They had all gathered in the kitchen to start the path to reviving the real Fergus. Fergus sat on the tile floor while his friends sat around him. Dylan had the idea of retelling all those good times they had together in hopes of jogging up a memory.
"What about when you helped me find my wild side? It was you, me, and the whole crew down at the canal learning the ways of the streets," started Dylan with misty eyes.
Fergus shook his head. "Nope, doesn't ring a bell. Though, I must say, it seems everyone seems to love this canal so much nowadays. Wait. . . " He suddenly asked in a curious tone of voice, "is the river secretly enchanted — but we're not supposed to tell anyone about it?"
Big Fee let out a rough sigh and held her forehead. "Aiye, this is going to be a lot of work," she muttered.
"Ahh, no." Dylan then continued, "you even taught me how to beg. I managed to score some grub off a human I won over."
That's when Dolly let out a teasing laugh. "Yeah, and then you bailed by jumping on a boat to become a house cat." Dylan's eyebrows furrowed as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
"I was going through a phase at the time, okay? Cut me some slack," replied Dylan in a dry tone of voice.
"Relax, I know it was a while ago. But don't think I'm gonna let you live that down, hah," said Dolly playfully.
"Stop," groaned Dylan who grabbed at his ears flustered. He tightened his lips and then regained his composure. "
"Yo, Fergus. Didn't you say the most dangerous thing you've ever done was getting busted sneaking into the junkyard. Something about a vicious dog named, Rufus?" Dolly looked over at Fergus smiling.
"Sneaking into a junkyard? I couldn't do such a thing! That's bad fox stuff, that's not good fox stuff," responded Fergus mortified. "Not to mention that unhinged dog you brought up." He started shaking, terrified at the thought of getting torn to shreds like a stuffed animal by that dog.
"There was also that time when we explored that abandoned cabin in the forest. I was scared about going inside, but you taught me to face my fears. You said you'd be there by my side if there was a witch," reminisced Dylan. There was a sad nostalgia present in his voice. "We both ended up running out of there after hearing footsteps and never looked back. Tell me you at least remember part of it."
Fergus threw his paws up and squealed. "Stop it! You're scaring me! I don't know who you have me confused with, but I think there's been some sort of a mix-up," said Fergus in his fervor.
Sid bit his tongue and hissed. "Yikes, sounds like it's time for plan B. Catering to his interests," suggested Sid forlornly.
"If I were to make an observation, Fergus seems to be quite infatuated with his self image," piped up Dawkins. It was no secret, Fergus had been known to carry the persona of a street-hardened ruffian who was a ladies fox. "Perhaps Da Vinci could produce some portraits to instill that sense of pride back into him," suggested Dawkins in a chipper tone of voice.
"Yay! Painting sounds a bundle of fun, I can't wait to try my paw at it," beamed Fergus with an endearing innocence.
Da Vinci's paint brush made delicate strokes along a cliff made up of sandy browns and dusty rose. Da Vinci put the finishing touches on her latest work that took roughly two hours to paint. It was finished at last, Fergus' portrait as requested by Dylan and Dolly.
"A true depiction of a street warrior. It really embodies the untamed inner spirit of a fox," said Da Vinci, grinning. It wasn't everyday that someone requested a personal portrait of themselves, but she was over the moon to oblige to this request. Especially for a friend in need.
Dylan, Dolly, Dawkins, Sid, and Big Fee gave the portrait a looksie and were impressed with the artistic dalmatian's skill. "Outstanding, you sure have got the eye, Da Vinci," complimented Sid.
"Bravery with a feral twist, nice," said Dylan with a smile as he nodded.
Nearby, Fergus laid on the floor on his belly with his feet kicked up while he stamped his paw onto a sheet of paper. He had been given some supplies by Da Vinci to keep him occupied, since he was insistent on painting something too. Totally not because he wouldn't stop whining about being bored. Fergus had a bright smile as he dunked his paw into a container of blue paint, then stamped a paw print onto the paper. A once blank sheet, now had a broad spectrum of colored paws all over it.
"Look guys, I made a giraffe," said Fergus in a jolly tone as he held up his paw painting. Everyone turned and looked wearing forced smiles — since the painting looked nothing remotely like a giraffe or any animal at all.
"That's great, Fergus," said Dolly in a tense tone, still grinning awkwardly. Dylan and the canal crew murmured feigning agreement.
"Could use a little touching up, but I'm glad you were able to express yourself," critiqued Da Vinci with sincerity and a gentle smile.
"I knew you would like it. This is my masterpiece," responded Fergus with gratuity.
"Well then, I might have something I think you'll like. Tell me what you think," said Da Vinci as she picked up her canvas and turned it to show Fergus. It was an oil paint portrait of Fergus standing with a stoic expression on a reddish-brown cliff. Behind him were snarling wolves that had ganged up on him ready to pounce, but Fergus faced away from them, unperturbed.
"That's so cool, it's like something straight out of an action movie," said Fergus as his eyes lit up.
"Tell me how you feel about it, what emotions does it invoke inside of you?" Da Vinci insisted wanting to spark something within Fergus.
Fergus shrugged. "I guess, nervousness? A sense that I better get the heck out of there before I become those wolves' din-din," strained Fergus.
"Anything more?" Da Vinci raised an eyebrow, not yet getting the answer she was looking for.
"Mmm, nope, I just think it looks cool. That's all I have to say," said Fergus simply.
Dylan let out a deep sigh. "That's fine, perfectly fine." He looked at Da Vinci. "You don't happen to have anything pertaining to the wilderness, you suppose?" Dylan asked with a hint of curiosity.
Da Vinci let out an amused chuckle. "I'm a huge fan of nature, specifically painting it. You've come to the right place if that's what tickles your fancy," responded Da Vinci earnestly. "Follow me." So it was then that Dylan, Dolly, Dawkins, Sid, and Big Fee followed the artistic dalmatian out the front room. Fergus stayed behind to finish up his own painting — before being grabbed by Dolly and yanked along with them.
They had walked into Da Vinci's room, which she then told them to have a seat. Da Vinci then went over to her closet to fetch a work from her wilderness portfolio. After some rummaging around, she'd found a piece that showed promise in exciting that untamed spirit she knew was somewhere in Fergus. She heaved the large painting up and set it down before the group. The painting was so big, that it towered over them all.
"I give you. . . a family of the creek," stated Da Vinci with a flourish in presentation of her work. It was a wholesome painting that depicted an orange mother fox laying by the creek with her young playing next to her. The creek had tiny white sparkles on its sky blue surface along with silvery stones that peeked out from beneath the surface. Across the creek was a short stretch of grassland, bordered by a lineage of dark green trees.
There was a fleeting glint of longing in Fergus' eyes, and for the briefest of moments he envisioned the forest, heard the rustling of leaves, and the rushing of the creek. But that was all it was, fleeting. And then again was that blank emptiness in those eyes.
"Aww, that's sweet. Nothing more precious than a mommy fox and her little ones," cooed Fergus clasping his hands together in adoration.
"Kind of reminds you of home, huh?" Sid commented casually hoping it'll do something.
"Not at all, I'm pretty sure I lived in the city my whole life. I think, though, I can't seem to remember much of anything past meeting y'all at that river dump," replied Fergus matter-of-factly.
Da Vinci only shrugged. "Well guys, I tried."
"You know what I think? I think we're going about this all wrong. We've got to connect him with his inner self because he's lost his touch. Get what I'm sayin'? His inner chi," said Dolly, rolling the last part off her tongue to hint at something.
Dylan's eyes widened in realization and he gasped. "Deepak."
"Miaow-wow-wow. . . Breathe in, feel the distractions of life slipping away," instructed Deepak in a soothing tone of voice. He and Fergus sat side-by-side with their legs crossed like a pretzel and their fingertips pressed together. Their eyes were shut as they were in a deep state of meditation and peace.
The others sat by and watched nervously as Deepak worked his magic on Fergus' chi. So far, Fergus seemed to be going along well with the program. He was in a purple astral plane, floating in mid-air with Deepak hovering across from him. In this realm, their eyes were open and all the sounds and sensations of the physical world were diminished. It was a vast purple magenta expanse sprawling with tiny white pinpricks of stars. "What is this place? Am I in space?" Fergus asked looking around in awe.
"Not quite, our subconsciouses have become linked through guided meditation. Now, look within yourself and tell me what you see," directed Deepak in a calm voice and sleepy expression.
Fergus' eyebrows knitted in focus. "Errm. . . I see. . . I see. . . " As Fergus concentrated, a grayish white energy wafted out from his midsection. The strange energy twirled and danced in between them. He squeezed his eyes shut as he tried even harder to see through the thick haze inside him. In turn, the energy reacted as such morphing into a gray blob squishing and pulsing to take shape into something. Deepak's eyes widened slightly upon seeing this, but he said nothing, not wanting to disturb Fergus' immersion.
Then, the blob started to take shape of a silhouette. A faint outline of an animal, too vague to be made out. "It feels like something's there, but all I see is emptiness. I can feel it, but I can't see it," said Fergus in a strained tone of voice.
"Delve deeper, brother Fergus. You're only at surface level of your spirit," encouraged Deepak.
"I'm trying, but I can't go no further. . . It's like pushing against a concrete wall," said Fergus through gritted teeth.
"Be careful not to overwork yourself, as this will only bring more resistance," cautioned Deepak in a wary tone of voice.
However, being fresh to meditation, Fergus found that easier said than done. The blob began to take shape, more canine in appearance. Deepak leaned in closer and studied the blob with interest. "You're halfway there, dear Fergus. Work with it, don't fight against it," goaded Deepak with a shadow of excitement in his voice.
A fox. It was clear as day that was what the blob had transformed into now. Though, this fox wasn't a sassy reddish orange reminiscent of an autumn sunset, rather it was dull and colorless. It looked stripped of its identity. Deepak's eyebrows tightened and with conviction he said, "your spirit is trapped inside a shell created by your conscious mind. Will the shell to shatter. Free the real you. It's all in your intent."
Fergus' forehead crinkled as he shook clenching his fists. "Sh-Shatter. . . I will the shell to shatter l-like an e-egg. . . F-F-Free me," stammered Fergus firmly. The blob trembled, but its thick gray outer-coating stayed put. He tried even harder.
"Relax yourself," reminded Deepak.
"Shatter. . . " Fergus repeated.
Suddenly, there was a faint crack. Fergus smiled at this. Gotcha! He focused on that same spot, visualizing a fox trapped inside that shell screaming to be let out. There were several more cracks, until finally he had a feeling of intuition that it was time to blow the shroud away. His eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath, then blew at the fox figure.
To both of their amazement, nothing happened. Fergus scratched his head and tried again. The shell was still perfectly intact. "I don't get it, shouldn't that thing have shed off by now?"
Deepak suddenly grimaced in apprehension. "Brother Fergus, I believe you may have manifested your cracks onto the wrong object by mistake," he hazarded.
"What do you mean?" Fergus tilted his head not understanding what Deepak was getting at. If that fox figurine wasn't the thing cracking, then what was?
Suddenly, splits and cracks formed along the astral expanse as if it were some colossal glass cocoon. Fragments formed and broke off falling down all around them — shattering their sanctuary of self discovery. Fergus and Deepak were then pulled back to reality — snapping them awake from their deep meditative state.
Deepak blinked a few times before coming back to his senses. Fergus held his head feeling dizzy. He really wished Deepak had warned him about that before they dove in, that turned out to be more nauseating than he bargained for. He took notice of Dylan, Dolly, Dawkins, Sid, and Big Fee all glaring at him as if he had just crawled out a meteor.
"Was it a mission success?" Big Fee asked with an undertone of nervousness.
"Ahhh, not quite. . . " Deepak said slowly, hating to admit failure in spiritual healing matters. There were many who had seeked him for help and he delivered on it, but Fergus was a special case in himself. "Our dear friend has a stubborn blockage that will take far more work."
"I need a snack'ums, you got any peanut butter crackers?" Fergus asked, pouting a little.
Dylan looked at Fergus with a faint frown. "Hold on a sec, and no we don't have peanut butter crackers."
At the sound of this, Fergus blew a raspberry and crossed his arms with a huff. "Aaaww, but I want it!"
"I'll go out and find him some. I didn't sign up to babysit anyone," said Sid mirthlessly as he got up and headed towards the door.
"Yay! I got my yummy crackers," cheered Fergus perking up. Big Fee snorted a little in amusement though it sounded more like a squeak, while Dolly and Dawkins shook their heads.
"Good, happy now?" Dolly asked rhetorically as she shifted her weight.
"Thanks, Sid," replied Dylan appreciatively. "And don't sweat it, Deepak. You did everything you could, thanks for being there for us," thanked Dylan giving Deepak a warm smile.
"No need for praise, I am always there for those in need," responded Deepak with a wave of his paw.
Back to the drawing board it was for Fergus and friends. Dawkins had volunteered to give Fergus a quick briefing on how the world worked. He claimed it was only on a "need-to-know" basis, but whether or not that was actually true was questionable. So, they had all gathered around inside Dawkins' bedroom/laboratory where he did most of his genius work.
At the front of the room stood Dawkins in front of a green chalkboard with circle-framed glasses and a pointer stick like some university professor."What's with the get-up?" Fergus asked tilting his head.
"Just a formality," said Dawkins simply. On the chalkboard was the name of the course which was "Back To Basics 101", where Fergus would learn the ropes of living in the world. "Now, I'm well aware that you have had troubles with counting. So, we'll address that first," spoke Dawkins in an orderly tone of voice.
"Ugh, a math lesson? Can I sit out for this one? I hate math," whined Dolly with an audible groan.
"Suit yourself, but just be back here when this is over. We may need you later," replied Dylan giving Dolly a watchful look.
"Peace." Dolly gave a two-fingered peace sign and then slipped out of the room.
Dawkins grabbed an eraser and wiped off the wording on the chalkboard kicking up clouds of white dust. The whole room coughed and the chalkboard was now a blank slate ready to teach. Fergus slipped an orange peanut butter cracker sandwich from the pack and munched on it as he watched Dawkins jot something down. Dawkins then turned to face the room once again and slapped his pointer against the chalkboard with a loud clack.
On the board were three sketched-out apples, and Dawkins then instructed, "here is your first assignment, Fergus. I'm going to point to each one of these apples, and I want you to count as we go along."
Fergus tossed his head up and let out a loud groan of protest. "Aaawww, that's gonna be so hard though! Let's start off with the easy stuff."
"Patience, Fergus. Learning is a path that takes perseverance and time," encouraged Dawkins with a wry smile. He then pointed to the first apple using that long stick. Fergus sighed and slumped his shoulders.
"One."
Dawkins smiled tightly and nodded, then pointed to the next apple.
The fox squinted his eyes as his brows knitted. He took a second before answering. "Unnhh, five?" Dawkins gave him a look of mild disappointment and shook his head.
"Try again."
"January?"
"Two. The answer was two," corrected Dawkins.
"Oohh, okay, two then," said Fergus with understanding. Dawkins pointed to the last apple.
"Can you drop a hint?" Fergus asked sheepishly raising his paw a little.
"No hints, I want you to do this on your own," said Dawkins with slight firmness.
"I could try, but I might slip on this last problem. . . Is it. . . four?" Fergus guessed with a wince.
"Close, but it was three. Three is the number," responded Dawkins. "Not to worry, though. I know this is a lot to take in, but let's do some review, shall we? I want you to repeat after me." His pointer flew back to the first apple of the bunch. "One."
"One," repeated Fergus.
Dawkins shifted to the next apple. "Two."
"Two."
And then the last apple. "Three!"
"Three," said Fergus with finality.
"Surprise test, now repeat it all back to me," said Dawkins in a chipper tone.
"I didn't know he was going to ride him this hard," whispered Big Fee to Sid who nodded in agreement. Dylan on the other hand, was fully interested in this math lesson. He loved learning, and getting the chance to have someone stand up there and teach was like winning the lottery.
"Gosh, didn't see that one coming," muttered Fergus holding his head out of stress. He twiddled his fingers for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Okay, okay, you can do this, this is what you've been studying for," murmured Fergus to himself giving him a little piece of motivation.
"One. . . " He quickly looked to Dawkins to gauge his reaction, who simply smiled and nodded with a faint "mhm". That gave him some courage. "Two, and. . . and. . . um. . . " Dawkins raised his eyebrows and waited for what Fergus might say. "Three!" Fergus declared confidently.
Dawkins jumped up with cheer. "Bingo, you've got it, Fergus! You're memory is on the proper track," said Dawkins jubilantly.
"Yaaa-hooo! I passed it! I never knew learning could be so fun. What's next? Lay it on me," said Fergus with a newfound eagerness. The sight of the fox being so excited to learn warmed Dawkins' heart, it was always a pleasure to share new ideas with those willing to lend an ear.
"Since we've nailed the numerical portion of our small class, I say we move onto the animalia lesson," said Dawkins in a neutral tone of voice.
"Let's go to the zoo, I wanna get to see those cute lemurs they have there," suggested Fergus in a cheery tone of voice.
"Slow down there, I had in mind that we have a quick lesson that stays here. One that touches on the dangers of the wild. Not that I'm trying to alarm you or anything, but it's important that you are aware of things that can harm you," explained Dawkins.
"Shucks, I really wanted to go. . . " Fergus' ears drooped as he slumped over dejected. The zoo will just have to wait.
"You can go on your own time, but for now let's just focus on your education," replied Dawkins in an understanding tone of voice. He tilted his head a little and gave Fergus a short smile before getting back to his lesson. Dawkins grabbed that eraser and brushed off the apples from his chalkboard — making a cloud of dust that made everyone cough. He then quickly drew a depiction of a bat with two fangs jutting out of its mouth.
Dawkins pointed to the bat. "This. . . is a vampire bat."
"V-Vampire?" Fergus stammered as he stiffened in fear, wide-eyed. He'd thought vampires were nothing but folklore and myth from the dark ages. It had never crossed his mind that they had actually lurked in the night, swooping down on unsuspecting victims to steal their blood — transforming them into one of their own. "I-Is that thing real?" He asked petrified, hoping the answer was no.
But, Dawkins slowly nodded with a flat expression. "As real as the trees that circulate oxygen into the atmosphere," responded Dawkins slowly with a shadow of morbidness in his tone. Fergus squealed and started biting his nails, then curled up protectively.
"Whoa, relax, Fergus. Those buggers don't actually turn you into a vampire," cooed Dylan glancing at Fergus with a hint of amusement mixed with sympathy.
"Yes they do," murmured Fergus as he hid his face beneath his paws, trembling.
"That's preposterous, and not scientifically possible. Vampire bats are animals, not viruses! If anything, you'll find they are actually quite fascinating specimen," countered Dawkins in a chipper tone of voice.
"Vampire bats, scientifically known as 'desmodontinae' are mammals who track their prey using their sense of smell and warmth. They are able to smell carbon dioxide within the air and feel the heat radiating off other animals while on the hunt," lectured Dawkins. "With traits like those, they'd make excellent fire fighters," joked Dawkins laughing a little.
"I guess, that's kinda neat. . . but they do eat other things, don't they professor?" Fergus asked in a shaken tone of voice.
"That is incorrect, vampire bats partake in what we call 'hematophagy' — meaning an exclusively blood diet," explained Dawkins.
Upon overhearing the suddenly not-boring lesson, Dolly popped her head in from the doorway. "Translation, that means they suck the blood out of their prey leaving them a dried-up shriveled-up corpse," chimed in Dolly with a mischievous smile. "Then toss them aside like an apple core." She then bared her claws and teeth and growled, imitating a vampire bat. "Grrr!"
Fergus screamed and then fainted. He laid on the floor sprawled out hysterically as the whole group turned to give Dolly the hairy eye. Dolly was taken aback, then shrugged nonchalantly. "What?"
Twenty minutes later, Fergus had woken up after fainting. Much to everyone's shock, Fergus said he suddenly had the strange compulsion to eat lots and lots of steak. Of course no one had any, they ate kibble in this house not gourmet! And Sid sure wasn't going on another run after almost getting busted by the shoppe clerk for shoplifting because Fergus wanted peanut butter crackers. This was a good sign because the old Fergus loved his steak, even calling himself a "steak connoisseur".
That's when a light bulb went off in everyone's heads. What if they could scare Fergus into going back to normal? If ghoulish vampire bats were enough to give Fergus a voracious craving for meat, then maybe scaring the wits out of him would be the ace in the hole.
"Fergy always loved his campfire stories. Anyone know any juicy ones?" Big Fee piped up.
"Neat-o, story time, story time!" Fergus cheered, bouncing up-and-down with joy. Sid saw this and giggled to himself. It truly was surreal to see his own commander and chief bouncing like a bouncy ball at the sound of story time.
"Ooo! Ooo! I got one! It's a real chiller," volunteered Dolly eagerly waving her paw in the air.
"Can't be worse than what I could conjure up to scare him, go for it Dolly," said Dylan. Dolly gave him a wry smile, then grabbed a flashlight off the living room coffee table.
Dolly sprung up and slinked over to the light switch, shutting off the living room lights — leaving everyone in darkness. She then held up a flashlight under her chin making her look sinister. "Listen closely, and listen well because I'm about to tell you all the tale of. . . The Road Chicken," spoke Dolly in a low, dark tone of voice.
"Road chicken? That sounds like what you'd call KFC someone dropped out on the street," joked Big Fee light-heartedly.
Dolly snorted, though more out of Big F's naiveness than actual amusement. "And you'd be mostly correct, F. But not in the way you would think. . . " Dolly continued in a ghoulish tone of voice, "there was a young dalmatian named, Nicholas. There was a parade in town, and Nicholas was in charge of operating his pup scout team's float."
It was a tacky thing if you saw it, one of a giant bumble bee perched on a sunflower. The parade's theme was nature to commemorate Earth Day. With each roll of the wheels, the bee's semi-translucent white wings fluttered as if the bee wanted to break free. It was crowded on both sides of the street with people and dogs howling and cheering both creating a cacophony of excitement alike.
Though, it was that deafening cheering that kept Nicholas from hearing the clucks of a chicken crossing the road. That poor chicken didn't see it coming until it was right under it. The bumble bee float rolled over the chicken, crushing it underneath its immense weight. No one had even noticed. The parade just went on and on, until all floats had cruised through the narrow street.
Later that night, Nicholas had snuggled up under the bed sheets and turned off the lamp on the bed stand. He shut his eyes when he heard a strange ticking noise. It sounded as if something were scraping against the hard wood floor in the hall. "Mum? Are you there?" Nicholas called out timidly. No answer.
He listened closely for several minutes, but the sounds had ceased. Nicholas thought it was just the house settling, so he shut his eyes and tried to fall asleep. Sleep did come, only for him to be stirred awake in the dead of night. He was met with a ghoulish sight. A reddish white chicken with ruffled feathers and half of its body flattened. One eye was pitch black and the other a watchful yellow. Nicholas screamed for his mother, his father, but no one came to his aid.
The chicken pecked at the young dalmatian's arm, then at his neck, before unleashing a relentless fury of pecks that left painful, sore welches all over his body. Nicholas cried out in pain as the chicken let out a hoarse cackle. The chicken then, in a nasally voice dripping with contempt, said, "why did the chicken cross the road? To steal your body."
In the blink of an eye, Nicholas' soul was swapped with the vengeful chicken's. The chicken took over Nicholas' body and Nicholas inherited the chicken. A barrage of aches and pains pulverized Nicholas as he became aware that he was no longer a dalmatian, but in fact a chicken who had become roadkill. He collapsed on the bed with tears streaming down his face. The new Nicholas, an impostor, glared at him with a wicked smirk in what was once his body. "Thank you for giving it up so generously, I promise I'll have a sweet life with it," said the impostor in a sinister tone of voice. Nicholas, the real him, whimpered a quiet plea as he watched the impostor take off running from the bed into the doorway. The new Nicholas gave one final glance back at him with an evil smile. "Merry Earth Day, Nicky," spoke the imposter slowly with a taunting edge, before disappearing into the dark hall.
"So, remember, if you wake up to hear scratching in the middle of the night — it just might be the road chicken," hazarded Dolly in a ghastly tone of voice.
Big Fee and Sid held each other shaking. Dylan had a mildly concerned expression on his face and looked around as if that be-told chicken could appear anywhere. Dawkins hid underneath the couch cushions, where only his wide spooked eyes could be seen. The fox of the hour, Fergus, hyperventilated before screaming and retreating to a corner of the living room — back against the wall. "Please don't take my body, Mr. Chicken. I'll never eat another bird again, unless it's a succulent turkey, spare me," pleaded Fergus in a sorrowful tone of voice.
A open-mouthed smile spread across Dolly's face. Not that she was trying to be a jerk to her friends, but because she noticed that carnivorous appetite surfacing in Fergus. "He's learning to be a fox again. Another spooky story should seal the deal," thought Dolly to herself.
"That story was only a bedtime story to teach pups about looking both ways before crossing the road. But now, I'm gonna tell every one of you the real campfire story. The story about the frothing shepherd who roams the woods," revealed Dolly in a haunting tone of voice.
"The Frothing Shepherd, was a teenage australian shepherd named Angie who was at summer camp. . . " Dolly began the tale.
It was lights out at Camp Chew, but Angie and her friends in cabin five were restless. The girls were in their beds either laying on their elbows or sitting up. They had been gossiping about that cute boy across from them in cabin two and if it was true if he really was from Finland. That was when her best friend, Lilian, brought up the dare to go into the deep end of the woods — that section of forestry that scout master Isaac told them to stay out of.
No one wanted to be the guinea pig for why the deep forest was a forbidden area. For all they knew, there could be a wendigo that made its home there. And it went without saying, wendigos hated visitors. That was when Angie, being the free spirit of the group, stepped up to the plate. "I'm going out there," she had said in a brave tone of voice.
All her friends looked at her with disbelief, but their surprise melted to excitement. They were all stoked to witness someone willing to venture off into the dark lands. So, when even the scout masters had turned in to their cabins for the night, the group of girls tip-toed out of their cabin. Sticking together, they hiked out into the forest until they had reached it. The border that divides the safe zone of the forest from no-dog's land. "This is what you signed up for, Angie. Get to it," prodded Lilian. Angie gulped, but her face hardened with determination.
"I'll be back," said Angie dryly before crossing into the dark side of the woods.
She pushed through thick branches and brush as the treetop canopy blocked out most of the moonlight. Only a few small peeps of bluish white moonlight were visible through the thick black leaves. Angie's eyebrows knitted as she wore an uneasy expression. It was just her and the woods now.
There was the rustling of leaves nearby. Her head whipped in the direction of the noise. The bushes rustled and out scampered a raccoon. Angie let out a relieved sigh. "Whatt're you doing so far out here, critter?" She asked the cute raccoon. The raccoon stared up at her before letting out a loud, angry hiss! A bolt of panic shot up her spine and she gasped, petrified. "Wait. . . Y-You have. . . " Frothy white foam oozed from the raccoon's mouth as its deranged eyes locked onto her. "Rabies!"
The minutes dragged on as they heard no sign Angie. Lilian tapped her foot impatiently, and then called out, "come on, Angie. We don't have all night." Not moments after saying those words, a figure emerged from the dark side of the woods. "Angie, you made it!" Lilian paused. "Angie?"
Angie approached with one foot dragging behind her, baring a visible bite from a smaller animal. But she didn't come back the same. There was something off about her. For one, she now had a milky eye on her right side that hadn't been there before. Her fur, once well-kept and glossy, was now dull and matted black in some areas.
"Uh, Angie, is everything alright?" One of her friends asked with concern.
In response, Angie opened her maw to reveal sharp teeth frothing with thick white foam. A low guttural growl formed from within Angie. It grew louder until it evolved into a ragged roar, sounding like a ghoulish cross between a growl and a bark. Her whole friends group screamed as she pounced at them.
"Nothing was ever heard of the girls who snuck out that night. They were all deemed missing, but they remain unfound to this day. It is said that those who venture off into the forest at night when Angie is near will soon be pursued by her," told Dolly in a distant tone of voice and continued, "at first, you will hear nothing but the wind disturbing the trees. But, keep walking, and you will start to notice footsteps overlapping with yours. In sync, yet a tad off-beat to be known."
Dawkins had climbed into Dylan's arms for comfort as he held him. Sid and Big Fee were paralyzed with fear, both of their faces etched with horror. Fergus just sat where he was, mouth agape and eyebrows arched in fear. "Not long after you sense something is amiss, Angie will spring on you and sink her sharp teeth into you. And then, you will not only contract rabies, but the same insanity that has taken over her. . . and you will never. . . be seen again," finished Dolly in a dark tone of voice.
"Think before you hike, 'cause I told you boys and girls," said Dolly with a shadow of a smile, then winked.
Dolly then got up and went to go turn the lights back on, tossing the flashlight aside. "So, Fergus, what'd you think? Pretty wild, huh?" Dolly asked glaring at Fergus bumping her eyebrows.
Fergus, who was frozen with fear, suddenly fell back like a stiff board and fainted. The group of friends surrounded him and glared down at him with concern. "He's done it again," said Big Fee in a forlorn tone of voice.
"He fainted the last time, and that worked in giving him his meat cravings back," said Sid implying something. He continued, "is that gothic fellow around? See if he'll scare Fergus after he wakes up, maybe that'll snap that loopy fox back to reality." They all looked at the street squirrel with unreadable expressions.
Dylan then responded, "who? You mean, Dante? If there's shadows, then he's there. But. . . this will have to be the last time we scare, Fergus. Y'know what I'm saying? It's not good for his brain to constantly be shocked into remembering back-to-back." His lips then crinkled with an unreadable emotion.
So, Big Fee and Sid propped up some pillows on the couch. Dylan, Dolly, and Dawkins then altogether hoisted Fergus up to lay him down on the couch. For such a rail-thin wild dog, Fergus weighed as much as a sack of bricks. Dolly called dibs on the recliner and then kicked back with her legs extended as she laid lop-sided, paws behind her head. Big Fee and Sid perched themselves at the top of the couch, sitting on the soft cushions. And Dylan laid down beside Dawkins on the rug.
Not much they could do with Fergus out cold, so they took a much needed break. Dylan grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned the channel. "Cartoons, anyone?"
Roughly an hour later, Fergus' eyes peeked open. He stretched his arms out and yawned with a peaceful smile. Though he felt somewhat light-headed, he was quite comfortable on what felt like a nice plush bed. Only, it didn't take long for him to realize it was in-fact a sofa. That was one quality piece of furniture. Fergus turned his head and saw that his friends were watching the Boomerang channel on the TV.
Sid peeked his head out from on top of the sofa and peered down at him. "You're awake, sleepy head. Have a nice nap?" Sid asked in a friendly tone of voice.
"No, and wouldn't you believe I had the strangest dream," started Fergus in a sleepy tone of voice.
Sid raised an eyebrow. "Really now? And what was it about if I might ask?" Sid asked, voice laced with genuine curiosity. "If you're dreaming, pal, it better be about your old life," thought Sid to himself in exasperation.
"It wasn't really a dream, but more of a terrible, terrible, nightmare. . . " Fergus clarified, a sense of nervousness returning to him.
"Well don't leave us hangin', give us the details," pried Dolly in a chipper tone as she glared at Fergus, sitting up on the recliner.
"It was. . . It was. . . " Fergus stammered. Dylan turned down the volume on the TV. Dolly, Dawkins, Sid, and Big Fee leaned in closer waiting to hear the moment of truth. The moment where they'd know which Fergus they were speaking to. The tension in the air was thick and hearts were drumming like a marching band. "I was in a forest being chased by a rabid dog! P-Please, no more scary stories, I don't want t-t-to see anymore evil zombie dogs," exclaimed Fergus shedding a few tears.
Everyone let out a collective groan. Sid stood up crossing his arms. "Can somebody give me mallet?" Sid asked out of the blue with a frown.
"Whoa, pump the brakes there, Sid! Nobody's doing that. . . at least not yet that is. . . Let's try getting Dante over here like you said before doing anything extreme," said Dylan with surprise holding out his paws as if to keep Sid back.
"Fine. But I'm just sayin', mallet's still on the table," grunted Sid matter-of-factly.
"Again, totally not doing that!" Dylan chided.
On cue, Dante had emerged from the shadows from the living room closet. He sauntered towards the group with hooded eyes and an unreadable expression. "So your friend has amnesia? Come," said Dante in a level tone of voice that sent chills down Fergus' back.
Fergus leaned over and whispered to Big Fee. "Is he a vampire?" Big Fee just shrugged in response.
Dante, hearing this, smirked and glanced at Fergus out the corner of his eye. "Only when there's a full moon out," replied Dante in a cryptic tone of voice. Fergus' eyes widened and he scooted into a corner on the couch.
After much coaxing, Dylan managed to persuade Fergus into coming with the group led by Dante.
"Nooo, I don't wanna go! He's gonna suck my blood," cried Fergus as he held on for dear life to the couch cushion.
"Stop being such a fuss, Fergus," grunted Dylan through gritted teeth. "Dante's not a real vampire, now let go!" Dylan held on tight to Fergus' sides as he tugged at him. Either he was very scrawny, or Fergus had a surprising amount of muscle.
Fergus kicked his feet at Dylan who refused to let go. "I hate you, you want me to get bit and turn into a vampire bat," squealed Fergus. With one final heave, Dylan pulled Fergus free from the couch and then dragged him along — while Fergus clawed at the carpet.
They all climbed up into the tree house as Dante sat behind a cardboard box with a gypsy's orb on top of it. The lights were off in the tree house with only natural light filtering in through the small windows. It was very dim inside, and sent Fergus' already bad anxiety through the roof. Much to his dismay, Dolly pushed Fergus to the very forefront of the group so that he and Dante could be face-to-face. The others sat in a half circle a few feet away from the orb.
Big Fee lifted a remote and pressed a red button. Thick white fog clouded the inside of the once-clear orb as Dante wriggled his fingers around the orb in a ritualistic fashion. "Ahh, yes. . . I see it coming through to me, the fate of the world as we know it. How it will all end," spoke Dante slowly in a ghastly tone of voice.
"E-End? B-But the superheroes can s-save it! L-Like in the comic books," countered Fergus in nervous denial. Dante closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head.
"Superheroes are works of fiction, but this. . . this is truth. The orb knows all, and it has shown me what the world will come to," responded Dante apathetically. His eyebrows knitted as he rose up, eyes boring into Fergus with an intense gaze. Unconsciously, Fergus cowered back.
"No. . . that's not true, they are real," whimpered Fergus with a hint of anger and offense, then looked away with a pout.
Dante took a deep breath and then ran through the catastrophes that are to come. "The world will suffer a drought, crops will die out, and society as we know it will devolve into civil unrest. People and animals alike will fight over resources for their own survival, even turning on each other. A zombie virus will infect patient zero, and then will spread among the populace. It will be an endless apocalypse that will cause the end of the world as we know it," rambled Dante in a deep coarse tone of voice. He then panted, out of breath still holding his intense gaze.
Fergus stared at him gaping, petrified, and then collapsed falling onto his back. His tongue hung out as he laid on the floor out cold. Dante sat back down nonchalantly as his eyes drifted down to Fergus' limp form. "Man, I get you. Same thing happened to me the first time I looked into the orb's abyss," said Dante indifferently.
"A zombie virus actually isn't out of the realm of possibility. There are actually certain fungi in nature that have been known to takeover an insect host's body," prattled Dawkins before being cut off by Dolly.
"D'ah, d'ah, d'ah, I don't wanna know about that," blabbed Dolly covering her ears.
"Hopefully this time should have done it. Hey, Dante is it? Can that orb tell us how to speed things along with giving Fergus back his memories?" Sid asked desperately.
"Hmm, I'll have to check. . . " Dante leaned down and put his ear to the orb, then whispered to it. He appeared to be listening to a response before pulling away and looking back at Sid. "The orb says it's on its coffee break. Shop's closed for now," said Dante with a shrug.
"Aww, you gotta be kidding me," groused Sid passing a hand over his face.
"I'm gonna put Fergus on the bed, so he doesn't end up with splinters," piped up Dolly as she made her way to Fergus.
"Wait — wait — wait — wait!" Dylan zoomed in front of Dolly to stop her.
Dolly looked at Dylan with mild annoyance. "What is it?"
"Only I sleep in that bed. I don't want random strangers' germs getting all over it. For all I know, it could cause a bed bug infestation," explained Dylan in a tense tone of voice.
Dolly raised her eyebrows. "You're not making this easy, dork. But, fine, let's get him back to the living room then.
"Oi, we the canal crew may be rough around the edges, but we're certainly not bed bug ridden," chimed in Big Fee defensively with a look of anger.
"Yea, and we ain't tryin' to catch no slobberin' canine fleas neitha'," spat Sid crossing his arms.
"Cool it guys, focus on mission numero uno," said Dolly to the whole group. Both Big Fee and Sid huffed and made room as Dolly and Dylan picked up Fergus. Fergus was carried out the tree house as Big Fee, Sid, and Dawkins filed out after them.
An hour later, Fergus had woken up once more with a splitting headache. Unlucky for him, his friends wasted no time in dragging him out into the backyard. It had been a long day for all of them, him having to faint three times in a row and his friends now feeling burdened with looking after him. Even though Fergus knew his friends meant well, he still thought they were terrible hosts for scaring him half to death like it was a sport.
"Okay, Fergus. If this is the real you, then you'll know how to do the Fergus shimmy. No if's, and's, or but's about it," explained Dylan. Dylan, Dolly, Dawkins, Sid, and Big Fee all stood off to the side and gave the fox some room. "Show us what you've got," signaled Dylan.
"I don't see how I'm not real. I'm standing right here aren't I? But if you say so." Fergus then stuck his tongue out in concentration as he planted all four feet on the grass. His hips jerked to the left and he then pushed himself up into a wobbly handstand. A crinkly smile then worked its way onto Fergus' lips as his skinny arms strained to hold him up. "Ta-daahh!"
But instead of awe, his friends looked at him with pity and. . . disappointment? Sid's sad frown slowly burned into an angry scowl as his cheeks reddened. Sid then screeched as he tackled Fergus to the ground knocking the wind out of him. He grabbed hold of Fergus' fur and shook him by the chest. "Enough joking around, Fergy. This isn't funny anymore. Are you in there? Hello-o-o-o? Hello?" Sid shouted. The constant failure and stress of it all had finally worked the squirrel's last nerve — he snapped.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you mad, Mr. Squirrel," whimpered Fergus with an expression of guilt. He didn't even know what he did wrong. He did everything they asked, and now this squirrel was attacking him for who knows what. It made him feel a deep sense of sadness that he'd upset his friends like this.
"Hey, that's Sid to you buster!" Sid corrected as he continued shaking Fergus.
"I thought I was Fergus!" Fergus said now confused, raising an eyebrow dumbfounded.
"You are that's what I'm sayin'! Capeesh?" Sid snapped, now having lost all patience.
"This is all really confusing, I wanna go home. . . though I don't know where home is. . . but still. Just leave this fox be because I'm not this other Fergus you think I am," said Fergus, fed-up with all this nonsense.
Big Fee ran over and pulled Sid off of Fergus before he gave him a bald spot from all that pulling. "Knock it off, Sid. Shaking the poor lad isn't going to bring him back," chided Big Fee with furrowed eyebrows.
"Well, it sure felt good. Sometimes you have to break the chain if you wanna get things done," replied Sid in his defense.
Dylan then piped up, knowing that Fergus was right there listening to them argue. "Guys, don't argue in front of Fergus. That could seriously mess with his mind. I want him to be a healthy well-adjusted fox, not one that throws temper tantrums," chimed in Dylan with a concerned expression.
Big Fee turned to look at Dylan who she felt was being nit-picky. "Oh hush, a little banter isn't going to do him much harm," she said nonchalantly. "Besides, him learning about vampire bats would be more likely to cause him some distress." That's when Dawkins felt called out. It was an insult to him, after he was only trying to pass on a kernel of knowledge to their beloved leader.
"Vampire bats can carry all sorts of diseases, rabies included. I informed him of their existence because not all animals are nice animals, and he needed to be made aware of that. You're welcome very much," spat Dawkins clearly offended.
"Which could have waited until he was in a more sound frame of mind," countered Big Fee matter-of-factly. Fergus' eyebrows raised as he looked between Big Fee and Dawkins.
"That's rich coming from the one who quite blatantly suggested ghost stories. So, I suppose story telling is immune from inducing such panic now?" Dawkins rolled the last words off his tongue with thick sarcasm, raising an eyebrow.
"No, it isn't. I thought you would've caught on that it was a scare tactic. But you turned out to be more dim-witted than I'd suspected," said Big Fee in a sassy tone.
Dawkins gasped, taken aback. "The nerve! I happen to be an intellectual with an IQ of 400, for your information." He growled baring his teeth at Big Fee as she did the same. A spark of rage was buzzing between the two of them.
Dolly then felt she could add in her own two cents. "Actually, it did seem to have some effect on Fergus. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's a nice way of doing things, but. . . my stories were scary enough to make dude faint!" She said with an undertone of pride in her voice, feeling like she deserved some credit.
And then, that's when Dawkins shot Dolly a nasty look. "As for you, missy. That was very impolite of you to disrupt my class like that and feign a vampire bat at Fergus. You know, there's a fine line between educating and simply causing a disturbance," said Dawkins in a curt tone of voice with his paws on his hips. That struck a cord in Dolly.
"O-o-okay guys, you all care for me," tried Fergus in the background, not sure what to say to quench the fire that was igniting between his friends.
"Forget educating! The way you teach is bo-o-oring! He needs to feel his blood pump, that's how he'll learn to love living in the moment again. Duhh, brainiac," retorted Dolly with a huff. "Give me a break, my stories keep you on the edge of your seat. Dylan's on the other paw are the kind to put you to sleep," said Dolly in a dismissive tone of voice as she chucked a thumb in Dylan's direction.
"Put you to sleep? Unbelievable. I was sharing memories with Fergus to rekindle our friendship. Those weren't bedtime stories, Dolly, those were retellings of what me and him have been through together. Our personal history," snapped Dylan feeling a pang of hurt. He glared at Dolly with an expression of anger that masked the sadness he felt inside. It wasn't just his sister he was mad at though, it was at knowing that he may never hang out with the real Fergus ever again. He never even got to tell him he was the coolest fox he ever knew.
"Why does it matter if Fergus gets scared or not? He's a street fox, not a house cat," commented Sid, more out of curiosity than wanting to make a fuss.
"Because, the amnesia put him in a very fragile mental state. I don't want us to take things too far with how vulnerable he is," replied Dylan now in a more concerned tone of voice. He looked at Sid who was expecting to see anger, but instead saw a face full of sorrow from a grieving friend. Sid's expression softened.
"Yeah, I get that. But coddling him will do him no good in preparing him for the canal," countered Sid in a soft tone of voice.
"No! He's too vulnerable for us to toy with his mind like that," shouted Dylan feeling that it was up to him to protect Fergus from anyone trying to corrupt Fergus.
"You're gonna ruin him with all that sappiness! Mark my words, dalmatian," snapped Sid in exasperation.
Fergus grimaces at the sparks that were starting to fly between his friends as they all argued with each other. He slowly backed away not wanting any trouble. Next door to the Dalmatians, Clarissa was seated at her backyard table enjoying beef tartare with her posh friends Arabella and Prunella. For them, it was a treat to have free next-door entertainment while they had their evening meal courtesy of the Dalmatians. Clarissa laughed mockingly. "How splendid, the Dalmatians are at each other's throats and they brought in the rodent squad to join in on it," she said with sadistic delight. Arabella and Prunella both guffawed with Clarissa at the raucous fighting going on over the fence.
"Has anyone heard? That filthy street fox has gotten a bad case of amnesia," brought up Arabella, sipping her cup of tea.
"Those ruffians are preoccupied with pinning the blame on each other. Perhaps we could have some fun with that uncouth fox, shape him into what he ought to be," suggested Prunella with an impassive expression.
A large devious grin spread across Clarissa's face. She really liked the sound of that. "Transform that apple core gobbling fox into a civilized gent'? Hmmm. . . Such a scandalous yet enticing idea. With him turned into a high class fox, we'll not only have a prince charming, but leave Camden with one less scoundrel," said Clarissa in a conspiratorial tone of voice.