Chapter 4

The next day I woke up. It felt weird to wake up in my aunt's basement but that always happened when I visited. However, it was even weirder knowing I would be living here for probably the rest of my years. I got myself dressed and put on an Avenged Sevenfold shirt and also put my contacts in (I had just started wearing them last fall). I went upstairs to have a very small breakfast.

The pups were out playing on the backyard swing set while Ashkii was reading the newspaper.

"Yo Ashkii," I said, "Today is the day I go look."

She looked at me with her bright green eyes.

"Thank you," she said, as she hugged me.

I left the house and went to where I knew Nick Wilde usually was. He was at the location where he usually placed his stand. He was also arguing with a possum customer.

"These so called 'pawpsicles' are absolute trash!" shouted the possum.

"Don't tell me," Nick Wilde said, "tell the one who gave me fake juice."

"I demand a refund!" the possum screamed back.

"Maybe you should have checked the reviews on Yelp," Nick said, "I do indeed have some negative ones."

"I'll never support your business again!" the possum shouted back.

"Yeah well go find someone else to support," Nick said, "vitun kusipää."

After the customer left, I came back.

"Oh if it's not the Mustelid from Michigan," he said to me, "back so soon."

"Yes," I said, "I know that you do know Emmitt quite well and have become friends with him."

"Indeed," Nick said, "I even got him into Korpiklaani and eventually you will get there soon as well."

"So," I said, "Have you seen him recently?"

"Yes I did," Nick replied, "I actually just saw him 9 days ago."

"That's the last day he was seen," I said, "Ashkii told me he had gone to the plant store and didn't return."

"He did eventually leave the plant store," Nick said, "And came right to me."

"Did he have something to say?"

"Nah, just coming to buy a pawpsicle like he usually does," Nick said, "But something wasn't right."

"Oh shit really," I said.

"He seemed to be stressed and in a hurry to get somewhere."

"Do you know where he was going?" I asked.

"A place called Mystic Springs," he said, "not too far from here."

I was not familiar with this place.

"He goes there pretty often," he said, "that's where he does his yoga."

"Alright," I said, "Where is this place?"

"Sahara square," Nick said, "not too far."

I got on the metro and immediately went to Sahara Square. I walked around before finding the place. It was very hot (well over 100 degrees). I had heard that Sahara Square could get big temperature fluctuations. However, I would bet that they are not as bad as the fluctuations we would get in Muskegon (one day it's 90 the next it's 40).

As I entered through the entrance, I noticed that a Yak was sitting there meditating, his head was buzzing with flies.

"Ohmmmmmmm," he said.

"Hello," I said.

"Ohmmmmm- OH SHIT!" he shouted as he got startled.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Oh really," he said, "do you want a membership."

He then suddenly stood up, I looked and realized that he didn't have any clothes on. Coming from Muskegon, I wasn't too phased. I just thought that Nick was pranking me again (he likes to do that).

"I am here to ask about someone who did yoga here. He is also my uncle," I said, trying to make sure this wasn't a prank.

"Oh your uncle," he said, "We did have an otter that used to come here. Hasn't been in over a week now."

"That might be my uncle," I said, "his name is Emmitt Otterton."

"Oh shit, that was him," he said.

I felt relieved to know that this wasn't a prank.

"Do you know where he went after this?" I asked.

"He went off to visit another friend," he said.

"Oh another friend," I said, "Do you know who he is?"

"No," said the yak, "he was in a big hurry. He told me that this was urgent and didn't specify who he was talking to."

"Oh really," I said, "Another friend told me that something was a bit off about him that day."

"Yeah," he said, "But I hope he comes back soon."

"Me too," I said.

"Wait kid, what's your name?" asked the Yak.

"Alister Otterton," I said, "I just moved into here from Muskegon."

"Oh," he said, "We've gotten a few movers coming in from Michigan. By the way I'm Yax."

"Well my town was especially a complete shithole," I said, "but now I live here."

"Well, I hope to see you again soon."

"Maybe," I said as I walked off.

I arrived back at the location where Nick had been selling his pawpsicles.

"So," he said, "now you know he goes to a nude club."

"Yes," I said, "But I'm from Muskegon. I've seen much weirder."

"Oh yes," Nick said, "Skeeville."

That is the name that many of its inhabitants call it.

"The owner, Yax, told me that Emmitt was in a big hurry."

"Yeah, I knew something was off about him that day," Nick said, "but I don't know what it was."

"We will try to find him," I said, "otherwise, I'll see you later on."

"See ya too," Nick said, "I gotta go do something now."

He walked back and disappeared around the corner.

I walked back to the house.

"So," Ashkii said, "anything?"

"Well," I said, "I learned that he does yoga at a nude club called Mystic Springs."

"He can get a bit weird sometimes," Ashkii replied.

"But I also learned that something was not right that day."

"Oh really?" asked Ashkii.

"I saw Nick Wilde. He told me that Emmitt had gone to his pawpsicle stand and seemed pretty stressed. He then went to go do his naked yoga. The owner of the nude club told me that he seemed to be in a hurry after he left."

"So, it's good to see that he made it out of the plant store," Ashkii said, "but now we still don't know exactly where he is."

"Yeah," I said. I was starting to feel sad along with Ashkii.

"Tomorrow," my aunt said, "I'll go report to the police station. Try to see if they can do anything about it."

"Great," I said, "Hopefully he can be found."