Way to the Heart
~Chapter 1~
~*Late Fall, 1998*~
It was a typical cold winter evening. Clouds spread out gracefully across the horizon, as the sun began to set. The busy streets on the island of Manhattan did not cease, however. The nightlife of the city was what really made it special. The sun now shone gallantly between the twin towers, eventually submerging into the Hudson. A lone gray and black feline walked down one of the busy downtown streets. His only distinct features were his emerald eyes, which change color constantly, depending on the lighting and his mood. The fuschia colored fur around his eyes also made him quite recognizable. His appearance was that of a college student, casual, yet serious at the same time. His walk also seemed to tell a story, as it was slow paced, with his shoulders slumped. He seemed greatly stressed with something, but there was no telling what it was. But over his face, appeared a small and courageous smile, the small flicker of hope left, hidden beneath the despair. A rather dirty wolf was leaned back on the wall of a building, playing a soft musical tone with his saxophone. The feline's ears perked, and his eyes changed to a soft hue of purple, as his mind whirled about upon hearing the music. He was highly interested, and admired the music that filled the streets of downtown Manhattan.
Upon looking over at the wolf, he noticed a small cup, with a few cents located inside. The feline scurried into his pocket, and retrieved a five dollar bill. From both loving the music, and having pity on the wolf for not receiving much recognition for his musical talent, he couched down, and placed the bill in the cup. The wolf looked down, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"In no way am I worthy of such." he frowned. He already seemed humble just by the way he spoke. The feline shook his head, and raised a single paw. "Nonsense, I quite enjoyed your music. I wish I could listen more, but I am in a hurry to get home." The wolf nodded, but a look of sadness crossed his face. "Home..." he uttered, turning away in a shameful manner. The feline raised a brow, and reached out a paw for the wolf's shoulder. "Did I say something wrong?" he frowned, wondering what could have caused him to suddenly get upset and emotional. The wolf shook his head slowly, before turning back. "No...it's alright.." he sighed, pulling himself together. Ashamed that it took so long for his mind to put this together, the feline face palmed himself. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to-" the wolf cut him off. "It's alright!" he barked, but took another deep breath to calm down. "Just...forget it. I appreciate the gesture." he continued, readying to play his instrument again. "Please, do take care of yourself." the feline said, getting up form his position. The wolf nodded, and resumed to play, as the feline wandered off to a subway station.
The station was not as crowded as he expected it to be, as he found a empty bench seat to wait for the train. The train itself was a different story, as it was crowded. He let out a disappointed sigh, before managing to squeeze himself on board. With each stop, more people emptied out of the train, much to his relief. He was even more relieved as the train reached his stop. 81st street, what a wonderful thing to fill his ears upon hearing the next stop! He disembarked from the train, and made his way back up to street level, walking to his home.
It was a brownstone, and he was fortunate enough to have it all to himself. Of course, he often got lonely, but he had friends in the city to keep him company. He walked inside, and flopped down onto his couch, feeling exhausted from having worked in a small office space all day. What was hard to understand was, why? He had enough money kept away so he would not have to work, but he did so anyway, the reason being so that he could continue to hide is identity. Someone as young looking as him, with no family, unemployed, but yet a multi millionaire? Highly unbelievable, but it was the truth. Over his "hidden" lifetime, he had acquired a good amount of wealth, yet spent it wisely. Simple furniture, no car as of yet, he was a part of the average population. He wanted to blend in perfectly, and desired to take no risks of his identity being uncovered, to whomever was even smart enough to figure out such, let alone believe it. He flipped through some TV channels, before yawning softly, deciding to just shower and end his day. He did so, and retreated to his bedroom, noticing the time on the clock. It was only 8:30 P.M, but he shrugged, as he figured he should get all the rest he could. Upon climbing into his bed, he covered himself warmly with the sheets, before he gently closed his eyes, and dozed off.
A pesky electronic buzzing sound soon whirled around his room, as he grunted, slapping the digital alarm clock off the nightstand. A sharp bang was heard soon after the alarm clock fell onto the floor, and the buzzing stopped. "Well, I guess I'll have to buy a new one." he chuckled, getting up from his bed to start the day. He placed two slices of bread in the toaster, before running off to shower again. Upon finishing, he returned to the kitchen, making scrambled eggs. The toast popped up, and he buttered each one evenly, placing them on a plate beside the eggs. He ate rapidly, as he looked back at the clock constantly. It was Friday, and he knew there would be track work on the subway, so he had to make sure to leave early. He dumped the plate in the sink and grabbed his bag. He had no time to brush, so he took a mint with him, hoping it would help in the least amount.
Thankfully for him, his train arrived on time, and he had time to spare. He passed a local coffee shop, and traced back. "Well..I do have time." he smiled, buying himself a hot cup of coffee. After making the purchase, he walked a few blocks down, before he approached the spot he had the encounter with the wolf. He saw him curled up on the floor, shivering lightly from the cold. He had a thin jacket on, and his jeans had tears in it. He felt awful upon seeing the sight, and bent down near him, poking him once. The wolf swatted at him, opening an eye. "Oh...you.." he shivered, opening the other. I wasn't until then that the feline noticed the wolf's young features, around his own age, and his odd accent. "Yup, me again!" he smiled, attempting to cheer the wolf up. A rather foolish move, as he took this as a taunt. "Oh haha! Look at me! All warm with my coffee and coat!" he mocked the feline. "I meant no disrespect!" he rebuked, looking at the wolf in the eyes. He did the same, and sighed.
"Alright, sorry." the wolf rolled his eyes. The feline shuffled through his pocket again, and the wolf raised his paws in refusal. "No no no, I don't want it!" he refused the ten dollar bill the feline was ready to hand him. "Look, you're freezing out here. First you think I'm teasing you, then you don't want my help." he pointed over to the coffee shop he came from. "Take the money, and go buy yourself a drink and a pastry." he smiled. The wolf raised a brow, a look of suspicion crossed his face, as he cautiously took the bill. "Why are you doing this?" he asked, struggling to get up. The feline helped him, and smirked. "Because, one once did the same for me." he said, and with that he walked away. The wolf continued to stare back at him as he walked, a meager smile managed to show, before he walked to the coffee shop.
Upon entering his office floor, his boss scolded him. The feline hadn't realized how much time was taken up with the wolf. Though, due to his good work and well-standing, his boss let it slide for now. To make up for this, the feline was sure to work very hard, completing whatever task had to be done in a timely manner. His boss was quite pleased with his effort, and the end results. At the end of the work day, he chuckled heartily, an gave the feline a pat on the back. "I must say, I am impressed!" the crocodile's eyes narrowed. The feline chuckled nervously. "Thank you sir.." he smiled, and made a small bowing gesture, and was dismissed.
Once he exited the building, he heard a familiar musical tone, which made him smile. He walked down the crowded streets, the music getting louder, until the same wolf was in sight, busily playing away. The feline made a dramatic and humorous entrance, applauding the wolf and shouting, "Bravo!" He stopped playing, and turned his attention over to him. "You just can't get enough of me, can you?" he glared. "Your music, yes. You, probably." the feline laughed, which surprisingly made the wolf smile. "I suppose I should introduce myself," the feline started. "My name is Felix." he smiled. The wolf nodded. "And I am Ray." He was about to play again, until Felix spoke. "So um, how'd you learn to play?" Ray adjusted the saxophone, cleaning off the reed with his stained shirt. "I taught myself." This conversation clearly wasn't going anywhere, but Felix desired to talk to him. "Why are you out here?" a question that could easily bring anger, misery, or whatever other emotion that it could conjure up. Ray stood still for a bit, and remained silent.
It took a few seconds, but he finally spoke. "I don't know. I never lived with anyone. No family, no friends. I've just wandered around, moving from city to city, state to state. I eventually came here...and I-I can't remember life as a child, even though it was not many years ago. I've been alone all my life, and depended on no one but myself. I trust no one." he stated proudly, yet wiped a tear away. He was about to play, until Felix spoke yet again. "How about I help you?" Ray looked directly at him. "...Why would you?" "Because, like I said before, someone did the same for me. Your choice, but I feel you deserve some help, and a fresh start.
The wolf began to tear up heavily, and let out a final sigh. "...Leave me alone.." he mumbled lowly, clenching his paws. "Please, just let me-" "GET OUT!" he barked, attracting attention from pedestrians next to them. Felix winced, and nodded, walking away in a fast manner. Ray let out a small whimper, and went on to play. He looked down in his cup, and saw five cents from the day. That's when the sobbing began.