The sweet smell of racing fuel filled the air and the ground trembled with the rumble of the exhaust exiting the fenders just behind the front wheels of the 1970 Challenger as it roared to life. Humphrey had a stupid look of happiness as he shut the door to the car from the outside. He then clicked the upper window latch closed on the driver's side door to keep the fiberglass door from flexing open during the pass. He let his paw follow along the curves of the body of the car as it eased out onto the street and headed to the makeshift burnout box that was marked by two painted lines on the asphalt. Just above one of the lines were the words 'No burnout starting past here'. He quickly grabbed the gallon jug that had the outline of a female wolf on a stripper pole with the words 'Stripper Glitter... Shit sticks to everything' surrounding it and followed the Challenger until it stopped just short of the burnout box.

Humphrey poured a puddle in front of each rear wheel and sat the jug down a couple feet away before making his way to stand in front of the car that was patiently waiting like a caged animal to be released from its confinement. As he raised his right paw up, he locked eyes with the driver behind the wheel who was watching Humphrey's every move through the helmet he adorned on his head. Humphrey's stomach was in knots more so tonight than any other race, but he just dismissed it as raw excitement as he motioned for the car to come forward until the rear drag slicks were centered in the puddles that he just poured on the street. He gave the driver of the car a big goofy grin and thumbs up before patting the hood of the car and dashing out of the way to the sidelines where Kate was waiting for him.

"I have been looking forward to this night for a few weeks" Kate said as Humphrey reached her side.

"Me too. I couldn't concentrate in class yesterday knowing the big race was today." Humphrey replied anxiously as he watched Winston, Kate's Dad pull the Challenger to about six inches from the starting line spray painted on the street. His stomach was in knots from the anxiety that he was trying so hard to hide. He couldn't shake the feeling either, but he knew tonight was a big race between his dad and one of his dad's good friends from the East side of town. 'That has to be it' he thought as he glanced around taking in the sight of the cars and trailers lining the road. The lights from the trailers and makeshift pit area cast shadows on the fences and buildings lining the far side of the road. To Humphrey's back was the edges of Shadow Forest. 'That place is so spooky at night...' Humphrey's thoughts were quickly interrupted as Kate exclaimed "Here we go..." as the sound of two engines standing on the two step and flames popping out of the exhaust pipes on both cars cut through the silence of the night air.

Kate gripped Humphrey's arm tightly with her own as she took her paws and covered her ears to help take away some of the loudness of the exhaust emanating from the cars as they left with the front wheels in the air. He never was one to cover his ears and his dad would've griped at him about it if he saw, but Humphrey always felt like it took away from the experience. They rushed out onto the street to stand where the Challenger had just launched from to watch the cars battle it out to be the first one to the line painted across the road and the flashlight sitting in the middle on the road about six hundred and sixty feet away.

A train horn pierced the night air as it made its way through Shadow Forest...

Humphreys eyes shot open as he awoke from the nightmare that continued to haunt him in his dreams. Panting hard and soaked in sweat, he sat up in bed and looked around at his darkened surroundings. "It was only a dream…" he said to himself when he realized that he was still in his room. "…only a dream." To calm himself down, he took one big breath in and let it out before plopping his head back down on the pillow below him.

He laid there with the sweat dripping off him for what seemed to be an eternity before glancing over at the clock. 'Three am… great… school is going to suck today' he thought to himself as he slowly sat up on the edge of his bed. His thoughts immediately went to the nightmare he just awoke from. 'Why is this happening again?' he thought to himself as he slowly put his head into his paws and closed his eyes. 'Is this how its always going to be… haunted in my dreams by the death of my dad?' He then took another deep breath before letting out a huge sigh and sitting up in his bed.

"FUUUUUUCCKKKKK!" He growled loudly as he stood up and stretched, trying to fight back the tears that he could fill welling up into his eyes. Letting out a soft whimper and wiping the tear that escaped from his right eye away, he slowly wadded up some clothes to wear for the day and trudged out his room and down the end of the hall to the bathroom.

"Fenrir… I look like shit…" he said while staring at his reflection in the mirror before sliding his boxers off, grabbing a wash rag and stepping into the shower. Humphrey took a deep breath and turned the water on as quickly to hot as possible and tensed his muscles as he knew the first bit to come out would feel like icicles on his fur. It didn't take long for the water to quickly heat up though, and he stood there letting it wash over his fur with his eyes closed.

"Humphrey…" Salty's voice softly called out from the other side of the bathroom door.

Humphrey ignored him.

"Humphrey… I know your in there…" Salty called out again, hoping to stir a response from his friend. "I heard you yell out and it woke me up… I just want to make sure you're ok."

…silence…

"Look… if you don't answer me…. I'm coming in to check on you and I'm going to sit on the toilet until you respond."

'Did I lock the bathroom door…' Humphrey quickly thought to , before he could respond the door was flung open and his best friend came intruding into the bathroom just as he said he would.

"I'm not leaving until I know your ok…" Salty said as he closed the lid to the toilet and sat down on top of it.

Humphrey hung his head, drooped his ears and tail as he took a deep breath while the water rained down on his head from the shower head. "I…. I just had a bad dream that's all. It's nothing I promise."

"It's not nothing when it's three in the morning and you're crying in the shower… I know you better than that. We've been best friends since the third grade." Salty replied as he closed the lid to the toilet and sat down on top of it.

"I miss my dad…" Humphrey let his voice trail off.

Hearing this only confirmed what Salty already knew, Humphrey was having a nightmare about his dad. Salty never knew what to say in these moments. On the one hand he wanted to say that he understood but at the same time he didn't fully understand as he still had both of his parents as well as his siblings. So, he replied in the best way he knew how. "I don't know the feeling but I'm here… the guys are here… for the love of Fenrir Humphrey… Kate is here."

Salty felt bad for Humphrey, but he knew if he didn't get his friend in a better mood the weekend was going to be rough.

Humprey's tail tucked underneath him as he exclaimed with panic and embarrassment in his voice. "KATES HERE?!...WHEN DID SHE GET HERE?!"

Salty busted out laughing as he responded. "Not here like physically here, Loverboy… nones here but you and me."

"Oh…ok…" Humphrey replied as the skin under his fur turned a bright red from embarrassment. "Why do you got to scare me like that."

Because you're so easy… at least that's what she said…." Salty laughed at his own joke.

Humphrey stuck up his middle finger and pressed his paw to the frosted glass of the shower for his friend to clearly see as a smile worked its way across his muzzle.

Don't tease me with a good time." Salty bantered as he stood up from where he was sitting and pretending to remove his boxers. "I hear Claw's moans in the middle of the night when I'm trying to sleep, and she stays the night."

"If you don't keep your boxers on and get the fuck out of here…"

Salty laughed as he fully removed his boxers and wadded them up in the palm of his paw before making his way to the door. He stopped short of the doorway and turned around to face Humphrey who was busy rinsing the soap out of his fur now.

"Speaking of Claw's… How did she get that nickname… is that why your missing fur on your back… Claws clawed it away?" Salty proceeded to claw the air playfully with his right paw.

"SALTY!" Humphrey exclaimed. "Get out of here with your bad self…"

"Sure thing… loverboy…." Salty replied as slowly backed out through the bathroom door and he paused to toss his wadded-up boxers over the top of the shower door. Salty watched as they landed on top of Humphrey's head and his friend exclaim "FUCKER!"

From somewhere down the hallway comes "Not yet but if you're not going to…"

A/N: Short chapter but hopefully its fulfilling. Started writing the next one last night and it should be longer and more fulfilling for your reading desires. Also be on the look out for a new fanfic story to drop hopefully soon based in the Helluvaboss universe. Until the next time….