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Within Our Darkest Hours

Chapter 2:A Special State of Mind

"Honey I could honestly dance anyone in this room under the table without breaking a sweat." the flamboyant cheetah boasted as he took another gulp of the rum chaser in his paws.

"I've taken ballet since age ten and I even have my own style! I use classical dance moves in fusion with modern hip hop techniques to give it my own personal flair!"

How interesting. Wasn't that like the plot from Step It Up 2? Give me a break...

Chet just smiled politely while sipping his third martini, letting the numbing effects of the olive tainted drink ease his mind. Hopefully after a few more of these, his blood alcohol level would be high enough to forget that he was even taking to a date in the first place. It was clear that the cheetah boy was flirtatious, thickheaded and was generally annoying to engage in conversation with. Most likely, he would suck anyones dick who paid him enough...or if they bought him a drink.

Ugh...Note To Self: Never ask Dabbs for dates.

"Uhh..." The tipsy raccoon carefully interrupted the cheetah's rant.

The sleek and heavily pierced cheetah gave him an annoyed glance.

"Yeah hon what's up?" He asked abruptly.

"I have to use the bathroom really bad. I'll be right back ok?"

The Cheetah nodded and shrugged.

"Ok sweet-cheeks be right back and grab me another rum will you darling?" He threw a wink onto the end of his sentence.

Sliding out of his seat without a sound, Chet made his way down past the many pink booths filled with many different species all...mingling for lack of a better word. He rubbed his ears in annoyance walking past the dance floor, house music blasting at crazy decibels that let you feel the bass in your chest. Chet could see a lot of action going on down on the dance floor, strobes flashing, glow sticks flailing, butts grinding and love generally being made. The site of furs rubbing and kissing and...touching made Chet's sheath feel slightly warmer than it already was inside his snug jeans. He shook the thoughts out of his head, thinking how bad an idea it was getting a boner in a gay bar, and made his way over towards the bar counter. The snow leopard gave him a quizzical look as he approached, leaning his front paws against the stained oak counter.

"Something funny?"

Chet chuckled dryly and shook his head.

"Just the crowd...their really getting into it tonight." He laughed uncomfortably.

Dabbs glanced over at the crowd and then back to Chet.

"Nah, that's every night for us here sunshine. It is the only bar in town that permits this sort of thing."

Chet shrugged absentmindedly.

"Maybe its me just telling myself that to try and fight off the hard on I'm getting right now." He mused.

Dabbs cracked a smile and slapped the raccoon on the back in a friendly manor.

"Now thats the horny ol' bastard I used to date! Where have you been buddy?" He mocked

Chet smirked and shook his head again slowly.

"He took a long vacation." Chet half mumbled still smirking.

It was moments like these that really made Chester miss his life five years ago. Back then Dabbs would do anything to just get Chet in the mood for a dirty night and back then Chester was just putty in his paw. They loved each other with all their hearts and wanted nothing more than to just spend a night out at a restaurant followed by a late night fuck session...or maybe a blow job in the restaurant bathroom first. It was the happiest five years of his early adult life, or so he thought.

Chester sighed to himself knowing all too well that he would always have a piece of his heart broken off in that cats chest, now matter how much it hurt to admit.

"So...hows the date?"

The raccoon frowned at the leering leopard who seemed all too eager to find out what was truly on his mind. He always could read Chet like a book.

Chet dragged a heavy paw across his muzzle in frustration to the question. This night had really been pissing him off as he tried more and more furs. Each one seemed just as bad as the last; drunken self absorbed assholes who only wanted o screw your brains out before leaving you with an empty bed and refrigerator in the morning.

Not exactly the "man" Chet was looking for.

"Um.. not so great Dabbs." He sighed out. "I don't think he's for me OR even into me. To much...excitement from him at the mention of booze, sex and..dancing. He would most likely jump on the next guys dick that buys him a drink." He chuckled dryly and tastelessly.

"And that's not what I want from him."

Chet paused before he continued venting.

"Probably cares more about pleasuring himself then actually caring for others feelings."

The big cat frowned, his eyes becoming slightly hollow.

"Now was that aimed at him or at me?"

Chet glared up at the big cat.

"Now what makes you think that I-"

Dabbs cut him off.

"Because this is the third guy tonight that you have told me you tired to hook up with...and each time it's little stupid shit that makes you disconnect right away."

The leopard switched to a mocking voice, "He's staring at around while I'm trying to talk to him, he's too touchy when we dance, he only wants to have constant fun and never sit and relax, he tends to ignore some things I say because I always bring my feelings into the mix."

He locked eyes with the raccoon and leaned in closer.

"All of which are things that I've done to "us" when we used to date."

Chet bared his teeth slightly in annoyance anger within his voice.

"Well I'm not the one who used to do all that stupid shit now did I?!" He was fuming. " So yeah, it annoys the hell out of me when other furs-"

He was interrupted again.

"No, it only bugs the hell out of you now because your not even trying to see past the bad parts of people anymore Chet. You never cared about that stuff when we dated or if you did you ignored it because you loved me. You only started to care when...things went south. You loved it when I played rough on the dance floor with you and sometimes we even stared at guys ass' for shits and giggles together."

He swallowed, Chet still staring at him with hate in his eyes.

"Now it annoys you because your only trying to find the parts in people that remind you of me and then discredit them. Your looking for the bad before the good hun. People are not perfect, everyone has flaws, some worse than others. You just need to see which ones are truly bad and which ones can be something to make a positive. Work with people and if you truly care about you and show love they will work back too... "

The leopard swallowed hard, knowing the mistake he just made with that last sentence. A very fatal mistake.

Chet stared with cold eyes at Dabbs who just slouched against the counter cleaning a dusty glass with an old rag. A horrible scowl formed on his face.

"You know what? Get me another rum chaser and a double brandy on the rocks."

He pulled a twenty out of his pocket and slapped it on the counter. Dabbs nodded mutely not meeting Chester's gaze and ducked behind the counter to get the bottles. In about a minute of pouring and mixing, the cat returned with both drinks clutched carefully in his paws.

"Here you go..." He spoke softly, placing a paw on top of Chet's. " I'm sorry about wha-"

The raccoon's nostrils flared in anger as he jerked his paw back and grabbed the drinks.

"Fuck you." He spat venomously. "You really are a heartless bastard you know that? You ask me over to have sex last night and then set me up with someone else because you tell me we can't be together? How does that make sense!?"

Chet's voice grew louder.

"Now your here giving me advise on how to love someone when you didn't even fit your own definition?!" He slammed his fight down making Dabbs jump slightly. "Did you ever love me at all or was I just some fucking play thing you liked to keep around?!" His shouting was causing a few glances to be made from the tables closest to the bar.

Chet blinked some tears out of his eyes, while the few staring patrons tried to seem to be minding their own business.

"And to think that I was thinking about...proposing to you...and then you and...Justin and..." He clenched his face in pain. His next words were sobbed, "You treat me like you still love me, but tell me to avoid you like the plague, just...Make up your fucking mind, because I don't know how to feel anymore about us!"

The leopard was to stunned to think anything at the moment, looking at the hurt wreck that was now his best friend sobbing openly on the bar top. Dabbs felt his throat clench up as his breathing increased slightly. An unnatural heaviness set down on his shoulders making him whole body feel like a lead weight. He spoke in a pained voice,

"Chet I...damn it this is why I tell you I'm no good for you I'll only bring this!"

He exclaimed pointing down at him.

"I just don't want to hurt you anymore than I did when I was with Justin. I hurt you so badly and...it killed me inside to see you that way. I hurt a lot of people back then, that's seems to be the only thing Im good at anymore and I'm so-"

Chet stood rigid, fur sticking up on end staring down the leopard with his amber eyes, burning holes into him with hate.

"You know what? You worse than fucking Brian."

Chet spun around abruptly drinks still in hand and trotted off back to the neon red table where he had left the narcissistic, horny cheetah alone for the past couple minutes.

Dabbs clenched his paws around the rag in his paw, dropped his eyes to the table and began to wipe up some water stains avoiding eye contact with many of the bars now curious patrons.

"Where did you go sweet-cheeks, I thought for a minute you ditched me here without even getting me one last drink!" The cheetah cooed in an almost playful manner, possibly too playful for tastes sake.

Placing the glasses on the table, Chet slumped back down into the seat before looking at the cheetah who placed gracefully with his fuzzy, pierced right ear.

"Sorry, long line at the bar...here I got you that refill you wanted." Chet passed him drink ignoring the raccoons new darker demeanor.

The cheetahs dark blue eyes beamed as he accepted the stiff drink from the black paws in front of him.

"Awwww thanks your the best!" he glanced at the raccoons wet cheek fur. "Is something wrong hun?" His smile had warming qualities to it that managed to get through to the sulking raccoon.

Chet thought of a quick lie, "I just splashed some water on my face in the sink to help stay awake. Alcohol was making me sleepy."

The cheetah to a long look before shrugging.

"Alright, but if your feeling tired..."

Chet let Dabbs' shit advise sit in his heart even if he hated it as he listened to the cats suggestive banter. This was what he feared would happen the whole night but for a split second he tried to think positive and look past it; to see the good qualities that the cheetah had. However, when Chet didn't respond to the sexual offering, the Cheetah shrugged and began to talk rather boldly about himself again causing Chet to come to a firm conclusion.

He didn't remind him of Dabbs or Brian in anyway any more...he was just a narcissistic jerk.

What a shit date...

*

Chet unlocked the front door to his condo around 2 in the morning, stepping in from the moist Louisiana air and into the frigid air conditioned environment. He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door and threw his coat onto the back of the black armchair on the side of the living room. Chet's feet felt heavy, weighed down by the many drinks that he had indulged in earlier this evening. Thoughts of the Cheetah the many other no go's of this evening filled his head as he collapsed into his tan sheets, pulling his shirt carefully over his black spiral pierced ear lobes. He squeezed out of his pants and threw them to the floor as the spinning of the black industrial fan on the ceiling put him into a thinking trance. Each pass of the blades sent a wafting gust of air down on to him making his fur stand up as he sunk into the bed. Thoughts of his ex leopard and the whore fox he cheated on him with all made their way back into his head causing him to force the thoughts out before they preoccupied his already uneasy brain. However, as the old images were pushed out new ones burrowed their way out from under the surface and began to draw away all subconscious thought. No matter what he did, his mind always seemed to wander back to that night...

YOU SAID YOU LOVED ME! ME! AND YOUR SLEEPING WITH...WHO THE FUCK IS THAT!?

Chet placed his black paws over his face, taking in a long deep breath.

I'm sorry I...I just...we...

WE WHAT1!? YOU'RE AN ITEM NOW!!? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY!?

NO! He and I...we...it was just...

JUST WHAT? JUST ONE FUCK? JUST ONE WAY TO GET YOUR ROCKS OFF WHEN I'M NOT AROUND!?

Chester I...I don't even know what to say...

YOU SON OF A BITCH DABNEY! YOU SON Of a bitch....

Tears burned in he corners of the raccoon's eyes as he curled up against a tan pillow that was above his head. All the painful memories of his past relationship with Dabbs were now just spread out in front of him, bringing to the surface long buried wounds and feelings

Why is it so hard for me to just forget them and move on?

He just laid on the bed for ten minutes just listening to the soft beating of his own heart and the silent swooshing of the ceiling fan. He rolled over onto his side, still cuddling the pillow for the false safe that it created.

"Maybe letting go is hurting so much because I still care about him so badly."

It made sense to Chester. All he ever wanted was Dabbs and he ripped out his heart and stomped it out into the dirt. Chet felt hollow. His whole body felt numb, he eyes hurt, his head hurt and his body sunk into the bed like a wet brick.

"Or maybe, it's letting go of five years of my life that's the problem."

Flash back after flashback came rolling back towards the very drunk raccoon who was now completely naked sprawled out, with the sheets pulled down, pillow thrown to the side in the bed. Each one leaving deeper and deeper wounds in the raccoons mind until finally he gave up and just let his mind win the battle.

He shut his eyes, feeling the fan blow cool air into his chest fur as he took short little breaths. His body became less tense as he let his mind wander from thought to aimless thought, the booze adding to the strong euphoric effect to his approaching sleep.

* Chet woke up to the sun glaring in through the thin slits of the grey blinds that hung in his west most facing bedroom window. He laid there, just taking the time to get the drunken feeling out of his system breathing slowly and calmly. There was no sound in the room accept the ceiling fan's gentle buzz. After a while he sat up and cracked his back. A large sigh of relief escaped his muzzle as he continued his morning stretching. He felt up the sides of his slim, arcing back, feeling his ribs under the skin. He was bony...he always was bony. His black paws mashed his face as he moved them from his body to rub his eyes. It felt good to get a good nights rest after such a long night out at the-

The raccoon's keene sense of smell picked up something as his nose perked up.

Bacon...what?

A sense of panic loomed over his shoulders and down his spine. A bad feeling settled into his stomach as well.

There was someone down stairs in his house cooking breakfast.

Chet leap out of bed landing on the floor with a silent thud as he race over to his master bathroom and snagged his fluffy white bathrobe of the back of the door. Covering himself up, thoughts raced around his head,

Who is in here? Did I leave the door unlocked last night when I walked in? Why was the intruder cooking breakfast?!

His heart rate increased as wen into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face.

He hoped that maybe he was just imagining it but the smell was still there. A cold sweat formed on his brow as he silently closed the door and went back into his room.

Scavenging the room silently for anything that could be used as a weapon Chet's mind went to overdrive at the many possibilities.

Cereal killer.

Psychopath.

Rapist.

A very polite and hungry kidnapper?

He jumped back to reality and moved around more franticly as he heard the familiar ding of the toaster oven go off. Reaching under the bed he pulled out an old piece of steel bed frame that he swore he had already fixed. Chet quietly stood up, fur standing with him and made his way out his room and down the stairs. Since he lived here, he knew every spot on the stairs that would creek and after some careful maneuvering he was at the entrance of the kitchen, the perpetrator none the wiser.

His heart was pounding in his ears as he crouched behind the peach wall papered wall of the old victorian style condo. Adrenaline pumped high in his body.

Who could it be!? Why are they in my kitchen? And why haven't they killed me yet? Or kidnapped me?? Maybe they don't realize I'm home? I have the upper hand here, nows my chance to get the drop on them.

Chet took one long and bracing deep breath before he took a step forward, steel bar above his head. Not even two feet into the kitchen the bar slipped from the raccoons clutched paws as he gazed upon who was in his kitchen.

*BANG*

The sliver and white wolf ignored the falling rod and just stared for a moment at the sleepy fur who entered the kitchen. The wolfs smile became bright and cheerful in a matter of seconds.

"Morning hon, breakfast?"

Chet's jaw practically dislocated itself in shock.

"Brian?"

...

....

"So are you just going to stare at me all day or are you going to grab a plate and get some grub?"

Chet had no idea of what to even say. What could he say, his old drug addict boyfriend was cooking breakfast for him wearing a bathrobe and...smiling? Chester leaned back against the wall, unsure of what to make of all this. He needed time to process exactly what was happening.

"Brian I don't..." Before he could say anymore, the wolf traversed the short distance between them and was muzzle to muzzle with the raccoon, feeling up his butt with his slender paws. This kiss was short, but very passionate, just the way he remembered Brian.

"Hush up now, I'm sure it can wait for breakfast."

Chet didn't know weather to argue or question his sanity or what. Instead, he followed his growling gut and grabbed a plate. Bacon, eggs, toast and orange juice. It was a nice sunday breakfast all neatly prepared within the confines of the teflon skillet. Chet piled on some food before taking a seat at the old wooden table sitting directly across from the warmly smiling wolf. He took a few bites of his food before he made a small squeal like noise.

"Wow...I completely forgot how go your cooking is. You always did make the best food out of the two of us." Chet grinned thinking back to his many days of having breakfast with the wolf just like this.

Brian chuckled in response.

"I knew how much you love my cooking so I thought..."Hey why not make breakfast today."

He paused for a moment staring at Chet's body with a glazed over stare. Chet felt suddenly warm in both his face and his pants.

"Like what you see?" He mused, not even questioning the situation.

The wolf made a toothy grin.

"I got to see everything I wanted to see last night in bed babe, but if you want more..."

Chet crinkled his brow, that didn't seem right, then again neither did Brian being here. He was just trying to roll with it for now.

"Wait...we had sex last night?"

The wolf laughed.

"Don't' tell me all those drinks made you forget what a crazy night we had. We did it on the floor, in front of the couch... you were bottom."

Chet slumped back in the chair in deep thought.

Did we do it last night? I'm almost 100% sure we did not, I mean...I had quite a few drinks with the cheetah at the bar...

He dropped his paws to the table quietly, face loosing some color.

"Something wrong babe?" The wolf cooed.

The raccoon peered up with sad looking eyes, now more confused as ever.

"Why are you here Brian? It's been almost two years."

He twisted his head innocently.

"What do you mean hun? That's about the time we moved down here together remember?"

Chet sat back in major confusion.

"You missed the south so we moved back down here and you opened your bar down here."

"I...I have a bar?" Chet started. This was just plain unreal.

He nodded politely.

"Yep. You helped me get clean remember? Then we came down here and well...this is it." He pointed around and laughed in his gruff voice.

Chet was confused, very confused. This can't be right, was this right?

Brian picked up on his sullenness and patted his arm.

"Everything ok hun?"

Chet just shook his head back and forth shrugging of the wolf's paw off him. What I wouldn't give right now... he thought.

"No I'm not Brian...Um...am I crazy?"

The wolf gave the raccoon a very strange look before bursting out into a fit of laughter again making Chet blush. After a good minute of laughing he composed himself and looked at the raccoon still warmly smiling.

"Well, were all a little bit crazy but I don't think thats what you meant right?" He pushed some of his white head fur out of his eyes and met Chet's eyes again with his much birghter amber ones. They looked almost orange in the right lighting.

"No your not crazy why do you ask?"

Chet swallowed, he knew he was going to be treading on thin ice now.

"It's just...I was having drinks at the bar with a...well, some one other than you. A friend of my ex's...my first ex...Dabbs you remember him right?" The words were just slipping out, Chester not even sure as to what really happened last night anymore.

Did I get back with Brian? Why was Brian here in Louisiana? What really happened last night!?

Chet knew this was not going to end well, but needed closer to fill in the gap between when he got home and now.

The wolf raised an eyebrow.

Chet didn't know how to say what he needed to say next. How do you tell the person your with that you only remember sex with your first ex. Or that you don't even remember getting back together with your boyfriend. or even how he got to Louisiana in the first place? Chet lowered his head in shame staring at his drooping tail between his thighs.

"...and the night before yesterday I...I..." he forced himself to spit out these next words closing his eyes. "I had sex with my ex...in front of his couch...on the floor. That's all I remember. I don't remember you or being with you or even what the name of the bar I own is I just.remember.Dabbs." He belted out not meeting the wolf's gaze.

He could feel a knot forming in the center of his chest. Is this what it felt like to cheat on someone? What was this awful feeling?

Chet clenched his muscles, bracing for a punch or a slap, (it wouldn't have been the first time) or something to be thrown at him. He knew that Brian's explosive temper was his major flaw. That combined with drugs was what ended their relationship after all. That and a baseball bat upside Brian's skull from the guilty raccoon across from him.

To Chet's surprise...and horror, the wolf started to laugh a very high pitched laugh...too high pitched for someone with his low baritone voice. Chet looked up in confusion from starring at the table and jumped up out of his seat fur on end.

Sitting calmly with his light gray spotted paws folded across each other on the table was Dabbs. He was sitting in place of the wolf. When he spoke, his voice had an almost angelic tone to it, a fusion of English and New York accents with a pliantly eerie reverb to the fused vocal pitches. The compromise was topped of by the big cat having one emerald green eye and one hazel brown one. One of Brian's, one of Dabbs'.

"What's the matter Chester, don't you love me anymore? Why did you stop?" It croaked out in an eneasy voice.

Chet backed up against the wall as the furry hybrid Dabb's stood up and walked over towards him at an unwavering, lurching pace. The raccoon heart was pounding out of his chest. Adrenaline was now rushing out to his muscles causing small spasms in preparation for the flight or fight response. As he turned to make a run, he felt the oddly hot paw of the English cat grab his shoulders and pin him against the was. The cat pushed their faces together to the point where their noses we touching but not their lips. Chet stared speechless into the multi colored eyes of the creature that was binding him. It spoke again.

"Don't you love me Sunshine? The lovable cat who treats you like a husband even though were not together?" Chet couldn't even think, he just listened.

It continued

"The sole cat who you let slip away because of your old hectic work hours and by letting him work at a gay bar. Your gay boyfriend who supported your two jobs while you worked to get your liquor license. The one you yelled at when he gave you public displays of affection when you weren't out to the public yet, even though your parents already disowned you for telling them?!"

Chet felt tears start to fill the corners of his black circled eyes. He blinked to wipe away some tears. Just one blink, but when he refocused his eyes, the figure was now back to brain, only the eyes and voice remained in fusion. It spoke in it's deathly angelic tone once more.

"And what about me Chester, don't you love me either? The strong silent type of boyfriend who gave up his dreams of being an artist to help you open up a bar in lower state New York. I helped you achieve your dreams and gave up mine. So a little bit of booze got to me and some pills but wasn't that expected when you work crazy late hours in a fast town? We made great money, had a great apartment, a great life. Didn't you love me enough to at least help me get better?"

Chet felt tears running down his face. He wasn't even crying out of guilt as much as fear or maybe...maybe both. The thought of how he left Brian...how he left the north in general was enough to break him down.

The light in the room suddenly grew dim as the sun light on the outside of the house grew dark. Cloud began to form creating a howling wind storm out side. The two furs holding Chet frowned suddenly as their brow furrowed and their eyes grew cold and hard. The angel voice grew deep and enraged like the roaring torrent that had formed outside the old wooden window in the kitchen.

"The reason your alone is because you hold on like a leech. You take too much control and drive your significant other away." The cat-wolf slowly stroked the side of Chet's muzzle, it's hand now very cold and clammy. "Look at you...your more scared than sorry."

Chet felt his heart stop.

" What are you... how do you know what I-" he spoke quietly almost to low to hear. The cat-wolf however still heard it.

The creature let out a high pitched shriek of laugher. The baritone and tenor voices mixing on a sour note, sharp to the raccoons completely flat ears.

"Well..." The cat-wolf moaned it's face scrunching up it a pained expression.

The cat-wolf began to cry black tears which ran down it's face and into it's fur staining it a permeant ebony black, dripping onto the floor in steaming masses. The smell of burning ink filled the small kitchen. The ink collected onto the finger paws dripping into long slender points of sharp nail tissue. The monsters muzzle became significantly shorter as the ears became more round. The ink in the fur began to run onto the rest of the body, around the ribs and chest leaving patches of grey and white fur. The long swishy tail had now bushed out dripping off stripes of ink, creating a specific band pattern around the tail.

Chet watched in horror as the creature changed and morphed in disgusting slathering sounds until Chet stared back at none other than a dripping ink form of himself. Chet stood perfectly still eyes and muzzle frozen in fear and anguish. This was a nightmare, a horrible nightmare.

" Well I know what your feeling because," it spoke with an all too familiar southern accent and tenor voice. It opened its oil black eyes and stared stoic at Chet.

"...I was always part of you..." Chet felt like he could pass out. The rush of colors around the room made his head spin, he felt like he was falling. He turned his body towards the hall but slipped in the ink and fell on his stomach. The ground came rushing at him fast and he stuck out his arms to stop the impact.

He was too slow.

In a slip second his head smacked the tiled ground sending waves of pain and numbness throughout his skull. He felt his head bounce before coming to a complete stop, his eyes slowly rolling into the back of his skull. the room became a blur of mixed colors and scents as the figure stood over top his collapsed form.

He closed his eyes and blacked out.

"Wake up sunshine..."

*Thud*

*

*GASP!* Chet sat up in bed panting like he had just come off of running a triathlon. Sweat ran all down his face and back making the sheets still to him in an uncomfortable manor. His eyes franticly scanned the darkness of the room for a clue as to his location and time. The clock on the night stand to his left read Sun. 4am. A small sigh escaped his lips as he found the time, still coming to terms with what just happened and where he was. Still shaking he felt his naked chest, and his naked rump. It was...was just a dream...wow...

He knew where he was now; in his bed. The alcohol still had not fully run it's course and the head ache had already returned full swing throbbing and numbness all accounted for. The realization of the dream hit him now as his bladder did beckon for release. He needed to mad piss. Sliding off the bed, Chet achingly made his way over to the rest room, before sitting down on the toilet and pissing out the many drinks of the nights earlier endeavors. he rubbed his temples to message his aching head as he found slight comfort in the draining of his bladder. He got up still off balance and flushed before going over to the mirror still in the dark to took a good look at himself. and wash his paws in the sink. he approached the mirror and turned on the light blinding him temporarily. He rubbed his eyes in irritation squinting in the bright light, waiting for his vision to come back to him. Slowly after a few seconds, his vision came back and he lean down and splashed some water onto his face with his paws. Using the hand towel on the wall as a rag he rubbed his face dry and looked up into the mirror. He eyes dilated.

"FUCK!!"

What he saw made him jump away from the mirror with a terrified squeal. A very tired looking shadowy figure looked back stoically in the mirror at the raccoon falling down as he went backwards. He franticly turned around and slammed into the wall bouncing off and falling in to the cabinets below. His nerves were overwhelmed and shot. Horrified, he curled up in a ball on the floor, grabbing his robe from the door on his left. He cradled it around his muzzle as tears began to pour out his eyes, releasing all the pent up feelings deep within him. This he determined, was true sadness, a real remorse for the damage that he caused.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I'm so so sorry..."

Chet babbled on for an hour until exhaustion claimed him and he passed out next to the sink.