Characters intellectual property of Warner Brothers, blah blah blah…
Dawn Sarang – Domingo Insomniazzz
A
It was almost dawn. Nearing the time when the body and the soul rendezvous once again, pulling the individual out of the abyss of dreamland. Something Fifi was looking forward to for the first time in years; waking up in the vicinity of a certain blue feline who, until recently had been nothing more than a ghost of a memory infrequently wandering through her subconscious, vanishing before she could even focus her thoughts hard enough to know it was him she was dreaming of.
A cool draft blew through the window, interrupting the gradual ritual of mental reunification, causing Fifi to be jolted awake by the unwelcome visitor from outside. Why was the window opened in the first place, anyway? Fifi glanced at the clock on the desk. It took a moment for her eyes to register the red numbers. 5:23? 5:28? Five something. That's all that mattered. It was no use; once she was up, she was up.
Groaning, Fifi turned over, wanting to fight the inevitable rising, when she froze. Furrball's blanket was neatly folded on the easy chair that he'd insisted on sleeping on. The bathroom door was open; the light off. Getting up to investigate, the skunk's heart sunk at the Holiday Inn stationary on the desk. There was a paw print from a blue stamp pad and a number of wet spots around it that Fifi recognized as teardrops. She sighed, recalling her Looniversity days of sniffling as she wrote in her diary. Another gust blew the pad to the floor. As Fifi walked over to close the window it dawned at her that Furrball wasn't coming back. The old pain started to engulf her, and she could feel the cold sweat coming. They'd only been together for a day.
Before she could crumble up in the bed and sulk, Fifi came to a sudden realization. It wasn't like her to dwell... instinct soon kicked in and a hopeful grin spread across her lips. It wasn't Furrball's style to hitch a ride and he couldn't be close to the train station yet; it was 30 miles away and the tears were still fresh.
It was in her nature to chase as much as it was in his nature to run. That's why they were meant for each other. The runner will eventually lose stamina, but the driver will always be strong. Snatching up her keys, Fifi took off.
AN
Silence. For once, there was no running commentary in his head, scrutinizing or justifying the cat's actions. He was just…there. One might have mistaken him for sleepwalking, as parasomina episodes had been common for Furrball since birth… After a mile, the feline conceded, nearly collapsing on the roadside. With no physical action to occupy his mind, Furrball was helpless to prevent the avalanche of thoughts from crashing down...none of which were coherent or objective enough to provide him with a clue as to why he'd left in the first place.
In an impulsive attempt to tame the thoughts, the feline took out his violin and attempted to soothe his subconscious back to sleep, but ended up snapping the E string almost immediately. His eyes dilated. Staring at his violin, the truth finally dawned on him. This wasn't a lucid dream after all. Scanning the area, Furrball started to lose it. Had he been lying to himself just now, thinking he'd been dreaming or was he lying to himself about dreaming this in the first place?
Instinct doesn't need cognition. Of course, if that were true, then all the progress… all the trust he'd gained in having a purpose in life was for naught. Furrball looked back for a moment, taking a knee. Maybe she didn't know yet. He looked at the sky. The sun wasn't pink yet. There might still be some time to…scratch that. His legs gave out on him for the first time in years, forcing the cat to sit on the side of the highway. Life can be rather cruel when it wants to be.
Lucky for the feline, this wasn't one of those times.
She had no reason to speed; her plan was methodical. She'd start by going four miles south, which was the direction of the bus station then go back to the hotel and try another direction. Three miles into her trip south, Fifi had kept it together, staying exclusively focused on trying to spot blue in the gray dawn. Three and a half miles into her trip, she started to lose her nerve, swerving onto the median a couple of times. Her head was spinning and she nearly ran off the road when something caught her eye. Spying her target lying in the fetal position in dangerous proximity of oncoming traffic, Fifi pulled over, stopping just in front of him.
If there was one thing the skunk had learned about dating over the years, it was restraint. Seeing her cat lying on the ground was likely the cause of this lesson nearly slipping her mind. Nearly.
"You okay?"
Furrball lifted his head to find a purple outstretched paw beckoning him. He dare not look her in the face, but before he could tell his body not to, he accepted the skunk's hand. He tried to hide his limp as he turned around to pick up his violin. She caught him before he fell over. It was then that they both realized he'd twisted his ankle. Only he knew that she was the reason why.
"You can't make it on foot with that leg," Fifi began, pulling her head under his shoulder to support him. "At least let me give you a ride to the station or wherever you're going…"
Furrball was stunned. He'd expected, even wanted her to do the old routine of coming onto him with no tact whatsoever. It would have made it easier to…no. That was then. A lifetime ago.
Stop living in the past, fleabag.
"Is that a no? Sounded…angry."
Furrball looked at Fifi's shoes, as he couldn't see anything else from his vantage point.
"I di-di-di-didn't m-m-mean t-t-t-…" Fifi softly touched her finger to his lips, stopping the awkward response. She gently led him to her car.
ANE
The radio was on the fritz adding silence to the already awkward atmosphere. Furrball massaged his ankle as Fifi drove, opening her mouth a few times to speak; the words always dissolving before reaching the feline's ears. As they came within miles of the train station, Fifi tried one last time, smiling coyly at her plan.
"Cheapskate."
Furrball's ears perked. He wanted to hear her voice; the quiet was driving him mad, but didn't know how to get her to talk without opening up a…
"Ex-excuse m-me?"
Fifi gave Furrball a sly grin. "You stuck me with the hotel bill."
Furrball's eyes widened and he looked out his window in wonder. Fifi patted his good leg softly.
"I didn't mean anything by it, don't worry about-"
The cat interrupted Fifi, pointing to the stationary on the cup holder. He tore off the first page with the paw print, revealing an envelope taped to the next page. Fifi eyed the envelope suspiciously taking it from him. She noticed some cash and a note inside. Without a word, she pulled over to the side of the road, Furrball looking on intently. Fifi gingerly pulled out the cash.
"Was this for the…" the feline nodded.
"But that would mean…" the cat smiled.
"So you weren't…" Furrball tried to catch the chuckle before it escaped but just missed.
Fifi peered deeper into the envelope and pulled out the other note. At this, Furrball's expression transformed from yang to yin, realizing that her not knowing about the money meant she hadn't read the note yet. But that would mean… the paw print was all she needed to…the cat's ears started to burn as Fifi read his words aloud... the words she could make out, anyway
"Sorry…..I want….but….selfish…You deserve constancy….I need….wanderer..wanders….nature….instinct"
Fifi tried a few more times to make out the words that she couldn't, but eventually relented, folding up the paper to face the blue cat. There wasn't much they could say to one another. Furrball started to open the door jarring Fifi from her trance. She lunged forward, nearly stopping him from grabbing the handle, but caught herself before she could touch him, turning away.
"I can't pretend to know I understand what goes on up there," she nodded at Furrball's head, causing the cat to put his paws in his lap. "But the same is true for you."
Furrball looked at Fifi a bit dumbfounded. "Y-you n-n-need-"
"You don't get it! You think I don't know what it's like to be ostracized?" Fifi's tail twitched slightly.
"B-b-b-ut…"
"No. You don't get to talk now. You listen to me."
Furrball noticed a hint of French behind her voice, though it wasn't the exaggerated phony accent she'd usually use.
"I can wait. I want to."
He looked at her, perplexed.
"For you to lose your urge to run away. I just…want you to take me along, so that…when you're done… you won't feel empty inside." She looked down, losing her nerve, "…Like me."
Something stirred in the cat causing him to lose his stutter for a moment.
"You don't know me. What makes you think you'll like me?"
"Do you even know you? You don't even know why you left today."
Furrball glared at the skunk for a moment before they locked eyes and he had to look away.
"H-h-how d-do y-you kn-know…"
"It's not that hard to read the body language of a conditional mute, Furrball."
The two locked eyes once more. After a few moments they both cracked a smile at the same time. Furrball rolled his head back, laughing nearly inaudibly.
"Guess we'll see how long we can put up with each other then," he observed, a bit surprised to hear the sound of his own voice.
ANES
It was faint; had Fifi not been sitting next to him, she wouldn't have been able to hear it at all. A low purr as Furrball yawned, smacking his lips a few times as he sat up. The skunk watched as Furrball rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and smiled as he fiddled with his seat, trying to get it to move up a bit.
The light of her smile caught his receptors, causing Furrball to grin himself. He inhaled deeply, slowly, relishing the moment, pausing briefly after he let out his breath. His nose twitched slightly as his eyes dilated. It wasn't that he was afraid she'd have a noxious odor, but… her scent was so subtle. Intoxicating, even. He sniffed once more, trying to be discrete. She made no indication that she knew what he was doing, so he relaxed a bit. Everything about her was irresistible. He suddenly felt very foolish, having taken so long to realize this. Before he could say anything, she started to laugh. His stomach was growling most unpleasantly.
"Good timing," Fifi commented, pulling into an exit. "She's starving as well," she added, patting the steering wheel.
Furrball got his first lesson on pumping gas that day. He found it a bit too exhilarating for Fifi's taste, but she remained good humored about it. Step by step was the best method for any project. She stopped on her way to the cash register as the thought rolled into her head. Shaking her head, she almost slammed the money on the counter, cursing in her mind. No! He's not a project. He just needs…
"Your change."
"Excuse moi? I don't be wanting to change him!" Fifi sneered at the attendant until she realized he was talking about money. Quickly apologizing, she scooped up the cash and hurried off to her car as Furrball examined a wet squeegee curiously.
"Just drag the straight part across the windshield," she explained. "It makes it easier to see out of."
Fifi's smile didn't return as Furrball made several botched attempts at cleaning her windshield. She hadn't considered so much the reason for her affection beyond the novelty of being with the elusive feline. Would her feelings stay as keen for him when he was ready to finally settle down? Fifi brushed this away, chocking it up to having not had a decent breakfast just yet. As Furrball finished his sad attempt at squeegeeing, she ushered him into the car, flashing him a look of almost forced elation.
They'd been on the road a good two hours before the question crossed either one of their minds. Fifi looked at Furrball, who was already looking at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
"We passed the train station forty-five minutes ago, you know."
The cat grinned, purring slightly, but said nothing more. A thought jumped up from oblivion and smacked Fifi in the head just then.
"You know, I have an aunt who lives in Maysville. It's on the border." Furrball looked at Fifi, not sure where this was leading.
"She'll probably let me leave the car and my stuff over there for a while."
"L-l-leave?"
The skunk wore a mischievous expression, producing an elaborately folded note. Furrball took it, rolling his eyes as he tried to unfolded it without ripping it to shreds.
Girls.
Fifi laughed, guessing his sentiments. The feline stared at the message for a while until his eyes started to glaze over. He turned it at different angles to no avail. It became gradually apparent to Fifi what the problem was and she racked her brain trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. Furrball, sensing this saved her.
"N-n-never h-h-h-ad a r-r-reason to r-read c-c-c-ursive bef-f-ore."
" Want me to help you?" she offered , gently.
"N-no!"
Fifi looked like Furrball had just slapped her. Facing the cat she saw an impish grin on his face.
"I w-want you to t-t-tell me what it s-says."
Fifi playfully slugged him in the arm, retrieving the paper as she drove on.
"Basically, it's a letter from Shirley," Fifi explained. "You remember her, right?"
Furrball shrugged. "Sh-should I?"
" I guess you two never really crossed paths in school much…" Fifi frowned, concentrating on maneuvering through traffic for a bit. Furrball shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"G-go o-o-on," he encouraged after a long pause. "Why doesn't sh-sh-she use e-m-mail?"
Fifi laughed. "Shirley the Loon and a computer? Puhlease! I'm surprised she didn't use telepathy!"
The cat finally smiled, starting to remember the duck now.
"So anyway, she was wondering if I was going to the class reunion this month," she closed her eyes, gritting her teeth, praying this wouldn't send Furrball off the deep end.
"W-w-watch the road!"
Fifi nearly panicked, about to slam on the brakes when she found there was no one on the street. All she could hear was the sound of the feline laughing; a relatively new, but somewhat calming noise.
"So, did you want to go? Together?" The last word was barely a whisper.
Furrball glanced a Fifi for a moment, the back at the road. Subtly nodded. Before Fifi could even acknowledge she saw the gesture, Furrball leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes.
ANEST
"We're here," Fifi raised her voice slightly, hoping this would stir the slumbering feline.
"S-s-so fast?" Furrball slowly opened his eyes, stretching loudly.
"Not California, silly. My aunt's house."
"Huh?" Furrball tensed up, looking around. He gasped, at the sight. The "house" was at least three stories high. The fountain in the middle of the front yard spouted crystal-blue water higher than Furrball could see. Every kind of flower imaginable lined the neon green lawn. Polished marble led up to the front porch.
"C'mon, silly."
Furrball manually closed his jaw with his paw, slowly following Fifi to the huge door. He'd always felt awkward, but this was the first time he felt completely out of place. He dreaded the sound of the door opening.
"Fifi? Est vous, ma nièce?" Furrball cringed at the sound of the elder skunk's voice. It sounded overly enthusiastic. Forced. Theatrical. Phony? Phony.
"Sont vous, tante?"
Then came the fake kisses. Fifi was no better. Furrball surmised it was more of the quality of French intonation that required the strained style as opposed to phoniness. Of course he'd never actually witnessed a family reunion of sorts. Small wonder about his apprehensions.
"And just who might this be?" Furrball's keen eyes detected the raised eyebrow at "this" and the way the question seemed more like it was hurled than actual inquisition. Of course her facial muscles told a different story altogether, so he tried to ignore it all.
"This is my…" Fifi looked at Furrball, an awkward look appeared on both of their faces and Fifi began to blush. "That is, he's…"
The aunt's piercing gaze never left the cat for a moment as Fifi tried to speak.
"We went to S-s-chool together." Furrball straightened up, trying his level best not to stutter.
"Oui, Auntie Inès, meet Furrball."
The pair shared exaggerated smiles, as Inès looked them over suspiciously for a moment.
"Fur-ball," she spoke it slowly, cautiously, as if the name were like a cornered rattlesnake. Furrball gave Fifi a worried glance. She touched his arm quickly. Inès noticed the exchange but said nothing. The three of them stood frozen in time for a moment until the bass from a green Tahoe enveloped the area. Furrball was tempted to duck for cover before remembering where he was. As the SUV pulled into the driveway, the trance was broken.
"So I'm outside of da club and you think I'm a puuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnk!" A young skunk with cornrolls jumped out, nearly tripping over his baggy jeans. "So I go to my loaded tech nine that up in the truuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnk!" he "sang" as he opened the back, retrieving a basketball. Turning to the visitors, the young skunk stopped in his tracks.
"Cuzin Fife?"
"Rockee?" Fifi looked a bit shocked, Furrball noticed.
"'S 'R to the C' now. But you family so you can call me R.C. Who this?" he nodded at the cat.
"A friend," Fifi failed to sound nonchalant.
Furrball smirked. Having grown up in the city streets, he detested hearing the privileged few butchering their language purposely. Had he had a chance to speak normally, he wouldn't waste it for the sake of an image.
"Sup, playa?" Rockee nodded at Furrball, passing him the ball.
For the sake of his girlfriend, Furrball decided to play nice, catching the ball and spinning it on his claw for a bit before throwing it back. So he was showing off a bit. Not a crime. Inès didn't look impressed at all.
"You alright, C," Rockee came forward initiating an elaborate handshake. Though it pained him to fit into this roll, Furrball kept up with the handshake, amusing the skunk even more. Fifi smiled as Rockee showed his approval of the guest.
"Well, do come in anyway," Inès relented, trying to mask the disappointment her voice and face. Perhaps not trying too hard. Perhaps blatantly not trying too hard.
As the others entered, Furrball paused for a moment. Had he just acknowledged Fifi as his girlfriend in his mind just then? A purple hand squeezed his own paw gently, causing him to look up at the source of his thought.
"Let's go," she whispered, softly.
-End Part 1-