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which I did for the competition on Sofurry. It's about two teens who decide to try their hand at a relationship but find that the spirits don't exactly agree with their terms.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "A story which I did for the competition on Sofurry. It's about two teens who decide to try their hand at a relationship but find that the spirits don't exactly agree with their terms.", "writing": "Hallowed Hearts II by: Pent Ghelsburg\n\nDisclaimer: All characters in this story are fictional. Any similarity to persons real or fake is purely coincidental. This story contains elements of blood, violence, and fictionalized racism. You have been warned.\n\n“The course of love never did run smooth.”\n-William Shakespeare\n\n\tA chance meeting that star-crossed eyed lovers were only meant to be torn asunder. Were they tears of joy or a realization of sadness at the end? The affliction of affection is one which many find themselves under the sway of. But to what end are we to follow the course of our heart? Were we not informed by our elders to think with our head and not be blinded by our emotions? But since when was simply ignoring blind love, ever easy?\n\t\n Such is never a trivial manner. One must often navigate the corridors of pain and misery, with little more than the hope of coming out on top. There is no prize, save sanity and peace of mind. Especially when one is in the wrong or perhaps when one is led on for no purpose other than a societal norm. Often times the most destructive relationships are those in which society finds taboo.\n\t\n Of course, the tantalizing nature of craving what we cannot have is nature. After all, while society has certain safety in mind, protocol is too to blame. Across the generations, racism and classism have been a part of every societies structure, even when they do not formally recognize it or otherwise white-wash it as a normality. But no matter the reason there are often those who choose to live their love-life in a forever risky environment.\n\t\n Octavio was a fresh-faced recruit just out of the JROTC and had finally seen graduation out of college. The teen had already been a legal adult for several months but he still felt stifled by his condition. He had been forced to grow up early as both of his parents had passed away earlier on in his life. Since he had no relatives to live with, the boy was forced to take residence at a foster home.\n\t\n Octavio had never really liked his situation in life. He was forced to accept his circumstance because he had no other choice. It was either this or he lived alone on the streets. Over the course of the 3 years in which he had been there, he had attempted to run away multiple times. Many considered him a wayward kid without purpose and otherwise a miscreant when it came to his responsibilities.\n\t\n One of the reasons he was such a “reject” was because the teen had never been able to find any source of solace in what was supposed to be his place of comfort. He was the only human in a family of eight furries. In addition to that he was one of two boys and both of his so-called parents were female. It made it incredibly difficult to find any real similarities between himself and his make-shift relatives.\n\t\n It wasn’t as if the adults in the family weren’t trying. Both the women had tried multiple times throughout his residence to appease his problems. However, each time they attempted something, regardless of what it was, they were rebuked by disinterest and a general disconnect from reality. As the years moved on the human became further and further isolated from his family and as such never considered himself a part of it.\n\t\n But Octavio’s experience in the JROTC was changing his life for the better. The military offered him structure and stability when his life had very little. The teen found brotherhood among young men, some of which found themselves in situations which he could draw from and build upon his own experience. However, it was one of his closest confidants whom he was able to excel and build upon his character with.\n\t\n Shawn was a senior in high school when he met Octavio. The teen was ready to move on his life and keen on beginning an active career in the military. Already he had ascended to the rank of lieutenant colonel, which was impressive compared to most of his age mates. He was an ambitious young chipmunk who had ascended through the ranks rather quickly. Already his commanding officer had allowed him full control over the regiment.\n\n\tThe teen was a rare breed of the melanistic type of Chipmunk. This meant his fur was pitch black. But he was far from your typical rodent as there was no fat to be found anywhere on the teen's body. It was a strange relationship between the two teens. They were both seniors but in terms of maturity, the furry was ahead of the human in terms of leaps and bounds. Octavio was very much your typical angsty adolescent.\n\n\tThe award ceremony was right around the corner. It was one of the last things the JROTC had planned for the year before the students got ready for graduation. The plan was two-fold, to celebrate the seniors moving on and to possibly commit those who chose to continue on into the college portion of the program. It was still a few days away but as each day passed Shawn's anxiety increased.\n\n\tOctavio had already made plans of going to the prestigious Westpoint Military Academy. It was where all the military career hopefuls went in the US and he was no different. Shawn, on the other hand, knew he would never have been accepted there and had settled on a vocational school since there was a lack of Military Academies unless he went down south. He was a bit sour that the Chipmunk was moving on without him.\n\t\n But such was to be expected. Shawn's parents had informed me that secondary school students usually moved apart from each other in their senior year. However, what bothered him more wasn't the fact that his friend had gotten into a better school but rather that they could no longer be together. Over the last 4 years of knowing him, Shawn had grown closer to Octavio and many rumored that he fancied the teen.\n\t\n The chipmunk had an inkling that this was the case but was never the type to pursue romantic entanglements. Octavio was much keener on his professional life and not interested in mixing work with his personal life, even if it wasn't technically his job yet. Each and every time Shawn approached him, Octavio rebuked him. It was getting close to the ceremony and the only thing on the Chipmunk's mind was keeping his uniform in proper order.\n\n\tThe ordeal was now a day away and the furry boy was in his quarters shining his medals and straightening his ribbons. He needed only to clean his shoes and iron his uniform and he would be ready for tomorrow. Honestly, he had really overdone it but such was his compulsion with perfection. Shawn decided to poke his head in and check on his friend and not surprisingly the larger teen was still working on his preparation.\n\n “You don't think it's good enough yet? I'm pretty sure your uniform will be the most up to code.” The human looked over it the clothing and it looked brand new.\n\n“Perhaps. What do you want?” Octavio was perturbed that the human was invading his privacy again.\n\n“Why are you always so rude to me? I just want to be your friend.” Shawn didn't know why he tried so hard sometimes.\n\n“Because you're a nuisance. Well, get on it with it. What do you want?” The chipmunk gave the human a death stare.\n\n“Well, I'm sure you know you need a date for the military ball. You can't just go alone so I was thinking we could go together.” The human's heart was beating so fast he could feel it against the outside of his chest.\n\n“Are you for real? What makes you think I would go with you? What would all of our classmates think?” Octavio wasn't quite as secure in his sexuality as Shawn was.\n\n“Because no one else wants to go with you and I like you enough to ignore the fact that you are rude to me.” Shawn was brutally honest as always.\n\n“Fine, I'll give it a shot. But no funny business alright?” The chipmunk wasn't adverse to the idea and figured he'd give it a go.\n\n“Deal. I will meet you at the ballroom tonight at 1900. Don't be late.” The human laughed as he knew that tardiness was highly unlikely on the others account.\n\n\tShawn left the room and left Octavio to his own devices. The Chipmunk hadn't even thought about the Military ball. But it wasn't like he had a choice, he had to go and he needed a date. He had never considered another guy but the prospect of it didn't seem that bad. After all Shawn wasn't a bad guy, he was just persistent. Little did the human know but the furry teen also fancied him, he was just more uncertain about it.\n\n\tThe Chipmunk spent the rest of the evening ironing something else entirely. The military ball was the only part of the ceremony where the platoon was not expected to be in uniform. Instead they were expected to dress formally. Octavio had already rented a tux for the evening. It was pitch white which the furry figured would go well against his otherwise darker colored fur. Despite being a rental, the suit fit him rather well when he tried it on.\n\n\tIt was several hours before the ball finally rolled around. Octavio had already gotten dressed up and even put on a tie to complete his outfit. He looked like one of those fancy Hollywood stars who was desperately trying to stand out on the red carpet.\t\n\n“You look good in that.” Shawn approached the furry boy as he spoke.\n\n“Thanks you do too.” Octavio felt a little bit awkward going to the ball with another male.\n\n“Oh relax. No one will care that we're together. Here I got you a rose.” The human stepped close enough that he was able to pin the flower on the other teen's lapel.\n\n“Thanks, Sometimes your so corny.” The chipmunk looked at the flower as it was put near the neck of his clothing.\n\n“Oh, hush. It looks good on you. Now come on, let's go inside.” Shawn held out his hand for the taller teen to take.\n\nOctavio looked down and hesitated before taking hold of the other teen's hand. They joined in a union and began walking towards the entrance of the large auditorium.\n\n\tThe place was usually where they had school pep rallies and larger events like assemblies. The auditorium had been refitted so that the chairs were flattened. It was easily adjustable and made the area able to be used for multiple purposes.\tToday, of course, it was being used as the grounds for the ball, even outside there were decorations indicating its purpose. Right next to the door was a background with a professional photographer taking pictures.\n\n“Let's get our picture taken.” Shawn dragged over the taller teen to the photo area.\n\n\tThe person taking the photo was hired by the school to do so. It was a feeble old woman who eyed the two with disdain as they stood on the little X's on the floor that indicated where to stand. Upon seeing the furry, her level of disgust piqued. She hated the whole society of them and wanted to see them eliminated. But she only had to put up with it for a little while and decided to bite her upper lip.\n\n“Say cheese...” The woman forced out a smile as she took a picture of the couple.\n\t\n There was a single flash of light as the photo was taken. It was an older form of a camera so they would have to collect their photograph later. Shawn approached the woman and collected the claim slip, noticing that the old hag couldn't take her eyes off the furry teen. What a creep, he thought to himself but then deciding it was best to ignore the issue. The human took the furry inside the auditorium, where it was dimly lit with rays of light rotating around the room.\n\t\n Inside there was already an abundance of people. There seemed to be about an equal number of boys and girls. The administration all sat to one side of the room and there were chairs set off to the walls, in case people wanted to relax. Later on, there was to be a dance competition and so there was also a table with the awards which were to be distributed afterward. On top of the stage was a DJ who was slicing up mixes of music and taking occasional requests from various people.\n\n\tNo one really noticed as the couple entered the room as they were all much too occupied with enjoying themselves. Most of the people there were also in pairs, many of which had been couples for some time. Shawn and Octavio were hardly the only gay couple but they were definitely in the minority. \n\n“So would you like to dance?” Shawn asked as he was always keen on trying to be romantic.\n\n“Uh...sure I guess but I don't really know how to...” Octavio was a little embarrassed as he thought he would make a fool out of himself.\n\n“Just try. It's not like everyone here knows how to dance.” Shawn tried to re-insure his friend.\n\n“Fine...you won't give up until I do anyways.” The chipmunk decided to just give in since it was inevitable the other teen would have his way.\n\nThe human led the furry to the dance floor. Conveniently there was a slow and sappy song that was being played.\nShawn led the way as the taller teen leaned on him for guidance. The teen had been practicing over the course of the last few weeks. He wanted everything to be perfect.\n\t\n The two continued to dance for about a half hour, enjoying their time together, never breaking the embrace or their mutual closeness. The entire time their glances never broke and their gaze remained fixed on one another. Shawn began to lean inward, he was intent on getting his first kiss with his long-pursued crush. He figured it would be now or never. Octavio didn't exactly lean in, nor did he back away.\n\n\tJust as they were about to kiss a scream was overheard. It was bloodcurdling and stopped them in their tracks as the record squeaked and the current music track came to a halt. Shawn was dismayed as the emotional moment was broken. Even more so when people began running out of the auditorium. The scream turning into multiple with chatter turning into panic as the building emptied in a hurry. \n\n\tShawn couldn't help but worry about what was going on. He looked around searching for answers as the two teens broke away from each other. \n\n“Ghost!” A terrified woman ran by with her hands waving in the air.\n\nThe human perked an ear and couldn't believe he heard such a claim. There had always been stories of the campus being haunted but this was a bit much.\n\n“I swear by the moon that your love should change.” A raspy voice was heard over the loudspeaker.\n\nOctavio looked around as fear began to dig into his emotions as he was the more irrational of the two teens.\n\n“Your sin is in an unworthy hand. A serpent hid with a flowering face!” The raspy voice boomed over the intercom again.\n\n\tShawn could see nothing as he looked around the place, even know it was now empty minus the two teens. \n\n“Come on, let's go. This is some cruel joke.” The human began to drag away his friend who at this point was trembling with terror.\n\nAs the two were attempting to exit, a billow of fog engulfed them. In front of them appeared a silhouette of shadows, with no discernible shape. Then just as soon as it formed, it rushed forward running directly over them and vanished into thin air.\n\t\n This was enough to send Octavio running in fear. He hated nothing more than ghosts and he didn't wait to say goodbye. He ran as fast as his body could carry him, tripping over himself in the process. Shawn held back a fit of laughter but couldn't help but feel sad as their night had been cut short. He decided it was best to leave the furry boy on his own. Besides, there was no hopes of catching him at this point.\n\t\n Octavio returned to his barracks. His whole body was shaking and his heart was racing a mile a minute. He couldn't help but think he had made a mistake. It was a full moon out and the specter had shown itself on the very night he decided to go out with Shawn. The chipmunk figured they had to be connected. He was certain of it and immediately hid his face on the bed as he flopped down, face first, on top of it.\n\t\n The teen cried for a good hour. It was already quite late and he wasn't really tired as his mental state wasn't permitting it. As time passed he eventually got up, his face sullen with dried tears. He didn't bother to undress and just wanted to wallow in his own despair. Octavio decided to just turn the lights off. He laid on his back and kicked off his shoes, not worried about being mostly dressed or the fact that he hadn't bathed.\n\t\n An hour passed before fatigue began to set in...he began to finally feel tired. His mind was still racing with questions as his eyes finally closed and he passed into sleep. Octavio dreamt for the first time in ages. The same specter, a formless figure with frail fingers and limbs reached out to him. It was made up of the very same fog that had assaulted\thim the night before.\n\n“This love is a smoke with a fume of lies.” The visage spoke in the same manner as before.\n\n\tOctavio could not respond. He opened his mouth as words did not come out. No sound was made as the vision remained fixed in his head billowing as a cloud of doubt and dismay. It reached to him, pulling out his heart and holding it in a foggy representation of a hand. The appendage clenched and the second it did, the chipmunk awoke. His heart and chest were in pain, his entire forehead drenched in sweat. \n\n\tHis body was aching and sore. Despite being tired, he decided it was best to take a shower. After all, he hadn't done so earlier. He got up and shedded his clothing and headed to the shower. His body was warm so he opted for a cold shower. Frankly, he didn't spend long inside of it as he was finding it incredibly difficult to stand. His chest still hurt and he was rather woozy. \n\n\tHe didn't want to risk collapsing and exited post-haste. Octavio continued to power through his mental dilemma and even managed to brush his teeth. The Chipmunk was hungry but decided it was best not to give in to a late night snack and instead retired to bed. For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned and was unable to get back to sleep. His chest still bothered him and he was unable to kick the feeling of weakness that he was dealing with.\n\n\tThe alarm sounded off at the usual 0600. It was the day of the award ceremony and Octavio felt horrible. His head throbbed with a migraine and his chest still was weak. He felt like he could collapse at any moment. The teen needed to see a doctor but knew he didn't have the option to since he was expected to arrive at 0800. He began to wonder if there might be a more immediate resolution to his problem.\n\n“Under loves heavy burden do I sink.” His conscience spoke in the same tone as the figure from both his dreams and the night before.\n\n\tThe moment it spoke, his head throbbed with great intensity. Octavio threw his face into his hands as his head throbbed. The fur figured he had no choice or else regret would never let him go. He had to end the relationship with Shawn. They had never had much of a relationship to speak of anyways and he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted it. Plus there was always Susan he had always sort of been close with.\n\n\tIt was settled...He would call Susan to invite her as his guest to the award ceremony. The moment he agreed on that issue, the headache receded and his heart condition no longer persisted. Apparently, it was the right thing to do. He couldn't help but feel guilty about misleading Shawn but personal health always came first, right? Of course, his friend would understand.\n\n\tOctavio called Susan and she accepted his invitation, which made the teen feel even better than before. Instead of feeling pain and suffering, he felt jubilation and relief. The only thing left was coming clean to Shawn. The teen figured it would be best to let him figure it out on his own and sever all connections to his former friend. After all, he needed to get ready for the ceremony.\n\n\tThe award ceremony rolled around and Octavio was early as always. Susan was waiting for him and almost immediately the two hit it off. Shawn arrived shortly after and was devastated upon seeing his crush with a girl. He couldn't imagine what had happened or if he had done anything wrong. A wave of depression set upon him. Perhaps it was just for appearances? If that was the case then why did Octavio suddenly care what others thought?\n\n“Don't waste your love on someone who doesn't value it.” The raspy female voice bellowed inside Shawns head.\n\n\tShawn looked around expecting mischief. However, there was no one to be seen. Looking back at the stage, he could see that the events were starting. He needed to get to his seat. Trying to sit next to Octavio, only resulted in the fur moving away. This only made the human even more upset. Did the Chipmunk hate him? He watched as his former love kissed the woman next to him. It seemed it was a lost cause.\n\n“These blasphemous delights must end, which as they kiss must consume.” The shade of fog appeared in front of Shawn as he set down.\n\n“Seek not what you cannot have. Let true love die and set of course for rapture and happiness will find you.” The figure continued speaking nonsense and Shawn understood.\n\n\tIt seemed it was over and although Shawn was hurt, he knew there was nothing that could be done. He did not know why the enigma was so obsessed with Octavio's propriety but decided it was best to let the issue die. A tear welled up in his eye as he watched his former friend walk across the stage to accept his diploma and his award. Perhaps it was for the best, after all, they were going to different schools anyway. Shawn walked out and decided the ceremony could go on without him\n.\n“Good night, Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I will say good night till it be morrow.” The enigma vanished without another word pleased that it's foul deed had seen its end.\n\n\tThe ceremony went on as planned. When Shawns name was called, no one was there to receive the certificate. Regardless it could not wait. Octavio would go as planned to Westpoint and Shawn would no longer pursue service in the military. Ultimately Octavio would live a relationship on lies. The human, on the other hand, lived a much more fulfilling life with a much more deserving man. And of the effigy of shame? It would follow Octavio until his death making him but wonder what could have been, ever empty and ever two-faced. Doomed to live a life of lies.\n\n“If we are not true to ourselves then we cannot be false to anyone.", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Hallowed Hearts II by: Pent Ghelsburg

Disclaimer: All characters in this story are fictional. Any similarity to persons real or fake is purely coincidental. This story contains elements of blood, violence, and fictionalized racism. You have been warned.

“The course of love never did run smooth.”
-William Shakespeare

\tA chance meeting that star-crossed eyed lovers were only meant to be torn asunder. Were they tears of joy or a realization of sadness at the end? The affliction of affection is one which many find themselves under the sway of. But to what end are we to follow the course of our heart? Were we not informed by our elders to think with our head and not be blinded by our emotions? But since when was simply ignoring blind love, ever easy?
\t
     Such is never a trivial manner. One must often navigate the corridors of pain and misery, with little more than the hope of coming out on top. There is no prize, save sanity and peace of mind. Especially when one is in the wrong or perhaps when one is led on for no purpose other than a societal norm.  Often times the most destructive relationships are those in which society finds taboo.
\t
     Of course, the tantalizing nature of craving what we cannot have is nature. After all, while society has certain safety in mind, protocol is too to blame. Across the generations, racism and classism have been a part of every societies structure, even when they do not formally recognize it or otherwise white-wash it as a normality. But no matter the reason there are often those who choose to live their love-life in a forever risky environment.
\t
     Octavio was a fresh-faced recruit just out of the JROTC and had finally seen graduation out of college. The teen had already been a legal adult for several months but he still felt stifled by his condition. He had been forced to grow up early as both of his parents had passed away earlier on in his life. Since he had no relatives to live with, the boy was forced to take residence at a foster home.
\t
     Octavio had never really liked his situation in life. He was forced to accept his circumstance because he had no other choice. It was either this or he lived alone on the streets. Over the course of the 3 years in which he had been there, he had attempted to run away multiple times. Many considered him a wayward kid without purpose and otherwise a miscreant when it came to his responsibilities.
\t
     One of the reasons he was such a “reject” was because the teen had never been able to find any source of solace in what was supposed to be his place of comfort. He was the only human in a family of eight furries. In addition to that he was one of two boys and both of his so-called parents were female. It made it incredibly difficult to find any real similarities between himself and his make-shift relatives.
\t
     It wasn’t as if the adults in the family weren’t trying. Both the women had tried multiple times throughout his residence to appease his problems. However, each time they attempted something, regardless of what it was, they were rebuked by disinterest and a general disconnect from reality. As the years moved on the human became further and further isolated from his family and as such never considered himself a part of it.
\t
     But Octavio’s experience in the JROTC was changing his life for the better. The military offered him structure and stability when his life had very little. The teen found brotherhood among young men, some of which found themselves in situations which he could draw from and build upon his own experience. However, it was one of his closest confidants whom he was able to excel and build upon his character with.
\t
     Shawn was a senior in high school when he met Octavio. The teen was ready to move on his life and keen on beginning an active career in the military. Already he had ascended to the rank of lieutenant colonel, which was impressive compared to most of his age mates. He was an ambitious young chipmunk who had ascended through the ranks rather quickly. Already his commanding officer had allowed him full control over the regiment.

\tThe teen was a rare breed of the melanistic type of Chipmunk. This meant his fur was pitch black. But he was far from your typical rodent as there was no fat to be found anywhere on the teen's body. It was a strange relationship between the two teens. They were both seniors but in terms of maturity, the furry was ahead of the human in terms of leaps and bounds. Octavio was very much your typical angsty adolescent.

\tThe award ceremony was right around the corner. It was one of the last things the JROTC had planned for the year before the students got ready for graduation. The plan was two-fold, to celebrate the seniors moving on and to possibly commit those who chose to continue on into the college portion of the program. It was still a few days away but as each day passed Shawn's anxiety increased.

\tOctavio had already made plans of going to the prestigious Westpoint Military Academy. It was where all the military career hopefuls went in the US and he was no different. Shawn, on the other hand, knew he would never have been accepted there and had settled on a vocational school since there was a lack of Military Academies unless he went down south. He was a bit sour that the Chipmunk was moving on without him.
\t
     But such was to be expected. Shawn's parents had informed me that secondary school students usually moved apart from each other in their senior year. However, what bothered him more wasn't the fact that his friend had gotten into a better school but rather that they could no longer be together. Over the last 4 years of knowing him, Shawn had grown closer to Octavio and many rumored that he fancied the teen.
\t
     The chipmunk had an inkling that this was the case but was never the type to pursue romantic entanglements. Octavio was much keener on his professional life and not interested in mixing work with his personal life, even if it wasn't technically his job yet. Each and every time Shawn approached him, Octavio rebuked him. It was getting close to the ceremony and the only thing on the Chipmunk's mind was keeping his uniform in proper order.

\tThe ordeal was now a day away and the furry boy was in his quarters shining his medals and straightening his ribbons. He needed only to clean his shoes and iron his uniform and he would be ready for tomorrow. Honestly, he had really overdone it but such was his compulsion with perfection. Shawn decided to poke his head in and check on his friend and not surprisingly the larger teen was still working on his preparation.

 “You don't think it's good enough yet? I'm pretty sure your uniform will be the most up to code.” The human looked over it the clothing and it looked brand new.

“Perhaps. What do you want?” Octavio was perturbed that the human was invading his privacy again.

“Why are you always so rude to me? I just want to be your friend.” Shawn didn't know why he tried so hard sometimes.

“Because you're a nuisance. Well, get on it with it. What do you want?” The chipmunk gave the human a death stare.

“Well, I'm sure you know you need a date for the military ball. You can't just go alone so I was thinking we could go together.” The human's heart was beating so fast he could feel it against the outside of his chest.

“Are you for real? What makes you think I would go with you? What would all of our classmates think?” Octavio wasn't quite as secure in his sexuality as Shawn was.

“Because no one else wants to go with you and I like you enough to ignore the fact that you are rude to me.” Shawn was brutally honest as always.

“Fine, I'll give it a shot. But no funny business alright?” The chipmunk wasn't adverse to the idea and figured he'd give it a go.

“Deal. I will meet you at the ballroom tonight at 1900. Don't be late.” The human laughed as he knew that tardiness was highly unlikely on the others account.

\tShawn left the room and left Octavio to his own devices. The Chipmunk hadn't even thought about the Military ball. But it wasn't like he had a choice, he had to go and he needed a date. He had never considered another guy but the prospect of it didn't seem that bad. After all Shawn wasn't a bad guy, he was just persistent. Little did the human know but the furry teen also fancied him, he was just more uncertain about it.

\tThe Chipmunk spent the rest of the evening ironing something else entirely. The military ball was the only part of the ceremony where the platoon was not expected to be in uniform. Instead they were expected to dress formally. Octavio had already rented a tux for the evening. It was pitch white which the furry figured would go well against his otherwise darker colored fur. Despite being a rental, the suit fit him rather well when he tried it on.

\tIt was several hours before the ball finally rolled around. Octavio had already gotten dressed up and even put on a tie to complete his outfit. He looked like one of those fancy Hollywood stars who was desperately trying to stand out on the red carpet.\t

“You look good in that.” Shawn approached the furry boy as he spoke.

“Thanks you do too.” Octavio felt a little bit awkward going to the ball with another male.

“Oh relax. No one will care that we're together. Here I got you a rose.”  The human stepped close enough that he was able to pin the flower on the other teen's lapel.

“Thanks, Sometimes your so corny.” The chipmunk looked at the flower as it was put near the neck of his clothing.

“Oh, hush. It looks good on you. Now come on, let's go inside.” Shawn held out his hand for the taller teen to take.

Octavio looked down and hesitated before taking hold of the other teen's hand. They joined in a union and began walking towards the entrance of the large auditorium.

\tThe place was usually where they had school pep rallies and larger events like assemblies. The auditorium had been refitted so that the chairs were flattened. It was easily adjustable and made the area able to be used for multiple purposes.\tToday, of course, it was being used as the grounds for the ball, even outside there were decorations indicating its purpose. Right next to the door was a background with a professional photographer taking pictures.

“Let's get our picture taken.” Shawn dragged over the taller teen to the photo area.

\tThe person taking the photo was hired by the school to do so. It was a feeble old woman who eyed the two with disdain as they stood on the little X's on the floor that indicated where to stand. Upon seeing the furry, her level of disgust piqued. She hated the whole society of them and wanted to see them eliminated. But she only had to put up with it for a little while and decided to bite her upper lip.

“Say cheese...” The woman forced out a smile as she took a picture of the couple.
\t
     There was a single flash of light as the photo was taken. It was an older form of a camera so they would have to collect their photograph later. Shawn approached the woman and collected the claim slip, noticing that the old hag couldn't take her eyes off the furry teen. What a creep, he thought to himself but then deciding it was best to ignore the issue. The human took the furry inside the auditorium, where it was dimly lit with rays of light rotating around the room.
\t
     Inside there was already an abundance of people. There seemed to be about an equal number of boys and girls. The administration all sat to one side of the room and there were chairs set off to the walls, in case people wanted to relax. Later on, there was to be a dance competition and so there was also a table with the awards which were to be distributed afterward. On top of the stage was a DJ who was slicing up mixes of music and taking occasional requests from various people.

\tNo one really noticed as the couple entered the room as they were all much too occupied with enjoying themselves. Most of the people there were also in pairs, many of which had been couples for some time. Shawn and Octavio were hardly the only gay couple but they were definitely in the minority.

“So would you like to dance?” Shawn asked as he was always keen on trying to be romantic.

“Uh...sure I guess but I don't really know how to...” Octavio was a little embarrassed as he thought he would make a fool out of himself.

“Just try. It's not like everyone here knows how to dance.” Shawn tried to re-insure his friend.

“Fine...you won't give up until I do anyways.” The chipmunk decided to just give in since it was inevitable the other teen would have his way.

The human led the furry to the dance floor. Conveniently there was a slow and sappy song that was being played.
Shawn led the way as the taller teen leaned on him for guidance. The teen had been practicing over the course of the last few weeks. He wanted everything to be perfect.
\t
     The two continued to dance for about a half hour, enjoying their time together, never breaking the embrace or their mutual closeness. The entire time their glances never broke and their gaze remained fixed on one another. Shawn began to lean inward, he was intent on getting his first kiss with his long-pursued crush. He figured it would be now or never. Octavio didn't exactly lean in, nor did he back away.

\tJust as they were about to kiss a scream was overheard. It was bloodcurdling and stopped them in their tracks as the record squeaked and the current music track came to a halt. Shawn was dismayed as the emotional moment was broken. Even more so when people began running out of the auditorium. The scream turning into multiple with chatter turning into panic as the building emptied in a hurry.

\tShawn couldn't help but worry about what was going on. He looked around searching for answers as the two teens broke away from each other.

“Ghost!” A terrified woman ran by with her hands waving in the air.

The human perked an ear and couldn't believe he heard such a claim. There had always been stories of the campus being haunted but this was a bit much.

“I swear by the moon that your love should change.” A raspy voice was heard over the loudspeaker.

Octavio looked around as fear began to dig into his emotions as he was the more irrational of the two teens.

“Your sin is in an unworthy hand. A serpent hid with a flowering face!” The raspy voice boomed over the intercom again.

\tShawn could see nothing as he looked around the place, even know it was now empty minus the two teens.

“Come on, let's go. This is some cruel joke.” The human began to drag away his friend who at this point was trembling with terror.

As the two were attempting to exit, a billow of fog engulfed them. In front of them appeared a silhouette of shadows, with no discernible shape. Then just as soon as it formed, it rushed forward running directly over them and vanished into thin air.
\t
     This was enough to send Octavio running in fear. He hated nothing more than ghosts and he didn't wait to say goodbye. He ran as fast as his body could carry him, tripping over himself in the process. Shawn held back a fit of laughter but couldn't help but feel sad as their night had been cut short. He decided it was best to leave the furry boy on his own. Besides, there was no hopes of catching him at this point.
\t
     Octavio returned to his barracks. His whole body was shaking and his heart was racing a mile a minute. He couldn't help but think he had made a mistake. It was a full moon out and the specter had shown itself on the very night he decided to go out with Shawn. The chipmunk figured they had to be connected. He was certain of it and immediately hid his face on the bed as he flopped down, face first, on top of it.
\t
     The teen cried for a good hour. It was already quite late and he wasn't really tired as his mental state wasn't permitting it. As time passed he eventually got up, his face sullen with dried tears. He didn't bother to undress and just wanted to wallow in his own despair. Octavio decided to just turn the lights off. He laid on his back and kicked off his shoes, not worried about being mostly dressed or the fact that he hadn't bathed.
\t
     An hour passed before fatigue began to set in...he began to finally feel tired. His mind was still racing with questions as his eyes finally closed and he passed into sleep. Octavio dreamt for the first time in ages. The same specter, a formless figure with frail fingers and limbs reached out to him. It was made up of the very same fog that had assaulted\thim the night before.

“This love is a smoke with a fume of lies.” The visage spoke in the same manner as before.

\tOctavio could not respond. He opened his mouth as words did not come out. No sound was made as the vision remained fixed in his head billowing as a cloud of doubt and dismay. It reached to him, pulling out his heart and holding it in a foggy representation of a hand. The appendage clenched and the second it did, the chipmunk awoke. His heart and chest were in pain, his entire forehead drenched in sweat.

\tHis body was aching and sore. Despite being tired, he decided it was best to take a shower. After all, he hadn't done so earlier. He got up and shedded his clothing and headed to the shower. His body was warm so he opted for a cold shower. Frankly, he didn't spend long inside of it as he was finding it incredibly difficult to stand. His chest still hurt and he was rather woozy.

\tHe didn't want to risk collapsing and exited post-haste. Octavio continued to power through his mental dilemma and even managed to brush his teeth. The Chipmunk was hungry but decided it was best not to give in to a late night snack and instead retired to bed. For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned and was unable to get back to sleep. His chest still bothered him and he was unable to kick the feeling of weakness that he was dealing with.

\tThe alarm sounded off at the usual 0600. It was the day of the award ceremony and Octavio felt horrible. His head throbbed with a migraine and his chest still was weak. He felt like he could collapse at any moment. The teen needed to see a doctor but knew he didn't have the option to since he was expected to arrive at 0800. He began to wonder if there might be a more immediate resolution to his problem.

“Under loves heavy burden do I sink.” His conscience spoke in the same tone as the figure from both his dreams and the night before.

\tThe moment it spoke, his head throbbed with great intensity. Octavio threw his face into his hands as his head throbbed. The fur figured he had no choice or else regret would never let him go. He had to end the relationship with Shawn. They had never had much of a relationship to speak of anyways and he wasn't entirely sure he even wanted it. Plus there was always Susan he had always sort of been close with.

\tIt was settled...He would call Susan to invite her as his guest to the award ceremony. The moment he agreed on that issue, the headache receded and his heart condition no longer persisted. Apparently, it was the right thing to do. He couldn't help but feel guilty about misleading Shawn but personal health always came first, right? Of course, his friend would understand.

\tOctavio called Susan and she accepted his invitation, which made the teen feel even better than before. Instead of feeling pain and suffering, he felt jubilation and relief. The only thing left was coming clean to Shawn. The teen figured it would be best to let him figure it out on his own and sever all connections to his former friend. After all, he needed to get ready for the ceremony.

\tThe award ceremony rolled around and Octavio was early as always. Susan was waiting for him and almost immediately the two hit it off. Shawn arrived shortly after and was devastated upon seeing his crush with a girl. He couldn't imagine what had happened or if he had done anything wrong. A wave of depression set upon him. Perhaps it was just for appearances? If that was the case then why did Octavio suddenly care what others thought?

“Don't waste your love on someone who doesn't value it.” The raspy female voice bellowed inside Shawns head.

\tShawn looked around expecting mischief. However, there was no one to be seen. Looking back at the stage, he could see that the events were starting. He needed to get to his seat. Trying to sit next to Octavio, only resulted in the fur moving away. This only made the human even more upset. Did the Chipmunk hate him? He watched as his former love kissed the woman next to him. It seemed it was a lost cause.

“These blasphemous delights must end, which as they kiss must consume.” The shade of fog appeared in front of Shawn as he set down.

“Seek not what you cannot have. Let true love die and set of course for rapture and happiness will find you.” The figure continued speaking nonsense and Shawn understood.

\tIt seemed it was over and although Shawn was hurt, he knew there was nothing that could be done. He did not know why the enigma was so obsessed with Octavio's propriety but decided it was best to let the issue die. A tear welled up in his eye as he watched his former friend walk across the stage to accept his diploma and his award. Perhaps it was for the best, after all, they were going to different schools anyway. Shawn walked out and decided the ceremony could go on without him
.
“Good night, Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I will say good night till it be morrow.” The enigma vanished without another word pleased that it's foul deed had seen its end.

\tThe ceremony went on as planned. When Shawns name was called, no one was there to receive the certificate. Regardless it could not wait. Octavio would go as planned to Westpoint and Shawn would no longer pursue service in the military. Ultimately Octavio would live a relationship on lies. The human, on the other hand, lived a much more fulfilling life with a much more deserving man. And of the effigy of shame? It would follow Octavio until his death making him but wonder what could have been, ever empty and ever two-faced. Doomed to live a life of lies.

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