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When Whitetail's Cry

© Cederwyn Whitefurr

August 2002

All Rights Reserved.

Sobbing, kneeling at the edge of a freshly overturned plot, the Whitetail fawn bravely

bit back her tears, her golden hair shimmering in the afternoon sunlight, the white

dappling on her back glinting - but it was the tear that slowly tracked its way down

her muzzle, that caught the light and sent a sparkle of gold shimmering from it, as she

knelt on the wet grass and lay a single rose on the freshly turned earth...beside this

new plot, were two others, only recently had the flowers wilted on them.

As she raised her tear-streaked muzzle to the sky, her brown eyes filled with sadness,

as she watched the blood-red sky - as fire streaked down from the heavens....

*

Katelyn was the only offspring of Galen and Alexis Swifthoof; a well loved and

respected pair of Whitetail deer, who lived on Carnelian Street, in the glistening city

of Talla'doon. She walked with her mother, holding the older Whitetail's paw as she

licked at her melting ice cream, the sticky stuff dribbling down the cone and soaking

through the white fur on her paw. Laughing, her mother leant down and with the

innocence of childhood, the young Katelyn smiled and held up her ice cream to her

mother.

With a soft, infectious laugh, Alexis took a quick lick of the ice cream, and Katelyn

giggled.

"My sweet, loving fawn - " Alexis whispered. "Truly - we were blessed with you."

Looking up at her mother, not understanding, but detecting the subtle tinges of pain in

her mothers voice and the faint tremor that ran through her paw, Katelyn squeezed her

mother's paw softly in compassion. With a gentle smile, Alexis licked her daughter's

sticky muzzle and smiled down at her, but that smile never touched the sad, mournful

eyes of the elder Whitetail.

They spent the day shopping, and generally enjoying the early spring day, hearing the

birds whirling and singing, the scents and sights of the city once again coming to life

after the cold, wet winter. Katelyn was filled with a fawns enthusiasm, always

enjoying being outdoors, but mindful to stay close to her mother. Even a full day

shopping and walking did little to wear down the enthusiasm of the young fawn, who

found beauty in the myriad of life around her, and marvelled at the huge skyscrapers

that reached towards the pale blue sky. Slowly, as the sun began to slide inexorably

towards the west, and it touched the distant snow capped peaks, drowsiness began to

seize Katelyn, and she delicately covered her muzzle with a paw and blinked.

Katelyn smiled softly, as her mother glanced down at her, and then she held her paws

up to her. Alexis smiled, then crouched down and picked up her daughter, holding

her in her arms and cradling the young fawn, as she playfully stroked her daughters

sticky muzzle.

"You young lady - need a bath. What will your father say?" Alexis whispered, as

she tickled her daughters belly softly.

Katelyn giggled and squealed softly at the tickle, murring and snuggling in to her

mothers embrace, then within moments, was sleeping the sleep of the innocent.

Alexis smiled and cradled her daughter in her arms, as she resumed her walk home,

passing pleasantries with humans and anthro's alike, everyone feeling invigorated

with the clear, warm day.

When they got home, the sun was slipping quickly behind the distant mountains, and

Alexis slowly turned her head, watching as the sunset spread across the sky, tinging it

gold, before slowly shading down through the colours to red, then darker again,

before the sun disappeared altogether, leaving the sky tinged an orange-red.

*

That evening, Alexis bathed and dressed her daughter then put her to bed, whence

Katelyn mumbled sleepily, and murred as her mother gave her a gentle lick on the

cheek.

"Sleep my daughter - " Alexis breathed, gently caressing the young fawn's cheek.

Katelyn murred again, then rolled over and snuggled in to her deer plush, a contented

smile touching the corners of her lips. Alexis watched her daughter for a few more

minutes, then quietly crept from the room and eased the door partially closed.

"Is she asleep?" Asked a powerfully built, well antlered male Whitetail, as he leant

against the edge of the hallway wall, his suit jacket draped over an arm, his long

sleeved shirt loosened and tie unbound.

"Yes my mate - our daughter sleeps the sleep of the innocent. How is it - that we

adults can not sleep so easily?" Alexis whispered, as she leant up on her hoof-tips

and licked her husband's cheek lovingly.

"I have wondered that myself my dear Alexis - truly I have." Galen replied, as he

returned his mate's lick with a gentle nuzzling. "Somewhere - between being a fawn

• and adulthood - we loose our innocence."

Alexis sniffled softly, then dabbed her furred paw against her eyes, then blinked and

looked at the tear that glistened there. Galen sighed and held his mate tight, as she

suddenly burst in to tears, her paws clenched in fists as she beat them against his

chest.

"Why Galen? Why did I miscarry our son?" Alexis wept, as she vented her rage and

misery against him.

"My dear, beautiful Doe - " Galen croaked, his own voice growing husky as he felt

the bitter sting of his own tears, but bravely bit them back. "Only the Great Mother

knows - "

"Why?" Wailed the Doe, as her rage broke like a cracking dam, and the tears coursed

down her snout. "Was I such a bad mother? Did I do drugs? Did I smoke? NO!"

Gently moving down the hallway, Galen sighed softly, as he hugged his smaller mate

gently against his side, wishing with all his heart he could take away her pain, to

explain how he felt - but the hurt was too knew - the stoniness of the male species too

strong - for him to break down and cry, sobbing like a fawn whose favourite toy had

been broken in a fit of temper.

He led her out on to the back porch, where he sat her down, then retreated back

inside, returning with two large brandy snifters, and glass straws. Handing one to her,

he watched his paws quaking with his suppressed feelings of pain and anger.

Gratefully, she took the drink from him, holding it in her own shaking paws, her

sobbing having broken too a low, heart-wrenching whimper.

"Alexis - " He began, as he knelt before her, taking her paw in both of his own,

squeezing it softly. "My love - it was not your fault - please do not blame yourself

for what happened. Whilst I can not lie to you my mate - I can only speak the truth,

and as such - I can not feel as you do. I can not understand the feeling you felt - to

feel the life within your womb, to feel it grow inside you - no, that is something I can

not feel, but I can feel the hurt...the anger and the suffering - of our combined loss.

If I were able - I would cry for you my love - I would move the earth for you, I

would drag the stars from the firmament above - if I could understand your pain. I

fear I can not. We were blessed with Katelyn - and in that I give thanks to the Great

Mother for the gift of an offspring...and I am humble before her, for her most

precious gift."

Alexis sobbed quietly, as she blinked her deep brown eyes, trying bravely to bite back

the tears that were squeezed from those liquid brown depths, her long eyelashes

drooping, before she shuddered and her eyes closed...and she slept....

Holding his mates paws in his own, Galen remained kneeling, as his eyes swept

upwards to the heavens, and for the first time ever - the tears slowly rolled down his

cheeks...

*

That night - as the world went about its business - on the far side of the moon, a

massive chunk of nickel, iron, ice and other elements streaked silently through the

coldness of space. It measured over thirty kilometres in diameter, its mass beyond

scale, as it felt the gravitic attraction of Terra, aligning itself with the insignificant

green/brown world - it intensified its speed and hurtled downwards - inexorable,

unstoppable - and buried deep within its frozen heart - lay the destruction of an

unstoppable virus....

Long ago - over a bitter and protracted feud between the earth alliance and the lunar

colonies - the sensors and radio-telescopes that would have detected this denizen of

destruction years ago, as it broke away from the main asteroid belt orbiting between

Mars and Jupiter - they would have been forewarned of its progress....

Now the dusty control rooms lay empty, papers strewn throughout and the consoles

dark, silent and uncaring - but one remained active - sending a faint, barely audible

beep of alarm to controllers - that would no longer be sent scrambling for

confirmation - the console repeating its strident cry for attention - then there was a

soft sizzle and a gout of smoke and flames, the warble dying amidst the shorting out

scanner.

Terra had no warning....

*

Just as the massive asteroid punched through the upper atmosphere, its arrival was

announced with a shattering explosion of vaporised and displaced atmosphere, that

broke the asteroid into smaller chunks - many which hurtled down, unable to stop the

unrelenting pull of gravity...yet many other chunks were reflected backwards towards

space - being ensnared by the gravitational pull and orbiting terra in slowly decaying

orbits....

*

All across Europe, millions and millions stared up at the sky, hearing the end of life

as they knew it - as the largest chunk of the asteroid struck - the force of it sending

shocks all around the world, as billions o tonnes of rock, dust and debris was thrown

into the upper atmosphere, as the asteroid punched through the shallow mantle of

Terra's crust - and magna burst to the surface, spewing volcanic ash upwards in a

massive fountain, as the world spasmed in its seeming death throes, entire continents

shifted, and even the poles themselves were skewed out of alignment, as the world

was twisted slightly off its axis.

Spanning the earth, the effects of the hit were felt - all across Terra, cities were

brought to their knees, mountains levelled and seas drained, as new mountain ranges

humped and pushed, stretching their new spines up towards the darkening sky.

Billions died in that holocaust - as worldwide, the effects continued to spread ever

outwards, like ripples from a rock thrown into the pond....

Tidal waves hundreds of feet high wiped whole cities from the face of Terra,

volcanoes that had lain dormant for millions of years erupted in an orgy of violence

and upheaval...and massive earthquakes ripped the fragile skin of Terra

apart...seemingly without ending....

*

Galen shrieked, as he felt the house buck and writhe around him and his sleeping

mate, as glass shattered and things toppled to the floor.

"Alexis!" Galen screamed. "ALEXIS!"

A faint, then growing louder scream of pure childish terror began to peal forth as

Galen staggered from the bed, dodging falling plaster from the roof above, and falling

bookcases and stands, as he stumbled through the haze of dust, then was thrown

against the wall as the house broke neatly down its spine, the wooden floorboards

popping and ripping like rotted silk beneath his hooves. Leaping across the widening

fissure, Galen felt the splintering timber rip a gash up his left leg - and the explosion

of pain leant him the strength he needed.

Breaking down the door of Katelyn's bedroom, Galen saw the fawn cringing in the

corner of her bed, the ceiling above her splintering and the floor below bucking in its

convulsions, the carpet lumping and rippling.

"Katelyn - please my love - please - come to daddy...." Galen yelled above the

crash as the house tore itself apart. "Come on baby - "

Galen crouched, holding out his paws to her, all too aware of how he looked, the

blood that gushed from his torn leg and ran down in to the carpet. Katelyn was beside

herself in mindless, primal terror, eyes wide and unseeing....

"Katelyn - come to daddy - come on...." Galen shrieked, as he snapped his gaze up

at the ceiling, from which sickening groans were coming.

Katelyn flicked an ear, and tentatively crept closer, then froze as the fear overcome

her.

"Come to me - you bitch of a fawn!" Galen screamed in sudden rage. "If I have to

come over there - I'll tan your tail off you!"

Pausing only a second longer, Katelyn burst in to a terrified peal and fled to her

father, burying her muzzle against his chest, her convulsions tearing her apart, and he

could feel her heart thundering in her chest. With a sickening roar - the roof of their

home collapsed - burying them under a mountain of dust, debris and broken timbers -

but Galen threw himself over his fawn at the last second - shielding her small, fragile

body....

*

Next day...

*

All across the city was death, destruction and anarchy. Massive fires engulfed entire

blocks; skyscrapers had burst apart like rotten watermelons. Gangs of looters helped

themselves to whatever they wished, as the sheer scale of the destruction

overwhelmed emergency service vehicles. Even with the assistance of the Armed

Forces - and the fear of aftershocks, there was little that could be done.

Hospitals had been completely overwhelmed with the injured, unable to cope - and

as the search for survivors began, many rescuers were killed or maimed, as unstable

buildings collapsed. Bodies were dragged from the wreckage and stacked like

cordwood on the rubble-strewn streets, and every now and again, loud explosions of

rupturing gas pipes roared. Roads were completely gone - vanished into massive

sinkholes, or buckled and twisted in to un-usability.

Many were standing around in the streets - completely stunned by the shock of what

had happened, but still more, threw themselves into the gangs of looters - or taking an

opposite side, dug with hands and paws, to try and find survivors of the tragedy,

unmindful of any personal risk to themselves.

Where just twenty-four hours ago - Talla'doon had been a vibrant, living city, it was

now a burning, broken shell - its spine snapped the people that were its lifeblood,

reeling in a state of communal shock and disbelief.

It started out as a low, groaning of the very crust beneath their feet - something that

was felt more in the bones, rather than heard - but as it grew, rising in power and

strength, like some massive long buried behemoth beneath the crust of the earth, panic

gripped the city, as the ground began to convulse and tear once again - the first of

many aftershocks humping and thrusting against the city above it, tearing down

already crumbling buildings, as the quake grew and roared, flexing its inexorable

muscles beneath the thin crust, as it thrummed through the underlying bedrock and

reached its uncaring claws out, seemingly revelling in its newfound freedom, but as

quickly as it came, the great beast settled back in to a fitful slumber, as dust, and

debris rained down, echoed by the dull crump of falling buildings - and slowly -

silence descended like a blanket over the city...even the cries of the wounded fell

silent...

All eyes that could snapped heavenwards, as there came a wailing shriek, like the

legions of hell tearing apart the sky - and people ran and screamed in mindless panic,

as white hot blazes of near molten rock sizzled from the sky, smashing the once great

city and countryside with complete disregard. A skyscraper took a direct hit from one

of the falling meteorites and exploded - sending shards of white-hot steel, glass and

concrete spraying in all directions, turning the small, almost insignificant specks of

anthro and human alike - on to their final judgement....

More and more meteorites pounded the city and environs, some as small as a

baseball, others as large as a reasonable sized city-bus, tearing its way through

downtown. Within the hour of the meteorite storm, the death and casualties

outclassed the number of dead from the quake the night before....

When it finally abated - a heavy silence descended back over the city, as both anthro

and human alike - glanced at each other, complete overwhelmed by what was

happening. Never in their lives had they been witness to such indiscriminate

destruction and carnage - and for a time itself, time seemed to stand still, as they

stared blankly at the swaying buildings and debris that rained down...then came the

white ash-like powder that fell from the sky....

*

Galen gurgled, as he twitched and groaned, consciousness returning slowly to him -

bringing with it the agony of his broken left arm, the paw limp and useless, the

forearm bone having torn through the flesh and muscle at the wrist, and three broken

ribs.

I'm alive - His fevered brain reported to the rest of him, as it done a quick self-

analysis. I...Katelyn!

Clawing the smouldering debris off himself, he tried to move - and found his legs

crushed beneath a massive wooden supporting beam - just below his hips. He felt

nothing - and slowly came to realise - that from the upper thighs down - his legs

were filled with the toxins that would kill him instantly, should the beam be moved....

Weakly, he rolled his eyes down, and saw the huddled form of the fawn beneath him,

a deep cut across her neck, the dried blood forming a temporary bandage. With his

one good paw, he softly stroked her cheek, as the tears began to well in his eyes.

"Katelyn - " He gurgled, blood flecking his muzzle. "Katelyn - please...say

something...."

"Over here - " Came a loud cry.

Unable to see from where he lay trapped, Galen tried to cry out, but his heart filled

with hope, but only a choking rasp came from his lungs, as he coughed up blood.

There came the crunching of heavy boots, and then to Galen's ecstasy, Katelyn

gurgled, then as she grew stronger, her loud, ear-piercing screams rang forth, and

unashamedly, Galen wept for his daughter....

From over the peak of the fallen debris, a squad of soldiers appeared, dressed in

dirty, blood spattered fatigues, and they instantly began heaving away rubbish and

broken beams, trying to free the two trapped deer below.

"It...it is too late...for me." Galen sobbed, as he stared up at them, feeling his lungs

flooding with blood. "My...my legs are crushed...and if you...move the

beam...you'll kill me...."

"Sir - try not to speak - " Grunted a young corporal. "We've got emergency medic-

vac teams on-site -

Gurgling, Galen stared at the epaulettes of the corporal, and he closed his eyes

wearily, then opened them again - the strength needed to do it nearly draining him

completely.

"Corporal - I was a Medic in the great war of '82...son - trust me...I know when a

patient...can not be saved...."

Seeing a grim determination in the young officers eyes, Galen smiled and gently laid

his paw on the officer's hand.

"Son - there are...others - " Galen rasped. "My...my daughter...please - she's been

hurt..."

"Sir - I...I can not just leave you here. I...I've got orders - " Growled the soldier, his

jaw tightening.

Galen cried out, as they pushed heavy crowbars beneath the beam and gently pried at

it. Swiftly, the Corporal knelt and he unzipped his small kit and began filling a

hypodermic needle. Before Galen could object, the Corporal grabbed him by the

scruff of the neck and plunged the needle in, the powerful morphine instantly

spreading its cooling sensations through the agonized buck.

"Prick - " Galen gasped, as he weakly grabbed the Corporal's sleeve.

More soldiers arrived, and the Corporal tightly tornequetted the buck's upper thighs,

trying to minimalize the blood flow, as others paused, then carefully lifted the beam.

Galen screamed in unimagined agony, feeling the crushed bones rubbing and grinding

against each other, then the horrible sensation of the toxins rushing through his

bloodstream, and then he began bucking and convulsing uncontrollably, as his organs

succumb to the toxins.

Being held by a young female solder, who wept unashamedly, watching Galen die,

the young soldier cradled the shrieking young fawn's head to her breast and tried to

cover her eyes, turning away from the grisly scene. Katelyn wept and fought her

rescuer, reaching out with her paw for her father, who gave a final explosive

convulsion, then slumped on to the ground. With a tear trickling down his eyes, the

young Corporal slowly closed the eyes of the dead Galen, and then he and his squad

rose, and saluted the fallen soldier.

*

Hovering above the ruined city, the camera-man on his harness leaned out of the

helicopter, his eyes wide and camera rolling on, chewing up film as he stared

incredulously at the city-wide destruction; the looting, the search for survivors - and

as the pilot in the front seat fought the bucking chopper, the camera-man continued to

stare down at the carnage below him...

Neither him nor the pilot saw the metal flagpole, as a building exploded from within,

sending the flagpole searing up through the sky. Screaming like a missile from hell -

the flagpole ripped through the thin skin of the helicopter's tail, shearing it off with

ease.

"FUCK" Swore the chopper pilot.

The stick going dead in his hand, console warning lights flashing red, the AWS

showing its warning lights burning like eyes, as a loud, scream of tortured metal came

from above them, the human pilot felt his years as an air force chopper pilot instantly

kick itself in, as a calm, almost cold rationality settled over him in the blink of an eye.

He snapped off the throttles; he had no time to look at the gauges, as he hit the

emergency fuel cut off switch. To his horror, he watched as the controls to the

engines refused to respond. More and more warning lights blazed on the panel, while

the pilot stared at the tachometer, watching the needle searing its way up well past the

nine thousand mark, and right into the red-zone. Believing he had stopped the power

feed to the engines, he remained calm and collective -and grinned...

The grin was wiped off his face as the tachometer continued its inexorable climb, the

chopper shaking itself like a dog with palsy, as the engines shrieked in mechanical

rage, pushed to their absolute tolerances. Sparks and flames erupted from the top of

the helicopter, as bearings melted and oil seals disintegrated, the oil vaporizing as the

powerful pistons of the suddenly unloaded engine overheated, then exploded like

grenades.

White hot shrapnel from the disintegrating pistons shredded the engine of the

chopper, and there was a shriek of bearings and steel, as there came the sickening

feeling of the main rotors shearing off - a split second later, as they toppled down,

they exploded in to pieces of red hot shrapnel that went sizzling through the through

the cabin, piercing into the fuel tanks, igniting the vapors within....

Those on the ground heard the explosion, as the flagpole cut through the helicopter

like a hot knife through butter - and in a burst of white-flames, the wreckage

plummeted from the sky...

*

Back in the deserted television station, monitors flickered and some sparked and

smoked, here and there lay the unmoving bodies of the dead, as the satellite link-up

frizzled with static, as the camera feed from the helicopter - now a smoking pile of

wreckage - blinked and frizzled on the big screen, replaying the last minutes of the

footage endlessly, before with a last cough of exploding capacitors and diodes, the

screen blinked, the picture retracting in to a narrowing dot - down in to infinity....

*

A week later -

*

Massive army tents were set up in the central park and in the outskirts of the city, as

the wash of humanity and anthro's alike, struggled amidst the disease and filth of the

tent cities, as the realization of what had happened slowly hit. Rumours flew like

crows, as everything was discussed in low, hollow tones - everything from some act

of the God's, through too World War III. Amidst the death, destruction and horror,

slowly, stories emerged of incredible joy and jubilation, as people were pulled from

the wreckage of the city, still alive after all hope had been given up - and families

were reunited with missing loved ones.

Yet for all the happy stories - there were a thousand sad one - and Katelyn's was

amongst them....

Sitting huddled into a foetal position on the narrow army cot; Katelyn had lapsed into

a near catatonic state, after witnessing her father's death. Sitting beside her, the

young female human who had rescued her, reached out and lightly stroked the Fawn's

shoulder. Katelyn flinched and curled up tighter, her expression completely blank,

eyes flat and lifeless.

With a sigh, the woman shook her head, all but giving up trying to reach the

youngster who lay curled up on the cot. This young fawn had to be force-fed, and

that in and of itself was a task this young woman enjoyed. A soft cough from the

tents entrance snapped her out of her gloomy feelings, and she blinked at a white

coated human standing there, two armed soldiers with rifles held at the ready standing

behind him.

"Lieutenant Jamie?" Spoke the man, as he glanced down at his battered metal

clipboard.

"Do I know you?" Spoke the woman, instinctively snapping her gaze to the two-

armed soldiers, then standing, shielding the fawn from their gaze.

"No - I'm Doctor Greijj - come to check on the...creature." He spoke politely, but

she detected the chill in his voice, the obvious distaste he held for anthropomorphic

creatures.

Lt. Jamie bristled. "Doctor - she is not a...creature...but a living, breathing person,

with feelings, rights and thoughts of her own. She is not an...animal...that you would

look down your nose at."

Stepping into the tent uninvited, the Doctor took the aggressive stance, staring down

the Lieutenant, who did not flinch a muscle, likewise standing her ground.

"Lieutenant - we can do this the easy way - or the hard way. My own...feelings...

for these...creatures...in no way affect my duties that I must do. Now - you may

wait outside like a good girl - or I shall have my escorts drag you out. Do you

understand me?"

Drawing herself up straight, Lt. Jamie glared at the Doctor. "I do not have too - "

Snorting, the Doctor glared at her. "Lieutenant - this is a direct order from your

superiors. Now - you may wait outside by your own choice, or I can order you out,

by force if necessary."

Glancing back smugly at the two armed grunts behind him, he slowly turned back to

look at the seething Lieutenant, who bristled with outrage.

"You harm a single piece of fur on her body - " Lt. Jamie growled venomously as

she pushed her way past the Doctor. "And I will have you swinging by your ankles

from a skyscraper ruin...."

Smugly, the Doctor laughed, his voice cruel and vindictive. "Lt. - You have your

orders. I would rather we do this peacefully - but if you insist - "

Lt. Jamie savagely pushed past the two troopers and stood glowering outside, her

back to the tent entrance. At the rustle of the tent-flap, Lt. Jamie stifled her sob, and

hurriedly blanked her expression, as she stared impassively at the other tents and

assorted humans and anthro's alike, that were trying to find loved ones or their

assigned billets.

There was a commotion from inside, followed by the pealing shrieks of the fawn, and

Lt. Jamie gripped her hands into fists, as she struggled not to disobey orders, but there

was a startled curse and a loud slap, followed by the screams dying into a broken,

heart wrenching sobbing from the fawn.

"Fuck orders - " Lt. Jamie growled, as she executed a sharp turn on her heel and tore

open the tent flap.

With a single sweep of her eyes, Lt. Jamie had built a complete picture of what had

happened - having hurt the fawn, the fawn had retaliated with pure, primal animal

instinct - and bitten down hard on the Doctor's hand. As he raised his hand to strike

the fawn across the snout again, Lt. Jamie grabbed his wrist in a painful grasp.

"So - you like beating children Doctor?" Lt. Jamie seethed. "Why not try me on for

size - or isn't your ego up to a real fight? You'd prefer to beat a terrified, hurting and

orphaned fawn? My - what a big man you are...."

Wincing, the Doctor glared at Lt. Jamie. "I could have your ass slung in jail for this

• "

"You could - but then again - I offer you this choice. Lay a hand on her again - and

I'll break your arm in three places. Do I make myself clear Doctor? Also - leave

now - and never come near her or me again - and I will not report this to my

superiors." Lt. Jamie spoke softly, her grip tightening perceptibly, squeezing the

nerves and joints painfully.

Letting the chastised Doctor go, Lt. Jamie threw him a mocking salute, as he

grumbled and rubbed his numb arm, restoring feeling to it.

"Oh - and doctor? I'll have her ID tag sent to me when you've done it - and I will

have it double checked - I give you my word."

Growling under his breath, the doctor stormed out, and Lt. Jamie turned and knelt

beside the cot, then blinked as the young Whitetail fawn shied away from her, eyes

wide in terror. Sighing, Lt. Jamie held out a hand soothingly.

"Come on little one - please? I won't hurt you - I'm not a bad person. I want to

help you...please?"

Katelyn's gaze remained cold and distant, and she shirked away, and Lt. Jamie

sighed and nodded softly.

"I understand little one - I won't force you to like me...it'll take time for you to trust

me." Lt. Jamie spoke soothingly.

Covering the shivering fawn with a dark army blanket, Lt. Jamie sighed again, and

then looked down as the fawn snuggled into the blanket, her eyes gleaming from the

darkness beneath the blanket, and she caught the faint shimmering of tears in those

deep, haunted eyes.

*

Across the globe, it spread, its invisible tendrils reaching out, borne by the high

atmospheric jet stream winds, the deadly plague reached all over the world. As the

dust that contained the plague grew heavy with condensation, it slowly began to fall,

casting its pall over the torn, sundered earth below it.

It was unstoppable, incurable, and inherently fatal to everything it met...and above

all else - it was totally remorseless....

*

In the first encounters with the deadly virus, it was thought to be a case of dipheria -

and across the city, Talla'doon residents were ordered to stay within their makeshift

camps, as armed soldiers, dressed in environmental suits and masks, called for those

who felt even the slightest signs, to come forwards. Rumours flew, that it couldn't be

Dipheria - that disease had been cured centuries before, yet as the illness spread, so

did the panic amongst the refugees.

Those who showed the signs were loaded into transports and taken to a secure, self-

contained area, where they were housed and treated for the effects of dipheria - but as

they first came in They first came in ones and twos, then a day later - in tens and

twenties - then hundreds.... Their worst fears were confirmed...this was something

new - something far more deadly... Patients soon overwhelmed the meagre medical

resources that remained.

Symptoms started as a dry, hacking cough, and within hours, patients were in comas,

scabrous, oozing sores erupting over their bodies, but what was worse - was when a

body was autopsied in hopes of understanding this new disease - they were horrified

to find the patients organs...liquefying. It spread like a prairie fire, uncontrolled and

unforgiving, as it'd wipe out an entire family, and leave one alive - it did not

discriminate. Old, young, healthy or sick, animal, anthropomorphic or human - none

were spared its ravages.

Bodies were soon overflowing the capabilities to be buried, and massive slit trenches

were gouged in the earth, and the bodies - often by the truckload - were dumped,

whilst impassionate Army troops stood by, and using powerful flamethrowers, began

to cremate the dead. Even this effort proved to be too much, as more and more died

from the new threat - and their bodies were often left where they fell - as even the

soldiers in their protective suits - began to cough and wheeze....

*

In less than two weeks after the asteroid's impact - the virus had found a new world -

one suited to its tastes...and an almost limitless source of food for itself.

*

In Camp Niner-Zulu-Charlie, on the far side of the wreckage that had been

Talla'doon, in another refugee camp, a wounded doe lay, drifting in and out of

consciousness. She had been pulled from the wreckage of her shattered home four

days ago - barely alive, filthy, starving and her wounds grievous - but not considered

life threatening, heard the coughs and low cries of the dying all around her.

A young army private came to her side, and he knelt, his vulpine muzzle mostly

hidden by a thick rubber muzzle-mask. He held her paw in his own-gloved one, then

felt her pulse. His frowns indicating his concentration, he yelped as she cracked open

her eyes, the blazing intensity within them startling him.

"Doctor Karis - she...she's conscious sir..." Came the flat, filtered voice of the

vulpine.

Quickly, an army medic wearing a protective suit and mask approached, brushing

aside the startled fox as he knelt beside the doe, who blinked her heavy eyes and

weakly squeezed the doctors hand. Soothingly, the human doctor pet her paw, and

help a sip-tube to her muzzle, giving her a small bit of water.

"Shhh - do not try to speak - you've been badly hurt." Spoke the doctor, his voice

likewise flat, emotionless, and faintly raspy behind the mask's filters. "We have your

ID - so there is no need to worry...just rest and try to hang on."

Alexis summoned all her strength, and pulled a small holograph from her bloodied

pocket, and it fell from her nerveless grasp, as she gurgled and slumped back in to

unconsciousness. Retrieving the fallen holograph, the doctor glanced at it, and then

showed it to the Private.

"This must be her daughter - and husband. Have you seen either of them? They

must have been in that house..." Asked the doctor.

"Sorry sir - " Replied the Private. "I'm not logistics sir - but I can get someone who

may know..."

"Do it." Came the flat reply. "Hurry Private."

Nodding, the private saluted and ran as fast as his bulky suit would let him, returning

shortly with a haggard, pale human male, who deigned the use of suit and mask,

instantly earning the ire of the Doctor.

"You dare go unprotected - " Rasped the doctor.

"I dare - " Replied the man. "Doctor - you're already dead.... I've come from a

rescue site - army personnel and others, wearing masks and suits are already showing

signs - they - the masks and suits...aren't working."

"Rubbish - " Retorted the Doctor. "This is obviously a divergent strain of dipheria

we are dealing with here - "

"I'll leave you up to your delusions Doctor - " Grunted the man, as he rubbed his

stubbly chin, the sound harsh and rasping. "What I do know - is I helped carry six

men, who collapsed - showing signs of the virus. Their suits and masks have been

checked and checked again - and...are...not...breeched."

Snorting, the doctor checked the suit seals and glared at the man before him.

"Doctor - honestly? These...suits...are useless. This is no standard virus, I'll stake

my life on that." Growled the man quietly. "We have teams scouring the city for

survivors still - thousands of buildings have been searched for survivors - yet for

every miracle we create - we...we can't rescue everyone...no matter how we tried.

Many buildings have completely collapsed - and the S&R rescuers - we've already

lost six teams...."

"Sixty men? Then your teams are incompetent - " Laughed the doctor, masking his

shock with a show of bravado.

"Oh - I'm not worried - they were not mine - Doctor. They were suited Army

troops - your men. I've lost my share - but every single person who has come in to

contact with the virus...." With a shudder, the man left it unsaid.

"Everyone?" Stammered the doctor, his face paling.

"Oh - some have...started to recover...but it is fatal doctor - and your precious suit

can not save you - or anyone else." Sighed the man. "I do not profess to know what

this virus is - but it can and does get inside your suit."

Turning away, the man headed for the door, then he paused and looked back over his

shoulder. "You're wasting your time on that Doe Doctor - she is going to die...and

you too probably."

Rushing back in, the Private nearly collided with the man who roughly shoved the

startled Fox aside, as he strode out.

Stumbling, the Fox Private yelped and tripped, then stared at the departing human

and rose to his feet, and then unconsciously dusted off his suit, his gloved paws

instinctively checking for tears. "Doctor - we...we found her! We found the..."

Blinking back his tears, the Doctor hung his head, and then slowly closed the eyelids

of the Doe, as he nodded once. On the cot, the Doe lay still....

*

Back at the other camp, Lt. Jamie lay down on the cot beside the fitfully sleeping

fawn, and she sighed softly. Her throat ached and her eyes were watering, as she

sipped some bottled water, then coughed. With a shudder, she snuggled in beside the

fawn, pulling the blankets up around them. Gently, she stroked the fawn's cheek,

eliciting a low moan from the fawn, which wriggled in close against her and went

back to sleep.

*

Content, the virus continued to spread, borne by the currents, the water, even by the

simplest of methods...it propagated and spread with reckless abandon. Food - so

much food! It'd never known such abundance - it was peripherally aware some were

not food - but it paid little attention to those. Food was food - from the smallest

microbe, to the warm-bloods that it so craved...some had tried to find a cure - but it

was unstoppable. They had merely slowed it down - some had even found a way to

hurt it - but those races had long been cleansed. This silent killer had cleansed

billions of worlds - always hungry - always searching - always feeding...it hungered

• and on this insignificant ball - it had found paradise....

*

Lt. Jamie woke with a sharp, strangling cough tearing at her throat. Her entire body

felt like it was being consumed with fire, and she fell from the cot, choking and

retching.

Oh dear god - Lt. Jamie moaned silently. It's got me too - how could I be so stupid.

Fumbling blindly, she knocked the small cot-side stool over, the water bottles

slopping their contents into the dirt of the floor, Lt. Jamie rasped and clawed her way

to the tent entrance, where she collapsed shuddering and groaning. A passing pair of

humans found her, then instinctively turned and bolted.

They're already dead - Lt. Jamie's fevered thoughts shook her to her core. We're all

dead -

From the cot came an incredibly loud, and almost glass shattering shrieking. As Lt.

Jamie struggled to pull herself back around to the fawn, she felt the cooling shadow of

something fall over her fevered body. Rolling her eyes upwards she stared up at the

suited figure of a wolf that stood rigidly at attention, but his eyes betrayed his

concern. Quickly, he turned and barked his orders, the short, sharp snap of his words

sending troopers scurrying. Kneeling, the wolf looked down at the stricken woman,

and then placed his gloved paw against her wrist.

He's one of ours - Lt. Jamie's mind reeled. I know it - he's going too...

There was the sharp hiss of an air-hypo against her neck, and Lt. Jamie shuddered,

and then went limp....

*

A week later -

*

Lt. Jamie gurgled and cracked her eyelids open, then gasped as the bright sunlight

streaming in the plastic window seared her eyes. There was a soft whisper of robes,

and a cool cloth was placed on her brow.

"Shh - " Came a soft voice, as a furred paw stroked her cheek. "Rest now Lieutenant

• you're out of danger."

Summoning her fickle strength, Lt. Jamie tried to sit up, but the paw grasped her

shoulder and pushed her firmly down.

"I...the fawn - " Lt. Jamie wept suddenly, the hot tears springing from her eyes.

"The subject you speak of is being well cared for - now lie still." Came the feminine

growl.

"She...she's not a - " Lt. Jamie mumbled, feeling her consciousness slipping.

"Forgive me Lieutenant - " Spoke the female voice again, as it stroked her cheek

softly. "I...its been hell. Please - believe me - when I say she is well cared for - and

is resting peacefully. You need to rest."

Blinking away her tears, Lt. Jamie fought off the paw and sat up, then instantly

regretted it. As she fought the nausea and blinding headache that flashed across her

eyes, she felt the warm furred paw grasp her shoulder, and with desperation, Lt. Jamie

grasped it and twisted, feeling the slender paw break, and hearing the sharp inhalation

of pain. Focussing her eyes, Lt. Jamie watched as the white robed female anthro

Gazelle whirled away, clutching her broken wrist.

"Oh dear god - I...I'm so sorry..." Lt. Jamie wept.

Her long, tubular ears pasted flat in pain, the Gazelle slowly glanced back over her

shoulder, the tears on her cheeks tracking their way through her brown muzzle stripe.

"I...I should have...expected that Lieutenant - it...it is alright - you were

scared...and hurting. I...I'll get this fixed right away...."

"What - what is your name - please...I...I am so sorry..." Lt. Jamie wept.

Flicking an ear, and nursing her broken wrist, the Gazelle smiled shyly, the edges of

her lips turning up. "I'm...Aleisha - do not worry Lieutenant - I will not report you.

It was a natural reaction - I was...careless."

"Aleisha - " Lt. Jamie sniffled. "I thought - "

"You do not have the plague Lieutenant - you were suffering from a bad fever -

nothing more." Aleisha spoke, her resolve starting to crumble as the broken paw

throbbed intolerably.

"How many - " Lt. Jamie asked.

"How many?" Aleisha echoed, her eyes turning away as she swallowed and bit a

furred knuckle as the tears welled in her eyes. "The camp...is nearly empty - in camp

Delta-five - yours - there have been over thirty-five thousand confirmed dead..."

"That's not too - " Lt. Jamie whispered, as she done a quick assessment.

"Lieutenant - that was yesterdays figures...." Sobbed the Gazelle, as she turned and

fled the room.

Realisation slowly spread across Lt. Jamie's face, and the blood drained from her

face, as her eyes widened in horror.

"Thirty five thousand dead - in...twenty-four...hours."

*

Katelyn lay huddled in a large tent, curled up into a protective ball, as other orphans

played with the delicious innocence of childhood. Anthro's and humans alike, not

knowing the hate and bigotry, which most adult humans, and a fair share of anthro's

had for each other.

As the young Gazelle entered, her eyes sweeping across the room, she giggled as the

children swamped her - all of the children - bar one, and that instantly caught her

attention. Giving many of the children a friendly lick on the cheek and a quick hug,

she set them a new game, which they fell too with raucous abandon. Carefully, she

picked her away through the teeming throng, and knelt down beside the shivering

Whitetail fawn, her wide eyes compassionate and paws folded in her lap.

"Hello little one - " Spoke Aleisha. "You're frightened - aren't you? Its alright -

these others won't hurt you sweetie."

Seeing the look in the fawn's eyes, Aleisha blinked, flicking her long ears.

She understands the common tongue of man - Aleisha thought to herself. Yet seems

unable - or unwilling - to speak it.

Switching dialects to the soft grunts, growls and other guttural sounding noises

common to the deer people, Aleisha blinked as she saw the light of comprehension in

the fawn's eyes, instantly replaced with the blank, emotionless stare, but a subtle shift

of the fawn's scent sending a shiver up Aleisha's spine.

She understands - but is so...withdrawn - Aleisha sighed softly. How can I reach

her? This fawn has obviously been through hell.

Aleisha gently held out her newly healed paw, palm up, holding it near Katelyn's

nose, allowing the fawn to inhale her scent, hoping it would help calm her.

"Little one - " Aleisha whispered softly, in the grunting, barking cough of the deer.

Katelyn made no sign of acknowledgement, but her ear involuntarily twitched,

showing she was listening.

"Little one - do you know what happened to your mother?" Aleisha murmured

softly, watching intently for a reaction.

No visible sign of acknowledgement.

"Your fath..." Aleisha began.

Katelyn suddenly shrieked and her small paws began beating the young gazelle, who

squealed and instinctively slapped the fawn across the snout, then gasped and grabbed

the shrieking fawn and pulled her tight against herself, cradling the whitetail tightly

and gently rocking her, stroking her ears soothingly.

"Oh little one - I'm so sorry...." Aleisha wept, rocking the fawn. " I did not mean to

hurt you so -"

Her fight draining from her, Katelyn stopped fighting against the Gazelle and burst in

to exhausted, choking sobs, her nervous energy that had fuelled her sluicing from her

in waves. Holding the sobbing fawn tightly, Aleisha shivered, feeling the over-tensed

muscles loosening. Katelyn wept - out of pure, innocent childish terror...but the tears

were also cleansing, helping her to slowly release the horrors locked in her mind.

Still rocking the young whitetail, Aleisha began murmuring a soft crooning, that her

mother had used on her, when she was a fawn, and she smiled, as the fawn shivered in

her arms, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier, before they closed completely and

she slept - truly slept - for the first time since her world had come crashing down

around her ears. Quietly, Aleisha rose, holding the sleeping fawn in her arms and she

carried her out of the tent, and to her own, where she lay the fawn on a cot, then

snuggled in next to her. Katelyn shivered and cried out in her sleep, then nuzzled

softly against the gazelle's breasts, eliciting a short, sudden gasp of pleasure from

Aleisha, who smiled and nuzzled the fawn's ears tenderly, drawing her back in to a

deep, restful sleep.

*

Next morning, Katelyn woke, and rubbed sleep from her eyes, as she shivered and

looked around at the empty tent. Beside the cot was a bowl of warm milk and without

hesitation, the fawn grabbed it and drank it down, the milk dribbling from her muzzle

"Hello little one - " Came the soft voice of Aleisha. "Ah - you found the milk I left

for you."

Dropping the empty bowl that thumped on the floor, Katelyn squealed and cringed

back, the expression of fear coming over her, as she stared at the Gazelle, who gazed

back passionately, holding a small box in her paws - and something in the box made

it move.

"I have a bit of a problem - " Aleisha whispered soothingly to the fawn, as she

approached and knelt, placing the box on the floor.

Curiosity overcoming her, Katelyn sniffled and looked at the Gazelle, then at the box,

from which came a mewling cry. Aleisha smiled, noticing the sound elicited a look of

confusion in the fawn's eyes, but also one of growing curiosity. Aleisha opened the

box, the pulled out a small ball of fur, and held it in her paws, holding it out to the

fawn, which shrank away from it, eyes widening.

"This is a kitten - she was lost and hurt like you were - " Aleisha spoke. "She lost

her...parents too. I cannot look after her - she is too much for me. I was wondering

• would you like to be her mother? It's a big responsibility - caring for a

kitten...you've got to keep them warm, love them, play with them, look after them,

keep them warm - "

As if by cue, the kitten opened its eyes, the bright green eyes locking with those of

the fawn, and Aleisha held her breath, as kitten and fawn stared at each other.

Katelyn shivered and nervously reached out a paw to touch the kitten, then snatched it

back as the kitten sneezed. Aleisha bit back her giggles, and then soothed the crying

fawn.

"Hey - come on - " Aleisha whispered, as she sat beside the fawn and lightly stroked

her ears. "This kitten didn't mean to frighten you - she is cold - and needs a big,

brave fawn like you to care for her, and warm her up - here...."

Before Katelyn could blink, Aleisha dropped the kitten in to Katelyn's lap, whence

the kitten instantly began purring, rubbing itself against Katelyn's fur. Blinking,

Katelyn looked at the Gazelle, then at the kitten, then back at the Gazelle.

"Pet her - like this - " Aleisha spoke softly, as she ran her paw softly over the

kitten's fur, and the kitten purred louder. "Do not be afraid of that sound little one -

that means the kitten is happy."

"Katelyn - " Whispered the fawn, almost silently.

Aleisha blinked. "What?"

"My...name...is Katelyn." Quavered the voice of the fawn, as she hesitantly touched

the kitten with her paw.

Overjoyed with the fawn coming out of her self-imposed catatonia, Aleisha nearly

squealed with joy, but bit it down harshly.

"Katelyn? I think that's a lovely name, for a young fawn." Aleisha smiled, and

slipped her arm around the fawn's shoulders. "My name is Aleisha - and this kitten is

your responsibility now - you've got to promise me Katelyn, you will take very good

care of her."

"I...I promise." Katelyn nodded, and for the first time since before her world

collapsed around her ears - Katelyn actually smiled.

Giving Katelyn a quick hug, Aleisha rose and looked at the fawn and kitten, which

were bonding quickly - almost as if they were meant for each other.

"I'll be back Katelyn - I need to get you some clean clothes, and some food. Stay

here and look after your kitten okay?" Aleisha spoke softly, but her voice touched

with warning.

Nodding, Katelyn looked up at Aleisha, and she paused, as a faint smile touched her

furred lips. "Aleisha - thank...you."

Aleisha moved through the camp, which now - was frighteningly close to empty.

Many of those who remained, were now caring for the sick and the dying, or on burial

detail - burying those who had died. All through the camp there was the underlying

fear of death - and the smell of the unsanitary conditions assaulted the Gazelle's

sensitive nose. Going to the master-at-arm's in charge of the meagre food stores,

Aleisha waited patiently in line, having been given a chit for her assigned quota. A

young female otter standing before her, holding the paw of her young kit, whimpered

and covered her muzzle with a webbed paw, as she coughed dryly into a

handkerchief. As Aleisha tried not to notice how others shied away from the otter,

she did see the bright flecks of blood on the handkerchief, and her blood ran cold in

her veins.

How many more must die - Aleisha thought to herself, as she wiped away a tear from

her eyes. Already - we have lost so many...

"Next - " Called the cold, emotionless voice of the soldier.

Moving forwards, the otter female suddenly burst in to tears and grabbed the lapel of

the soldier.

"Please - please sir - you must let me have more food...I have a child for the love of

the God's..." She wailed, sinking to her knees and grovelling pitifully.

"Ma'am - " Spoke the soldier, his voice cold - unfeeling. "I sympathise - I truly do,

but we must carefully ration our supplies - "

"Supplies? What supplies?" Shrieked the otter in hysteria. "Thousands - do you

hear me? Thousands are dead - and you call for rationing?"

With a sigh, the master-at-arms looked at the Otter coldly. "Ma'am - you have

already been assigned your allotted quota of food and water."

Sobbing, the Mustalid clung to the officer, begging him for mercy. "Please - "

Dispassionately, the officer tore her paws from his uniform and stared down at her,

the slow boil of his rage showing in the widening of his nostrils and the colour

flooding his face.

"Ma'am - my patience wears thin. You are stricken with the plague - do not try to

deny it. Yes - thousands have died - around the world, millions are dead - and

billions may well die! Now - you will not receive a single more grain of food - as

you'll be dead in hours. Guards - get her out of my sight!"

"No - please!" Shrieked the otter. "I'm not sick...I'm not!"

As two burly human soldiers dragged her away, she fought and bit out at them, her

sharp teeth sinking in to one of their hands. He snarled and swore like a sailor, then

savagely cuffed her across the cheek, slamming her to the ground. Aleisha bit her

paw to stop herself crying out in horror. They roughly dragged her from the tent, the

broken, sobbing Otter hanging limply between them, the one on the right dragging the

crying and struggling otter kit with him.

*

From outside, came the sounds of a scuffle, and a startled curse, followed by the

short, sharp thunder of a gunshot, then a second later, another one and the high

pitched squealing of an otter-child.

"What...mommy...what are you doing...no...no mommy...I'll be..." Came the

terrified squeal - that was silenced by the loud explosion of the gunshot.

Inside the tent, Aleisha burst into tears, as the female Otter came staggering back in,

her muzzle wrinkled in rage, her smock bloodied and one of the troopers' heavy pistol

in both paws, but her inexperience showed, as she shook, trying to aim it.

"Guards!" Screamed the Master-at-arms. "Guards!"

"They're...dead..." Giggled the otter, her eyes burning with the madness that had

seized her. "Dead...all dead...hahahahahaha...."

Just as she snapped her paws up, there came a deafening roar of what sounded to the

terrified Gazelle like a thunderclap beside her ears, which sent her to her knees.

Shrieking and her ears, as they rang with the explosive roar. Vaguely, she stared at

the otter that blinked and looked down at her filthy smock, and then touched the

spreading wet stain there. As the pistol clattered from her nerveless paws, she stared

at the white-faced Master-at-arms, who held a pistol at his side, the scent of burned

cordite drifting from the still smoking barrel.

Just as two guards came running, the Master-at-arm's stared at the crumpling otter,

then at the two MP's, snapped a sharp salute - and before anyone could move to stop

him - snapped the gun up to his temple and pulled the trigger....

*

It was the beginning of the end - rumours began to spread faster and faster, that there

was some top-secret government project - and the plague had escaped from a secure

weapons research facility. Other rumours came about, as the hungry, starving and

sickly survivors began to whisper amongst themselves, how the Army was stockpiling

massive stores of pure food and water, saving it for the 'chosen ones' - who had been

sealed in secret bunkers beneath the earth, immune from any retribution and living the

life of luxury, whilst the survivors topside scavenged for scraps. Rebellion grew

quickly - and it knew no bounds...

*

In tears, Aleisha fled back to where she had left Katelyn, then started hurriedly

stuffing her meagre possessions into an old backpack. Sensing the gazelle's fear,

Katelyn began to cry, clutching her kitten tightly.

"Katelyn - we must go - now." Aleisha sobbed. "Please my fawn - we must run -

far away!"

"Why - I thought - " Katelyn wept, eyes wide in terror.

"There is no time to explain - " Aleisha growled sharply, the tears coursing down her

muzzle. "Please - put your kitten in her box - we have got to go!"

Katelyn bit back her tears and obeyed, the short, sharp order from the Gazelle

compelling her to obey. Pausing, she looked up and tugged on Aleisha's skirt.

"Aleisha - what...what's that?" Katelyn sniffled, her whole body trembling as she

heard the distant rumble.

"Oh no - they wouldn't..." Aleisha gasped. "They wouldn't dare...."

*

An angry mob, cold, muddied, hungry and thirsty, swarmed the perimeter fences of

the camp, clinging to the chain-wire and screaming their outrage. On the other side of

the fence, army officers gave orders to their troops - who looked at each other and

loaded their automatic rifles. A dozen armoured transports hovered nearby, their

heavy calibre dual-machine guns cocked and loaded.

"For the love of the Great Mother - " Someone screamed. "You've got to save us!"

"This is General Praken!" Came a stern, yet muffled voice over a megaphone. "We

are doing all that we can - go back to your tents...we are bringing in more supplies -

go back to your tents - or we will be forced to make you."

"We do not have to do anything you say!" Shrieked another. "We know you are

taking the best supplies - and shipping them underground to the secure bunkers! We

know - and you're leaving us here to die like dog's!"

"This is General Praken - I assure you - that we are doing no such thing! All

available supplies are being rationed as we speak - until we can bring in more! Our

supplies are limited, we have lost the ability to transport bulk-supplies in, and we ask

for your patience and understanding!"

"Do not lie to us!" More than one cried. "We know!"

"You know nothing!" Shot back the General. "This is a state of martial law - as such

• you are now subjected to the orders of the armed forces - now - move back."

*

It happened in the blink of an eye - crushing forwards, the sheer volume of people,

with nothing left to lose, rushed the steel wire fences, and they fell under the

swarming throng. A soldier panicked - and he opened fire on the stampeding mob -

with tragic consequences. Thousands surged into the fray, trampling and crushing

those who fell, as the cry went up - and the army tried to pull their troops back - then

dropped all pretences and opened fire....

Hundreds fell - either dead or dying - yet thousands more swarmed the troopers, who

flailed away with their weapons, using them like clubs, as the irrational mob swarmed

into and over the vehicles and troops, killing all in their path.

Heavy machine guns weaved across the swarming throng, ripping humans and anthro

apart, as the death and carnage grew in to terrifying heights....

*

Aleisha slipped nervously from the tent, hearing the explosive gunfire and seeing

flames sweeping through the tent city, she hurriedly snatched up Katelyn and fled as

fast as her hooves would carry her, heading in the opposite direction - back towards

the ruins of Talla'doon city. Hearing Katelyn's sobs, Aleisha wept as well - knowing

that from this moment on - their entire survival depended on Aleisha...

*

Two days later

*

Aleisha lay under a ragged blanket, coughing and shuddering, as Katelyn lay

snuggled beside her, clutching her kitten. Hearing the soft breathing of the fawn,

Aleisha dragged herself from the damp, dusty floor on which she lay, her throat

feeling as if someone had poured razors and broken glass down it. Shuddering with

chills she could not stop, Aleisha picked up the battered canteen and shook it weakly,

hearing only a very faint sloshing sound from within it.

"Need...water..." Aleisha gurgled to herself, the fever consuming her, making her

senses reel and waver.

Stumbling into the pre-dawn light, Aleisha tripped and felt the sharp broken concrete

and steel gash her leg - and in that instant of agony, she snapped back to

rationalisation of the world around her - a dark, dreary and ruined city. Armed gangs

had taken over entire city blocks, and raged too and fro, fighting for food and water -

both of which were in scant supply. Water could be found - but much of it was filthy,

and contaminated with ash, dust and debris - but it was still water. Food was the

hardest thing to find, but soon - soon neither of them would need food anymore - as

Aleisha had found a way to end both their suffering....

Filling a rusty can from a puddle, Aleisha returned to their ruined shelter, then

weakly shook the fawn awake.

"Katelyn - wake up...little one." Aleisha rasped, each word sending agony through

her throat.

"Who...what?" Katelyn whispered sleepily, as her eyes cracked open and she looked

up at Aleisha.

Aleisha smiled sickly, and dropped a dozen brightly coloured capsules into Katelyn's

paw, then emptied the last of the canteens water into a bowl, as she swallowed her

own tablets, pouring some water into her paw and washing them down.

"These...will help you sleep little one - " Aleisha coughed softly. "You do not need

to be afraid anymore - "

Suspiciously, Katelyn looked at the tablets, and then Aleisha sighed and grasped the

fawn's muzzle, forcing it open as she tipped the tablets in, then began vigorously

rubbing Katelyn's throat. Instinctively, Katelyn swallowed them, then began

coughing and choking, the hot, salty tears coursing down her snout, as Aleisha held

her tightly.

"Quiet little one...I...I'm sorry...for what I done...but sleep now...sleep little one,

look - your kitten is sleeping - " Aleisha gurgled, and then coughed weakly.

Katelyn looked down and seen her kitten lying still, too still - Aleisha knew the kitten

had passed away, but didn't dare tell Katelyn.

"She - she's not moving - " Katelyn suddenly burst into braying sobs. "My kitten!"

"She is sleeping now - " Aleisha murmured, as she rocked the sobbing fawn. "She

will never feel pain again little one - as we will not - she is...sleeping."

Lying down, Aleisha cuddled the fawn tightly, as Katelyn sobbed heartbrokenly, but

with the innocence of childhood, she believed the lie that Aleisha had told her.

Nuzzling in against the Gazelle, Katelyn let her heavy eyes droop, and then she

dozed. Aleisha smiled weakly, feeling the powerful drugs already affecting her, and

she let her own eyes slowly slip closed....

Aleisha was dead within minutes...

*

Katelyn woke suddenly - then struggled from the limp grasp of Aleisha's body, as

she scrabbled across the floor, her muzzle wrinkled in dismay and sickness - before

she collapsed and began convulsing, the sickening retching feeling as it were surely

going to tear her apart. Again and again her stomach heaved - then there was a

sudden final convulsion and she expelled the contents of her stomach, which

continued to heave and writhe within her.

Blackness swept over the convulsing fawn and she surrendered to it - feeling her

tortured body relax and grow quiet, as she slipped into the soothing darkness....

*

Katelyn woke the next day, her body frozen and covered in a chilling coat of water,

as above her, the rain tumbled down, the boom and crack of thunder and lightning

roaring, yet the fawn felt no fear at the storm - her eyes wide, she slowly rose and

instinctively shivered, sending the water rippling from her pelt as she rubbed her eyes

and clopped slowly over to the cot where Aleisha's lifeless body lay peacefully.

Blinking, Katelyn felt the stinging tears, as she stroked her paw across Aleisha's cold

cheek.

"Sleep now - mother." Katelyn whispered softly, as the tears began to slide down

her cheeks. "You sleep now - "

*

Spending the day sheltering in the ruins, Katelyn cuddled her limp, lifeless kitten, her

tears long since having dried - and no more were left to fall. As the storm moved off,

Katelyn crept from hiding and moved like a wraith through the quiet city, picking her

way over the debris and destruction, as she made her way into the remains of the city

park.

Where it was once a thing of beauty - it was now a ruined, torn apart wreck. Statues

had been shriven from their mountings, trees had been uprooted and the lake itself

was now a muddied, stinking bog - littered with corpses and refuse - the water having

vanished into a fissure that had opened beneath it.

A single rosebush remained of the once magnificent gardens and Katelyn broke the

tired, withered flower, and laid it in the box she carried - the box that contained her

dead kitten. Slowly, she sank to her knees, feeling the cold, uncaring loam beneath

them, as she began to dig - her paws moving mechanically, as she scraped at the earth

relentlessly - the tears once again coursing down her muzzle.

*

Sobbing, her body slick with mud, Katelyn kneeled at the edge of the freshly dug

grave, as she bravely bit back her tears. Her golden hair shimmering in the afternoon

sunlight, the white dappling on her back glinting - but it was the tear that slowly

tracked its way down her muzzle, that caught the light and sent a sparkle of gold

shimmering from it, as she knelt on the wet grass and lay a single, withered rose on

the freshly turned earth...beside this new plot, were two others, only recently had they

had more wilted flowers on them.

As she raised her tear-streaked muzzle to the sky, her brown eyes filled with sadness,

as she watched the blood-red sky - as fire streaked down from the heavens....

At last - Katelyn understood what they meant....

END