CHAPTER 2 - THE TRAIN CRASH

"What the hell was that?"

The sound of the train crash woke Dan up in an instant, causing him to fall off his bed. He pulled himself back up, rubbing his eyes after just being asleep. Vernon was mainly populated by animals, but it had a few humans living there. Dan was one of those humans; the only other human being his brother, Kevin.

Dan wasn't about to fall back asleep after being awaken, he always had trouble falling asleep in the first place—let alone falling back asleep. So he figured he'd go see what all the commotion was about. He quickly ran outside to be greeted by several other animals making their way to the direction of the crash. His brother, Kevin, came out from his house as well.

That's when he saw it. The train had crashed right into the station. A large cloud of smoke was rising in the air, giving off an unpleasant odor. He pushed his way through some animals to get a better look.

Officer Copper was standing in front of the derailed train along with Chief Booker. Copper waved his paws in the air in an attempt to shoo the other animals away, as if they were flies. "Move along! Move along! There's nothing to see here!" Officer Copper shouted.

"Nothing to see!" yelled Lobo, the short tempered wolf, "What the hell do you call that!" he pointed his paw in the direction of the porter of Vernon, who had been killed upon impact of the crash.

"Oh my goodness!" screamed Kiki, the timid black cat, "He's dead! The porter is dead!"

Shock and confusion overtook the animals as whispers and rumors began spreading around the crowd.

"I bet it was one of those terrorist attacks!" suggested Leopold the lion.

"No way, partner." protested Buck the horse, "I'm reckon' it was aliens!"

"A-a-a-aliens!" stuttered Claude the rabbit, shivering with fear.

"What if it was a bomb?" asked Anicotti the mouse.

"Then that would be terrorists!" shouted Leopold.

"You guys don't think the target was Vernon, do you?" worried Spork the pig.

"You guys are getting way ahead of yourselves." said Quetzal the eagle, "It was just a train crash, dudes! These things happen!"

Having enough of the animals prattling and crackpot theories, Officer Copper butted in. "All right! All right! This area is now forbidden until further notice!" Some animals began to protest, but Copper ignored them and turned to Chief Booker.

"Booker, watch this place while I go inform the mayor. Okay?" With that, Copper took off not even giving Booker a chance to respond.

"Um, sure… okay… I think" Booker mumbled as his partner took off. He turned to the residents of Vernon. "Um… you can all go back now… to your homes, that is… things are under control here… um… I think…"

The animals decided to go back home, somewhat begrudgingly. Dan made his way back home—he was too tired to go to sleep, as strange as that may sound. He'd be up for quite a few hours now. He could already tell his mind would be wandering around the train crash, trying to think of what caused it. When he reached his house he was suddenly pulled to the side by the fellow town resident, Lobo.

"Hey, Dan." said Lobo, "You wondering what the deal with that train crash is?"

"Well, yeah—I guess." Dan answered, suspicious to what Lobo seemed to be hinting at.

"Well what do you say you and me go have a little look?" the wolf said with a smirk.

"B-but, Lobo!" Dan answered, "You heard Copper! That place is off limits!"

"Aw, c'mon!" Lobo complained, "Don't you wanna' know what happened?"

"Well-" Dan began, but he was soon cut short.

"So it's settled. We're gonna' go and check it out." Lobo said, with the same sly smirk on his face.

"But, Lobo!" Dan protested.

"What is it now!" the wolf snapped.

"What about Booker?" Dan asked, pointing to the police dog—who at the time was letting out a yawn. Lobo smirked yet again.

"I doubt that guy could stay awake much longer." said Lobo. "Listen, I'll come and get you in two hours—be ready." Dan nodded and made his way back to his house and Lobo went back to his.

Within a half an hour Chief Booker had begun nodding off, but quickly woke up and rubbed his paws over his eyes. "I have to stay awake… Copper is counting on me… I think." Suddenly he heard a noise coming from the train. He gulped and quietly got up and made his way towards the door of the train.

"He-hello?" Booker stuttered, "You're not supposed to be in here… whoever you are. This train is off limits… I think." The door of the train began to rattle—something on the other side was pounding on it.

"I'm w-warning you! If you don't come out of that t-train, you will be punished… I think!" Booker said, sounding unsure and scared. Suddenly the train door swung open.

o-o-o

"As a means of protection? Why bother?" Mayor Tortimer complained. "This has never happened before—not in the eighty-three years I've been alive."

"Exactly, sir." explained Officer Copper, "All the more reason to keep you somewhere safe. For all we know this could be the work of terrorists or something similar."

"Bah. Nonsense." Tortimer chortled.

"Sir, it would be best if you were kept safe at Delfino Island." Copper told him. Delfino Island was a rather small island, just off the coast of Vernon. It had but one resident, a bird named Boomer.

"Fine, fine, fine." Tortimer groaned, "If you insist."

"Thank you for your cooperation, sir." Copper said, "I'll escort you to the island."

o-o-o

Two hours had passed and Dan hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. And who could blame him after what had happened? He spent the two hours waiting for Lobo, lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling letting his mind wander. A knock on the door woke him from his trance; he opened it to find Lobo.

"Good, you're awake." the wolf greeted. "C'mon, let's go." Dan didn't even bother arguing with him, once Lobo made up his mind his decision would be set it stone—it would be fruitless to try to talk him out of it.

The two made their way to the train station to find Booker lying face down near the wreck, sleeping like a puppy. "Heh, I knew he'd fall asleep sooner or later." Lobo snorted. Each of them tiptoed slowly past the police dog, being sure not to wake him up.

Fortunately for them the door to train was already open. They didn't question it, maybe it swung open due to the crash. The two creped their way within the train, unaware of the horrors they would soon discover.

What they failed to notice was that Booker had not been asleep, like they had thought. He was dead. His throat had been torn out.