Hello guys, and welcome to the long-waited Chapter 5 of "Adventure In Death's Shadow".
Now, a lot has happened over the past two or so months and you guys have been asking me: Is the story still going on? Again, rest assured, the story is still being written but just behind closed doors. I'm releasing this chapter to not only show that the story is still going ahead, but I had a nice busy day on a Saturday and decided to be nice to you all. After a twitter poll, the people spoke and wanted Chapter 5 released now.
Well, I hope the wait has paid off, because if not then I don't know what to say. I hope, as always you enjoy this chapter of "Adventure In Death's Shadow".
FOR WARNING, THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SEXUAL MENTION IN MIDDLE OF PART 2.
Chapter 5 – A Gay Plague?
No life came around Adventure Bay as the faint echoing sounds of a rooster's call breezed through the town; occasional breezes of normal wind swept through the town as well. Unlike any other day, Ryder climbed out of bed whilst the sun glowed behind the horizon. He saw that the seaside town was still lit by the streetlamps and no being walking on its pavements. By the time the boy had washed himself and dressed in his trademark uniform, the waters of Adventure Bay sparkled from the sun in reflection, but the latest newspapers had not arrived yet as Ryder looked over the balcony. He saw no sign of Kyle or any sign of any cyclist in the seaside town.
Feeling though that something was odd, the ten-year-old rode the elevator down to the ground level to find Zuma wide awake, standing outside his pup house. "Morning, Zuma. Has Kyle arrived with the newspapers?" Ryder asked the water pup. The said pup turned his head to see his owner walking toward him and patting him on the head.
"No, Ryder. I haven't seen him yet." Zuma replied. Ryder stood straight and faced where the bridge was. Maybe he was sacked from his job? Kyle only worked on weekends and it was a Sunday. Both the boy and the Chocolate Labrador made no sound as they listened for any cycling; just the causal waves in the distance and the seagulls squalling on by. Then a cyclist came sprinting up the road towards the entrance of the Lookout. Ryder and Zuma jogged around to see that the rider was not Kyle.
"Good morning. Very sorry for being late. It's my first day." The cyclist said with a Brazilian accent. The two members of the Paw Patrol tilted their heads as they looked at the kid. "We thought Kyle was supposed to be on duty today." Zuma pointed out.
"He's sick," the boy answered. Ryder and Zuma were perplexed as they felt their eyes widen at the news. "He said he was healthy yesterday when he woke up, then just suddenly fell ill after he was ready for work. Boss let him head home for a few days." The cyclist then handed the latest newspaper to Ryder and cycled off. Ryder tracked the boy until he was no longer in his sight, then moved his eyes to Zuma. The two then headed back inside to the kitchen as Ryder began to make breakfast for the pups. He settled the papers on the table and started to fill the pups' bowls. Zuma headed into the main lobby as he waited for the ten-year-old to serve his breakfast. He switched on the TV and the news was first on.
"Hailey Daily on the scene and on your screen. It's double the drama right now as Mayor Goodway makes a statement regarding Chase and Marshall." Hailey Daily announced on the TV. Ryder froze his hands in place and slowly turned his head toward the TV as Mayor Goodway spoke. "In the last couple of hours, I was told that the Paw Patrol's police pup, Chase, had bitten a young boy. This attack will not be tolerated in Adventure Bay, by which I am terminating Chase and Marshall's time." Mayor Goodway raged. Ryder could almost feel his entire body collapsing in on himself; at the same time, the same fire he felt was reignited with indignation. Ryder clenched his fists as Mayor Goodway spread her hate about two of his best pups, all the while his teeth squeezed pressure on the other set. "And so I say to Chase and Marshall, say your prayers." The Mayor on the TV threatened, and then the camera view panned back to Hailey.
"Things are not going to look pretty for the two pups. Let's hope for a peaceful end and we'll have more on the story later." Hailey concluded, then the TV was shut off. Not a single sound was uttered from the boy, nor the Chocolate Labrador who waited for his breakfast. Zuma stood with his eyes still gripped to the television. Slowly, he turned his head to Ryder who had his arm extended out to the TV with the remote in his hand. The young pup could see the frown engraved on the boy's face as he lowered his hand.
"But they had so many hours to go…" Zuma flustered. "From how it sounds, something's gone wrong and Chase and Marshall might know." Ryder said with heat in his voice. Zuma felt intimidated by the boy's wrath building like a volcano. He had never seen Ryder so angry in his life since joining the Paw Patrol.
A recently awoken Skye walked into the kitchen to see Ryder and Zuma motionless without a sound. "Is everything alright?" The Cockapoo asked. Not wanting to become any more frightened by the ten-year-old's angered death stare, the water pup quickly turned to Skye who looked with a curious face. Skye immediately turned her attention to Zuma.
"Chase and Marshall are out of time, says Mayor Goodway." Zuma informed the pilot pup. Skye felt her face widen after the young pup shared the news.
"But they have so much time left." Skye pointed out. "That's what we said when we heard it on the news." Zuma agreed. Both of them looked at each other like the other had something to say. Then all of a sudden, Ryder walked out of the kitchen with not a sound from him as he departed. The pups turned around to see him disappear out of sight, whilst knocking down the newspaper. As the papers settled roughly on the floor, the Cockapoo's eyes picked up on a headline. She steadily paced towards it and stopped as she had a clear view of it. Her eyebrows summited up her forehead.
"Zuma, come look at this quickly." She urged the Labrador. He soon joined by her side and looked to where Skye was pointing: GOODWAY V BROWN: RACE FOR MAYOR POSITION. The two pups looked at each other with shocked expressions reflecting off each other. "Mayor Goodway could be out of office if she loses this election." Skye rejoiced.
"But how do we get the whole of Adventure Bay to vote for a 'Michael Brown'?" Zuma questioned as he saw the opposing candidate underneath the headlines. Nothing came to their minds but instead started to become infected by another four years of Mayor Goodway in power of Adventure Bay. Suddenly, Skye gasped with intention. Zuma turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "I have an idea, but we're going to need all the other pups in on this, even Ryder," Skye stated, then sighed with her outer eyebrows dropping. "But Chase and Marshall can't be in it." Zuma hid his lips. He knew why but chose not to discuss it.
"We just need a way to try and get Michael Brown to win this general election." Skye stated.
"But how? We can't just go rigging the voting ballots. Chase would kill us." Zuma questioned.
"I know, and that's why I need everyone on board with this. But I'm worried about Ryder. I hope he's okay." Skye worried, thinking that her owner is becoming too unstable.
Then the Labrador stood up. "I'll go check on Ryder while you go get the other pups." Zuma suggested. The Cockapoo nodded and the two pups split off into their own directions to carry out their tasks. Zuma went up to the boy's bedroom door and gently tapped on the wood with his paw. He backed up a few steps before sitting down, then waited patiently for the leader to open the door. Many seconds passed by and Zuma dreaded something horrible had happened to Ryder. The trembling Labrador reached for the door again and knocked on it, hoping this time he had caught his attention. Still, no answer and Zuma became more frightened by the minute Ryder hadn't answered his calls. With stress infecting his instincts, Zuma slowly entered the leader's bedroom and peered his head around the ajar door. The light was on; everything remained in place.
"Ryder, are you in here?" The water pup called out. Not a single human voice called out in response as Zuma felt his heart beating faster. He slowly entered the room and trod carefully on the concrete-shaded carpet. As he approached the centre of the room, his ears picked up on a shower blasting out water coming from the bathroom. Zuma doubled his slow pace toward the bathroom door and paused right outside. The door was fully shut. The young pup then leisurely pressed his ear against the door to hear not just the shower, but sobbing from the other side of the wooden barrier. Zuma pushed the door open and entered a blind bathroom. He reached for the light and turned to see Ryder sitting underneath the shower, with water raining over his fully clothed body. The pup felt his heart sink at the sight of his owner. Zuma slowly approached him. As he came within arm's length, the pup sat down and whined to indicate his presence. Ryder shakingly raised his head and Zuma saw the tears swelling in the boy's eyes.
"Ryder?" Zuma shook. Ryder then reached the tap and turned the lukewarm rain off, then extended his arms allowing Zuma to climb up the depressed boy for a hug. The pup already felt his fur soaking up the damp clothes, then he licked away Ryder's tears. He heard the boy's cries become more audible as the pup relaxed him.
"I'm so sorry you have to see me like this, Zuma," Ryder sobbed with his lips still trembling. "I know you and the other pups think I'm not the leader I was before the fire at Town hall, letting Chase and Marshall get hurt and my weakness getting the better of me. Besides, you and the other pups don't want me as your leader after how two of our best pups got hurt." A rocket force of a fist collided into Zuma's heart. His jaw dropped to his chest and his eyes sprung wide open.
Ryder expected the young pup to agree. "No way, dude," the boy heard as his head was still buried in his arms. He slowly raised his head and turned to Zuma who had a smile on his face. "You're like the coolest and bravest leader we could ever ask for, even as our owner. I bet you that some of the greatest leaders even make mistakes, but one thing they all have in common is resilience. Resilience to fight for the things they believe best in, but also fight for the ones they love. We need our brave leader back to help Chase and Marshall, as a team with all the other pups. We love you matter what, Ryder dude." The words of encouragement from the youngest pup of the team formed a smile on Ryder's face. He then wrapped his arms around the water pup and felt the tears of joy flowing down his face. "Thank you so much, Zuma." Ryder spoke with a steady voice.
"What can I say? Even though I'm not called for missions often, I'm always that young supportive sibling of our family." Zuma reassured him. The boy knew the Labrador was right. Unlike Marshall with his slip-ups, Zuma was the kind of pup that would sit down and talk about the other pups' problems and struggles they were having. But ever since he and Rocky were getting to know each other, the two became inseparable. Ryder thought back to the time when he, Chase and Marshall were called up to save Alex from drowning under the ice of the Arctic. How he still remembers that day was beyond his understanding; it was a day that Alex nearly died and the whole of the Paw Patrol would've shut themselves down. Both the police pup and fire pup thought they hadn't saved Mr Porter's grandson in time, but Zuma kept their hopes beating. After what Ryder remembered to be hours after pulling Alex out of the Artic waters, the young boy woke up and both Chase and Marshall praised him as that 'young supportive brother' of the family.
The boy gave Zuma a scratch behind his ear and the pup left Ryder to compose himself. He soon swapped his soaked clothes for another of his dry signature uniforms and rejoined the pups down in the main lobby of the Lookout. As he arrived, the other pups were present and Everest had entered the Lookout.
"Is everything alright, Skye?" She asked as she approached the group. "Of course, but I may have an idea of how we could help Chase and Marshall keep their place here in Adventure Bay." Skye stated. The pups turned to each other with either one or both eyebrows raised. Silence filled the gaps between them.
"Well, what do you have in plan? Even though the whole of Adventure Bay is pretty much wanting them dead." Rubble reminded. Skye then turned to Zuma and nodded. The water pup left and brought back the newspaper he and Ryder received from the Brazilian paper boy. The ten-year-old leader squirmed at the sight of the headline that couldn't be hidden from Zuma's mouth. The boy maintained his posture and Zuma laid out the newspaper in front of all the pups, showing the election page on top.
"In three weeks, everyone in Adventure Bay will be voting in the upcoming general election. It would be the perfect chance to vote Mayor Goodway out of office." The Labrador stated. "And elect a candidate that is respectable as Mayor." Skye added as she points to the picture with Mayor Goodway on the left, and Michael Brown on the right. The pups did not utter a sound between them. Some of their jaws were urging to hang open to unveil their sparkling teeth with aspiration.
But one pup hated to take away all the hope that Chase and Marshall were reprieved. "Hold up," Everest spoke. "Can we legally vote as canines?"
"Of course. We can't after what happened in the previous election when Mayor Humdinger took to the Supreme Court, which ended up deeming us unfit to vote in elections." Rocky recalled. Suddenly, they felt that urge dissolve into the void. A few slumped their heads in disappointment. "So what can we do now? We can't vote, and Mayor Goodway could stay in office for another four years." Tracker shook. As much as they despise hearing that thought, they could feel their two best friends slowly disappear from existence. Or worse...
"Well we all can't vote, but we can get help on this." Ryder suggested. The pups turned to him with eyebrows raised all the way, especially Zuma. "What do you mean, Ryder?" The Labrador questioned. The boy then stepped forward and pointed to one of the paragraphs in the story.
"Tomorrow, there's a debate happening outside town hall in which both Mayor Goodway and Michael Brown will attend to pitch their ideas of the future for Adventure Bay; one little problem though, none of us can attend due to obvious reasons." Ryder explained, then scratched the back of his neck as he spoke his last line. No pup wasted time thinking of what the boy meant. Obvious reasons that should not have to be repeated by voice.
"Darn. Now I guess Chase and Marshall really are done for." Rubble whined. "Not quite," Everest spoke in a hopeful way. "Jake will be showing up at the debate, so maybe I could talk with him about helping us. Besides, he's such a loyal friend and I'm sure his loyalty still stands with Chase and Marshall."
"And Carlos." Tracker chipped in.
"Plus the Turbots, even Mr Porter." Zuma also added.
"Great thinking, pups." Skye yipped. "I'll call them straight away. In the meantime, we'll remain here as we don't want to stir up any more trouble that Chase and Marshall already went through." Ryder spoke and headed outside. The pups rejoiced with howls as the ten-year-old leader left the main lobby and started calling Mr Porter. As he waited for the restaurant owner to answer, he felt his ego had finally returned to him after being lost. The smile he was always used to feeling came back once again, and he wasn't going to let some homophobic mayor or townsfolk take it away again. Soon after his moment of feeling the restoration of his iconic self again, Ryder's call was answered but in the form of a six-year-old.
"Oh, Hi Ryder!" Alex answered with delight.
"Hi, Alex." Ryder returned. "Where's Chase and Marshall?" Alex asked. "We haven't seen them in a long time. Are they sick?" Ryder heard the young boy's concern in his voice. He knew how much his two best pups meant to Alex.
"Don't worry, Alex. Chase and Marshall are doing well, but right now they need you to find Mr Porter so I can speak with him." Ryder reassured him, knowing the fib he made.
"Of course, Ryder. No job is too big, no Alex is too small. I'll go and get grandpa. For Chase and Marshall!" Alex called out. Ryder felt a sudden burst of both laughter and tears. How he loved that kid from the bottom of his heart, like a brother he never had.
For Chase and Marshall…
Arriving in his fire truck, Chase and Marshall drove along a vacant Adventure Beach. Patches of clouds blocked the bright sun from shining onto the golden sand. As the dally held down the accelerator and had one paw on the wheel, he felt his free paw being wrapped around by another. He swiftly looked down to see that the other paw was golden-furred and belonged to his beautiful boyfriend who smiled in his company, in which the fire pup returned. Marshall drove toward the Sea Patrol Beach Tower and parked his fire truck alongside the structure. As the Dalmatian climbed out, Chase sat not moving an inch and stared out to sea. He suddenly felt that all of his worries had ceased from his mind; like he wiped the slate clean and began anew.
He soon heard his name being called which roused him from his deep thoughts. "Chasey, are you alright?" Marshall asked as he drew out a few towels from a suitcase. The dazed German Shepherd shook his head and nodded in response. He then felt an eyebrow raise as he got out of the Fire Truck.
Did he just call him Chasey?
The police pup caught up by the dally's side as the two walked down the sand and on toward the shoreline. "Chasey? Where the hell did you get that from?" He asked. "It's my nickname for you, my cutie police puppy." Marshall grinned at his boyfriend. Chase slowed down as he watched him walk closer to the shoreline, then jogged toward the Dalmatian and paused by his side. They soon spotted a billow of black puffs drifting toward them, with a rain of gloomy darkness below. While Chase kept his eyes out toward the looming storm, Marshall turned to see the German Shepherd at his side with a confident smile on his face; Marshall wasn't. He had an eerie feeling growing inside of him since he and Chase came out to each other. A feeling he knew too much to himself, but dared not share with anybody else. He made one final glance back at Chase and turned his eyes to the storm ahead.
"Well, we've got plenty of time before the storm gets here." Marshall pointed out.
"Plenty of time to do what?" Chase pondered, keeping his eyes out to sea. All he heard for an audible answer was the ambience of rumbling thunder and waves crashing onto Adventure Beach; nothing from Marshall. Just as he was about to turn to the said pup to see if he was listening, Chase saw that the Dalmatian stripped off his pup tag and collar as he took several steps back, then ran and dived into the sea. Chase felt his jaw hanging from his head in which he tasted splashes of salt water on his tongue. He looked up to see the bubbles bobble on the surface where Marshall dived in, eyes wide open to see if his boyfriend was well. Then all of a sudden, he witnessed a white-furred merpup with black spots rising above the surface, but sadly without a tail.
Marshall wiped back the water from his eyes and turned to Chase. "Come on, Chasey!" He called. "The water's beautiful, but it'll be even more beautiful with you in it." Chase felt his face boil to another degree, but looking at the waves rolling toward him urged the police pup to dive in to cool off from the embarrassing heat he was feeling. As he looked up at Marshall who was still floating on his back waiting for an answer, Chase unclipped his collar and dived in. He then paddled to the surface and gently extended his paws up to Marshall, then yanked the dally below the surface. Chase released Marshall to which he spun around to see his lover swimming with him. The two then drifted forward and connected their lips, then shared the air between them as they kicked for the surface. The two then broke away as they felt the air flooding through their noses.
"How long can you hold your breath for?" Chase asked of all the moments to ask. Marshall cocked an eyebrow, then Chase tapped his nose as he giggled "you're it" then dived under the waves. "Oh, you're on." Marshall replied back as he dived in after the German Shepherd. The two swam after each other as they tagged on and on, with a pitstop to the surface before beginning another chase. Chase felt the dopamine pumping through his body. His mind had forgotten what made him depressed in the first place. But all those years of being tormented by the thought of his father's words had driven him to the point of dark thoughts, until his Dalmatian brother extended his paw to pull him out after Ryder brought him home.
After countless chasing, they started losing more seconds after each pitstop they made. As they broke through the surface, the rain had reached the beach. Chase, followed by Marshall, paddled back to the beach and dragged themselves across the dampened gold sand. Chase rolled over, feeling his body aching from all the chase swimming he had done. He then spotted Marshall crawling toward him and hovered his head over his. The two returned smiles before Chase spoke, breaking the pouring silence.
"Wanna go do it, Marshy?" The police pup proposed. Marshall tilted his head with a slight smile. "Marshy, huh?" The Dalmatian questioned. "Say it again."
"Wanna be my inmate, Marshy?" Chase repeated with a groan in his voice. Then Marshall felt his rocket expanding as Chase gave him puppy eyes with the corners of his mouth raised. He slid his paw down the German Shepherd's side and over his crotch where he felt a stiffened red rocket ready to go. "Take me in." Marshall answered.
The two beamed at each other before Chase wrestled Marshall onto his back and pressed his lips against the dally's. Then they scrambled onto all four of their paws and sprinted back to Marshall's fire truck, to which the fire pup converted it into his pup house. The two went inside and Marshall locked the door. Suddenly out of nowhere, Marshall felt two paws landing softly on the back of his waist and slowly pushed around toward his crotch. Marshall's eyelids fluttered as Chase then dragged his paws up his chest, followed by his tongue running up the back of his boyfriend's neck.
The dally spun around and Chase caught him with his lips, then Marshall pushed the German Shepherd against his bed. Both of their tongues wrapped around each other's as the two pups wrestled on top of the covers, with their breathing becoming heavier and louder. Marshall grabbed Chase's cock and pulled it closer to his.
The Dalmatian retracted his tongue and drew his lips closer to one of his ears. "Cum in me, Chasey..." he moaned. Chase licked Marshall's cheek before dragging his tongue down the fire pup's body and began licking his erected cock. The dally squeezed his eyelids shut as the German Shepherd began sucking on it. He tossed his head in many directions and soon stretched his paws to Chase's head. Chase then turned Marshall onto his chest and held his hindlegs apart. He grinned to himself as his eyes fluttered, ready for the feeling to come. Both the police and fire pups felt the inside of the pup house turn into an oven; their furs were soaked with both the sea water and sweat pouring from their skin tissue.
"I've never done this before." Chase admitted, after sliding his rocket into the Dalmatian. "Just start thrusting. You'll love it." Marshall spoke. Chase, standing on his hind paws with his chest laid on Marshall's back, didn't want to hurt the love of his life. He trusted the dally and started. Marshall groaned in response and Chase kept going. His beautiful Dalmatian boyfriend did not lie. He closed his eyes and felt the pleasure of the moment. Marshall huffed and panted whilst he stretched his paws, then turned back to give a smiling glance at his boyfriend on which Chase returned.
"Harder, Chasey!" Marshall cried in request. Chase fulfilled his wish and Marshall felt his tongue hanging out. "Is that good enough, Marshy?" Chase questioned. "Damn well enough." Marshall groaned in response. The fire pup then raised the top half of his own body and extended his paws up to the ceiling of his pup house, holding on to the metal frame as Chase continued to thrust his cock in him. Just like his first sexual intercourse, Marshall felt Chase's cum flow into his body.
"My turn?" Chase whispered into Marshall's ear. "Your turn." Marshall answered as he spun his head to face the police pup and puckered his lips until Chase rolled over, giving the dally the chance to repeat the same thing Chase had done to him. Like before, he felt his eyes flutter in satisfaction. He called on his boyfriend to do him harder; just as Marshall nearly did so, a thought popped into the German Shepherd's mind.
"Hang on," Chase spoke as he raised his eyebrows. "Our pup tags."
"Oh shit." Marshall cursed under his breath. He quickly got on all his paws and raced out of his pup house into the pouring night. He then picked up both his and Chase's pup tags, even their towels and sprinted back to the pup house. Marshall dropped everything into a corner nearest the door and closed the door. "Have we forgotten anything else?" Marshall heaved.
"Returning the favour?" Chase spoke as he threw his paws around Marshall and pulled him back into his bed. The two laughed as they crashed onto the mattress, and then Chase ran his paws down Marshall's soaked, black-spotted white fur. The dally rolled over to Chase's side and the two's laughter died away with their smiles still glowing. As they rested their backs against the wall of the interior, Chase couldn't stop thinking about how much his Dalmatian boyfriend had helped him. Chase knew he didn't want to remind himself of his past as he thought the trauma would crawl back to plague his mind in an ominous web. But when he had done so, those thoughts bled away when Marshall was with him.
The police pup turned around to him and drew in a breath of air. "Marshall, can I tell you something?" He spoke. Marshall turned around with the smile still attached to his face. Chase almost felt a snicker form behind his face when he looked at the dally's.
"Sure, Chase. Anything at all." Marshall welcomed.
The police pup inhaled as he felt his stomach tighten. "Long before I met you, even way before Ryder, I was having nightmares about my father." Chase explained. Upon hearing his words, Marshall felt his smile had ceased as Chase told his story. "And it's not what I told you before. Every day and every night, I couldn't sleep because of him, and I've been scared of making any new friends when me and my mom moved to Adventure City. Because I thought they would tease me for being gay. I was separated from my mother after my fourth birthday, given to a family who couldn't afford to keep me..."
"Abandoned you in the middle of Adventure City, had to survive the big scary city, nearly got run over but Ryder saved you and the rest is history?" Marshall finished off. Chase lowered his eyelids and raised an eyebrow at the Dalmatian. "You finished?" He asked in a monotone.
"Sorry." Marshall smiled sheepishly. Chase then returned his eyes back to the floor. "After Ryder found me, I just sort of knew he was going to accept me for who I am, but I wasn't ready to tell him. Then the nightmares came back. I couldn't sleep nor eat or drink. Then I thought about ending my suffering, but it wasn't until that November night when Ryder took me for a walk near the train yard, where I could finally end my miserable life without him knowing, we heard a cry from one of the carts. We went to investigate what made that cry, and then I found you." Marshall raised an eyebrow as to what Chase was saying.
"Found me?" He questioned. "You, Marshall," Chase spoke as he turned to meet his dodger blue eyes. "We found you in one of the carts that night, next to a Great Dane whom we found dead near you. I saw you and then I felt a sudden feeling in my heart. And when we brought you home, I started to get more sleep. I had depression, Marshall, but you came into my life so tenderly and cured that depression." The Shepherd's story formed tears of mixed emotions behind the Dalmatian's eyes. He lunged forward and kissed his unstable boyfriend, to which he returned. The two kept kissing for a small moment and then retracted their lips whilst keeping their eyes locked on each others.
"And I don't want to leave you, Marshall. You are the most beautiful pup I've ever laid eyes on and I want to be with you forever and everywhere." Chase spoke as he felt the dally's face. Marshall lifted up his paw and held on to Chase's. "I really mean a lot to you, don't I?" He asked. A nod from the police pup made Marshall's eyes flood from behind with indescribable tears of joy.
"And I don't to leave you too, Chase," the fire pup returned. "I also think you are the most beautiful pup I've ever laid eyes on and I want to be with you forever and everywhere." Chase giggled and then wrapped his paw around Marshall's.
The two rested down in bed and Marshall pulled the cover over them. "Hold me while I dream." Chase whispered as he rested his head on the pillow.
"I'll be with you always." Marshall replied with a whisper too as he rested his forehead on Chase's. As Marshall watched Chase close his eyes, he planted a kiss on top of his boyfriend's face and rested his weary head on the pillow. He watched as the German Shepherd snoozed away with his paw in his own, but then Marshall felt something brew up in his stomach; the feeling wasn't heart-warming and the Dalmatian perceived it. He sensed something was about to happen to one of the two. Something horrid, something vile, something worse.
He sensed something dark was approaching...
The obsidian clouds thundered closer to Adventure Bay as the sun snuggled behind the horizon. In her pet parlour, Katie had no light except the surviving glow of her table lamp. Cali laid soundless nearby on the floor as the blonde-haired girl kept her eyes wide awake. In front of her scattered over the desk, she had leaflets and information posters, all with the same four bold letters: GRID. Katie kept her eyes pinned to the posters and fliers on her table; a faint glimmer of lightning broke her concentration. The girl knew she had to leave soon. She wouldn't want to get caught in such a storm like the one approaching Adventure Bay. She returned her eyes to the fliers, she felt herself jump out of her skin as the telephone rang by her.
Katie took a moment to catch her breath and reached for the phone handle. "Hello? Katie's Pet Parlour, how can I help?" She answered.
"Katie," a familiar voice spoke. "It's me, Kyle." Katie felt her eyes widen; her lips hung over as the words couldn't escape her tongue. "Kyle?" She finally spoke. "Oh my, we've not heard from you in a while. Where are you? Everyone's been wondering about you."
"Well, funny you mention that. I'm at the hospital." Kyle replied. The blonde-haired girl felt her eyes squint in bewilderment as she heard where he was. She wondered how on Earth he managed to end up in a hospital after two days of absence. Her jaw hung ajar, trying to find the right words to speak. All she could do was stutter until she found her next sentence.
"Hospital? What do you mean you're at the hospital? Is everything alright? Are you injured?" Katie asked.
"I can't say over the phone. I want to see you," Kyle requested. "In person to person." The girl began to wonder why he couldn't say over the phone. What had shocked her is the fact that she had picked up on a hint of worriedness in his tone of voice as he spoke. "Meet me at the Saint Almond Ball Medical Centre. It's just halfway down the road toward Foggy Bottom coming from Adventure Bay. I'll see you soon, right?" Kyle resumed as he hoped to see Katie at the hospital. The Parlour owner herself began to question whether if it was one of Kyle's hoaxes or not. From when he began his duties as the paperboy in the seaside town, he had been prone to make small but friendly pranks to not just some of the people, but mostly to Katie.
Then a louder thud from outside woke Katie up from her deep thought. The storm was racing ahead of her and she turned back to her phone, knowing she had little time to act. "Yeah, sure. I'm on my way, but why do you want to see me in person?" Katie asked. The only sound she had was the void of the phone line. Droplets dripped down the side of the parlour window, catching her attention. She quickly dialled in another number and called for a taxi. After a rather short phone call, Katie hung up and began to get ready. Already, she sensed a sudden urge to leave before the eye of the storm loomed directly over the town. The blonde-haired girl sprinted all around her parlour like a race course, with every time she had returned back to the front of house she made a lap. As the headlights of a small yellow vehicle, with black squares checkering across the doors, approached the parlour, Katie switched off every electrical device and laid Cali to bed.
The rain began showering her as soon as she emerged outside of her pet parlour. Once Katie locked the doors, she jogged toward the cab and climbed into the back seats. "To the Almond Ball Medical Centre, please." The girl directed. The driver nodded and drove off with little raindrops left on his front window. Katie pulled back her hair and wiped clean off the water that soaked into it. She watched as the gleaming street lamps flew by, each one projecting their beams of light through the plummeting droplets. Her eyes were then caught by a tenebrous grave that still stood on its incinerated legs. Katie turned her eyes away from the ruins of Town Hall as the cab drove on past and out of Adventure Bay; the rain followed. As the journey went on, the girl kept on thinking about how Kyle had ended up in the hospital. She knew he was a strong and fit man that could complete a full triathlon in one day. But of all the places to say where he was after being gone for two days, Katie felt anxiety bubbling up in her stomach. The taxi pulled up in front of the main building and Katie looked up to see the structure through the window of the back door. Though it wasn't built as tall as Cedar-Sinai, it had been built like the medical centre itself. As Katie climbed out of the taxi, she told the driver that she would be back. She then closed the back door and the cab drove away to find a waiting post.
The reception hall was impressive for the parlour owner. She must've counted at least five or six levels. She slowly made her way to the reception desk. As the girl reached the desk, the receptionist looked similar to Mayor Goodway, to which almost scared Katie, but had shorter curled hair and blue pupils. She also wore half-moon glasses with a purple frame. Katie approached the receptionist and waited for her attention. Upon spotting the blonde-haired girl in the corner of her eye, the receptionist turned to face her.
"Can I help you, miss?" She spoke. Katie kept staring at the receptionist, still believing if she was Mayor Goodway in disguise, trying to bring her back to Adventure Bay and stop her from spreading the mayor's darkest secrets Katie knew. The receptionist then woke Katie up with the same question.
"Sorry, it's just you remind me of a person I know that's a bit... mean," Katie apologised, whilst holding back her fear. The receptionist tilted her head and Katie shook her head. "I was wondering if I could see a Mr Kyle Smith?" The receptionist turned toward a clock on the wall behind her.
19:48.
She then turned back to her computer monitor. "You're just in time. Visiting hours are nearly up." The receptionist mentioned. Katie breathed a sigh of relief. As the receptionist typed away on her keyboard, searching for Kyle's room number, the girl looked around and then saw duplicate fliers she had back at her pet parlour. Katie turned her eyes back to the receptionist.
"He's on floor 6 in room 613," the receptionist delivered. "And a word of warning whilst you're up there. Do not come into any form of contact with the patients on that ward. You are to head straight for room 613 and stay behind the plastic curtains. Do you understand?" Katie stood with eyes wider than ever; it surprised her that she was being warned. What did the patients have that was so contagious that she was told to keep her distance? Katie wondered hard, but broke her concentration as she saw the look on the receptionist.
"I understand." The girl spoke. She then left the desk and walked toward the elevator lobby. Katie paused to count the four elevators to choose from, then picked one. As she reached for the call button, the doors of the lift slid open and a nurse walked out, carrying a clipboard which held a sheet of paper. Katie hadn't time to peek at the board as the nurse had already disappeared to the reception desk. Floor six, she thought. Katie pressed the button for the floor and felt her blood drain down her body.
G to 1.
1 to 2.
2 to 3.
Katie watched as the lights moved along above the doors. She straightened out her dress and tied up her long blonde hair with a bobble she kept on her since last Christmas. A gift from her secret Santa, who was in the form of a boy she admired as a hero leading a team of heroes.
5 to 6.
Katie felt her blood stabilise just as the elevator doors slid open on floor six. She walked out to see a short corridor ahead of her, then two long corridors on her left and right. She then noticed a red sign pasted onto the doors that closed off one of the two extended corridors. Now she knew why the receptionist had warned her to keep out of contact with the patients.
Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Patients Ward. Enter At Own Risk of Infection.
She then noticed a sign above the doors stating "Rooms 601 - 625" with an arrow pointing down. Katie carefully extended her arm toward the door and pushed the barrier open. The girl felt herself entering the point of no return. She kept walking down the corridor, locking her sights ahead of her. Each door she passed was locked shut; inside, either four or six beds filled with only one body occupying it. All of them with a sign warning the same thing: "Contagious Patients. Do Not Enter Unless Authorised." Room 613 lied ahead of the girl. Then a cough from the side caught Katie by surprise. She turned to where it had come from, then observed a woman sitting at the end of a bed at the back of the room, wearing a grey hospital gown and rashes-covered parts on her skin. Katie shook her head in disbelief. A woman with GRID? She pushed on and stood outside room 613.
Katie lifted her quivering hand and knocked on the door as many times as she could count. Then a sudden round of coughing exploded from behind the door. "Come in." A voice croaked loudly from inside the room. Katie entered on granted permission and stepped inside, seeing the dark downpour on the other side of the glass. In each corner of the room with space between were four beds, three of which were covered with plastic curtains, and an unoccupied bed in the corner next to the window. As she reached the other side of the room, the girl turned to see Kyle lying in bed with rashes over his neck, and blotches on his face. Katie approached him with eyes fully wide awake.
"Katie?" Kyle spluttered. "You came." He sat up with a small smile of joy on his face. Katie still kept her face in awe. Her jaw bounced up and down before the words escaped her mouth.
"K-Kyle? W-W-What's wrong with you? Why have they put you in the GRID ward?" She asked. Kyle felt butterflies racing around in his stomach. He knew wasn't ready to share yet, but he drew in the air he breathed and exhaled as he closed his eyes. "They thought it was pneumonia, but they found no traces of it whatsoever." Kyle explained. He held his breath a brief second before speaking on. "Instead, they found something else."
"What did they find?" Katie asked, not wanting to push the bedridden paperboy. Kyle bit his lower lip as he inhaled larger doses of oxygen. He looked up at the girl and felt his lips tremble.
"Promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you," he asked, speaking faster than normal. Katie saw his chest rising and falling as the seconds go by in silence. "Because if anyone I know knows about my condition, I'm... I-I-I'm fucked. My family, my boss, my mates, everyone. They'll think I'm one of those queers but I'm not. Katie, please, I'm telling you now I am not gay!" He exclaimed.
"Tell anyone what?!" Katie yelled to calm the paperboy down. "Kyle, what is it that's bothering you so much?" The girl stared at the boy, waiting for an answer to his stress. Kyle himself kept his eyes on her as his lips shivered in dread.
"I've got GRID," he spoke with a moan in his voice. Katie stood unknowing what reaction to give. "Gay-Related Immune Deficiency! I've got it, but I'm not gay. Katie, you know me. I've got a girlfriend, and I love her with every single piece of my heart." Kyle cried. Feeling she stood helpless outside the curtain, Katie brought a chair from the unoccupied area of the room and placed it next to the bedridden boy. She sat down and leaned forward. Kyle wept away silently as his voice had almost disappeared.
"I won't tell anyone. You have my word." Katie spoke. Kyle kept his head down as the tears fell from his face. "What is she like?" Katie then added. Kyle slowly raised his melancholy face toward her, wondering what kind of ludicrous question she asked. "Your girlfriend. What is she like?" Katie asked again.
"She's beautiful," Kyle's voice wobbled. "Shakira, she's called. We've been together for eight months. Today was the day I was supposed to propose to her." Katie awed in response. She noticed a smile slowly morphing on his face. The rain kept bouncing on the window behind her, but she knew she hadn't much time left before she needed to get back home.
"Could I ask you something?" Katie asked with one thing on her mind. "I haven't much time left, but are you able to tell me what the doctors found when they diagnosed you or what did they ask you? I'm trying to learn everything I can about this new virus, GRID. I don't think they know how it's spread."
"Oh, they know." Kyle informed. Katie sat back after Kyle corrected her. "Sex. Sexual Intercourse. That's the form of transition of GRID after they classified it as a Sexual Transmitted Disease. They asked me if had sexual intercourse with an ape." Katie cocked an eyebrow after hearing the last part. "Why would they ask such a question?" She asked.
"I don't know, they just ask it. Everyone in this ward here, apart from me, is a gay boy with the disease." Kyle pointed out. "Not everyone. I saw a woman down the hall when I was heading to your room. Just like you, rashes all over her skin." Katie pointed out.
"Funny you should mention that, there was this one patient. He said he was homosexual; I remember him telling the doctors and his boyfriend smooched him during the visiting hours yesterday." Kyle told Katie. The girl leaned in as the boy went on. "But he died just a few hours ago, in that very bed on the other side of this room." Kyle stated as he nodded to the vacant bed opposite them that she spotted beforehand. As Katie turned toward the bed, lightning lit up the room and saw the clean sheets that rested on the mattress without a crest.
Katie turned back to Kyle, wondering why he said it was "funny". "What was so peculiar about the patient that in that bed?" She asked. But she was unprepared for his answer to her question… "He was a pup. A Doberman. Laid right there across from me, and he too had GRID." Kyle explained. Upon the bed-ridden paperboy stating the acronym, Katie slowly got up and walked toward the vacant bed. She felt alarm bells ringing in her mind as the last words from Kyle spun around her mind like a record on repeat; her heartbeats numbed out the rain and thunder the closer she got to the bed. She then looked down to see a clipboard with writing. Her arm extended slowly to reach the board and held it up for her to read.
"His name was Sylvester Peters. Diagnosed with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, not related to Human Immunodeficiency Virus." Katie read out with inquisitiveness in her voice. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, it doesn't mention GRID, it only mentioned he was diagnosed with something else called Acquir..." The vet paused in her own sentence. Kyle sat up to hear what she was going to say next.
The penny had dropped for the girl.
"Anyone can get it. Man or woman, gay or not, human or..." Katie whispered to herself, then her eyes shot up in awareness. She quickly departed out of Kyle's room, to which he saw her leave without any other sound. "Katie, what's wrong? Where are you going?" He called. The girl swung open the door and disappeared from Kyle's sight. "KATIE!" He screamed. The girl closed her ears as she ran down the corridor, with several doctors and nurses rushing toward Kyle's room. Katie reached the elevators and pressed the call button as fast as she could.
"Come on, damn it!" She yelled. Eventually, the doors slid open and Katie rushed in, pressing the ground button. As the elevator began its descent, Katie took out her phone and dialled Ryder. The phone began to dial and the girl hoped for her soul he answered immediately. "Please, Ryder. Pick up the phone." She begged. Each dial came and went. It would be seconds for the leader of the Paw Patrol to answer the call; Katie felt it took more than seconds.
"Hi, this is Ryder," his voice came. Katie was eager to speak to the boy about her findings, but her praise was terminated. "Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call at the moment but we will get back to you in no time." Katie hung up and the elevator doors opened up on the ground floor. She ran out of the main reception and outside where the rain still persisted on. She found her taxi and climbed inside.
"Back to Adventure Bay, please. It's urgent." She panted. The driver said not a word and drove on. Katie watched as the rain battered her window. Her mind kept flashing back to the clipboard back in the room. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome... Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Those two names kept stabbing her mind like ravens pecking it with their beaks. As another flash of lightning struck the earth once more, Katie felt that two certain gay pups were looming into Death's Shadow.
Is this getting more tenser by the minute or what?
Well, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter, and I hope I have made a really good one as well. So again, the story is still going ahead and I shall be back in December to deliver the final two chapters of the story. And please, do leave a review to what you've enjoyed so far.
But from me, I'll see you next time, There's a Starman waiting in the sky, he'd like to come and meet us, but he thinks he'd blow our minds. There's a Starman waiting in the sky, he's told us not to blow it, 'cause he knows it's all worthwhile, he told me. Let the children lose it. Let the children use it. Let all the children boogie...