{"sf1_id":198715,"sf2_id":"XekWJYpe","title":"Outbreak CH4","author":"Heliamphora","words":1376,"posted_at":"2010-11-30T01:30:00.000Z","tags":["Bison","Cougar","Drama","Female","Horror","Male","No-Yiff","jackrabbit","plot","scene setting","zombies"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/198715-outbreak-ch4","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/XekWJYpe","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/a6/c0/a6c0d5ef-37a6-4c7b-93b1-efe5920e117b","description":"","content":"The atmosphere was heavy that evening.\u0026nbsp; It settled on their shoulders and rode them mercilessly.\u0026nbsp; Their weariness displayed itself in their slack postures and dull eyes.  \n  \nVicky had made her stance on the matter very clear.\u0026nbsp; She said it had to be done, and that the cub had died long ago.\u0026nbsp; Roy remained silent.\u0026nbsp; Mike, not having his own room to sulk in, hovered near the door to Roy's until Roy nodded his consent.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Mike slammed the door behind him. The frame shook with the force of his hurt pride.  \n  \nRoy buried his face in his hands and sighed.\u0026nbsp; His shoulders began to shake.\u0026nbsp; Vicky placed her hand on his upper arm.  \n  \n\"He'll get over it, okay?\u0026nbsp; It's just harder for some people to adjust to changes, and there have been some massive ones in that past year.\"  \n  \nRoy snorted.\u0026nbsp; \"You don't know Mike.\u0026nbsp; Trust me.\u0026nbsp; His opinions don't change.\"  \n  \n\"Do you honestly know that?\u0026nbsp; I mean, has he had to adjust to anything big before?\"  \n  \nThe bison hesitated.\u0026nbsp; \"Not really.\"  \n  \n\"To me, that sounds like I got you on a technicality.\u0026nbsp; Right?\"\n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah.\u0026nbsp; Let's let it go,\" he said.\u0026nbsp; He glanced around the cabin nervously.\u0026nbsp; His eyes flickered to the bedroom door and he cleared his throat.  \n  \n\"No, I think this is important!\"  \n  \n\"Really, it's not, don't worry about it.\"  \n  \n\"I'll guess then!\" Vicky said, clasping her knees excitedly.\u0026nbsp; \"Okay, how about--\"  \n  \n\"Vicky,\"\u0026nbsp; Roy hissed, \"Stop it.\"  \n  \n\"Alright, fine, you act like you're in love with Mike or something,\" Vicky said with exaggerated exasperation.\u0026nbsp; She grinned at him.\u0026nbsp; He stared at her, slack-jawed.\u0026nbsp; Her grin faded.  \n  \n\"Serio--\" she began, cut off by Roy's broad hand on her muzzle.\u0026nbsp; Her brows furrowed and she slapped him, sparing him none of her fury.\u0026nbsp; He reached for his cheek and rubbed it as they glared at each other for a moment.  \n  \n\"Look,\" Roy began, \"He doesn't know.\u0026nbsp; Okay?\u0026nbsp; I'd like to keep it that way.\"  \n  \n\"He hasn't ever guessed?\"  \n  \n\"Why would he?\u0026nbsp; He never had any reason to wonder.\u0026nbsp; I mean, sure, it's not like I went out with many women, but it's not like he did either.\"  \n  \nVicky snorted.\u0026nbsp; Roy shot her a pleading look.\u0026nbsp; She sighed.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Well, why not tell him?\u0026nbsp; It might at least calm him down, I'm pretty sure he thinks you and me are hooking up.\"  \n  \n\"As much as I'd love to correct that idea, I can't.\u0026nbsp; He just wouldn't appreciate the idea.\u0026nbsp; He's never been the most laid-back guy.\u0026nbsp; We get along because I know when I should talk and when I should stay on the downlow, and this is a downlow situation.\"  \n  \n\"I get it.\u0026nbsp; You should at least go talk to him though.\u0026nbsp; About today.\u0026nbsp; At least he won't be worrying about us, and trust me, he is right now.\u0026nbsp; I can read men like you wouldn't believe.\"  \n  \n\"At least now I've got backup.\u0026nbsp; Alright, I'm out,\" Roy said, rising from the couch.\u0026nbsp; He disappeared into the bedroom and Vicky sat perfectly still, her long ears perked towards the door.\u0026nbsp; When she heard the rise and fall of muffled voices she relaxed.\u0026nbsp; Her eyes scanned the cabin.  \n  \nShe stood up and walked over to the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; Disregarding the fridge, she stepped over to the pantry and flung open the doors.\u0026nbsp; She scanned the shelves and nodded, closing them.\u0026nbsp; The cupboards were inspected to the same standards, and then under the sink, the closet, the livingroom shelves.\u0026nbsp; One ear never lost its focus on the bedroom door.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Vicky delicately picked up and inspected Roy's shotgun, which he had left leaning against the door.\u0026nbsp; She had discovered shells in the kitchen drawers.\u0026nbsp; She scanned the room and then huffed in exasperation.\u0026nbsp; Mike had taken his pistol with him.\u0026nbsp;  \n  \nThe jackrabbit had started to get up and continue searching when she picked up on soft padding approaching the bedroom door.\u0026nbsp; She scrambled to get back on the couch.\u0026nbsp; She leaned back and examined her nails.  \n  \nMike walked over and collapsed beside her on the couch.  \n  \n\"So,\" he said.  \n  \n\"So?\"  \n  \n\"So, I'm sorry.\u0026nbsp; I was being a little bitch today and I need to man up and move the fuck on.\u0026nbsp; I acted like a dick and I hope you forgive me, or whatever,\" Mike responded.\u0026nbsp; He dragged out the words in a flippant way, but there was real feeling in the sound of them.  \n  \n\"It's alright, don't worry about it.\u0026nbsp; Times are tough.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah.\u0026nbsp; Did Roy talk about me?\"  \n  \nVicky's eyes shot towards him and looked him up and down.\u0026nbsp; She examined him coldly and then her eyes softened, glancing towards her hands.\u0026nbsp; She rubbed her fingers softly and sighed.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Well...why do you want to know?\"  \n  \n\"He doesn't do that.\u0026nbsp; Like, talk to me about shit.\u0026nbsp; I wondered if it was you.\"  \n  \n\"Yeah, it was.\"  \n  \n\"Well, what did he say about me?\"  \n  \n\"Why do you want to know?\" she asked again, a little more tentatively.\u0026nbsp; Mike scowled.  \n  \n\"Look, I know you and him are all...buddy-buddy and shit, but I've known him for a damn long time and I know there's shit he doesn't tell me, and I want to know it.\u0026nbsp; I don't like people hiding shit from me!\"  \n  \n\"Alright, alright!\u0026nbsp; Just calm down, okay?\u0026nbsp; Keep your voice down, and promise not to tell him I said anything to you.\u0026nbsp; Okay?\"  \n  \n\"Fine,\" Mike said.\u0026nbsp; He leaned back and waved his hand towards her.\u0026nbsp; \"Go on?\"  \n  \n\"Roy, he...oh, crap.\u0026nbsp; I don't know how to say this?\"  \n  \n\"Whatever it is I've probably figured it out by now.\u0026nbsp; I got my ideas.\u0026nbsp; Just spit it out, alright?\"  \n  \n\"Roy has, well, he has kind of a thing for you,\" she said, the words coming out in a rush.\u0026nbsp; Mike stared blankly.  \n  \n\"Like, he has it in for me or something?\u0026nbsp; He's never acted like he does.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No, no--not a bad thing.\u0026nbsp; A good thing.\u0026nbsp; Really, really good.\"  \n  \nComprehension dawned on Mike's face.\u0026nbsp; His eyebrows shot up and then down again, his eyes widened and then narrowed, and his slightly open muzzle closed into a sneer.  \n  \n\"No fuckin' wonder I need to sleep out here, huh?\u0026nbsp; Bet he couldn't keep his fucking hands off me if I was sleeping in the same room.\u0026nbsp; I gotta say, that at least is cool, that he knows to stay the fuck away from me.\u0026nbsp; But maybe I didn't set those boundaries clear enough.\"  \n  \n\"Calm down!\u0026nbsp; He hasn't done anything about it for all this time because he respects you, right?\u0026nbsp; Because he cares!\" Vicky hastily added.\u0026nbsp; Mike spat on the floor.  \n  \n\"He does, yeah, that's the fucking problem.\u0026nbsp; It's fucked up and since shit's gone downhill I can't very well kick his ass out or leave, but I can give him a piece of my mind, and I will do it right now,\" Mike snarled.\u0026nbsp; He placed his palms on the couch and shoved off into his best tough-guy swagger.\u0026nbsp; Vicky's eyes fixated on the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; As soon as Mike was down the hall she leaped up and jogged to the kitchen.\u0026nbsp; She pulled a trash bag out of the cabinets and began stuffing it with food from the pantry.\u0026nbsp;  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Angry voices bellowed from the bedroom.\u0026nbsp; There was a crash and some muffled swearing.\u0026nbsp; Steps thundered towards the bedroom door.\u0026nbsp; Vicky grabbed the bag and ran to the livingroom.\u0026nbsp; She met Roy at the shotgun.\u0026nbsp; He grabbed it and cocked the barrel.  \n  \n\"I should have fucking known.\u0026nbsp; I don't know what made me think I could trust you for even a second.\u0026nbsp; Get out.\"  \n  \n\"Can I at least--\"  \n  \n\"Get,\"\u0026nbsp; Roy growled, flipping the gun around so the stock jabbed her in the chest, \"Out.\"  \n  \nShe had her hand on the doorknob when the howling started.\u0026nbsp; It seemed to surround the cabin, a gasping and jagged mimicry of a hunting cry.\u0026nbsp; Roy and Vicky's eyes met.\u0026nbsp; Mike stumbled out from the bedroom nursing a split lip and rapidly swelling black eye.\u0026nbsp; They turned to look at him.\u0026nbsp; He pulled his pistol out of his pocket and managed a ghastly grin.  \n  \n\"We'll deal with this shit later, bitch,\" Roy spat, \"There are more guns in the bedroom closet.\u0026nbsp; I will search your pockets when we've killed these guys.\u0026nbsp; Get going.\"  \n  \nShe was in no position to hesitate.  \n  \n\n","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/196446-outbreak-ch3.json"}