OFFER FOR APPRENTICESHIP

Noah Sly

Predator, Fox; Aged Five

$20

Secure Condition: Muzzled, Disciplined and at Mercy

Contact Mr. Harold Mudway by the number below or report to him in person

Mr. Blite, a zebra in a black overcoat, eyed the advertisement on the wall of the orphanage this with remarkable interest.

"I see you take interest of the offer, Mr. Blite?" said Mr. Mudway coming out of the orphanage gates to meet him.

"I've just arranged the departure dates for the two patients who died last night, Mr. Mudway."

"Always ontop business, Mr. Blite, always ontop of business. So you want the fox?"

"An apprenticeship would be of interest to give to a lad," agreed Mr. Blite.

Mr. Mudway grabbed Noah from the backyard, washed him, found a ragged, grey T shirt along with a ragged grey pair of shorts, packed his muzzle into a back and took him to his new master.

They came to a shop. A notice said on the top of the door Blite's Soul Resters.

"As you are to be passed to your new master, you will be expected to toe the line or you will regret it. Understand?" said Mr. Mudway glowered at the cowering cub.

"Yes, sir," said Noah.

The hippo knocked at the door and went in.

"So," said Mr. Blite smiling at the fox cub. "This is the child?"

"Indeed Mr. Blite," said Mr. Hippo.

"It is?"

A female zebra in a black dress looked at Noah and scowled at him.

"Feeble character him," she criticised.

"He'll grow," said Mr. Mudway. "Only five."

"Well hopefully he'll go to sleep at that age. We're poor enough already."

After Mr. Mudway left, Noah was fed table scraps by the family's maid Cerys, around fourteen and also a zebra. Then he was finished, Mrs. Blite showed him to a room where other predators were sleeping - at least, that's what Noah thought.

"You didn't mind sleeping with the corpses I suppose," said Mrs. Blite, but not waiting for an answer, she continued "it doesn't really matter for you can only sleep here."

She left him in the dark with the other lifeless bodies. He had many nightmares relating to this but it felt like he was trapped in the nightmare itself.

He found a clear spot and wrapped himself in a tail to protect him. At least he now had clothes and no muzzle.

WAKE UP!

Noah woke with a start when a fat zebra in a red shirt and red shorts with a big lump of cake in his hands glowered over him.

"Good morning, sir," he greeted. "Is that breakfast, sir?" he asked looking at the cake.

"No!" said the zebra who stuffed the entire cake in his mouth. "Cake doesn't go to evil little predators like you. You know who I am?"

"A zebra?"

He gave the fox a huge smack on the face. "I'm Barney Blite! You're my servant. NOW DUST THE FLOOR!"

Noah got up and leaved the room, Barney behind him kicking him hard.

At breakfast, Cerys served him a bacon and dry toast. Barney had finished his huge plate, of sausages, tomatoes, bacon, toast, mushrooms and three helpings of them. Noah had just started his breakfast when Barney grabbed the plate and munched the breakfast up.

"But that was mine."

"My mistake," said the greedy zebra, his mouth full. He spat the food back onto the plate and gave it back to Noah.

"Oh leave him," laughed Cerys. "He's too young for banter."

"Everyone's left him," snorted Barney. "Even his Mommy. Even his other relatives who wouldn't have cared if he lived or died."

Two weeks he has lived with the Blites and his life was still miserable; rotten breakfasts, the corpses sharing the same room as him until they were claimed for their funerals.

One night, Noah was srubbing the floor and Mr. Blite was seeing off a family of badgers who

had arranged for their mother's funeral. Barney' who had heard of this event, went too far with torturing Noah. Two weeks he had slapped him, spat on him dunked his head in the sink but he felt that this so-called joke would be the best for him.

"Hey, Pred," said Noah was sitting in the corner of the kitchen with three huge slices of cake. "Heard off your Mommy lately."

"She's in Heaven," replied Noah softly. "Please don't bring it up."

"Why not?" said Banrey nastily. "I think you are hesitant to confess what you already know. I know it all to well."

"Know what?"

"Mommy was a slut. Do you know what a slut is? She'll kiss any man without marrying them."

"Shut up," said Noah savagely.

"If your mother was here, Id've tasered her. She'd be out of everyone's lives due to the fact that she's a fox - like you. You are savage predator, but your mommy was a bigger one. She caused Zootopia, kissed everyone who came her path and came to a sticky end giving birth to you."

At these words, Noah got up and threw his scrub brush at Barney knocking him to the floor and he attacked the huge zebra scratching him and biting him and punching his right eye.

"AAAAAHHH!" he screamed. "MOMMY! HELP ME! NOAH IS ATTACKING ME! HELP! HELP!"

Noah grabbed the smashed plate with the three slices of cake and pressed them into the sobbing face of Banrey and began scramming him again and again. Cerys and Mrs. Blite ran into the kitchen and screamed at the sight.

"MY DARLING BOY!" screamed Mrs. Blite! "YOU NASTY LITTLE PREDATOR! HOLD HIM DOWN, CERYS! HOLD HIM DOWN! DON'T LET HIM HARM MY BABY!"

Cerys held him down as the mistess returned with his muzzles only locking it onto him and threw him into the broom cupboard.

"Get Mr. Mudway!" she cried to Cerys. "Quickly!"

Mr. Mudway arrived at the sight of Mrs. Blite cradling her pig of a son sobbing and whimpering loudly as he held a huge, rainbow lollipop on his hand.

"There, there, my little stripe cake," she cooed stroking his mane. "Mommy won't let that nasty little pup near you again."

"Where is he?" Mr. Mudway demanded.

"The broom cupboard," Cerys pointed out.

The hippo went over to the door.

"Remember that whipping I gave you?!" he shouted to Noah. "You're in for a real one this time when we let you out. YOU HEAR?!"

"What's all the commotion?"

Mr. Blite arrived back from business to the chaotic scene.

"Your apprentice has earned a whipping," said Mr. Mudway firmly. "Stand back, sir."

He swung the door open and Noah lunged out and attacked the hippo who screamed like a cat. Banrey ran away for the scene on account of seeing a fox. Mr, Mudway grabbed Noah by tail. Noah found a rolling pin near by and walloped the hippo on the nose with it, making him yell in agony. Noah ran to the shop door and saw twenty dollars on the side of the door. He grabbed it, along with a fresh tiger loaf and dashed out the door, but not before grabbing the key, locking the door and dashingg away for the shop as far as his legs could carry him.