Can You See Me Now? (Pt. 1 of 5)
#1 of Can you see me now?
~Stupid disclaimer thingy~ Ya adult content blah blah blah. Although there's no adult content in this story, There is definatly M/M contact here. Just warning you, k? Enjoy Everyone!
***
"... Mr. Mugsly...?" Came the voice. Then a claw tapped on his shoulder. "Mr. Mugsly it's
time to wake up..."
Coda, a wolf of twenty, jumped as he felt the plane descend, which made his ears
start to fill and pop as if he were diving underwater.
"You good?" The stewardess asked him a final time before moving on to the next
sleeping fur that was off in Never Never Land.
Coda just nodded, grunting as he sat up and yawned as wide as his mouth would let
him. He groggily turned and looked out the window just as the plane was tearing out of
the clouds.
"Wow..." The wolf thought to himself, gulping down spit, trying to release the pressure
that built in his ears. "Sure looks like heaven out there..."
He envisioned walking along the clouds, wishing he could just lie there all day ignoring
all of life's stupid problems and leave them on the earth's surface. Sadly, though, his
dream was ending as the plane descended. All that was coming now where the growing
houses, plains, and cars.
"Well passengers," The pilot's nasally voice came through the P.A. system. "We, here
at Albatross Airlines, would like to thank you all for choosing us as your way to fly. We
hope you enjoyed everything and hope to see you again in the future!"
"I wonder how many times he's said that speech today..." Said the prissy Dalmatian
that sat next to him the whole flight.
"Ha..." Coda chuckled awkwardly. "Probably a million..."
"Excuse me?" Miss Prissy-pants replied, lowering her shades to reveal her dashing
green eyes.
"Never mind..." Coda sighed, blushing under his gray fur. "It was stupid anyways..." And
with that, he stood up and walked into the aisle, butting in front of everyone to step off
the plane first.
"Excuse me sir!" He heard a fur shout, probably a stewardess, but all he said in return
was "Sorry ma'am I'm in a rush!" He fled down the terminal with his carry-on in paw and
ended up in the airport, which was filled to the brim with bustling furs.
"Coda!" He heard his name being shouted, which perked his ears as he stood on his
toes, trying to gain a vantage point. "Coda over HERE!"
"Ah," he chuckled, spotting who he was looking for. "Adam! Meet me over there!" He
pointed to the seats that lined the wall made of glass on the left side of the room. He
then pushed his way through the crowd until, at last, he spotted Adam sitting in chair
with a free spot next to it.
"Brother," Adam greeted him with a grim handshake, wanting to get right to the point.
"Adam it's been forever!" Coda said throwing aside the handshake and giving his
brother a hug. "How have you been? And why have you called me here in such a hurry?
And how are you and Whitney doing? And how... "
"Shoosh now," Adam said, chuckling at how excited Coda was. He was even wagging
his tail, which was something every fur seemed to lose interest in doing during puberty.
"If you would hold still I'll tell you why you're here, okay?"
"Yeah," Coda smiled, feeling rejuvenated being with his brother again. "But it's been
so long Adam! Three months almost! Is Whitney still a stewardess? Can she still get me
free tickets?"
"Enough with the questions, Coda!" Adam whispered. "Now I'm afraid I have some
rather disturbing news..."
"Uh oh..." Coda said, feeling the gloom set in finally. "What is it... Did dad finally find
out about me? Did mom tell her? Or was it Whitney?! Oh I swear I'll..."
"Shut up you runt!" Adam whispered again, this time angrily. "It's not about you being
gay alright?"
Coda just nodded, feeling warm from the verbal abuse his brother was giving him. It
was just like old times.
"Coda," Adam said with a heavy heart, breathing in deep. "Dad killed himself a couple
days ago..."
Coda sat there for a second, staring into space, then croaked out a simple "...what?"
before he started feeling lightheaded.
"Coda?" Adam said, noticing the wolf rocking back and fourth in his seat, then watched
as his eyes rolled back, and finally, him falling backwards onto a beaver in a suit that
was reading the newspaper.
"Get this fella off me!?" He screamed, ripping his paper as he flailed around. He
almost fell out of his chair before Adam stepped in, holding back his laughter.
"Sorry sir!" Adam said as he lifted his brother back up by the collar. "He... ugh... Just
found out his wife was pregnant..." He covered.
"Well..." The beaver huffed as he scooted back up onto the seat, piecing together his
newspaper again. "I'm happy for him... but I have a weak heart, you know? I don't need
dumbstruck wolves falling in on me from time to time, you hear?"
"Yessir," Adam said, slapping Coda's face as he talked. "It won't happen again, sir."
He then turned and started rigging the wolf's neck to bring him back. "Now Coda... Would
you please come back so we can finish this conversation?"
After about five minutes, he gave up, letting the wolf flop to the floor and he turned
his attention to the beaver again. "So anything good happening in the world?" He asked
him, looking at the puzzled together paper.
"No not really..." The beaver sighed, turning the page. "...but I can get a box of Captain
Crunch for 99 cents with this coupon." He said with a wink, then jumped at something
rubbing his foot.
"Ugh..." Moaned the wolf on the floor. "...ewww... I drooled on my cheek and now my
furs all matted..."
"That's awesome Coda," Adam laughed, pulling him up by the scruff. "But back to what
we were talking about before..."
"Oh yeah!" Coda shook his head, going into listening mode. "So about those free
tickets?"
"Enough about the tickets you moron!" Adam whispered again, getting closer. "Dad's
dead alright!"
"I remember that..." Coda said, feeling woozy again. "... oh... oh god..."
"Damnit Coda!" He said with a smack from the back of his paw. "Do you know what
dad's death means?"
"Yeah?" Coda whimpered feeling his cheek. "It means that I'll only know him for
twenty years..."
"Coda," Adam sighed. "That doesn't mean anything..."
"Oh yeah," Coda scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Says the mutt who's known him for
twenty-three."
"I'm willing to over-look that "mutt" comment," Adam growled. "Only because we are
now rich."
"Rich?" Coda's ears perked again, giving him a little shiver. "What do you mean... rich?"
"His inheritance... numb-nutts..." Adam rubbed his eyebrows. "You know... the one that
mom put him on?"
"I never really got into the whole... family thing..." Coda giggled, remembering all the
times he'd skip family dinner to go make out with boys.
"Yes, Coda..." Adam sighed. "I know that all to well. Remember? I was the one
covering you every night..." He cleared his throat and began to whisper again. "Coda... He
left us both two and a half million dollars... do you know what that means?!"
"Oh my god..." Coda said, his staring drawing blank.
"Yes I know," Adam giggled, rubbing his paws together. "We don't have anything to
worry about anymore, Coda! It's easy-street from NOW ON!"
"But... But..." Coda stammered, then turned on the water flow and started bawling.
"ADAM... DAD'S... DEAD..."
"Oh my god, Coda..." Adam sighed as he picked up his wailing brother and hoisted him
over his shoulder.
"He's dead Adam..." Coda whimpered pathetically, pounding his fists on Adam's back.
"Gone from the world... Not here anymore... Resting in peace... Never to return..."
"Coda..."
"...Yes Adam?"
"If you're gonna pound on my back... at least do it up a little higher... Whitney was a
liiiittle bit wild last night..."
***
By the end of the car ride through the beautiful British Columbia countryside, Coda had
dried his tears and stuck his head out of the window. The wind in his face had his
tongue trapped to the side of his mouth, and when Adam pulled up to his house, he had
trouble getting it to go back in.
"You're such a pup..." Adam chuckled as he shut the driver's side door, and then locked
it with the tiny remote on his key ring.
"Car rides do that to me..." Coda mumbled, trying to get saliva back into his mouth.
Adam just nodded and unlocked his door, and when they stepped inside the house was
an absolute mess. Stacks of boxes, papers, and furniture all gathered along the den wall
and all that was left was Adam's laptop, and a small two-person cot that was set up
next to it. Even the wallpaper was torn down, leaving bare walls of wood, matching the
bare wooden floors.
"I didn't know you were moving, Adam?" Coda gasped, looking at all the boxes, then
to the lonely cot.
"You don't expect me to stay in this dump when I have 2.5 mil. in the bank do you?"
The brother returned, hoisting a couple of the boxes onto one another, and attempt to
make the place tidier.
"Hmmm..." Coda thought. "What am I gonna do with two and a half million dollars..."
He then perked his ears. "Hey! That means I can move closer to you!"
"You definatly could do that, Coda," Adam nodded, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"But what about your life back in London?"
"Screw London, Adam..." Coda sighed, flopping down on the cot. "I can't find a boy
anywhere there, and all my friends are jerks who care about nothing but themselves..."
"Sounds rough..." Adam sympathized.
"Yeah," Coda grinned again. "But that's why seeing my brother's so great. And plus I
have my books."
"You're still writing?" Adam kept the conversation going, even thought he was still
preoccupied with the boxes.
"I have nothing better to do, you know?" Coda thought about picking up the laptop.
"And it's really my only source of income."
"I was happy with your last novel, Coda." Adam said, now moving to the furniture. He
hoisted down a couple chairs and a table and went into the kitchen, still listening.
"Heh," Coda scoffed. "I can't even believe you read my stuff."
"Why not?" Adam asked, bringing out two Coke's from the mini-fridge in the other
room. "You're a pretty damn good writer, you know that?"
"Nah..." Coda said, popping his open with a twist. "I'm just a fool who writes about the
fantasy life he wished he had."
"Maybe if you tried writing and male/female novel," Adam smiled, winking. "Then you
might get the popularity you were aiming for."
Coda almost choked when he heard his brother say this, taking a couple seconds to
cough the soda back up. "What are you? INSANE?!"
"What's the big deal, Coda?" Adam laughed, tossing him a napkin from who knows
where. "You'd hit a bigger crowd if you did that you know?"
"Adam..." Coda sighed. "I write male/male love stories, usually resulting in hot steamy
nights. Smut, if you will. I have never been with a woman, nor do I plan to in the next
hundred years... It wouldn't work!"
"Okay, boy-o," Adam was holding back laughter. "Calm down, alright?"
Coda just nodded as both of them heard the front door open, making both of them
turn their heads. Whitney, a 22 year old female wolf, came in, holding two dry cleaned
suits in one paw, and a dry cleaned dress in the other.
"Hey honey," Adam said, getting up to greet her. All he got was a suit in the muzzle.
"You," She said to him in an angry, flustered tone. "Put this on! Quickly! The funeral's
in half an hour!" She then turned to Coda and threw the second at him as well. "Good to
see you again Coda, but you must put that on. "Chop Chop!"
"But honey," Adam said, pulling her into a hug. "The funeral isn't until tomorrow?"
"I changed it," Whitney snapped back, hugging quickly then heading to the back room,
which used to be their old bedroom. "It's better for all the guests this way!"
"Well..." Adam said, starting to remove his clothes. "I hope you haven't grown shy over
time, Coda, but if you have you can go in the other room." And when he looked up, Coda
was already wrestling his tux pants on.
***
The funeral home was about half an hour from Adam's place, which went by slowly
because they had to drive in a line of a bunch of other people. All the while, furs
stopped at the site of the hearse and gave their respects.
They took Adams car, which drove right behind the limo-like hearse. Adam drove,
Whitney sat in the front passenger seat, even though Coda called Shotgun AND Dibs,
which only left him in the back feeling nothing but the need to stick his head out the
window again.
"Aren't you sad, Coda?" Whitney said, looking back at him. She wore a black veil that
covered her face and a flowing black dress. "Even Adam's tearing up a little..."
"Me and my old man never really saw eye to eye..." Coda said with grimace.
"Is it because of the gay thing?" Whitney asked him, almost in a whisper.
"He never knew," The backseat wolf replied. "I dunno. I was always obsessed with
video games and writing, all the while Adam played catch and built things with him."
"That's too bad..." Whitney replied, rubbing Coda's knee, showing support.
"No worries," He smiled.
The car bumped a bit as it drove over the curb of the funeral home, followed by the
honks of the people behind him, angry for not driving in a perfect line. Adam then turned
into the nearest parking spot and got out, straightening his suit. Coda and Whitney
followed in the same fashion as they opened the door to the air conditioned funeral
home, which looked more like a fancy hotel on the inside.
"What a glum bunch, you lot are," Said the receptionist, a skunk with big thick glasses
who looked to be about 60. "Except the one with the jitters who's got a smile on his
face. Heh, haven't seen one of those in a million years."
"Don't mind him, sir," Adam sniffled. "We're here for the Mugsly funeral..."
"Hmmm..." The skunk said, pulling out a big book and looking at it with his giant
glasses. "Uh oh... It says here the funeral's not till tomorrow..."
"Well..." Adam said, turning around and giving Whitney a stern look of "I fucking told
you so...". "Isn't that INTERESTING..."
"Oh wait..." The skunk corrected, pointing a claw to the date he scratched out. "No you
guys are right. It's set to start in about fifteen minutes in room 14, just down the hall
there."
Adam then turned around and caught Whitney's look of "Who fucking told you so...?"
before the three of them walked down to the room they were designated, which had the
casket already positioned behind a podium. The only thing left to do was the pull out the
chairs they were going to be sitting on, which was already underway.
"So..." Coda spilled his voice into the silence. "I think I'm gonna go exploring..."
"That's good..." Whitney said with an aggravated tone. "Run along, Coda. Come back in
fifteen ok?" She then turned around and realized the only person she was talking to
wasn't there.
Coda was walking along one of the long, low ceiling hallways that snaked it's way
throughout this funeral home, not really sure of where he was going. Still, he walked on,
wondering if fifteen minutes had gone by yet.
The place was creepy, in the sense that if, oh I don't know, someone like
pyramid-head decided to pay you a visit, the only way to go was backwards. And if he
brought his brother octagon-face to meet you at the other end, you're pretty much
screwed.
Then again, what happens in Silent Hill apparently stays in Silent Hill, so all that's left
here are the stand-white tile floors and the smell of death all over. Then he heard it.
"Everyone who's attending the Mugsly Funeral, please start heading to the designated
area now. Thank you and have a great day."
"What is this?" Coda asked himself, appalled by the upbeat tone in the voice, whom
he assumed was the old skunk. "I mean... My father's dead! And all you're doing is
making it seem like it's a party or something!"
He walked swiftly through the hallways and made it back to room number 14 just in
time to catch the seat next to his brother, who gave him a relieved look before slipping
a piece of paper in his pocket. "You have to give the speech."
"What?!" Coda almost shouted, but then had his muzzle buttoned by his brother.
"I can't risk breaking into tears in front of all these people." Adam growled. "I have an
image in this family and I need you to do me a solid."
"Why can't Whitney do it?" Coda growled back pointing the woman next to him who's
face was overcome with tears. "...crap."
"Yeah," Adam barked. "I'll take us out to dinner tonight, ok? Or buy you a house or
something... Just do this for me..."
"The house sounds nice," Coda smiled, wagging his tail which made a thumping noise
on the back of the chair, but before they could finish, someone stepped up to the
podium and cleared his throat.
"Hello everyone," He spoke into the microphone. "We are here today... to mourn the
death of Peter Mugsly, whom took his own life by overdosing. We have his son, Coda, to
say a couple words, and then you may come up to the body and say your last respects.
Coda?" He beckoned a stranger from the crowd.
Coda stood, took the paper out of his pocket, unfolded, and quickly glanced at the
speech while he walked slowly up, almost resulting in tripping on the stairs.
"Hey," He said, adjusting the microphone so he didn't have to speak down into it.
"First, I wanna say, my brother can't write speeches worth a crap..." He crumpled and
tossed the paper to the floor. "I just wanna say that I never knew my old man that well.
I stayed shut up in my old room with a pad of paper writing how I felt everyday while he
and my brother Adam were outside building our tree house, or playing soccer. The only
time I ever really saw him was at dinner time, which I tried to skip as much as possible...
partly because I figured he hated me..." He stopped to hold back a couple tears before he
continued. "But now I live with the regret of not getting to know him... Even though he
was right there the whole time. I could have called, I could have emailed... But now,
what can I do?"
Then something caught his eye. Someone was sitting in the crowd that scared the shit
out of him. It was his father. The very man he was talking about sat in the front row, a
couple seats away from his brother. He then looked at the casket, which held the dead
wolf's body, and then back to the crowd, which housed the cross-armed copy. "And now...
I'm hallucinating... So I think I'll end it there. Thanks for..." He said as he trailed off,
heading to the back of the room, sliding his back against the wall which eventually
ended as him collapsed on the floor.
Not caring, everyone sighed and got out of their chairs to witness the body. All but
one. Coda sat up and saw that his father was still sitting in the chair.
"What the hell..." Coda said as he got up, heading to the chair next to his father's.
"Dad?"
"So..." His father said without turning his head. "What makes you think you can see
me?"
"Yep..." Coda sighed. "You're my dad alright."
"Can't a guy go to his own funeral?" Peter Mugsly sighed, turning his head finally to
show a smile.
"Why'd you do it dad...?" Coda sighed, feeling tears again. "Wait... Why am I talking to
you right now... you're not real..."
"You mean," His father laughed a bit. "You've never believed in ghosts?"
"Is that what you are?" Coda stared, putting out his paw. He then waved it through
and felt a sharp warm sensation. He didn't understand. There was no smoke or wispy
trail. More like a game glitch then anything. A hollow wolf. "Must be nice being a
ghost..."
"Not really..." Mr. Mugsly replied with a sigh. "You find out everything you missed in
life, and you only get a certain amount of time on Earth every year... and nobody can see
you... but for some reason you can..."
"Sorry..." Coda sighed, watching all the fur huddling around his father's dead body. "If I
knew how I could, I'd tell Adam for you so you could talk to someone you actually want
to talk to."
"How come you never told me you were gay?" His father sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Cause you'd have kicked me out right then," Coda giggled, trying to pat his fathers
back, only to realize he just went right through him. "...and you'd write me out of the
will..."
"I would have..." Mr. Mugsly said with a growl. "But noooo... you had to be a smart
one..."
"And now you're dead..." He said, not feeling bad for saying it. In his mind, he was in
shock, which made him hallucinate, which made him talk to his dead father.
"That's not very nice," Mr. Mugsly said as he got up and checked his watch. "After all, I
still consider you my son. My cheating, boy-loving son."
"Yeah well..." Coda said, getting up with his father. "Once I pass out, I'll realize this
was all a dream, and boom! Guilt gone." He then felt himself getting light headed, which
showed even more that his prediction was coming true. "It's been real dad... I'll miss..."
And before he could say "you" he was on the floor with everyone gasping around him.
***
"Hey it looks like he's finally awake," Coda finally came around in the dim light of a
two-bedroom hotel. It was Whitney who had a mug waiting for him in her paws. The
smell of tea surrounded as Adam sat and types on a flashy looking laptop.
"Hey bro," Adam smiled without turning his head. He wore thick-rimmed glasses that
glowed with the glare of the computer screen.
Coda just grumbled as he sat up, accepting the colorful mug that Whitney held out for
him. "So why are we in a hotel room?" He spoke before taking that scorching first sip.
"We sold our house, as you know," Adam said, typing away. "And the buyer started
moving in today. Now all we have to do is look for a house in these next few days."
"2.5 million should make that a little easy," Coda said as he put his mug down. He
then laid back, staring at the cigarette stained ceiling.
"Yeah I'm not worried about it..." Adam replied with a sigh, closing his laptop. "Well
you two, I guess it's time we called it a night..."
"I just got up?" Coda giggled. "I think I'm gonna go walking around for a little while.
I'm kind of hungry..."
"Here," Whitney yawned, handing him a card shaped key. "You need that to open the
door."
"Thanks," Coda replied, taking the key and walking out the door. The warm air greeted
him through breezes as he walked out onto the concrete floor of the third level.
The view was nice. Lights dotted through tree leaves as the wolf dragged his feet
along the concrete. Stepping down the stairs, he could hear children playing in the pool
on the first floor, which was interrupted by the sound of his rumbling belly.
"Holy crap..." He thought as he looked around for a vending machine. Nothing was
found, though, as he made it to the first floor, still scanning for something. Then a sign
caught his eye. "Do I really want... fast food...?" He then reached into his back pocket,
pulling out his wallet.
"Excuse me," He said to a rough looking coyote wearing a leather jacket. "Could you
tell me where an ATM is?"
The coyote just grunted, pointing to a covered machine that stood beside the payment
office. Coda said his thanks, went over inserting his bankcard, and typed his pin number.
"Welcome!" It greeted, making Coda jump which shot adrenaline through his veins.
"Please select a transaction!"
"Is there a mute button on this thing..." Coda grumbled to himself as he pressed the
"take out 20" button on the touch screen.
"Don't forget to take your money AND your receipt!" Its voice was annoyingly cheerful
and monotone. "Please choose us next time for ALLLLL your banking needs! Take care
and goodbye!"
"Oh... my... god..." Coda growled as he walked away, still hearing the thing talk. "If this
thing doesn't stop thanking me for..." He looked at his receipt and stopped dead in his
tracks. He read aloud quietly. "Remaining balance... 2,499,980... holy shit..."
He walked quick, feeling everyone's eyes glued to him. Every corner looked a little
darker, like someone was lurking to take away his newly found fortune. That's when he
saw something that just made everything a little worse. There, sitting on a bench placed
the outskirts of the park, was his father.
"Coda," He nodded to him, like it was just another average day from beyond the dead.
"K..." Coda sighed, sitting down on the bench beside his ghostly old man. "You need to
quit screwing with my brain like this... I've already told myself it was a dream... or a
hallucination... or whatever..."
"I know why you can see me, Coda..." Mr. Mugsly smiled sincerely.
"Who told you?" Coda scoffed. "God?"
"Can't say..." Mr. Mugsly replied sharply. "But listen, will you?"
"Alright..." Coda leaned in like it was big news.
"Do you remember back in London?" He started. "Did you ever have a near-death
experience?"
"Come to think of it..." Coda said, thinking back. "My apartment caught fire, and I woke
up with my comforter covered in flames. It was one of those times were your whole life
flashes before your eyes... I remembered everything in that split second..." Coda then
trailed off.
"...and?" Mr. Mugsly brought Coda out of his daze. "Then what happened?"
"I fainted," Coda giggled. "Then I woke up in the arms of a fire-fighter. I almost asked
him for his num..." Coda then stopped, realizing whose company he was in.
"I don't care Coda," His father sighed. "I'm dead, remember?"
"Yeah well," Coda rubbed his arm awkwardly. "It's still a little awkward... that's all..."
"All that aside," Mr. Mugsly went back to the point. "That's why you can see me..."
Coda gave him a confused glance, cocking his head. "...huh?"
"This near death experience you had makes you one of these special cases," The ghost
explained. "You get caught in between the living and the ghost world, ya know?"
"...no?" Coda croaked. "So... I'm like... half dead?"
"No..." His father replied. "You just see us as if you were a ghost. You're still a living
breathing fur who could die at any second... you just get this... sort of... ghost vision."
"But why...?" Coda started, but then was cut off by his father.
"I don't know, ok?" He snapped back. "You've got our world in shambles. Everyone's
trying to figure it out. It hasn't happen in about... 200 years? I think?"
"Wow..." Coda grinned. "So I'm like... This century's ghost whisperer? Heh... cool..." He
sat in a happy pile, thinking of the possibilities. "So... I guess we're stuck together
then?"
"No..." His father chuckled, as if relieved. "As I said at the funeral..." He started to say,
but then started to rise. "We only get a certain time on Earth every year... And my time's
about up..."
"Wow you pig," Coda giggled again. "Spending all your time already? That was a
waste..."
"Yeah," He agreed. "A waste talking to you, maybe... But I had to let you know how it
all happened..."
"Well," Coda said, standing. "I guess I'll see you next year some time."
"I hope not..." His father grinned, obviously joking. "Bye Coda."
"See ya pops..." Coda replied, walking back to the hotel. The light his father gave off
shone on the ground, but the wolf felt no need to look back. "It's strange..." He thought,
pawing his way back up the steps to the front door. "I feel closer to dad... even though
he's dead..."
Gently, he swiped the key, unlocked the door, and snuck in like an assassin, landing
swiftly in his own bed under the covers. He looked over and saw Adam snoring and
beside him, Whitney had a pillow over her head.
"Life... is headed right for once..." Coda thought as he closed his eyes. "And tomorrow...
It's time to buy a house."
***
This is part one to my new story "Can you see me now?". I hope you enjoyed it, k? And I'll get to work on part 2 right away.
Have fun furs!
=Pup