Hello all! Hope that you are doing well. Here is the next chapter. Hopefully you will enjoy it.
The students shuffle through the halls as they go through the motions. They know something is wrong. They know, but they don't truly know.
I'm expected to lead the students through this, but I'm the one who has allowed the lack of closure for the entire student body. What has my hesitation cost them? What has yet to occur that will be traced back to the moment I failed to turn in that wolf to the police?
Who will be the next herbivore to die because I failed?
"It's Louis!" Came the voice of a young giraffe as I appeared in the hallway.
Her scream merged with the dozens of others as I walked towards the first class of the day. I kept my head held high and my gait even and consistent. It was completely out of the question to falter even a step in this moment. If I said the wrong word, or even spoke in the wrong tone, it could cause mass panic.
It was not a situation that I had been familiar with until this morning. Jack knew more than I did, but it was still not the entire, current state of things.
Even then, it was mostly just what he knew about Legoshi. We hadn't spoken that much about school. Based on his insinuations, it had been less than ideal.
But, he's a carnivore. What else could he expect?
I had only known about the closure of the school until the end of the month. Beyond that, it had been figuring out the situation on the walk here from my dorm room. Posters of the importance of observing the new rules about curfew, signs of how traveling in groups with a teacher is safe, and how it is up to everyone to report suspicious behavior were displayed everywhere.
Signs that reflect life outside of the walls of Cherryton. How amusing that the actions of carnivores within these walls was nothing more than a smokescreen. Now, this campus reflects the real world.
Having seen all the signs in the hallways, outside on the walls, and in the dorm buildings, I wondered how this crowd was allowed to form here. I ignored the flurry of questions about where I had been and what I was doing until I reached the door to the classroom.
"Everyone, may I have your attention!" I clapped my gloves hands together, hiding the tinge of pain from my infected cut with a smile. All of the chatter and screams ceased instantly. I started to feel warm.
I cannot afford to mess this up. Brave this like it's a performance on stage. If Jack wants to succeed in his little scheme, he'll need to find the mysterious perpetrator. In order to do that, he'll need the campus to adhere to the new rules. And more than that, he'll need the students to remain calm and behave as normally as possible. And I gave him my word that I'd help, for whatever that's worth.
I cleared my throat. "I am certain that you all must be wondering where I have been these last few days and I would like to take this moment to share that with you." My heart was beating in my ears.
Murmurs and whispers from the crowd occupied that space in my hearing, which was more of a relief than I anticipated. I felt sweat on my back. It was hot, and the room was only heating up with the excited students crowding me.
"As I am certain everyone is aware, there have been two confirmed cases of devourings on our campus in a short period of time." The knot in my stomach grew. "I want to assure all of you that the campus police and local authorities are on top of this case and it is their highest priority," I continued. I had no idea if that was true, but working on this in the shower left me with little avenues that weren't outright lies.
Lies.
"But Louis," a ram called out near me. "How are we supposed to feel safe going to class and walking around campus, even with the curfew?" Her question came with calls in agreement from others and a general upswell in emotion.
"I understand your concern." I put my arms out to quiet the crowd before they worked themselves up too much. "I want to assure your and every other student's safety and I am working to ensure that no herbivore has to fear for their life at this institution." I struggled to finish my thought clearly. I knew that someone was going to ask this, but I still wasn't certain of my best answer.
"But how?," cried another student. "What can you do that the police haven't?"
I'm only one deer. What can I do? What could any herbivore do that had not already been attempted before?
I forced a smile. "I am doing everything in my power to find the killer. I will protect the students of Cherryton."
The few cheers that were just beginning were cut off by the bell ringing. The crowd began to dissolve and I stepped out of the way to allow the other students to enter. I felt hot and I knew sweat was soaking the pits of my sleeves.
When all those around me had entered the doorway, I collapsed against the lockers. In the past, those kinds of speeches had rolled off my tongue.
Not today. Not now.
"Are you feeling alright?"
My eyes shot open and I jumped to a standing position. Only when I noticed it was Jack did I realize I had overreacted, but I was already up.
I didn't say anything to him. It was already too soon to see him again, especially with that stupid look he had on his face. It was the one that all dogs had: the easy eyes of a domesticated carnivore.
His round eyes locked on me with a similar subtlety that the wolf had when he shuffled around the Drama Club.
The quiet eyes of domesticity. Of isolation.
They were different from his eyes last night. He looked so much angrier then. Even before our arguing, he had been angry. When I had opened the shed door and saw him staring at me, he was so… vicious. Face curled into a snarl and his teeth bared, he was a dog possessed. I was certain that he was going to attack me, right then and there, but he just stood there in the doorway.
And the anger washed away like blood in the rain.
It flared up various times that night, but never with the malice and intent to tear and kill that he initially displayed. He was certainly not who I thought he was, despite his relation to the murderous wolf.
"Well, I guess I don't need to text you now to confirm that you're still going to help me." His eyes raised in an attempt to be lighthearted, but his bags and wrinkles betrayed him.
"Is that what you came over here to do? Gloat that you won?" I couldn't hide the tiredness in my voice, but I could dilute it with anger.
"Are you always going to try and pick a fight with me, Louis? I just want-"
I cut him off before he could start his speech again. "I know what you want, dog. I don't want to hear your sob story each and every time we speak."
His brow furrowed. "Look, I know you're hurting, too, but that doesn't mean you can just swat me away like some insect. Is it so hard to believe that I came over here because I actually wanted to know if you were feeling alright after I saw you collapse?"
Yes, it is. No one just comes over without wanting something.
And I already knew what he wanted from me. He wanted me to assure him that I wasn't going to blab about… Legoshi being the one who devoured Haru. He wanted to make sure that I would continue to provide cover for his out of control killer wolf. He wanted to ensure that I would protect him while we went on some wild goose chase to find some imaginary other carnivore who murdered Tem. He was just coming over to protect his own interests.
"Yeah, it really is. I'm not going to say anything about him, so you don't have to spy on me." I avoided spitting out his name.
Jack backed up slightly at my accusation. "You can believe whatever you want to believe, but I am here to help you as well. I know that Haru was important to you. I'm not stupid. So just…," he sighed. "If you want to talk about it, or her, or anything, I'm more than happy to listen." He finished by gesturing around him to indicate the whole situation.
"Whatever," I murmured.
"Are you going to go to the Drama Club today?" He leaned up against the lockers beside me as he attempted to change the conversation.
I looked to the ceiling. It was something I still didn't have the answer to, nor did I know what I should do.
"I don't know." It was the truth.
"Would you like my opinion?" I could feel his eyes staring into my face.
"I guess." It surely couldn't hurt to hear what he had to say.
"I think it is probably important that you go today. Everyone will be talking about your return. And now with your speech, it will be all anyone is talking about. From what I learned in the short time I spoke with one of the members of the Club, it seems like they really respect and admire you."
I could tell he wanted to say more, but he refrained when I turned to stare at him.
Those words again. Respect… Admiration… Eating me alive.
"They shouldn't!" I couldn't control the volume of my initial outburst. My voice echoed in the hallway.
I tried to breathe, but panic was preventing the air from getting in. My hands were shaky and I felt a cold pain in my chest. My palms were soaked under the gloves and I momentarily considered throwing up.
I felt a hand on my back, gently rubbing a small circle near the top of my spine.
Humiliating. A carnivore, even one as mutilated as a dog, rubbing the back of a herbivore in a public space in broad daylight? He's practically announcing to the world his claim on his prey. Even if his species has been engineered, he's still one of them.
His voice was quiet. "This always used to help Legoshi calm down. He told me it was something about the location and the way my palm knocked against his vertebrae."
And he used to do this to that killer?
"Stop."
He did. We stood in silence for a moment, before I noticed the time on the clock on the wall. It was the perfect excuse to get away from him, for at least a little while. Somehow, he didn't seem like the type to leave me alone.
"I need to get to class." It came out more curt than I had planned, but it worked well enough. He adjusted himself, as I did the same.
"I see. And have you decided to go to Drama Club?" He started to walk down the hall before turning back to look at me.
"I suppose I will." Another short response.
"Then I will see you there. Do you want me to text you later?" He formed a slight smile and turned back and walked away.
"No," I replied with my third short response.
He continued to walk away, but there was so much tension around me that I had to say something.
"Hey," I raised my voice to get his attention.
He stopped and looked back at me again. "Yes?"
"Meet me here at the front door after classes end."
He smiled and nodded.
Why is he so intent on coming? He's not part of the club? Does he just want to watch me struggle more? To feel vindicated for whatever blame he feels I deserve for what happened?
And what's going to happen once I get there? How are they going to react when they see me? Are they even allowed to travel there by themselves? Are Jack and I allowed to?
There's so many new rules and I don't know how far behind I truly am.
As he walked away, I rubbed at the spot where my shoulders met my vertebrae. His touch felt… nice. I could still feel the warmth through my jacket and uniform, despite his hand never touching my fur.
And that seems like a good place to end this chapter. I hope that you have enjoyed it. As always, comments and constructive feedback are welcomed and appreciated.
Until next time!
