Unfortunate Circumstances

Chapter two


	-Sibilant rattle of steel chains in the darkness, faintly masking a tired sigh.- Ah.. you're back 
I see.. They came, or he or it while you were gone. left me this damned water bottle from a hamster cage
or something. Well.. Im glad of it. Not nearly as much as I am that you can't see me however. It would 
seem that while i was toted here unconscious and unwilling, i seem to have misplaced my watch.. and my clothes. Oddly, i didnt notice until just now that they were missing. I think it's because the heat is off 
down here now. I did manage to get some sleep, and i have some other things pieced together from what i remember happening that afternoon. I'm by no means certain of any of it, but you know what they say 
about two heads being better than one.. Maybe you can make some sense of it. i hope. If nothing else, i do have a lot of time to work with. -Taps a claw on the cold cement floor, reciting like a metronome with each hard tick.- So, as for where we left off, i believe i introduced you to everyone, My brother, his boyfriend and all other assorted species and friends. told you about the little get together we all had and some of the wolf's defensive behavior. And i think i left off in the parking lot of the movie theatre. So then, -sighs flatting ears- let me pick up there at the beginning of the end..

	"What about the new one about Iron man, it's the second one i think and its already been out 
for a while and i haven't seen it yet.." Spirit added, flatting his ears slightly as he looked to his boyfriend and i expectantly. I found a space and pulled in neatly, the padded wheel gliding under my paw and looked to them both: "I'm up to see whatever anyone else wants to.." the wolf looked at me, and i wasn't sure if it was accusation or concern I saw in his eyes. He looked back to Spirit, my brother an then to me. "Hey, It's all good with me, but I'm just covering Spirit an myself, can u do your own ticket?" I looked a the wolf and began to reply, saying something about not taking people out and expecting them to pay my way, when Spirit yelped, chiming in.. "Hikaru! thats not ve-" I quickly broke in to diffuse while twisting the key to the off position. "Brot- Spirit, it's all right, we're all adults here and i can certainly handle my own movie ticket, in fact Ill cover your drinks and such if you can both share the popcorn with me. I can never eat a whole tub and have a drink too with out regretting it deeply later." This seemed to satisfy everyone, including me. If you've ever had too much popcorn, or know what popcorn lung is, you would understand my gratitude. pawing open the door latch, threw in my vote for my brothers choice, as i wanted to see it again before it was released to DVD. 

	Locking the car then dropping the keys into a pants pocket, i started toward the box office, trying to think of a way to break ice with the Hikaru, the wolf dating my brother. I mean, Im willing to give anyone a chance, or two. But he seemed just so standoffish and taciturn. I didn't want to dismiss him as mistrustful or anti social, but his behavior was a bit beyond the elastic limits of defensive. Not at all sure if he was or not one way or the other, My walk to the ticket booth in front of the group slightly ahead of them both still not yielded me an idea of what to do to about Hikarus apparent mistrust of me. My chilly walk was completed in silence. "Good evening!" the teller took all of us in now lined up at the awkward glass barrier. "Three adults, for?" "Iron man two, at eight please." I tried to conceal my shock that not only had the wolf spoken socially to someone around me, but had not considered any other film aside from my brothers suggestion. Maybe he was just a touch more awkward around new people as me. Or perhaps it was just because there was no other choice than to be civil with the young human girl in control of out admittance. It also struck me as considerate that he seemed to keep my brother at the fore-front of his thoughts and choices, at least in this instance. I'll be damned if it didn't give me the warm fuzzies all over under my fur that spirit found someone so sweet. Maybe his icy quiet was just a luke warm social awkwardness.

	"That'll be 22.50 gu- please.." We all stifled a chuckle at her tripping over such a typical pronoun choice, calling we three furries just one of the guys as a course of habit. furry folk had only been mainstream a few years now, and though the media hurrah had died down to a low hum, it still threw most humans when it came to pronouns and social graces. Everyone added their money to the pile and we took our tickets in. Heading purposefully to the concessions. with red vines, chocolate and sodas we sauntered back to the auditorium. Hikaru and all were absorbed it the film within minutes, sparing all of us an awkward silence for at least the next 90 minutes or so.  You'll forgive me if don't recap the entire movie for you, but by the time the credits rolled we were all laughs and raucous shouts aboutthe best action scenes in the film, reminiscing over the recent joyously as we made our way to the exits and began to discuss what there was to do around the city now at such a late hour.

	I was literally purring, whiskers puffed talking about a favorite scene, bubbling over how ok 
Hikaru seemed to really be when he cut in. "I gotta be to bed soon actually, so if you don't mind dropping me back at the house, I think Spirit is free tomorrow. Why don't you two catch up and stuff for a while.
"Ok, maybe I have a hard time giving second chances to people, especially in the wolfs case. It took 
genuine effort to keep my jaw from dropping when he spoke and what he said sunk in. I looked over 
and saw an honest look and fatigue on his face. his ears forward and down slightly, and wide open, 
honest eyes. His paws were relaxed at his sides. "Sure, Hikaru, If it's ok with you brother.." Spirit was considerably more enthusiastic. Tail wagging and practically jumping up and down, I couldn't help but 
smile as we walked back to the car, talking about what there was to see in a city I'd only seen a time or 
two, briefly. we settled on looking around at the sights and hoped there would be a restaurant or a coffee 
shop open at some point. And I drove Hikaru back to the house, trying to contain my excitement. He and Spirit kissed and said their good nights and we made in the direction of downtown first.

	-faint whisper- (Hope they enjoyed their time together, it'll be the last, and he'll bejust another forgotten kitty cat...)

	Some time later, Spirit and I were driving over the highway on one of the bridges back over the nearby river and into the city. Talking about everything from the last several months that I had missed 
out on. His boyfriend, goings on at home, Name it and we covered it inside the hours drive we had. Including some jokes I can't, in good conscience cover here. Believe me it was a thrill and a half. We 
even spoke a bit about Hikaru and his unusually defensive nature which I think finally put me at ease
about him, being so much like myself. Probably why I didn't really give any thought or consideration to 
his lion friend. Aside from a hug and a pleasant hello, he had really said nothing to me the entire evening after that. I had not in fact seen him except for once or twice after that, and Hikaru had made no real mention of him. I have to admit, it gave me the willies. My fur stood on end in the car. "Brother, why 
you afraid of the guy crossing the street?" Spirit asked, noticing my sudden silence and raised hackles. I flatted my ears puffing out my whiskers, grateful for his mistaking my source of anxiety. I didn't want to 
add to the difficulties I had making friends and have my brother suspecting the friends he lived with of acting strange just because I had an odd feeling. Besides, he'd known them longer, so if anyone would notice something odd, it'd be him, not me. I quietly brushed my tingling and unjustified misgivings aside, and lied, saying it was just that I could use something hot to eat. "Probably just the cold Spirit." I said nonchalantly, adjusting the heater to re circulate. So what about that ice cream shop you kept going on about?"

	An hour later, after a whirlwind tour of the city and all the sights, including a stop at a place that may possibly, have the best ice cream on earth.. I can't say much for the coffee, opting not to finish in light of the taste and needing to get some sleep, we were on our way back when I stopped to get a better cup at 
a McDonalds. Spirit was waiting in the car and I had left the keys in, to keep him from freezing through 
his fur. Being tired he had decided to wait in the comparative warmth of the car. I walked around the building tucking down into my heavy coat collar with my ears flattened to ward off the cold. I rounded 
the corner, skirting close to the brick facade near the door doing my best to stay out of the frigid wind. Unfortunately, my path and ducked head kept me from seeing the furry I bumped into heading out with a coffee of his own. I noticed that it actually appeared to be a costume, something humans wear to play dress up as a favorite creature. I was about to comment on how odd it was, or at least offer an apology for nearly upsetting his... its coffee. the faux furry spoke first. "Not your first mistake, but your last tonight, fuckface." something in his tone chilled me more than the wind. My ears twitched back catching a light scrape on the cobbled walk behind me. "Hey, Im sorry i only had my head ducked t-" A paw came around skirting under my field of vision and pressed a damp cloth to my muzzle, wrapping tightly. I struggled, starting to feel faint. The angry cosplay guy casually sat his coffee down and approached me, an arrogant swagger in his walk. My heart seemed to visibly vibrate my chestfur, so hard in fear it beat in spite of the corrosive effect of the inhalant that was making me sleepy. "Think that just because someone's family that you can just come in and stand in between the one who really loves them?" He reached into his pocket, and i struggled in the grip of the assailant holding me in a chemical embrace from behind. "AAMPHH UGGH WNN-" my cries for help were cut short by a swift gut punch, forcing me to breath in more of the noxious cloying sedative held on my muzzle. I saw costume cat draw a syringe from his pocket in a ridiculous pair of pants on his fur-suit before i blacked out.

	-disjointed whispers, echoes, (what are we gonna do with it? we cant keep him here forever..
Dont worry, we'll think of something. we only need to keep it here a while, and make sure the
fox is distracted..)

	Several hours later, i woke. I thought for sure it was just a dream, because i didn't remember, 
myself or anyone ever getting hit by a freight train and living to tell the tail. "what the.. fuck.. "My head felt like it had been split open, odd to do it with a hammer and only use a scalpel on the rest of my body. 
I tried to move my paw to turn on the bedside lamp. much to my horror, i discovered three things in rapid succession.. My paw was shackled to my bed. so i couldn't reach the pull cord. but my bed isn't so hard, and definitely doesn't have me nearly upside down. so this is not my bed that Im chained to, and there is no bedside lamp to turn on, even if i could use my paw. Fact 4, if Im not on my bed, everything including my head and tail are chained to... to... this.. platform I mewled loudly, "what the fuck, what the fuck," starting to hyperventilate, remembering the faux furry, a.. a cloth with something.. a needle... Oh my god, my brother, my brother, the car keys! it was running, with him asleep! I desperately struggled, against unforgiving manacles that dug into my skin. wait.. skin? oh. god... they shaved me there? w.. where else? is that why i feel like Im covered in cuts all over? Oh Jesus.. oh god help me.. I couldn't help it, i folded, crying, sobbing so hard my back arched against the hard steel under me. Why had this happened? why to me? what about my brother? the car? i couldn't even see what had been done to me. only, feel.. shaven skin.. cuts, the place where i had been sucker punched in the stomach. A bump on the side of my head below my right ear. 

	whatever it is I'm here for, i won't be leaving anytime soon. and i can't remember everything that happened really. I'm a little frightened, concerned reader. You see, Ive lost track of the time. and i think Im hallucinating. Whatever the faux fur had against me, he's got against my brother too.. likely because he's human. Did they get him too? did he have a chance? maybe he got away. Either way, eventually Hikaru will notice one or both of us missing, It has to have been over 24 hours.. at least double. So, there is hope.. I.. i have to rest now, hopefully, when they come back to hose the urine from my fur, they won't
notice you're here. I need someone to help me piece this together..
