There was nothing unusual about Jeff waiting for a bus, though he did own a car. The slightly overweight zebra was getting on in years, and he really didn't like the idea of dealing with downtown or highway traffic. Besides, he also liked the idea of saving a few zollars on gas - and being retired he wasn't in a hurry anyway.
He did notice some flashing lights off to his right, though, and looked over that way to see what was the occasion. But it was just a rabbit meter maid putting a ticket on a parked car. She looked at a clock and smacked her little computer ticket thing, for some reason.
Jeff was about to look away when he noticed the oddest thing. The little rabbit suddenly glanced up at a meter, then put a ticket on the window of her OWN little meter-reading cart. He chuckled quietly for a few seconds and wondered what that was all about. Certainly not something he'd ever seen before, that he could remember. But he quickly forgot about it, because the short screech of a tire and a horn honking caused him to look across the street.
"Watch where you're going, FOX!" Jeff heard. Apparently from a sheep ("No Jeff, a RAM, not a sheep. He obviously has horns.") He could see that the red fox was a bit upset about it, but that's the city for you. The fox got over it pretty quickly, and seemed to sidle along the front of that "Jumbeaux's" ice cream place.
He watched the fox dart in the door right behind an elephant, which made Jeff wonder for a minute why he'd go in there. But he mentally shrugged and didn't think anything more of it. He'd been in there once, a few years ago, but he didn't really like peanuts and they seemed to pile them on everything they served. Not surprising, since the mammals behind the counter were elephants themselves.
Then he noticed the bunny meter maid go into the shop as well. That seemed strange, since anything they sold in there was much too large for her. Same for that fox, too. But, he stopped thinking about it fairly quickly. You see all sorts of bizarre things in the downtown area.
Jeff thought about plans for a late lunch, maybe, zoning out a bit - as usual. Then he saw the fox and the rabbit and a tiny fox come out of Jumbeaux's with the BIGGEST pawpsicle he'd ever seen in his life. They said a few words to each other, that he couldn't hear, and then parted ways. He wondered, a little bit, what that was all about - but his bus was a block away, so he put it out of his mind again and prepared to get on board.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
The aged zebra walked slowly, toward his favorite Sahara diner - The Hungry Elk. He'd been coming to this place for years. The heat felt good to his old bones for a little while, but now it was getting to be too much. Fortunately he was just around the corner from the diner and he planned to take his time eating there today, in the nice air conditioning.
He glanced down an alley to his left and stopped, cocking his head to the side a bit and wondered why that red fox from earlier was on the roof of a building. The mammal picked up a red plank of wood, tossed it off the roof, then jumped into the air - sliding down a drainpipe.
"He's pretty athletic," Jeff admitted to himself, "I couldn't do something like that even when I was younger..."
Then he noticed that meter maid again. She seemed to be watching the fox as if she were surprised by something. The fox and his little helper seemed to be loading big red jars into the back of a van. Then they drove off, with a couple of backfires coming from the old vehicle.
Jeff just shook his head and walked on. "What an odd day this is turning out to be..."
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
He didn't know why his daughter had moved to Tundratown. "Zebras," Jeff thought, "are meant for warm climates. Not this deep freeze."
No matter, though. Her apartment was well heated, and they'd had a pleasant visit. Now he was walking toward the nearby train station to head back downtown and check some numbers with his stockbroker before 5 o'clock. He didn't have a lot of money in stocks, but the amount he had invested was growing. So that was a good feeling.
He happened to look over at a snowy field beside the building he'd just walked past, and was surprised to see those two foxes again. The whole field was covered with red dots, the same color as those jars from earlier. And the foxes seemed to be picking up the red dots in the snow.
Jeff looked up a bit, staring off in a random direction as he pondered, "What on earth are they doing?" Then he focused his eyes a bit as he realized there was a blue cap on a bunny's head, just over the top of a snowdrift on the far side of the field.
"Of course," he thought, "wherever that fox is, that rabbit seems to be nearby." She was peeking her head up just a bit more, obviously watching the two foxes she'd been talking to earlier.
Jeff just shook his head and walked on, muttering, "What are they doing, following me around town?"
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
The zebra walked slowly out the door of Lemming Brothers and crossed the street, turning left. He knew there was a bookstore a couple of blocks away that had the most interesting collection of antique literature, and he planned to find a new book to read over the weekend.
"Just like clockwork, I guess." Jeff mumbled, as that red fox showed up again. This time he was pulling a blue cooler full of ice and small pawpsicles. "Wait a minute," he mused, "THAT'S what those things were? They were laying out on the ground earlier. That can't be sanitary at all."
He paused a few seconds and looked around. "What, no rabbit this time?", he said quietly to himself. He noticed the old van about a half-block away, but didn't see the bunny anywhere.
Then he looked up a bit and saw her on a bridge nearby, watching that fox again as he quickly sold his red pawpsicles to a line of lemmings walking down the sidewalk. They crunched the icy pawps down rapidly and tossed the wooden sticks into some green recycling boxes. Then that little fox popped out of the box, rolling some green bins over to his old van.
"Oh, good. They're all here again," he thought sarcastically, "I was worried that my very strange day was starting to lose it's regular pattern..."
He just shook his head and walked on.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
He looked inside his plastic shopping bag again, seeing his new copy of "History of the Ancient Watering Hole". He'd been meaning to read this one for years, and he'd managed to find it at a discount! A bonus like that made him smile as he walked along.
He was passing by the edge of Little Rodentia, when he heard somebody declare, "Lumber delivery!"
Looking over the fence, that fox and his little helper were back again. Apparently dropping off the popsicle sticks at a small construction site. Knowing where the sticks came from Jeff just chuckled to himself and intoned, "I bet those will make for some sticky houses. Hope they don't have ants in this neighborhood."
And, of course, right on cue... there was the rabbit again. Peeking her head out from under some bushes. Long past being surprised, he just shrugged and muttered to himself, "Well, at least they're consistent. But I still wonder if they're following me around town..."
Thinking of what type of salad greens he wanted this evening that he didn't already have available in his garden, he walked on toward the grocery store a few blocks away.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Now carrying several bags, Jeff headed down the street toward the nearest train station so he could head home for the evening. He was about ready to put this very unusual day behind him.
And, of course, that red fox popped out of a hole in a wooden fence - walking the same direction as him, but on the other side of the street. And, of COURSE, here came that rabbit again, and she almost got stepped on by a rhino. Only this time she was talking animatedly to the fox instead of watching him from some bushes, or whatever.
He couldn't actually hear what they were saying, but he did laugh quietly to himself when he noticed that rabbit meter maid had walked backward right into some wet concrete that a crew of beavers were troweling down smooth on the sidewalk. They did NOT look happy, since she had just messed up their nice new paving.
Jeff didn't even stop walking, this time. As he was crossing the street at the corner, he managed to hear the fox say, "...maybe a supervisor one day. Hang in there!"
He couldn't really tell if the fox was trying to be encouraging to that rabbit, or if he was insulting her somehow. But, he just shook his head again and kept walking. At this point he really didn't want to know. Frankly he would prefer it if they stopped showing up everywhere he went, because this was starting to seem really weird.
Then he stopped. Something was off, here. He turned around and looked again. The fox was walking away, the rabbit was pulling her feet out of the new concrete... but something was different this time. What was it?
Quickly he realized what it was. That little fox. He'd disappeared this time.
"Oh, good," Jeff thought, "Something different finally happened to the pattern today. Good enough reason to head home, eh?"
He just laughed quietly to himself as he walked on toward the train station. He could look back on it later and laugh about it, he was sure, but he'd had quite enough of that rabbit and that fox for one day. Frankly, it was starting to make him a little nervous...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Jeff hadn't slept very well last night. He kept dreaming about bunnies and foxes running past him, just on the edge of his vision. Like they were playing some sort of game with his mind. Plus which, he really hadn't planned on being downtown again today, since he was just here yesterday.
But he had forgotten to pay his utility bill yesterday. So here he was today - looking at the shopfronts and wondering if he should have a nice brunch at 'Wok Softly', or maybe go see a movie. He could see that "Star Trunk" was playing at a little cinema just down the block.
He knew most of his friends and neighbors just mailed a check, but he had always gone to the utility company and paid his bill in mammal. Face to face, the way he felt it ought to be. And with a receipt in hoof that he could take home and file away.
"Uncool, lady! My tax dollars pay your salary!" Jeff heard up ahead of him. He couldn't see what mammal had said that, but he could guess why because he saw that rabbit again. She sat in her meter cart and bumped her head on the steering wheel a few times.
"No, no, no," Jeff's mind waffled, "not today. Yesterday was the strange day. Today is supposed to be normal."
He was a bit startled to see a weasel suddenly run by the rabbit in her cart. Then he watched a pig shouting about being robbed. The rabbit looked a bit confused for a second, but then she ran off like a bolt of furry lightning, throwing away her cap and orange vest.
"Oh," he thought, "I guess she's an officer, and not just a meter maid."
He glanced around, half expecting to see a red fox somewhere - but not this time.
"Oh good," he chuckled, "maybe this day won't be too strange after all..."
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
About a half-hour later, Jeff was sort of glad he had seen the rabbit earlier. It had reminded him that he still had a parking ticket to go pay. It wasn't much, but he had been putting it off.
Since he was already downtown, he walked over to the police station. The one right across the park from city hall. "Number One, I think they call it," he mentally reminded himself. It was a nice area - big park, the famous old Watering Hole. Made for a nice stroll this morning, even if he had to go pay 25 zollars for his ticket.
He had just gotten inside the precinct when a large doughnut rolled by with a weasel in the middle of it. It bumped against the front desk and rolled itself flat right on the poor weasel's head. Jeff stopped and mumbled, "What the rhubarb...?"
That rabbit ran in right past him, and shouted, "I POPPED the weasel!" Followed quickly by a buffalo upstairs shouting, "HOPPS!" and pointing off to one side.
"Huh." mumbled Jeff, "At least now I know what her name is..."
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
The old zebra was sitting at another bus stop, just a few blocks off the downtown area and full of what looked like townhouses and apartments. Mostly run-down old buildings, and not very many business storefronts in this neighborhood.
He heard a brief bleep of a siren and looked over at some flashing lights. It was that 'Hopps' again... and this time she seemed to be confronting that fox while looking in a file folder. And he seemed to be pushing a... really? A pink baby stroller?
Hopps quickly stuck a yellow tire boot on the stroller, for some reason, and started lecturing that fox about something - writing notes in her folder with a bulky looking orange pen. At first the casually dressed red fuzzball didn't look at all impressed, but then he quite suddenly looked wide-eyed with fear and seemed to be amazingly dismayed. Whatever Officer Hopps had said to him, it couldn't have been good.
Then that little fox helper ("Naturally!" scoffed Jeff) jumped up out of the stroller, smacked the red fox in the chest, and walked away up an alley laughing loudly with a surprisingly deep voice.
As usual, it made very little sense from his viewpoint. Maybe he should get one of those listening devices that looked like a little radar dish? Hopps and that fox might end up being a bit less strange or surprising if he could actually hear what they were saying. Jeff just hoped that they had no idea the ever-more nervous zebra even existed...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
According to his 'smart' phone, which his daughter had bought for him and showed him how to use, that store selling electronics was just a couple of blocks up ahead of where he was strolling down the the street. He'd called them already and they said that they had all the 'spy' stuff he could ever want, so he had decided to go and take a look at their prices.
He noticed that 'Mystic Spring Oasis' place across the street from him, as he walked along the sidewalk on the relatively quiet street. Jeff grinned crookedly and laughed a little under his breath. He already knew that this was the 'Naturalist' hangout in town, because his neighbor Borbo (who was a badger) came down here twice a week. And Borbo had tried to get him to come visit the place a few times. But Jeff was an old-fashioned zebra, and couldn't see the point of doing something in public view that he could do at home any time he wanted to.
And then... THERE came Hopps and her fox, walking right out the door of the place. He looked over his shoulder briefly, really hoping that this was all some 'Canid Camera' TV show setup, but his quick look around confirmed that there were no other mammals nearby. The fox didn't look very happy with the conversation they were having, but the bunny certainly did.
Jeff was *almost* getting so used to the strangeness of these sudden appearances that he would have been surprised if they HADN'T suddenly showed up out of nowhere, again - confusing him even further with their unheard conversation. Again. Though it was also really starting to weird him out, the way that they showed up where Jeff could watch them as they continued acting out a confusing play that he suspected must rival anything that had been written by Shakesbear.
"This would be a perfect time to be able to hear what they're saying." he mused, speeding up his walk to the electronics shop a little bit. "Maybe if I could hear them, then all of this would be a lot less confusing and scary..."
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Jeff had been surprised by the variety of listening devices and video cameras and other stuff that some mammals used to spy on each other. He'd also been pleasantly surprised that his new little listening device was so small and affordable. While he was there he got a good pair of equine-sized binoculars as well. Just in case...
He had been on his way to the train station to go see his daughter again, but then he remembered that the license plate on his car was due to expire at the end of the month. "No time like the present, I suppose," he decided, realizing the DMV was only a block out of the way, so he headed over there instead.
He'd been standing in line for a while, reading the booklet that came with his new "Mi-T Ears", when he heard a familiar voice coming from the front door. Naturally, it was that fox talking to Officer Hopps again.
"... you need something done, he's on it!" stated the fox. Followed by Hopps saying, "I hope so. We are *really* fighting the clock on this, and every minute counts." And then, "Wait, they're all SLOTHS?!"
Jeff chuckled a bit, and putting in his new earphones he was happy to find that he could hear the two of them just fine. They walked up to a sloth who was on his break, and by the way they were talking they seemed to be old friends.
He did manage to learn something this time. The rabbit was named 'Judy', and the sloth was named 'Flash'. He wondered what the fox's name was, but if these strange events kept occurring then he knew he'd learn it eventually. Although, at this point, he would just as soon never see them again. Something about all these impossible coincidences was starting to seem quite frightening to the zebra who was very accustomed to a quiet and un-exciting life that held few, if any, surprises...
Jeff got the new tags for his car and left while the sloth, Flash, was telling some of his co-workers a joke about a 3-humped camel. He knew that this was going to take some time, and it seemed the bunny really didn't look happy about it at all.
He didn't hang around, or pause before heading over to the train station. He had a feeling that he'd be seeing Judy and her fox sometime soon anyway, whether he liked it or not. Besides, they were just doing something with a license plate number right now. And he had to get over to his daughter's apartment before dinner time.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Jeff had a nice, long, relaxing, and pleasant visit with Janie. They had finished off that bale of really good hay that he'd brought over last week. Now he was just walking over to the nearest bus stop to catch the bus over to the edge of the Rainforest District.
He'd tried to tell Janie about Officer Hopps and her fox, because it was getting downright frightening the way they kept appearing wherever he was at the time. But... his daughter had just looked at him like he might be losing his mind, so he had eventually just shrugged it off and told her it must have been some odd coincidences and nothing more. Though he was actually wondering what was really going on. Did the Celestials truly exist? And were recent events evidence that he was being 'tested' in some way? Why did the duo keep showing up whereever he was? Was there a simple and mortal mammal somehow doing this to him on purpose? And why HIM, of all mammals? He was nobody! Just another random zebra...
And... here came that meter cart again. That fox was with Judy in her slow little cart this time, and they stopped in front of a limo business. Jeff still had the earphones placed deep in his ears, so he clicked on the Mi-T Ears power button. They seemed to be talking about warrants and 'probable cause' regarding a search of the property. He walked a bit slower and watched what they were doing without turning his head and being obvious about it.
The two had entered the place, going over and under the fence, then they started looking inside a white limo. He saw a pair of polar bears walk over to the car and stand by the back door. After the door opened, they listened to the fox make a desperate request for them to forget he was there - but then they grabbed both the fox and the bunny. They were carried by the neck over to another white limo, and then tossed inside before the bears sat down on the back seat and closed the doors. they drove off into the cold night, leaving Jeff with many new and unresolved questions regarding this very odd duo of a fast-talking fox and a rabbit who was an Officer.
He had no idea what was going on with the pair of them this time, but it certainly didn't look good. He hoped they were going to be alright, even though he was starting to dread seeing them again. Or even going someplace new. Every single place he went, THEY seemed to find him and pop right out of the woodwork and do something inexplicable in front of him. Was it Aliens who were doing it? The Celestials tormenting a mere mortal, maybe?
He didn't know, but every time he turned around he fully expected to see a rabbit and a fox sneaking up behind him...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Jeff wasn't really in the mood to go out for a pub night with Socrati tonight, but he had made his promise over a week ago. So he took the bus over near one of the cable car stations and caught one of the cars. They spanned the length of the Rainforest District, and the last stop was on the edge of downtown. He really hoped that he could relax and start forgetting about the last couple of days as he went to meet his long-time friend.
He was certain that THIS time he wouldn't run into Judy and her fox. He was on the cable, in a rainstorm, and it was dark out. Surely THIS time he could go someplace without running into those two mammals...
But, of course, fate had other ideas. His car had just passed by a stop, and he was still looking behind the car at it, when that now-familiar pair ran out onto the wet planks - followed quickly by a large black jaguar on all fours, chasing after them. He felt a sudden stab of fear at seeing them appear again, almost as if the big jaguar was chasing HIM.
He pulled the binoculars out of his bag and kept watching for as long as he could still see through the rain. Judy had slid into the rail on the wet wood, the fox was being attacked by the big cat, Judy got a cuff on his leg, then the two of them fell off the platform and then swung on a nearby vine into a bunch of branches and leaves. After that he couldn't see anything more, moving steadily away through the rain.
Jeff couldn't believe it. Not only did he see them AGAIN, but this time they were being attacked by a large cat on all fours like an animal. He didn't know what to make of all this. For all he knew, maybe he really was going crazy. He spared a bit of thought to wonder if the duo were injured from their apparently wild ordeal, but doubts about his sanity soon drowned out any other introspection.
He just turned the disturbing events and feelings of fear over and over again in his mind, wondering if he could have done anything differently. And wondering WHY he kept running into those two and seeing all the odd things that were happening to them. He realized he was giggling every now and then, looking around the whole time and fully expecting a fox and rabbit pair to suddenly leap down from the roof of his cable car and do a little dance for him. That mental picture sent him into another fit of hysterical giggles and snickers.
He was actually disappointed when they didn't appear...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
"JEFF! There you are!"
The zebra tried to look in every direction at once in less than a second, just as he stepped off the elevator, but then he spotted his old friend rushing over to him across the large open area of city hall. The Ocelot was hopping up and down as he got over to him and started shaking his hoof up and down. Jeff just smiled, but he still kept glancing around him nervously.
"It's so good to see you!" Socrati said, "It's been at least a couple of months since I managed to drag you out to a pub! And after today I REALLY need to get out of here and unwind a little. It's just been crazy in the office today..."
Jeff was about to say how good it was to get out of the house for a change, when he overheard some loud flustering and "...just take care of it!" off to his left. Then he heard a door thump, with a crash and flutter of papers, and the muttered curse, "Oh, mutton chops." He looked over at the small sheep he recognized was the Assistant Mayor, and just froze where he was standing. She appeared to have dropped an entire pile of folders and paperwork, but he also saw who was approaching her...
It was THEM.
Judy said something about needing help, while her fox was standing behind her. Then they wandered off down another hallway, after gathering up all the dropped paperwork.
Jeff was very jittery as he turned back to his feline friend, his eyes looking as though he had just stared too deeply into an abyss and he was quite alarmed at what he had seen.
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Socrati was looking very worriedly at his zebra friend, as he poured the dark-colored draft ale into a large and a small mug - sliding the larger one over to bump into Jeff's hoof. He didn't really know what to say at first, though he was concerned about the way the equine was trying really hard to look in all directions at the same time - mumbling something about divine interference in mortals' lives.
He nudged the mug into his friend's hoof a couple of times and coughed to try and get his attention. It didn't seem to be working.
"Umm... Jeff? What's bothering you today?" he questioned, hoping his buddy was okay. "You're acting like you've seen something you shouldn't have. Or like somebody is out to get you?"
Jeff stopped glancing around, looking down at the tabletop and sighed heavily. He picked up his mug, held it up in a brief salute to the friendly cat... and downed half of it in one heavy draught.
"Sockri? Do you ever get the feeling like you're going crazy?"
The ocelot just finished his long sip, set down his mug, and started laughing - a little hysterically, but in short duration.
"Stripe-butt, I work at city hall. Everything, every single day, is something that makes you wish you could just go crazy so that you don't have to deal with all the paperwork and the mammals anymore. Especially the mammals who just walk in off the street... So what is it that's pushing you over the edge, eh? You're usually such a laid-back and steady mammal."
Glancing everywhere for moment, Jeff just sighed again and seemed to sag a bit. He started telling the cat about all the times he had seen Judy and her fox over the past couple of days, and noticed the agitated, twitching tail behind his friend. The look on his face was serious, and he was obviously concerned for the old zebra.
"Jeffery... I don't know what to say, except that a coincidence can seem very strange - but it's still just a coincidence. So you saw them on the street a few times? Big deal! All that means is that your eyesight is still pretty good, and at our age that's a thing to be thankful for!"
"Socks, I don't know how you can describe about 20 times as '...just a few...'." But, the zebra let himself give a small smile back to his energetic friend, then stretched his back and arms out mightily - feeling a few joints pop back into a comfortable place before he eased back down to leaning on the table.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. It just seemed really weird to keep seeing them, over and over again. But maybe it was just an odd coincidence where they kept showing up in the same place I was. I doubt it will keep happening."
The pair moved on to casual conversation about a local sports team, the un-planned weather changes, the 'Savage Crisis' (as some mammals had started calling it), and Jeff started to hope that maybe he just wouldn't see that rabbit and fox duo anymore...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
It was late evening when he got home, so he wasn't really in the mood to turn on the TV - or do anything else other than simply enjoying the quiet of the rapidly approaching night time. He pulled a hoof-full of garden greens from the fridge and wandered out to the backyard deck, just munching on his hoofheld snack and enjoying the peace of the quiet night.
His house was pretty far removed from the bustle of the city, which suited him just fine. It was right on the border of the Canyonlands, and built up on the side of a hill. It was awfully run-down when he'd bought the place, and it was so far away from the city center that he bought the place for a very low price. He had made many improvements and renovations, though, so it ended up being a really great property that hadn't cost him a hoof and a leg and a tail to own.
The view down into the canyons and across the Great River valley was truly spectacular during the day, but at night it was just a pleasant sense of endless space and expansive freedom - which was a nice contrast to the always busy and crowded city in the central areas. He really counted himself lucky to have found this place, and was finally starting to relax and forget about that bunny cop and her red-furred shadow.
Although... there was something that seemed to be disturbing the quiet evening tonight, and his newly regained peace of mind. There seemed to be a lot of red and blue flashing lights down that lonely road near the big waterfall. The waterfall a few miles away was actually a bonus, so far as he was concerned, because the constant rumble of white noise helped him go to sleep at night.
But tonight, it was being overshadowed by the sounds of many sirens and screeching tires.
Then a couple of helicopters flew right over his property, moving pretty fast toward the waterfalls and apparently heading toward the sirens.
Then he remembered that down the old canyon road was a big, old building. Right over the waterfalls. He had looked it up years ago and discovered that it had been some sort of hospital, but he also knew that it had been closed down and boarded up at least a decade ago. Maybe two decades.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he wandered back inside to find his jacket and get the binoculars that he'd used several times today. Moving back out to the deck, he looked down and partway across the valley toward the old hospital - and was shocked to see a LOT of police cars in front of the place, as well as the pair of police helicopters with their searchlights shining on the place.
He flipped a lever and increased the magnification on his binoculars, looking as closely as he could at the many mammals milling about at the front doors of the building. Then he saw her...
Clear as day, in those searchlights. There was Officer Hopps again, pointing a little claw at Mayor Lionheart and saying something in a serious manner as they walked toward the line of cop cars. And right behind her was that fox again, shiny sunglasses on his muzzle and sipping at a cup of coffee.
He would have dropped the binocs right to the deck if the strap hadn't been around his neck. He glanced quickly back and forth around his property, seeing only trees and the large garden in his backyard.
"No, no, no, NO!" he yelled out into the night. "I'm at HOME now! You've been invading my life all over town, but you can't do this to me at HOME!"
He started to giggle and snort and dart his now-wild eyes all around him, seeing hundreds of little grey bunnies and red foxes sneaking out of the trees all around him. The ghostly foxes were circling around his garden, while the bunnies seemed to pass right through the fence and start munching on all the green leaves growing out there.
He just KNEW the universe was playing a practical joke on him - though he hadn't quite figured out what the joke was yet. He suddenly felt like an abused plaything of the Celestials, and the stab of concentrated fear and anxiety that ran down his spine out to the tip of his tail was so shocking he was surprised that his heart didn't stop right then and there...
o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o
Jeff had a restless and jittery night - only getting short bursts of sleep, punctuated by nightmare images of being buried alive under countless foxes and rabbits who just kept piling on top of him. He was blaming his tiredness, of course, as he kept glancing all around him on the train downtown - both inside and outside the car. He just knew there was something out there trying to get to him. He just had to see it before it could reach him...
He felt light-headed, but with a nagging headache. He felt like somebody was following him, watching his every move. He felt as though, any second now, something was going to jump out at him and surprise him in some horrible way. He also felt like his sanity was truly slipping away, removed from him piece by little piece in an endless stream of grey bunnies and smirking foxes that seemed to be lurking in the shadows everywhere he looked.
He kept trying to convince himself that it was nothing but a bad dream or two, however it somehow felt as though he was just lying to himself. He mentally insisted that he just needed to get back to normal, everyday routines. Then all this anxiety and fear would dissipate, just like the bad dreams they were based on.
The zebra didn't even want to go downtown today. He would have skipped leaving his nice quiet home if he could, but his appointment with the city planning commissioner had been set almost two months ago. If he was EVER going to get the city to install a street light on the dark corner in front of his house, it was today or never. Bad dreams or no bad dreams.
For the ninth time in half an hour, he checked his pockets and ensured that he was ready for whatever might happen today. Listening device? Check. Binocs? Check. Little recording camera he'd purchased a few years ago on a whim? Check. Small spray can of mace he'd owned for a decade but never used? Check.
Maybe he should get a taser, too. Was that a good idea? He couldn't imagine why he would ever need one, but in his unbalanced state of mind it seemed like a good thing to do. Whatever sort of practical joke the Celestials were apparently playing upon him this week, he felt that he should be ready for whatever might happen today.
But would he completely lose his mind if THEY showed up again? He really didn't know. All he could do right now was to keep looking all around him, at every detail near and far, wide-eyed and giggling to himself every now and then as if the universe had him trapped in a corner and he had no idea how to escape. Surely odds were that he wouldn't see them at all today, but he also knew that they could be ANYWHERE. Just waiting to attack... somehow.
Several passengers had already moved to a different seat as far away from the wild-eyed, giggling zebra as possible.
When the train got to it's downtown station, near the ancient Watering Hole, Jeff sat and waited for several other mammals to get off first. Then, glancing around quickly, he darted off the train and ran to the back wall of the station. He planted his spine against the wall and searched the entire place with his panicked looking eyes before finally taking a moment to simply breathe and try to relax a little bit.
"There's nobody out to get you, old boy." he muttered to himself, "It's just random chance, nothing more. Stop worrying about it so much..."
Feeling a little calmer, and with his appointment in mind, he eased into the light crowd and moved to the stairs that would put him up on the streets of downtown. He climbed steadily, holding the handrail, but he still kept looking all around him.
He got up to the street, looking carefully around before walking on. Given where the station was, he had to walk right by the ZPD building before he could get to city hall. That made him feel even more twitchy than when he was on the train, knowing that Judy was a cop, but he kept walking anyway.
"JEFF!"
The old zebra jumped 3 feet straight up in the air and managed to look all around him before thumping back down to the pavement. He hoped he didn't crack a hoof doing that, at his age. He grabbed and held the little can of mace in his pocket as he looked over at a much younger zebra coming over to him.
"Bounder? Why'd you scare me like that! Don't you know there might be bunnies around here?"
The eager young zebra just cocked his head to one side and looked back and forth, a bit confused. "Sorry, Uncle Jeff! It's really great to see you here! Did you come to see the press conference?"
Now it was the older equine's turn to cock his head to one side, in an unconscious imitation of his energetic nephew. "What press conference?"
"OH! You've got to come with me! Those dozen or so mammals that have gone missing? The ZPD have located them, and a lot of mammals think it was the MAYOR who was doing it!"
"Well..." Jeff stated, "That does sound interesting. And I don't see any rabbits anywhere..."
He just nodded slightly, then approached and gave his nephew a quick hug. "How've you been, Bounder? I heard you were doing something with ZNN these days?"
"Oh yeah! It's been great! I've been working with the sound technicians at the TV station, and we're recording the whole press conference today."
"I doubt that young Officer Hopps would be there for an important press conference like this." Jeff thought to himself, "I guess it would be safe enough to see what they're talking about."
He grudgingly let Bounder pull him toward the ZPD building, as he said, "I do have about 20 minutes free before I need to visit city hall. So what's this about finding missing mammals? I haven't seen the news in the past few days."
"Oh, it's a great story! The ZPD's newest rookie cop is the one who found them, and they were all in the same place. Rumor is, it was the Mayor who kitnapped them too!"
It was all a bit confusing for Jeff, but it seemed that he was starting to get used to the strange and unusual over the past few days. So he stepped inside and found a spot off to one side so he could watch what was going on. Bounder said he had to get to work with his boom mike recording the press conference, then moved quickly over to a small pile of what appeared to recording equipment.
Jeff managed to relax a bit more, looking all around and not seeing any evidence of the rabbit officer nearby. No foxes either, for that matter. Chief Bogo was starting to explain the details of the missing mammals who had been found, why the Mayor had been arrested, and other information about this now-solved case.
He had almost managed to settle down and stop looking all around him, when he heard Chief Bogo say something about "...Judy Hopps..."
And then, there she was. Again. The subject of his nightmares last night, and his anxiety about being chased or stalked over the past couple days. That tiny bunny in the cop uniform and shiny badge, who seemed to FIND him anywhere he went. Jeff's eyes went very wide, and he giggled to himself a few times. She said a few words, and at the first question was obviously looking to her left at someone.
And then, there HE was. Again. The frightening punchline to every part of his nightmares last night, showing up after the bunny had chased him down. He was standing over by some big rocks, on the far side of the lobby, motioning to Judy in some manner.
She was speaking to the press corps, answering some questions. But he could swear that she kept looking at him. And that fox! His eyes looked wide and focused, and he was opening his muzzle to show his fangs! They kept looking at him! Both of them!
He didn't know what they wanted from him, but he needed to get out of here. He needed to get away from those two, so they would stop following him everywhere!
Jeff was giggling non-stop now, wild-eyed and panting, glancing back and forth as fast as he could - making his head appear to be on a swivel base. He edged quickly and jerkily along the wall toward the front door. He got close enough to see that nobody was near the doors, so he looked all around the lobby again before bolting toward the doors and ran outside.
He had made it out into the sunshine. He was free of them! They couldn't get him now! He saw city hall across the square and starting running straight toward it, anxious to get away from the building full of grey rabbits and red foxes who were trying to get him. Surround him. Ambush him!
Jeff started shouting to all the mammals around him, on the streets outside the ZPD and in the park - "The rabbits are coming after me! They'll get you too! All of you! The foxes as well! Don't you see that we're being surrounded?! When the foxes get here, it'll be too late! For all of us! We have to stop them! There's hundreds of them! Thousands! Hurry, before there's too many of them! Hurry, all of you! Run away from the bunnies and the foxes!"
He was openly laughing out loud now, though it didn't sound like anything was funny. It just sounded like Jeff had gone completely paranoid and delusional. Mammals all over the square were stopping to look at the strange zebra who was running straight toward City Hall, cackling in mad laughter all the way. He didn't seem to notice or care that the ancient Watering Hole was in between him and the City Hall office building.
A couple of officers on foot patrol were already walking toward the loudly laughing zebra and talking on their radios. Just before he plunged into the water of the historic old pond, he began shouting again, "The rabbits are everywhere! They've been after me for days! The bunnies are going to get me, and they'll get you too! And the foxes are helping them!"
He seemed to laugh even louder as he started splashing his way across the pond, though he also managed to keep shouting about the bunnies and the foxes who were trying to get him. Even as was gently led to an ambulance and seated inside, the officers promising to keep him safe from the rabbits, he kept laughing and shouting about the bunnies and foxes that were going to get them all.
Most mammals who were in the park that day agreed that it was one of the strangest things they'd ever seen, although not one of them had ever realized that Judy and Nick were the fox and rabbit 'army' that was going to come 'get' all of them.
Most of them were just concerned for that poor elderly zebra, who had apparently been driven insane by something only he understood.
And, of course, Judy and Nick had no idea that anything had happened at all. They had much more important things on their minds, at that particular moment in time...