The night was no different as before. Darkness covering around like a blanket, the only proof to the animals that they might not be sleeping being the ability to hear the storms overheard and feel its drops.
Raindrops pound quickly on cement. Their rhythmic splats bouncing against the walls of an empty alley.
Almost empty alley, but not quite.
A dark green raccoon with a tan jacket busted through a telephone booth's door. Leaving it open in case of a quick escape. His eyes desperately dart around the small space. Breathing heavily, he finally saw what he was looking for, thanks to the small light placed inside overhead. "Yes!"
A dark phone was held in it's socket. Feeling around in his coat pocket, where a small sack of money lay, the male pulled out a quarter, almost dropping the cash in his haste to shove it through the coin slot. Promptly he plucked the receiver from it's socket and dialed. Each press of a button making a light 'errrr' as it was pressed. Finally! He could call his brother to get over here and pick him up! "Come on…Come on…" The raccoon held the receiver closely to his ear.
Silence.
It was like a slap in the face.
"Crap! Why won't this phone work?!" The male jerked away and threw the phone down. Hearing a satisfying crunch as phone met floor. Looking down at the remains, he saw the phone line cleanly cut. Probably from one of heists before, although he could not recall. "And I didn't notice this BEFORE I wasted a quarter?!" The raccoon sighed. "It's not like Shifty would come anyway..." Now that he thought about it, his older twin brother, Shifty, would always put material possessions ahead of his younger brother if he had to.
In fact, Shifty had rather let his twin get crushed under metal and go down with the submarine so he wouldn't risk getting tangled into the mess and get killed too and could run off alive with the jewels, but, karma got him as he tried. Most likely now Shifty would say "Sorry Lifty, bro, I can't come pick you up until the cops are off your ass." And then hang up. That was how brotherly love was between the twins. Shifty holding his half of the doe and being all cozy in the hide-out, leaving his brother high and dry. Lifty's face scrunched up at that thought. He always came for his brother, but so rarely Shifty returned the favor. Especially when his brother was the one who got him into this predicament.
The male's ears twitched, catching a high pitched whine. His eyes widened. The noise was all too familiar to the raccoon.
Sirens.
The cops were closer to the raccoon then he thought.
Lifty swiftly ran out of the booth., out of the alley, into the streets. The rain cracking like eggshells were thrown at him as they fell onto his jacket. "We should have checked the weather report before we left for the heist." He couldn't help but laugh as the thought slid into his mind. He was being chased by cops and he was thinking about the weather?
The raccoon heard the whine now turn into a howl. He ran to the right, not caring where he was going, as long as it's away from that dumb tigress and even dumber moose! Lifty looked back over his shoulder, seeing two bright dots which must be the head lights of the car, it barely rounding the corner, a good few miles behind him. The screech sounding distant as he became farther and farther away from the machine. He knew he was only getting far since he had a head start. That car will be on him in a few moments.
He needed a distraction, and fast.
Lifty perked his ears up. A loud deep honk became his answer."Thank you Jesus!" A signature smile beginning to form on his face. The male only had a few seconds. As he crossed an intersection the honk was now a roar. Lifty only glanced to the left once, but saw with it's horn, it's huge figure, and multiple wheels that the hunch he had on what it was, was correct.
A truck.
Impulsively he slid his arms out from his coat's sleeve. The coat falling from his body to the middle of the road where the truck was coming. The raccoon managing to get to the other side. A loud screech, then a crack, soon followed. Lifty dared one peek back and gasped. A truck lay crashed into a nearby tree. Blocking the road Lifty was running. It's head lights flickering, the wheels, having to have popped off, now nearby. The windows created into sharp shards scattered around the ground. It was fine apart from that, and he was sure the person inside would DEFINITLEY have to be examined as well as the truck. Not only that, the police can't get their car through.
The plan went perfectly.
Lifty didn't slow down until the moon was beginning to fall. Not knowing the location he was in. He took a huge breathe of air and slumped against a tree trunk. Beginning to shiver, feeling chills running up his spine. The raccoon didn't know if it was from the tree, or the rain, or worse, both. Trying to analyze his whereabouts, he looked around. Only a few trees and streetlamps were accompanying him. Hearing the flapping of wings, Lifty looked up, seeing a raven perched on a sign held by one of the streetlamps. "Huh?..."
Immediately, the avian, almost sensing it was being watched, whipped it's head around and looked in Lifty's direction. It's black, beady soulless eyes locked on the male's own. For a moment they stared. The contest ending when the bird gave a loud cry and jumped off it's perch. Flapping it's wings with great gusto upward, into the sky. Lifty didn't know why, but at the raven's presence, it made him uneasy. More then he originally was.
Lifty shook his head and looked to the sign. "What? Lincoln Avenue?" The mammal blinked in confusion. His mind still set on slow from losing most of his energy in the run. Realization then sunk in. The raccoon was trapped in a cul-de-sac, and not just in any cul-de-sac. The murderer's cul-de-sac.
Flippy the bear's.
It only took a moment for him to remember everything he knew about the crazed man. That the bear claims he fought in the Vietnam War. Also that the bear has PTSD, which, in other words, means that whenever he senses anything that reminds him of the war, he'll kill whoever's around in the most brutal ways possible. At first Lifty and his brother didn't believe those words, until last Christmas when they snuck into the guys house and tried to rob him clean, only to get turned into a costume and a raccoon created box. After that, he and Shifty steered clear of the house, and bear, but sometimes temptations run high and they end up dead. Lifty shuddered as he remembered. Even though they can't die, they can still feel pain.
The rodent growled at the decision he had to make. Go back to where the cops most likely will be? Or go to the bear's house and maybe get turned into mincemeat? Lifty paused as he considered the options, then ran past the sign closer to the house. Gritting his teeth.
From what the young raccoon could see was that no lights were on in the house. The bear must be asleep. Good, he could just sneak in through the window.
Upon arriving at the side of the house Lifty was met with a window. He pressed up against the glass. Eyes scanning the inside. Only seeing darkness except for the moon's light shining above inside. Leaving a shadow of a tall lumpy item. The raccoon guessed it was a chair. Was Flippy inside the house?
Lifty held his breath and took a step back, ready to flee at the first time of trouble. If it was the bear...he'll be mincemeat, but if it wasn't...he'll miss his only means of escape and be caught. Lifty forced his mind from panicking and to think clearly. The male grabbed the windowsill and pulled it up. "What else do I have to lose?...At least i'll be out of this rain." He thought dejectedly, slipping his foot through the window slowly. His eyes looking to the lump.
Once the foot felt the softness of carpet, and Lifty not even seeing the lump twitch. The masked male took a deep breathe and slithered the rest of himself inside, closing the windowsill before facing the room. His paws touching the smooth wall. His fingers searching around for a light switch. The bear doesn't easily wake up from what he and his brother learned. But he DOES wake up from the simplest of things...Will the light manage to reach the room and wake up the sleeping giant? Lifty stopped moving his fingers.
The young one was so used to having his brother make most of the decisions that he can't even figure out what to do now! Lifty mentally cursed himself. Continuing to feel around the room. Hating to not being able to see. Hell have to gamble on what he'll do. Hopefully, when it comes to gambling, hes one hell of a lucky clover. "If only I had a horse-shoe."
Feeling something cold under his hand, he made an instant grip and flicked up it. Lifty shielded his eyes with his hand, the raccoon not used to the new brightness of the room. "So full of light...so...odd." As the male adjusted to the light he moved his hand away. Instantly seeing the lump was a green chair. Lifty darted his eyes about. Catching glimpses of silver and gold.
"Must be the trophies. This place hasn't changed a bit." Lifty walked to the front of the room. Where a flat screen tv sat. Half tempted to find the turn on button. "Turning it on won't cause something won't it? But if I did, would the bear still be asleep like last time?"
One of the raccoon's eyes twitched. "So many decisions! All so annoying!" He looked up at the electronic. A thought surfaced in his head instantly, almost as if someone has turned on a light-bulb in his head. "That could work." Lifty knelled, facing the buttons, his finger pressed a black and the machine turned to life.
Then pressed a button next to it, setting green bars to appear on the screen and lower. The sound from the electronic getting weaker. The masked male stood up and gingerly padded toward the chair. Shaking his pelt, getting the water out of his fur before sitting. His arms on the armrests and attention to the screen. Where a rhino was singing on a blue stage singing, a sign above him saying 'American Idol.' Lifty could stay and relax until the cops gave up and leave before Flippy wakes up. A brilliant plan.
He couldn't help but wonder before the cops DO give up though, and how will his brother react when he notices his younger twin has lost his half of the money he was supposed to care for. "I pray to god that I will not get killed by my own brother for losing money...again." Lifty sighed and sunk in his seat. Listening to the batting of rain against the window. It only felt like the raccoon has only sat for a heartbeat when he heard the knocking. The mammal froze at the sound, his breath caught in his throat. "Crap! No!"
His heartbeat quickened. "Someone must have seen the light coming from the house!" Lifty smacked his forehead as he thought. "Stupid stupid stupid!" The raccoon's ears twitched. "Flippy? That you?" Lifty's face turned into a sneer. "Dammit! It's the tigress! Wait...The cop?..." Lifty's face paled. "How did SHE get through the broken truck?!" He thought. His ears lowered. He had no other choice. He must find a way out, without making himself known, and before the tigress somehow finds out a way to wake up the bear. Quickly!
Lifty stood up from his chair. Moving slowly and gently stepping on the carpet away toward the hallway. Planning on going into the garage, maybe the truck Flippy used to run them over on Halloween was in there and repaired. Lifty's eyes narrowed in determination. "I will not be beaten so easily!" He declared, his pace quickening, passing the kitchen, and passing the stairway. He'd rather DIE then go to jail.
His fingers once again feeling along the way, not daring to turn on the hallway lights. Lifty paused, hearing a loud ringing sound coming from behind him. "Shit!" Lifty went from a power walk to a jog. The hallway seeming to have no ending in his eyes. Feeling wood under his hands, he pushed it open and quickly closed it. Pressing his ear to it, Lifty listened.
Hearing the padding of paws. The male's muscles tensed. It could be the bear...
"Yeah, Venom, I don't see anyone here, but I haven't checked the rest of the house, hold on." The voice sounded male. "It's Flippy, and hes telling the tiger hes going to check the rest of the house!" The raccoon's tail twitched in anxiety. "Don't check here don't check here PLEASE don't check here!" He sighed in relief at hearing the steps sounding far off. Lifty then turned around and nervously flicked on the lights.
His eyes darting around. Seeing no monster sized vehicle. The male's eyes then locked on a seat, two handled, two wheeled machine. A motorcycle...
Lifty looked in awe. "Wow..." He breathed, walking over to the machine. "Bingo..." Lifty hopped onto the seat. His hands grasping the grip and his feet on the footpeg. Grabbing a remote on a nearby table he pushed a red button. The garage door slowly began to open, screeching as it did so.
Sweat began to bead down Lifty's brow. "I only have a few seconds before the bear comes." He padded the wide-screen of the motorcycle. "Baby, don't fail me now, were only getting started." Lifty narrowed his eyes to slits and gritted his teeth, itching to speed forward. " . !"
A loud thud sounded behind him. Lifty immediately looked backed and he tightened his grip. The bear stood, eyes glowering at him. "Hey! You stop right there!" the bear's eyes twitched, trying to control himself from...attacking...
Lifty looked ahead and his eyes widened. A tigress with jet black hair and a blue shirt and hat with a star emblem stood outside to the side of him. Her moon sand lightning piercings shining by the garage's lights. Holding a pistol locked on him. Panic began to flutter around the raccoon. His stomach began to churn like he ate some bad shrimp. Feeling as if he might vomit soon if he doesn't get out of here.
"I'm deadlocked! What do I do?!" He asked himself, looking to and fro the tigress and the bear, hearing nothing but one thought reply back. The rodent gulped."Well...Its worth a try." Lifty looked to the female warily "Sup Venom. Don't you think you should be chasing your boyfriend instead of your boyfriend's brother?" The tigress gave a small growl, her face reddening. "You should watch your mouth-"
Lifty quickly looked to the bear. "Hey Flippy how you been doing I'm good thank you very much-HERE you can have your remote back!" The male tossed the remote to the bear and pressed on the footpeg. Instantly the motorcycle sprung forward. The male looked ahead, bunching his muscles. Hearing a loud bang and feeling something whiz by over his head. He looked back at the feline. Her face as red as a cheery.
"Hah! You missed woman!" Lifty braced himself as the machine neared the ground. The motorcycle lurched as it landed, the male being jerked forward. Immediately the sound of deep whistling brushed against his ears and chills began to course through his fur. "This rain doesn't seem to have an end. Why didn't I steal a coat from the bear?" Lifty sighed. "At least i'm free tonight."
The male thought as he drove off farther away from the bear's house. The streets still as quiet as before he went there. Looking at the street signs as he passed. Searching for anything familiar that would help lead him back to the outskirts, where he and his brother live. "As soon as I get home, i'll plop onto the couch." The raccoon's muscles ached. Running from the cops always was one of his least favorite forms of exercise.
A loud crash broke the raccoon's trail of thought. Lifty glanced back and was stunned. A few small trees lay broken on the road behind him. But to his utter shock, the tigress was right behind him! The tigress riding a motorcycle, her face full of determination and twigs in her hair. Lifty would laugh at the comical scene before him if he weren't so fearful of being caught. He stepped harder on the pedal. Seeing the gap between him and Venom widen.
"Hehheh!" Lifty grinned, although it faded instantly. The tigress was gaining! Her eyes narrowed and her paws clutching the throttle. "Yet I forgot she can speed up too?" Lifty nearly face-palmed. Glancing to the sides, seeing dark shapes of buildings, and the small spaces between them. "This will be one heck of a tight squeeze."
The raccoon moved his foot away and pressed the brake pedal, his hand clutching the lever. Doing what they were built to do. Lifty moved to the left, sending particles to jump and a loud screech which was like nails running down a blackboard to follow suit. His cycle now in front of the opening of an alley. The male moved his foot back onto the footpeg and instantly was sent speeding through the alley.
Passing garbage cans and bags. The scent of a variety of food, now rotten, filled his nostrils.
Lifty was tempted to gag. "Man just...so sick!" He coughed, looking ahead, seeing that he was nearing the end of the ally. "Huzzah! Freedom's bells will ring soon enough!" Lifty grinned, seeing upon closer inspection a tipped over can, it's content spilled and it's lid lying against a wall. His eyes widened and he quickly pressed the brake pedal and grabbed the lever. But it was too late.
The motorcycle smacked into the can, the male let out a screech as he was sent flying over the pavement. Closing his eyes and instinctively putting his arms in front of him as he fell. Landing on his side the raccoon felt a jolt of pain rise from his right arm. Lifty let a whimper escape from his throat, hearing a loud crack and the clanking of metal, almost as if someone was smashing two pans together. The raccoon flinched at the sounds, and opened his eyes. Finding himself in a parking lot, which must belong to a building that created the alley, in front of him the cycle broken in half, oil running down the clutch, and bits and pieces, which must have broken apart from the two parts, lay scattered around it.
The male's eyes grew round and he held his breath. Holding in a groan. "Uh oh..." At the sound of an engine behind him the raccoon instinctively covered his head with his hands, curling up his tail. "Jesus Christ! What the hell is happening?!" Lifty glimpsed a motorcycle crash into the broken one, but more strange, and worrisome, was the she-cat curled into a ball as she neared the ground, uncurling one second before she hit the ground, landing neatly on her feet. "Its the cop!"
The tigress's eyes locked on the young twin, her gun pointing at Lifty's heart. "Glad to see me?" She asked, her voice sounding strained on trying to keep normal. Lifty knew one thing clearly about the tigress, she feared raccoons, and she tries her best to keep calm. But half of the time they manage to use that to their advantage. The male scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his arm. Taking a step back."If I talk to her, and distract her, maybe I can slowly distance myself from her and escape." To him it wasn't his best plan he created.
But it was his only one. "Hello Venom. Had a good day today?" The raccoon spoke. "Of course you did, you were chasing one of the best thieves in town. It's a real honor." He took a step back, his tail twitching.
Venom tightened her grip on the pistol. "Don't be so full of yourself...Especially when there's not even competition for this town. Your coming back for questioning, understand? Or ill shoot you on the spot." Her eyes narrowed, full of rage. Lifty took another step back. Warily looking to her.
"Uh...Well I would but, ya know...I have other things to do." He could hear something in the distance, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Venom's ears twitched, probably to Lifty's guess, she could hear it as well. The male saw her glance to where he was standing."Halt! Your not going anywhere. I suggest you stop moving away before things turn harsh." Lifty blinked in surprise and even though it hurt to do so, held his hands up in defense. "How did you know?! But I..." He blurted out, not helping but show astonishment at the tigress.
The feline grinned, her ears twitching madly. "Simple I-" She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze looking toward the right. "What the-" Her voice died. Once where she stood now replaced with a black and white car. Lifty blinked, his jaw dropping. Seeing the tigress now crushed under the wheel, a pool of blood forming. Her expression in surprise, eyes open and un-blinking. "Woah...roadkilled tiger...and were not even on the road." The raccoon looked over at the car, seeing a familiar shape inside. The moose.
He didn't care where, or how the moose knew he was here and how to get there.
It was a lovely surprise. "For once...I'm glad to see him." Keeping an eye on the moose, the raccoon began to limp away, occasionally looking back to see if the moose has remembered how to open the door. Then quickened his pace as he heard the slamming of a door. Exiting the alley, panting, already tired from the run. "I can't...I can't do this...But I have to try." Lifty took a deep breathe and started again to move forward.
Past Chester Street, past the newspaper building, past so many things he began to become weary. The rain seems to not the least begin to weaken, his arm was throbbing, his cuts and bruises stinging, the only thing for company was the streetlamps and buildings themselves.
He was alone.
And he didn't like it."If only my brother was with me...Things would have been more bearable...But he isn't." Lifty didn't bother trying to try and run from the rain. He didn't care if he got a cold, heck, he wouldn't care if he got run over. Things are already horrible from where he stands.
"Do you need some help?" A somewhat high voice questioned. Lifty's ears perked up and he whipped around. The streetlamps illuminated a light brown lioness with long curled hair, a pink shirt with a giant two, a pink bow to match, and diamond studs, holding an umbrella in her left paw. The raccoon will admit, she was cute.
The male narrowed his eyes at her. "And why would you want to help me? What are you even doing here in this rain?"
The lioness blinked. "Me? Honestly, It's not right to see someone injured, and... I just like the rain, especially like how it sounds, doesn't it sound like a drum to you?"
Lifty shrugged. "I couldn't be bothered...had something else to think about...sorry." Why was he apologizing? He didn't have anything to be apologizing for! "How did you know I was injured?" His neck fur rising, she might be a new cop Lumpy hired...
"Besides your arm laying limply against your side? I dunno, maybe I just have a gift for detecting injuries, so do you want that help, or not?"
Lifty blinked, she looked innocent, and appeared to be sincere...she must be new and hasn't been told of them yet.
And he plans to keep it that way.
The male slowly nodded. "Okay." The lioness nodded, wrapping her arm around his shoulder, causing Lifty to wince. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
They began to push forward. Lifty relaxing a bit. "At least some of the pain went away." No longer he felt the cold raindrops slither down his pelt. The lioness was holding an umbrella over the both of them. The trip was bearable again.
Upon reaching a cluster of house Lifty spoke. "New here?" He murmured. Eying the group of houses, trying to figure out which one was the lioness's. Her eyes brightened. "Yup! Just moved here yesterday! One day here and I already love it! Isn't that something?!" Lifty laughed a bit, amused at the lioness's energetic nature. "Your one of those happy-go-lucky types of people aren't ya?"
The lioness smiled. "It's that obvious?"
"Pretty much."
The cat giggled.
Lifty grinned. Looking up and realizing they were at the doorstep of a normal pink house with white colored edges. "I've never seen so much pink in one place." The male whispered. "Yeah, it was the only house left, not that i'm complaining, pink IS my favorite color." She moved her arm away from Lifty and stooped down, lifting a corner of a mat, revealing a silver key. Gingerly the female picked it up and stood up. Putting the key in the keyhole, slowly turning it, the door opening with a soft click.
The lioness grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, pushing the door open. Leading Lifty to the couch. Where the raccoon would sit. "I'll be right back, gotta go get some things." The male watched the she-cat slowly pad into a room. Her voice still sounding clear. "Most of the things aren't un-packed yet. SO sorry the place doesn't look awsome."
Lifty blinked. "So cocky..." He snickered. "But she's nice, and NOT turning me in!" The rodent glanced around, seeing a tv on a small lamp-table. Above a poster of an owl playing a piano and the words 'Owl City' in golden letters at the bottom. "Hmmmmmm..." He looked to the sides and saw an assortment of boxes in various sizes each with words written on them with black marker. From 'Furniture' to 'Plates', to 'Bed-Sheets'.
The masked male's ears flicked., looking to where the lioness ran into before he saw her return with a white suitcase with a red cross in her hand. Trotting over to him she sat on the couch next to the male. "This will hurt a little okay?" She opened the box as she spoke, pulling out a can reading 'Disinfectant' and a small brown band-aid. "Wait-Wait-No i'm fine-" Lifty flinched and let out a small cry of pain as she sprit the can at a cut on his cheek. Biting his lower lip.
He watched as she the brown tape on his cheek. "Smooth move Lifty, embarrassing yourself in front of the new citizen." He thought resentfully to himself. Lifty always HATED being the center of attention. He looked to Scruffy, then put his hand to his cheek. "Thank you." The mammal said at last. "No one's ever helped me before..." The female frowned, seemingly to want to ask a question, but decided best not to prod. Which was fine with the raccoon. "Lets get the rest of those cuts shall we?"
Lifty held still as the lioness worked, or at least, tried to." Her putting disinfectant on the cuts and bruises before bandaging them up. She, as she finished, looked to the broken arm. "I'm not a doctor, but..." She pulled out a roll of white bandages. Grabbing it's end, she wrapped it around Lifty's broken arm, and snipped the end. "There...Right. I'm sorry I can't be of much help." She looked down, her ears lowered, handing Lifty her umbrella. "Take this, it's the least I can give to you."
The male looked to the umbrella, reaching out his hand to it, his fingers wrapping around it as soon as he made contact.. "Nahhh, you've been great. Much better than a moose could do himself." The raccoon smiled, standing up. "You haven't told me your name yet." The female blinked. "It's Scruffy. Weird I know. But can't pick names of course."
"Well then, Scruffy..Welcome to Happy Tree Town."