crying, but I wanted to get back into my apartment now. I did not.

• The next hazard that from now on you will not need to worry about anymore is a thief. He was part of gang that has been mugging people of our city for the past week. Thanks to quick police intervention he will not cause any more trouble from now. - I stopped breathing for a second. Two executions in one day? No way, this haven't ever happened yet. I slowly turned back around afraid of what I could see. I felt like someone punched me in the stomach. Another person was being carried onto the stage. He was a wolf, roughly around my age - nineteen that is. His gray fur was partially covered by jeans and a white T-shirt. The military was still speaking to the people, but I did not register his words, I was studying the convict instead. He was much less willing to die than Glee, he tried to struggle but soldier who guided him onto the stage was holding him tightly with no way to run.

• Please, don't kill him... - I moaned to myself.

• And as such, I sentence him to death! - Shouted the uniformed wolf as if he was trying to tease me. The executor pulled the pistols slide backwards, but as he released it no bullet came into the chamber. Slide remained in the position blocked by some part of the construction. He pulled the slide yet again, with no results. Speaker turned around, in his direction, his face was no longer expressing confidence.

• What a bloomer. - I smirked with satisfaction. Then all of sudden the audience gasped. I instead reacted with a vulgar "Oh, shit!". The other wolf somehow got rid of the cuffs and in one move jumped down into the crowd and disappeared. I involuntarily leaned over the barriers trying to catch a sight of the wolf. Both militaries run to the place where they last saw him. They probably seen him because they shouted something in the crowds direction, but it was no use. The confused crowd was screaming, not knowing what was going on. Then I saw the wolf again, he was already a hundred meters away from the stage. He was pushing people from his way, running... roughly In my direction. Yes, he definitely was running to my block. He left the crowd few seconds later, opened the doors and ran into the staircase. I ran inside the apartment, to the other side of the flat. I looked out of the window in the kitchen. He got out on the other side of the building and looked around. He was in a small garden, surrounded by high fence covered with plants, he had no way to climb over it without hurting himself badly. The only way out were doors in the fence, at the far end of the garden. He ran to the doors and pushed them but ehy didn't move, as he looked down he noticed that they were tied to the fence with a chain, locked by a padlock, he kicked the doors but they did not resolve. I looked around the room, in search of the keys, luckily they were laying around on the kitchen table next to me. I quickly grabbed them and opened the window.

• Hey! - I yelled to him. He turned around and then looked upwards, right in my eyes. - Catch. - I said as I threw the keys. They fell on the ground next to him. He picked them up, found the smallest one, the one that fit in the padlock and unlocked it. Chains dropped down on the ground and he opened the doors.

• Thanks! - He shouted back right before running away. I closed the window right away and returned to the living room as soon as I lost his sight. - I gotta get myself new keys. - I thought to myself. Good thing I always had a backup pair laying somewhere around in case of emergency.

• Today was a good day. - I thought to myself later that day while laying on the bed, just before heading to the sleepy world of dreams.