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The Life of Another - Chapter 30

© Jake Atkinson

I turned my gaze from the TV screen and gave Jim my undivided attention. "Yeah Roger's ok, considering. When did you talk with David?"

The Fox's intense orange glow belied his melancholy mood. "A couple different times. He told me about how you guys were hiding out in Chris' room until things died down and invited me over but uh... I didn't want to leave Roger's computer unattended. I was going to unplug it and lock it in our room but at the time I didn't know Steven's condition and I was afraid a locked door wouldn't do much to stop someone who could teleport."

Shifting in the chair uncomfortably, I decided to press further. "So he called again after that? I mean, did he tell you about what happened?"

Jim continued to avert his eyes. "Yeah, I guess so." He tapped mindlessly at the touchpad attached to the wireless keyboard in his lap and another news site filled the screen. Its rude, commanding headlines begged to be clicked with statements like "See what the President is doing with your tax dollars NOW!" and "If you think plummeting fuel prices are a good thing, think again!"

I cringed. "How can you read these corporate news sites?"

Jim shrugged. "Sometimes I stop by to check a score or two." He exhaled forcefully. "But fine, I'll change it."

My ears folded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that..."

Jim cut in. "Don't worry about it. Haven't read this one yet anyway."

A new page appeared from one of the lesser travelled paths on the internet. It's black background and white letters burned uncomfortable after-images into my vision and I looked away. However a single name lingered, hanging in the darkness beyond the sofa. My heart froze.

"Jim, would you click on that one about Thad Beaumont?"

He aimlessly traced the pointer around the screen. "Where? I don't... oh you mean this one?" he said as he clicked.

"THAD BEAUMONT, MURDERER?!" headlined the page along with a still frame showing an Aye-Aye driving an exotic sports car, it's passenger side rear wheel crushing a young Wolf.

Jim snapped out of his sullen state. "That's a Bugatti Veyron Vitesse!" However, his mood quickly shifted to revulsion. "Oh gross! You can see the kid's intestines!"

He started to slide the pointer to the browser's 'back' button but Kriana's voice stalled him. "Hey Jim, do you mind if we use the room?"

I was so focused on the screen that I failed to notice the Otter and her friends, Theresa and Amanda, had walked in behind us.

Before Jim could respond, Theresa gasped and gestured towards the TV. "Isn't that what Roger was talking about the other night?"

Kriana chimed in, "That's the name he mentioned. But it must be something different. This article says the video was just released a few hours ago."

Ever anxious to be contrary, Amanda came around the sofa and sat down next to Jim, snatching the keyboard from his lap.

He twisted to take it back. "Hey!"

She deftly pulled it aside and clicked to activate the video clip. "Oh chill out glow-Fox! I just want it for a second."

Jim scowled and swiped at the keyboard again. "You can't just sit down and take over, Cat-Fox!"

Oh my god! I thought to myself as I sensed what they were feeling.They're flirting! How can they be doing that now of all times?! __I guess I'm happy to see Jim coming out of his slump, but_ still!_

Before their argument could intensify, the video started to roll, causing Theresa to make quietly for the door. "I can't watch this."

Kriana looked after her with concern but was unable to tear her concentration from the screen for more than a moment. "Wait uh... I'll come get you when it's over."

The feed came from a camera that must have been mounted high on a telephone pole. It provided an excellent view of the adjacent street and the time-stamp in the corner showed that it was almost three in the morning. While it was dark, the street lights and nearby restaurant's flood lights brightened the scene substantially. To my surprise, the clip even contained sound. A fact made evident by the super-car's exotic growl as it rolled into the frame.

There was no mistaking the driver. Aye-Ayes are a rare sight even in their homeland and to see one here was shocking. However, this particular person's appearance was made even more disquieting by the fact that his fur was mottled with glowing, bile green splotches.

As he pulled up to the intersection he was talking calmly to his passenger, a cub whose facial features were mostly obscured by glare from lights reflecting off the windshield. However, the scene quickly changed tone when the passenger door burst open, the cub darting out with the car still rolling. The momentum of jumping from the moving vehicle obviously threw off his balance and he stumbled before quickly getting to his paws.

Oh god! This is really it! Everything is happening just like Roger described!

I winced reflexively, turning my head and squinting my eyes shut to ward against the tragic scene that I knew was about to unfold. Although I could no longer see, the reactions of my friends filled in every excruciating detail. Their apprehension and excitement soon shifted to waves of abhorrent disgust, repulsion and pity as the engine roared and tires squealed. I forced myself to look up and there was the Wolf, now lying on the asphalt in front of the car; his faint, laboured cries drowned out by the howling engine.

This is worse than I could have imagined! There's so much that Roger held back!

Although it may have been due to his injuries, something seemed inherently wrong with the young Wolf's features and the unnerving distortions haunted me even after I averted my gaze for a second time. His eyes were too far apart and the nose on his too short muzzle looked strange. Not only that but his ears were improperly placed and oddly rounded.

Moments later the tires spun, snapping my attention back to the video, and I could almost smell the burning rubber as they rolled over William again. Although nothing could be heard over the din of the screaming exhaust, I'd swear I could feel his bones cracking and his fur peeling away as the low slung frame ground him into the pavement.

Kriana held her hands to her muzzle, stifling a scream. "That's just_sick_! How could someone do that?!"

Although the gruesome scene was now over, the clip continued to play. The drone of Thad's car trailed into the distance off camera and what was left of William lie motionless in the empty, silent street. Seconds passed until the sound of running pawsteps could be heard and a middle-aged Grey Wolf ran into the frame, falling to his knees beside the cub. Although it was painfully clear William was dead, the Wolf checked his pulse, pressing his fingers gently to his neck.

Faced with the cold truth, the new arrival's lips curled back and his ears flattened in a mix of rage and grief until, inexplicably, he closed his eyes. Moments passed and slowly his ears rose, his tail relaxed and his face became a picture of tranquillity; then he collapsed.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Amanda. "That poor kid needs an ambulance and this guy just runs up and faints?!"

The video's progress bar showed that several minutes of recording had yet to play but nothing seemed to be happening. The intersection was dead until the light from a single headlight struck the two motionless forms and a motorcycle pulled to a stop, the Tiger driving it jumping off and retrieving his phone from his jacket pocket. He tore off his helmet with one hand and set it on the ground as he bent to examine the two Wolves with the phone to his ear.

Over the next couple minutes more cars and people arrived on the scene when suddenly the older Wolf gasped sharply, returning to consciousness and springing to his paws. Initially he seemed disoriented and the onlookers tried to calm him. But he resisted, yelling "I know where Thad went! Give me your keys!"

He scuffled briefly with the Tiger and pinned him down with an arm lock, twisting the appendage until he screamed "They're in the ignition!"

The Wolf let go and leaped for the bike, firing it up and launching it onto the sidewalk to avoid the stopped cars.

Abruptly, the clip ended.

"This has to be the video Roger was talking about the other night!" said Amanda. "And it just goes to prove my point. His deviance does make him psychic! How else would he have known about this?! You can see the proof right there! It says the video came out just before five this afternoon." She crossed her arms and looked back to Kriana.

The Otter hesitated, still feeling shaken, but was quick to compose herself. "Whatever Amanda! I need to find Theresa."

"Oh sure!" Amanda called after Kriana. "You don't have a response so you just leave! You know I'm right! I'd even bet Roger knew Steven was going to teleport out there! He probably jumped him the moment he appeared! Why else would he be out in that dank gully?"

Kriana put a hand on her hip and scowled, pausing in the entryway. "Hello?! You heard me tell Theresa I'd fetch her when the video was over! And you need to stop binge watching all those crime dramas! Not everything is a conspiracy. For your information Roger saved his life. I would know, I just talked with him and Mr. Ward even said so."

Seeing an opportunity, Jim snatched the keyboard back from Amanda while she was distracted. "Hah! Now leave me alone. I've got the room reserved for a half-hour yet."

Amanda glared briefly back to the Fox but the entrance of Theresa and Casey into the mix caught her attention. "Casey, you were there the night Roger went all psycho-deviant and made the lights dim. Remember what he said about the dream he had?"

Casey came around the sofa and sat down on the other side of Jim with Theresa and Kriana trailing close behind. I felt a pang of sympathy for Jim. I could tell he desperately just wanted to be left alone with his thoughts and yet here he was, surrounded by arguing females.

Casey's softly glowing green-white markings outlined her Red Panda face in the darkened room, offering a subtle counterpoint to Jim's more vibrant orange luminescence. "Are you still going on about that Amanda? So the lights dimmed and the TV reset, big deal. "

"Freaky as that was, that's not my point. He said it all happened because he was dreaming about THIS video. But it just came out a few hours ago!"

Amanda pointed to the screen to lend authenticity to her claim but Jim clicked the article away with a smirk.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, shoving Jim's shoulder. "Put the story back up!"

Jim snarled as he shut down the computer. "Oh give me a break. If he's psychic then he wouldn't have gotten into that accident last week. Hell, he almost died and he lost his father!"

At that, Amanda paused and Jim took advantage of it. "Anyway since you obviously aren't leaving, I am."

Jim got to his paws and started disconnecting the tangle of cables behind Roger's computer but before he could finish Amanda found her voice.

"There could be lots of reasons. Maybe he knew it was coming and his dad just wouldn't listen to him or what if he hated his dad and wanted him to die?"

Suddenly angry, I exclaimed "How can you say something like that?!"

P.O.V. - Jim

Why does everyone keep talking about Roger?! Who the f#ck cares?!

I wrestled the last of the cables free and twisted them together so I could carry everything upstairs in a single trip. And while I could hear the edge in Nick's voice as he argued with Amanda, I was torn about jumping in to aid in Roger's defense.

I've been burned enough for that stupid Wolf! 'Oh no!' I told everyone. 'He's not gay! I would know, I'm his roommate.' I stood up for him and what did I get? Now everyone thinks I'm either an idiot or a fag! Like Haley and I broke up because Roger turned me gay!

Before I could make a clean get-away the queen of gossip, Amanda, tried to reel me back into the conversation. "Jim, doesn't it freak you out knowing that your roommate can read your thoughts?"

My ears flattened and I huffed angrily as I hefted the computer, balancing the keyboard and cables precariously on top of it. "Whatever." I grumbled under my breath. "Nick, I'll put this in your room. Is the door open?"

"Huh?" he said, his voice quavering with distress. "Oh uh, here." He fished in his pocket and produced a key which he started to pass over to me until he realized my hands were full. "I'd better come with you."

"For f#ck's sake, just set it in on the keyboard." I snapped.

Nick winced at my words and I couldn't help but notice his hand was trembling as he deposited the key, his brown eyes verging on tears.

The crowded room fell into an eerie silence and everyone glared at me as if I had just kicked a kitten. What the hell?! They all barge in here and start arguing and yet I'M the bad guy?! I'm not the one getting him all upset by attacking his BOYFRIEND! And why does he have to be so damn sensitive?! Suddenly, I caught myself_. All this crap with Roger and these stupid girls and yet the one I bark at is Nick. What am I doing?! "_Nick, I'm sorry. I uh... better go."

Before I could make a bigger ass of myself, I tucked my tail and headed quickly upstairs. Upon entering Nick's room, I was relieved to find David absent and wasted no time burying the computer under a pile of dirty laundry.

Guess that'll do for another night. Hrmph, it's not that late but I think I'll just curl up in bed and talk to a couple friends online... if I have any left!

A few minutes later I scrambled onto my bed, tablet in hand. The soft glow of its display combined with the luminescence from my fur to dimly illuminate the room and it was then that I realized something was different. Roger's large box from PennyMart was brimming with neatly folded clothes and everything from his desktop and bedside shelf was gone. Intrigued, I quietly hopped down and softly pulled open a dresser drawer. It was empty. I checked the remaining drawers and it became obvious where all the clothes in the box had come from.

What the hell? He's all packed.

I momentarily considered waking him but thought better of it and returned to bed. Before I could get settled though, I noticed an odd crinkling sound as my head hit the pillow.

Grumbling to myself, I reached back and found a piece of paper. Although I had a desk lamp on the shelf nearby, I refrained from using it to avoid disturbing Roger's sleep and awkwardly balanced my tablet against the wall to illuminate the page. The entire message was written in flowing, smooth, textbook-perfect cursive.

'Jim,' it read. 'I've been doing a lot of reflecting and realize now the folly I've been lost in. Ok, that sounds weird. Sorry, I'm really tired. What I mean to say is that I've got everything figured out. I'm going to the admin office first thing in the morning and once they listen to what I have to say, they'll have me out of here before lunch. As God once said in a book by Douglas Adams, "We apologise for the inconvenience." -Roger'