FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

It was almost completely silent in the dimly lit locker room, save for its singular resident and the low hum of the AC vents above his head. A sudden gust of the cool artificially chilled air assaulted the young man's skin and sent goosebumps up his body.

"The room where people get naked seems to be the only one in the whole damn school they bother to keep cooled down..." he grumbled to himself as he set a crimson-colored notebook on the aluminum benches.

The plastic cover on the front had a name written in the corner, displayed with distinct neat calligraphy. "Benjamin". Unfortunately for him, his isolation would be ending momentarily as a figure outside waited patiently to close in

After waiting a few moments longer for the clock to hit 4, the athletic-looking lynx slipped inside the chilly room without a sound. At least the school kept the door hinges well oiled, though their enforcement of "No Eating People On Campus" could use some work.

Ben's blood ran cold as a figure loomed behind him, a large shadow revealing their presence. He didn't even have time to turn and see who had snuck up on him once a furry paw wrapped around the back of his neck in a vice-like grip.

His head was jerked forward and slammed into his locker, cracking his forehead against the metal lining the inside.

The piercing pain on his cranium was the least of his problems as the person behind him revealed their identity. "Figured I'd find a whelp like you hanging around here." A feminine yet very angry voice hissed into his ear before pulling his head out and spinning him around towards her.

The blood drained from Benjamin's face and he looked up to see the face of the person who had tried to claim him once already. "W-were you expecting someone else Jenny?" He questioned with a nervous chuckle, moving to slip out of her arms reach but that attempt was stopped by large paws slamming on either side of his body with a loud metallic clang that echoed around the room.

Her arms tensed up into a furry cage on either side of him before her claws slid out and lightly scratched the blue paint. "On the contrary Benny-boy, I found exactly who I was looking for." The anger in her eyes was fading somewhat, although it seemed to be getting replaced by a much more sinister gaze.

"Look I think I've already missed my bus and I'd like to get home before it gets too dark, so if you'll excuse me..." Once more he ducked to get out from her arms, but his efforts were thwarted by her. His sentence was abruptly cut off as her paw darted up and gripped his throat, choking off whatever he was about to say.

Almost in the same moment, his adrenal glands released their potent concoctions into his body and his heartbeat became loud in his ears. He barely noticed as his breathing subconsciously picked up speed now that fight or flight had been set off, but thanks to her he could do neither.

A sadistic toothy grin spread on her face once she saw the thin trickles of blood from her claws pricking his neck and she savored the moment now that she finally had him exactly where she wanted him. As a terrified mess in her control. "No bell to save you now, is there?~" She taunted him and was completely unfazed by his own scrambling hands that tried to pry her fingers off of his windpipe.

"P....please let go.." he pleaded in a wheezy tone as he finally got some words out but all it did was deepen the smirk spread across her snout. A few tears squeezed out of his eyes and trickled down his cheeks, wetting his cheeks with a salty glaze.

"Even more fuckin pathetic than I thought you'd be. That's a shame." She snorted and shook her head slightly, seeming a little amused at his weakness before a thought came to her and the amusement was replaced by a twisted sort of happiness.

"You always seemed to do well in science class, so how about we try an experiment, okay? You aren't too fun out here......" She started ominously before slowly bringing her head down to his level, staring right into his panicked eyes. All he saw in hers was hungry sadism reflected back at him.

"So, let's test to see if you're a bit more stimulating inside instead." Her tongue slipped out from her teeth and glided up his cheek, scratching his skin with the harsh small backward-facing spines that many cats possessed. His fear was almost intoxicating to her once the salty taste of his tears hit her mouth, and she wanted more.

At that moment Benjamin's mind completely blanked out of cohesive thought and was instead replaced with a primal sort of terror. A fear held onto since humanity's days as barely sentient hairy apes roaming the African plains, and all he could do was whimper and wriggle helplessly in her clutches. His heart sank as he watched her other hand go to his backpack, ripping off his student ID from the top strap and slipping it into her pocket.

With that same sadistic malice, she gave his cheek a small kiss, before whispering into his ear with a sultry tone. "Goodbye Benjamin. You're probably gonna die a virgin, but I think your bloodline is better off ending inside of me. Certainly wouldn't be the first twerp around here whose ended up where you're going."

Her words completely shattered Benjamin, and he probably would've sobbed if he had the air to do so. She positioned her head above his own and her maw slowly slid open, with trails of spit connecting both jaws. Her hot breath washed over him, and the trails moved back and forth with her breathing.

His squirms and quiet yelps reached a new peak once they lowered down like a claw machine towards a prize. The saliva falling on him mixed with his tears and the lights were blocked out completely by her approaching gullet. But right before his head was completely enveloped a loud sound from the door got both of their attention, pausing her maw's descent towards him.

With her attention pulled toward the door she entered earlier, the encroaching jaws of death pulled away from him rose away from him and snapped close.

The blood continued to trickle down it but the adrenaline flowing through it nullified the pain from her sharp claws. Ben tried to strain out a cry of help to whoever had entered, but her other hand clamped down over his mouth to silence whatever yelp he could have gotten out. Even if she had done that she couldn't hide the sharp smell that his blood gave off.

A familiar sight came around the corner though not a welcome one to the lynx. It was an older-looking Komodo dragon who seemed to be the main custodian of the campus, here with a mop and broom to clean whatever had been tracked in from the field outside during the day. Whether it was unclogging a toilet, cleaning a stain from a desk, or fixing a heater he always seemed to be the go-to man to get it done.

The lavender uniform the school had provided him clashed heavily with his muted green scales and the pair got a good look now that he was in full view.

"It's a bit late for you two to be hanging around the school." He grumbled before giving a gesture with his head towards the door. "Why don't you drop the human and go home before you get into trouble." He advised the lynx with a distinctly passive-aggressive tone, a slight hiss layered behind his words.

His hulking body was oppressively tall, at least 8 to 11 feet high, and certainly larger than the students standing before him.

"What's it to you huh? It ain't against the rules to stay a little past the final period of the day." The lynx replied with an annoyed tone before her tail raised ominously behind her, and stared at him down with a scowl of her own. "Mind your own business, okay? Won't take me long to teach this asshole his place"

Benjamin was red in the face by this point and his quiet gasps for air were the only sound besides the vents above that hadn't stopped their whirring.

"I'm afraid you dropping the kid wasn't a request miss." His tone had dropped a full octave and his tail began to slowly swish behind him, scraping against the rough concrete floor with a rhythmic rough melody.

Her resolve firm, the lynx's teeth bared slightly as she faced down the old-timer, not bothering to loosen her grip on ben. "You got a problem with me? Make a move, lizard. My mother is head of the PTA and she'll get you fired faster than a rabbit with its tail on fire." She threatened with a bold, almost cocky tone to her voice and her ears went back on her head. Jenny's claws slid out on her other hand, making sure he could see them bared and ready to be used.

The janitor was visibly unfazed by her challenge and gave a threat of his own. "Missie I have worked here for 35 years, and a threat from the brat of the local soccer mom queen has as much value to me as the shit I scrub from the toilets every time the cafeteria serves meatloaf. Now get outta here before I get the principal on your ass for disrespecting a member of staff and trying to eat someone on campus. Go on, git." He gestured at the door with an ominous and dismissive tone to his voice, his lithe but powerful arms crossing together in front of him.

The lynx's eyes narrowed before she finally relented to his command. "Fine. You're lucky I've got a date to get ready for soon." She spat at the glowering janitor before dropping Benjamin, leaving him on the dirty locker room floor in the corner.

With a loud rough gasp, Benjamin was finally able to fill his lungs with oxygen. The muscles in his legs seemed to melt inside his skin and he slumped against the small storage he had been given. The lock on the front of it dug into his back but the adrenaline in his system kept that from occupying his thoughts.

The janitor's cold eyes followed her movement and she stomped past him, sulking out the other door to the hallway and slamming the door loudly once she exited. Now that she was gone he finally relaxed again, letting out a long sigh before his gaze turned to the shuddering human in the corner. He hesitated for a moment before walking over to him, looking down at him with a mildly concerned gaze.

"You okay there son? Here, geddup. The ground's filthy here and would probably ruin your clothes if you stayed sitting in that. Not sure what you boys spill in here but it's a bitch to get out of the floor." He held his hand out to him and Benjamin shakily took it, his hand dwarfed by the custodian's scaly mitt.

"Up we get." He encouragingly declared as he pulled him up easily, steadying Ben by the shoulders.

The jelly feeling in his legs was starting to fade, but the shaken human still grabbed a locker handle to support himself till it was gone. The adrenaline would take a bit longer to cycle out of his system.

"I.....I thought I was gonna die just now." He finally got some words out, albeit shakily with a rough wheezy rasp from the strangling. A sudden and intense feeling of self-consciousness came to him and he quickly wiped his face with his shirt, trying to compose himself and look presentable. "Thank you... sir." He added the sir as he felt the man deserved that title.

The janitor gave a dismissive wave at the gratitude before shrugging slightly. "Eh don't mention it, kid. Just doing my job, and you be careful now, okay? Get yourself some hydrogen peroxide or alcohol for those cuts. God knows where her claws have been." He turned away from the shaken-up human and plodded back towards where he had left his mop and bucket.

Now that he had been reminded of the cuts, the sharp pricks finally began to hurt and a wince involuntarily crossed his face. He pulled his white gym towel from the locker and wrapped it around his neck, lightly applying pressure to it. Feeling compelled to ask for some reason Benjamin got the custodian's attention. "Wait sir...uh....is that the only reason you saved my life?" He questioned him with a more steady tone now that he was calming down. He was both worried and curious to know his answer

The janitor paused in the middle of the row of lockers before turning back to him with an odd expression on his scaly face. "What makes you think there's more to it, kid?" He gave Benjamin a query of his own before crossing his arms again, though this time with a more relaxed stance.

Benjamin swallowed as the intimidating gaze from the hulking Komodo dragon made some of his nervousness return before gathering his courage and continuing. "The.....the look on your face when that went down. The fact that you stepped in when it would've been easier to let it happen. I'm just...just another student you know." He let out a humorless laugh and scratched his head, looking down at the floor.

"A number the school would be willing to let slip through the cracks to avoid the hassle of disciplining and enforcing those rules. But you stopped her anyway. Why would you do that for someone you didn't even know?" He tentatively spoke, choosing his words carefully.

As he finished speaking he noticed the stern man's gaze softening, before he reached up and scratched his head. "Fair enough kid. I suppose I intervened because...I wanted to. Felt compelled to, even if it wasn't in my job description. It uh...it ain't right for young'uns to be eatin young'uns. Hell, when I was a boy that kinda thing was unheard of. Of course, people still got ate but it certainly wasn't as common as it is nowadays."

He fell silent for a few moments and his eyes focused on something far away before his gaze turned back to Benjamin. "Lemme tell you something about this job kid. I have to clean up the messes that people like that lynx leave behind. Spit-covered clothes, emptied and discarded wallets, abandoned phones and shoes, student IDs, things that are hard to digest and usually just ditched wherever the person got picked off."

" Usually happens in storage rooms, closets, locker rooms, shower rooms, bathrooms, other secluded areas without cameras where it's easier for someone to get away with it. Hell, I sometimes find discarded belongings stuffed in garbage cans when I empty them. Of course, I turn in what I can to the administration. IDs, clothes with initials written in the tags, stuff the school can hand over to the parents of whoever got ate. Been finding more of those remains over time. Heh, maybe homeschooling will make a comeback at this rate." The snort he let out didn't seem to have too much humor behind it.

His scowl deepened as a thought came to him before his voice intensified. "Y'all are always on your damn phones, and I know the whole eating people thing is all over the web and social media now. No wonder it's happening more, seems to be the fun trendy thing to do now. When I was your age it wasn't usually done for fun, and now it seems like that's the only reason anyone eats someone nowadays."

He cut himself off as he realized he had gotten off track, and lowered his tone back to where he wanted it. "Wears down on ya, you know? I signed on to keep this school clean and running well, not to be some kinda undertaker or coroner. Whatever the word is." He finished his thoughts on the matter with a discontent look.

After listening patiently and quietly for so long Benjamin finally added to the conversation. "Did you.....eat people back then?" He softly asked him, figuring he already knew the answer but immediately regretted asking. He wrung his hands a little feeling like he had gotten a bit too personal but luckily his fears were unwarranted.

The janitor stayed silent for a few moments before nodding. "Yeah, I did. Was a good way to save money for food. Doing it for fun wasn't my thing since I had better things to do than hunt down other people. I was uh...quite the bowler back in the day. Got a few big trophies sitting on my shelf back home."

He gave him a wry smile before continuing the mild reminiscing. "Haven't done it in a long time. I got financially stable, and once you reach a certain age eating people just doesn't have the same appeal. Lotta old predators get too weak to do it though I've certainly stayed in shape. Good health is a luxury a lotta people my age don't have." He stopped himself from going off on another tangent and paused as a thought came to him, though it didn't take long to decide it.

"Look, you seem like a good kid. I suspect she'll go after you again since I kept her from her mid-afternoon meal, and I don't wanna have to clean up whatever she leaves behind next time when I'm not around. You wanna stay alive, right? Have aspirations, go to college, get a nice wife and job, maybe kids, stuff like that?" The Komodo dragon asked him with a more commanding tone of voice sounding like he was gonna start on a new tangent.

Ben gave a silent nod in return and got ready to listen to whatever he had to say. His memory wasn't the best, so sometimes he had to specifically focus on what was being said to absorb it.

"Well I might as well try and help you have that chance as best I can anyway. I know some stuff, a few tricks and advice that could come in useful next time some hormonal upstart who thinks they are hot shit comes to get ya." He crouched down to a knee to get to Ben's eye level, beckoning him over to him with a brief gesture of his clawed hand.

A feeling of deja vu came to Ben as he was reminded of a trope in movies. The "old master gives advice that will come in a dramatic flashback later in the movie and save the day" but he pushed aside the thought and refocused on the janitor

"If you wanna survive an encounter with someone like her there are a few things you need to remember. The first thing to consider is your species. Humans aren't usually too fast with a few exceptions, so most of the time they can and will outrun you if they get the chance and running isn't advisable anyway since it can set off their instincts."

He looked to be thinking and continued speaking. "Turns it from something they want to do to something they have to do once that more feral part of the head takes over. I don't remember too much of the science behind it, so I don't got any technical terms for you." Truth be told, Benjamin preferred that since it'd be easier to remember.

The custodian cleared his throat before continuing his lesson. "Alright, next is when they are close to you which is pretty much a guarantee if they are looking to eat ya. The action hero's you'd see on TV don't show any fear in dangerous life-threatening situations. Guys like Rambo, John Wayne, Terminator, other big shots like em."

"Fears are a natural feeling kid and it's ok to be scared, but you can't show it to whoever's trying to eat you." He gave an encouraging small smile as he reassured him. "It's important to not act like prey so that the animalistic switch in their brain doesn't get turned on, pretty much locking in the perception that you are food to consume."

Her gleeful merciless look came back to him and a flutter of fear returned at the thought. He finally had a morbid understanding of why her demeanor had shifted so quickly, though he felt cursed by the knowledge.

"When you are facing down someone like her you need to act like them in a way if that makes sense." He stopped as he considered how best to describe it. "When that adrenaline kicks in, embrace it. Ferocity is key to that kinda thing. Roar with rage, snarl, bare your teeth, maybe drool a little, and use anything nearby as a weapon if you don't have one on your person. Be rabid with feral-like energy if you can muster it. Your species is underestimated by the vast majority of predators, so use that to your advantage since most will get thrown off or intimidated by humans acting as ruthless and ferocious as them.

"If it comes down to fisticuffs, go for anything soft and open like the eyes, nose, ears, and fighting dirty is pretty much mandatory. Hit below the belt and go straight for their crotch and kneecaps."

He gestured down at his knees and kept explaining. "You're shorter than most predators so you've got a better angle at any sensitive bits compared to other species."

"Once they keel over give 'em another hard kick to the crotch or stomach and then run like hell. Should put them outta commission for a little bit." Another frown came to him as he had a thought about his advice.

"Under most fisticuffs situations I'd say that's a scummy lowdown thing to do. But I think a scenario we're talking about calls for a little less honor. It's not some fancy duel, it's life or death you know?" He justified it, or at least tried to. Regardless of the moral implications Benjamin agreed with him.

The wry smile returned as he remembered something before continuing to talk. "Had a human pal in college who did stuff like that and he got through it alive. Not sure what happened to him but I'm sure he's doing okay nowadays." In a way, the kid in front of him reminded him of his buddy, but he pushed away that memory and continued the crash course.

The janitor briefly hesitated again before reaching down and gently grabbing Benjamin's arms, loosely holding them to his sides so that Benjamin could pull them out if he wanted to. He probably should've asked first but it was a bit late for that.

In response be. instinctively wriggled a bit, but didn't try to free himself from the rough scaly hands. He guessed it was part of what was being taught to him, and he guessed correctly.

"This is how most would grab you. It pins the arms to the sides to keep control of any struggles, and straightens the body to make it easier to eat whoever is in their grip." The custodian explained before releasing Ben's arms.

His gaze hardened once more and he made sure Ben was looking at him before he got into the next "course". "Do not allow yourself to get swallowed at all costs, alright? If ya don't have a gun or knife on your person you are dead. Simple as that. But just because your hands are outta commission doesn't mean you still can't cause them a lot of pain. Kick them if you have an angle, and bite whatever is in range as hard as you can."

He gestured up at his jaws and kept giving his advice. "A mouth is very soft, right? So just because you don't have big sharp teeth like me doesn't mean you can't give someone a hell of a bite. You'd be surprised just how much pain the mostly dull teeth your species has can cause."

There was an expression of amusement with encouraging undertones, but his face got serious again. "Go for the tongue, cheeks, even the uvula if you are positioned right. They'll either getcha out of their mouth as quickly as possible or bite down in response to the pain."

"Agony from a predator's jaws cutting and crushing into your body is better than being dead, assuming the bite doesn't go straight into your neck. Though to be fair getting your neck snapped is better than dying slowly in someone's belly." Seeing the appalling look forming across Ben's face he quickly changed the topic. "Oh, and there's one other thing that's important."

The curious human leaned forward a little with a clear look of interest on his face, replacing the uncomfortable expression from only seconds ago.

"Do not start begging or pleading if you get in that scenario. They will not care, and some will either enjoy it sadistically or even to a sexual extent. Do not cry either. I heard you when I was in the hallway choking and whimpering like a hurt puppy and did you even see the slightest shred of guilt or pity on her face? Any at all?" He questioned Ben with a harder tone.

He swallowed and thought for a moment, forcing himself to think back to that harrowing incident. "No....no there was not." He admitted quietly.

"I thought not." The janitor replied with a sharper bite accentuating his words before rising again to his full height, looking down at Benjamin with the same tired expression. "It's a hard world out there son. Your generation may have it even tougher than mine did, in some ways." A small smile came to his face as he reached for his mop and bucket again, removing them from where he had set them down against the wall.

"Be careful kid, and give em' hell. When you whoop that lynx's ass, tell her I said hello." He looked up at the clock on the wall and a frown settled on his snout again. "You better get home now, it's getting late. The last bus probably left ages ago." He dipped the mop in the bucket before he began to give the floor a soapy chemically scrubbing.

Ben glanced up at the clock and cursed under his breath, quickly grabbing his things and stuffing them in his backpack. He noted the broken rubber loop he had kept his ID on and figured he'd have to get a new one from administration tomorrow. "Well, time flies when you are learning interesting things". Ben chuckled softly to himself before turning and giving the janitor a smile of his own. "Well thanks for the advice sir. You're a lifesaver." He lightly joked before shouldering his backpack.

The janitor let out a small snort towards the attempt at humor but the smile didn't reappear on his face. Ben was no Robin Williams that was for sure. "No problem kid. That was a....a good talk. Haven't had one like that in ages. See ya around." His attention turned back to the work waiting for him, leaving the air filled with silence.

Sensing the end of the conversation Benjamin finally left the locker room where he had almost lost his life, leaving the custodian alone to do his thankless but important job. Both were left with a lot to think about and it was a talk Ben never forgot.

It wouldn't be the last time that he would have to face down someone who wanted to murder him, but the words of wisdom helped him long after he had left high school. The sanitation worker never ended up leaving a large dramatic effect on the world, but that's okay. Without him, the scared freshman he had pulled up from the dirty floor may not have grown up to be a strong man. He had given him that chance

The most valuable type of legacy is one where someone or many someone's lives were improved because of your choices and actions. Not everyone can leave a profound mark on the world, but everyone can make someone else's life better. And in the end, what greater impact is there than that?