{"sf1_id":49847,"sf2_id":"r17Qap0m","title":"Chapter 5: Follow Me Now","author":"MixedUpPup","words":5218,"posted_at":"2008-05-05T03:33:00.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Canine","Dalmatian","Kissing","M/M","Mild Drama","Near Future","Story Progression","Teenagers"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/49847-chapter-5-follow-me-now","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/r17Qap0m","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/29/f3/29f36780-fac9-4a74-8f1f-9b89bb254223","description":"#5 of Caught Up in the Moment/But not in the Right Way.(INCOMPLETE)","content":"~Stupid disclaimer thingy~ Ya adult content blah blah blah. If you read this and your not old enough. try not to get caught. if you aren't held back by any of those silly laws then your good too. Also... M/M Here, so... Not your bag? Then exit now. Otherwise Enjoy!  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n~(To tell you the truth, I had no idea what a \"brig\" was. I had heard it at least four times on my stay on the barge, and I had always thought of it as a bad thing. Angela must have known what it was, seeing as her face twisted when the captain ordered us to be thrown in it.  \nI'll enlighten you on what it looks like:  \nIt's a cage at the back of the ship, just barely in the shade of the cabin's quarters. Just a cage. Big enough for six furs to sit back to back in. It was held in place by chains bolted to the deck, which was sort of scary in the event of a storm or... I don't know... a sea monster came and felt like plucking it off into the depths below. Then we'd be totally screwed.  \nOther than that it was nothing special. The view was pretty good, though...)~  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n  \nAfter the captain had given his incredibly lenient sentence (compared to the whole casting  \nthe scum into the ocean and all) the equines who had them pinned, carried the two off to the  \nback (and when I say carried, they walked Wyler and dragged Angela, who scrapped her  \nnails on the deck the whole way...), where they tossed them into a cage that lurched when  \nthey struck the back end of it.  \n  \n\"Enjoy yer stay,\" One of them chuckled as they clapped his hooves together.  \n  \n\"Yeah,\" The other agreed. \"Hope the weather's good.\"  \n  \n\"Let us out!\" Angela shouted, climbing onto the bars that held us in. \"We're not animals  \nwho belong in cages! Let us work!\"  \n  \nNo answer followed, but still she shouted. Wyler, on the other paw, just sat with his back  \nagainst the uncomfortable rail, shaking his head at the raccoon's failed attempts at getting  \nthem free.  \n  \nFinally, Angela turned to him. \"How can you just sit there, Wyler? I mean, you're the one  \nwho got us into this mess in the first place...\"  \n  \n\"Me...?\" The mutt's eyes shot open as he felt his chest cave in. He rose slowly and walked  \nover to the girl who accused him. \"I'm... the one who got us... into this mess...?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Ugh...\" Angela scoffed. \"You know what I mean. Once that lion that you flirted with  \nrealized that you weren't around, we would have been found out. See? All your fault.\"  \n  \n\"I...\" Wyler couldn't believe how stubborn she was being. \"I can't believe you! YOU'RE THE  \nONE WHO GOT US CAUGHT!\"  \n  \n\"But the drunk lion...\" She tried covering with confidence, but her ears fell, giving her  \naway.  \n  \n\"Wouldn't have remembered a single fucking thing...\" Wyler interrupted, his muzzle a  \nmere two inches from the raccoon's face. \"Why can't you just admit you fucked up. Once.  \nPlease...\"  \n  \n\"Why would I do that?\" She laughed out loud. \"When it's all your fault.\"  \n  \nWyler just shouted uncontrollably, pacing around in a circle as big as the brig would  \noffer. \"You're impossible! You're such a GIRL!\"  \n  \n\"And you're just a boy with a temper...\" She shot back at him, perfectly calm.  \n  \nWyler had it. Right then and there he looked around from something, anything, which lead  \nhim directly to the claw on his foot. He scraped a thin line on the wooden deck and pointed to  \nit. \"Do NOT cross this line.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"And what if I do?\" Angela said, moving closer to the length-long scratch. She almost  \nstepped over when Wyler pulled his trump card.  \n  \n\"Then this goes overboard...\" He said, holding up that rolled up piece of paper that  \nbasically got him into this whole mess in the first place.  \n  \nAngela's eyes went wide as she patted down her bleach white cloak, finding nothing. \"How  \nthe hell did you get the map...\"  \n  \n\"I think you mean MY map,\" Wyler returned, smiling in his triumph. \"And you don't need to  \nworry about that. Just know, that if you cross that line... \\*splash\\*.\"  \n  \n\"You back-stabber!\" She shouted and balled up in the corner of her side. She started  \npouting and groaning as she blocked the sun out of her eyes.  \n  \n\"You're calling ME the back-stabber...\" Wyler sighed as he too balled in, opposite to  \nAngela, and felt the sun's rays start to tear away at his fur.  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \nWhat seemed like hours and hours passed by as the two stayed confined in that  \ndepressing cage. The water, just below them, was calm that day as it gently licked the hull of  \nthe cargo ship. The sky was a miraculous ocean above the ocean, blue as probably anybody  \nhad ever seen before. It was a day to be outside. A day to enjoy, for sure. Unless you were  \na dalmatian named Hudson.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; All he could do was stay in his cabin, feeling like somehow, someway, the reason the mutt  \nand the raccoon were forced to enjoy outside... was because of him.  \n  \n\"I could have begged more...\" He thought as he rolled over on his bed, which was small  \ncompared to Trusser's, which laid beside him. \"I could have bluffed or something... I could  \nhave done more...\"  \n  \nThat's when the steel door of the room opened with Trusser, holding a tray filled to the  \nbrim with food in his giant arms. A smile peeled on his face as he placed it on the table by  \nthe door. \"Hungry, young'un?\"  \n  \n\"Trusser...\" The dalmatian sighed as he rolled over, hugging his pillow. \"I feel like it's all  \nmy fault...\"  \n  \n\"What is, lad?\" The tiger asked, moving over to his own bed and sitting on it.  \n  \n\"The whole... stow-away thing...\" Hudson sighed again. \"Like... I could have done more to  \nhelp the two, ya know?\"  \n  \n\"Hudson,\" Trusser placed a paw on Hudson's shoulder. \"Those two are as good as thieves,  \nhiding amongst boxes like that. They were stealing a free ride. I say they should at least  \nswim.\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I don't,\" Hudson replied. \"I sort of knew one of them...\"  \n  \n\"You told us, kid,\" Trusser said. \"Your pops went to his for his lock stuff, eh?\"  \n  \n\"Well there was more than that...\"  \n  \n\"Oh? Go on then?\"  \n  \nHudson took in a deep breath before he continued. \"Well, it all started with my baby-  \nsitter... James his name was. He was a story-book writer... And he introduced me to him one  \nday.\"  \n  \n\"So?\" Trusser said, raising his eyebrows.  \n  \n\"Well,\" The dalmatian continued. \"He always took us out on Wednesdays. That's when my  \nparents would go with his parents, out... But it didn't last long. A couple weeks, at best.\"  \n  \n\"I'm still not following,\" Trusser sighed, laying back. \"So what? What's a couple weeks of  \nfriendship compared to breakin' the law?\"  \n  \n\"I dunno, I guess it's stupid.\" The dalmatian said. \"But... He was really fun, from what I  \nremember.... Even though I never got a chance to really get to know him.\"  \n  \n\"Bah,\" Trusser chuckled as he sniffed the air. \"How about ya fill yer belly and we'll go and  \ndo something on the ship? Just forget about the whole thing?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"The last time I saw him was outside James' funeral...\" The dalmatian kept on, almost as if  \nin a trance. \"It was weird though. He wasn't crying like I was... And he never went in... He  \njust stood outside...\"  \n  \n\"Alright, lad,\" Trusser threw him something in plastic-wrap. \"Just don't go doin' anything  \nstupid about, okay? Yer mom's trustin' me to keep you out of trouble, ya know? And I really  \ndon't feel like riskin' my job for ya all the time...\"  \n  \n\"I know,\" The dalmatian said, rolling over to look at him. \"I won't do anything drastic...\"  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \nDusk had churned the sky into a mixed array of orange sherbet, splashed with strawberry  \nand lemon as it all began to fade into the dark night sky. The stars began poking their way  \nthrough as the chill off the water began to shiver down the spines of the two who sat in their  \nprison. Neither had moved since they began hugging their knees, and only when the ships  \nlights went out did either of them speak.  \n  \n\"Can I please have my map...\" Angela said, sounding like she was trying to stop her teeth  \nfrom chattering. \"I could use it as a blanket...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It's not big enough for a blanket...\" Wyler sighed. \"You're stupid...\"  \n  \n\"I'm stupid...\" She repeated, sounding pathetic. \"And I'm... hungry...\" She spoke in a tone  \nthat would break your heart as she grabbed at her belly, which rumbled in an almost  \nsickening pitch. \"I just... want some food...\"  \n  \n\"Please don't...\" Wyler sighed as Angela began to weep. \"...cry... I hate it when women  \ncry...\"  \n  \nTears started falling, sparkling in the early moonlight as they fell to the deck, splashing her  \nregret everywhere. It was overpowering.  \n  \n\"Don't cry, Angela...\" Wyler whimpered to his companion as he got up and outstretched his  \narms. His joints felt stiff from sitting all day, but still he readied a hug as he crossed the thin  \nline he scratched.  \n  \nSuddenly, the conniving raccoon, who had wiped her tears on her cloak, pounced on the  \nsympathetic mutt, rummaging through his pockets as she shouted at him.  \n  \n\"Where is it!? Where's my map!? Give it to me now you thief!\" She screamed as Wyler  \nflailed the raccoon off of him, tossing her back into the corner where her fake tears had  \nstained.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You lying...\" Wyler growled as he checked his back pocket, which still had the map  \nfolded. \"... son of a...\" He then collapsed.  \n  \nA sudden rush of paws padded their way over to the side of the cage, revealing an out of  \nbreath dalmatian with a striped vest on. He fumbled with the lock as the tiger that had  \nfollowed him put his paws on his shoulder.  \n  \n\"What are ya doin', kid\" He said as the dalmatian clinged to the bars.  \n  \n\"He's collapsed!\" He shouted back to him. \"We need to help him!\"  \n  \nAngela, dumbfounded by the sudden change in atmosphere, carved a slight grin on her  \nface. \"Ah me!\" She said as, she too, collapsed right in front of them.  \n  \n\"She too, Trusser!\" Hudson pointed. \"There's something wrong!\"  \n  \n\"Not with her,\" The tiger grimaced. \"Didn't ya see the smirk on the snake's face? She's  \nfakin' it. He must be too!\"  \n  \n\"Ugh...\" Wyler started coming to as he took in a deep breath. \"The hell?\" He did a double-  \ntake of the two that were outside of his prison, then another double-take on Angela's body,  \nwhich seemed pretty lifeless at the moment. \"What just happened?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"You seemed to have fainted,\" Said the tiger, who had a small snarl laced within his  \nmuzzle. \"Or at least that what you WANT us to think, isn't it!\"  \n  \n\"Trusser, please,\" Hudson said, looking the mutt in the eye. \"Are you okay?\" His voice was  \ndumbfoundingly sincere, which almost single-handedly knocked Wyler off the ship.  \n  \n\"I'm hungry...\" Wyler coughed. His heart began to flutter as he tried to keep himself in eye-  \ncontact with the dalmatian, but he ended up going back to Angela, who had started rolling  \nover in pain.  \n  \n\"Me too,\" She added, a bit over-dramatic.  \n  \n\"I'll get you some food,\" Hudson said as he got up and hurried off. \"Trusser, unlock the  \ngate!\"  \n  \n\"It's a door!\" Trusser called back. He then took sight the raccoon as she writhed. Her plan  \nwas to get her cloak to sneak up her belly, just so she could show off her breasts, which  \nTrusser engulfed with his stare. Little did he know, his tongue was falling out as he fumbled  \nwith the lock that held them in.  \n  \n\"I'll, uh...\" He started to say. \"I'll get the girl in there somethin'.\" He turned and almost ran  \ninto a crew-mate, who had a couple boards mounted on his shoulder.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Watch it, pal,\" He shot, fumbling with his load he carried.  \n  \n\"Hehdndjsguht,\" Was about the equivalent to the tiger's mumble in return as he tripped  \nover himself to get to the galley, which Hudson was returning from with a platter suspended  \nby his arm.  \n  \n\"Here,\" Hudson said, placing the tray in front of Wyler, who, upon sniffing, felt his mouth  \nwater. \"I don't really know what you like...\" The dalmatian smiled bashfully. \"...so I just  \ngrabbed a bit of everything.\"  \n  \n\"It's weird...\" Wyler said as he eyed the turkey leg that was close to him. \"I ate swell last  \nnight... And now I'm starving...\"  \n  \n\"It could be the whole...\" Hudson replied, waving his paws in the air. \"Ya know... Drama...  \nthing...\"  \n  \n\"Heh... Maybe...\" Wyler smiled before stuffing his face just as Trusser brought a generous  \ntray of food to the now sitting Angela, who batted her eyelashes at him.  \n  \n\"Thanks very much, kind sir,\" She smirked as she eyed the plate of food. \"It's finally good  \nto see that there are SOME men on this ship who can tend to a woman's...\" She turned her  \nhead and looked him right in the eye. \"...needs.\" Trusser absolutely lost it. Let's just say if  \nhe had a collar, it would be fluttering him into the atmosphere.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"So...\" Hudson said as he sat down in front of the mutt, who was busy downing a helping of  \nmashed potatoes.  \n  \n\"Hmm?\" Wyler looked up, realizing that someone was actually watching him. He raised his  \npaw and gently felt the meat and taters that were caked onto his muzzle fur, which left him  \nthankful for fate for keeping the ship's lights dim, or else everyone would see how badly he  \nwas blushing.  \n  \n\"It's okay...\" The dalmatian offered a smile and stood. \"We'll leave you two now. Trusser?\"  \n  \nHe looked to his mentor, who was busy gaggling over Angela, who was taking her time  \ntaste-testing every morsel that had been put on her plate before she swallowed it. She either  \napproved and smiled, or grimaced and spat out, which Trusser threw in between the bars  \nquickly before the growing pile of rejects started to form.  \n  \n\"Trusser!\" Hudson said as he pulled him by the arm. \"It's getting late, ya know? And we  \nhave a lot of work to do tomorrow!\"  \n  \n\"Yeah what?\" The tiger said, looking around. \"Oh right! We best be off to the cabin, ya  \nknow? Can't be lolly-gaggin' around, ya know? Come on then, Hudson, say go'bye to your  \nfriend!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; And with that, the saviour of the day had been whisked swiftly out of the cage, leaving the  \ntwo to eat under the stars. Romantic if it weren't for Wyler's potato moustache and total and  \ncomplete uninterest in his cellmate/companion, and ya know... If Angela wasn't such a slut.  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \n\"Oh my god...\" Trusser said as he stared into the ceiling of his and Hudson's cabin. The  \ndarkness swirled above the two as they lay in their separate beds. \"Hudson... could you  \nbelieve the cans on that raccoon? Honestly... could ya?\"  \n  \n\"Sure...\" Hudson sighed. \"They were... great I guess...\" it pained him that all he could  \nthink about was Wyler and how sorry he felt for him. He seemed on the brink of death back  \nthere in that cage they were in and all Trusser could go on about was the female.  \n  \n\"Like... wow...\" The tiger grinned as he pictured the two fun-bags, hidden secure under  \nthat god-awful cloak she wore. Then, envisioning ripping it away... having them just jiggling  \nthere. \"If only I could get to know her... Ya know? Bring her back here for some... ya know?\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"For a tiger,\" The dalmatian said as he too stared at the ceiling. \"You sure talk like a pig.\"  \n  \n\"Hey!\" Trusser replied. \"Don't blame a guy for wanting a piece of ass on a ship full of  \ndudes, okay?\"  \n  \n\"Yeah...\" Hudson sighed, wishing he could agree.  \n  \n\"Wait a sec, mate,\" Trusser rose from his bed. \"I should talk to captain into lettin' 'em out.  \nThey could stay in here right? The girl would have to share my bed with me... And you can  \nsleep with the boy.\" He elbowed him. \"Or you could make him sleep on the floor. S'what I  \nwould do...\"  \n  \n\"That's cause your secretly gay,\" Hudson snickered, thinking about what it would be like.  \nHaving that mutt sleeping beside him. Feeling his heart beating through the sheets. Feeling  \nthe warmth of his abstract fur... and suddenly the dalmatian was blushing.  \n  \n\"Get a grip, kid,\" Trusser said, flopping back down. \"You're the one who's shown no  \ninterest in that raccoon. Maybe you're the fag around here!\"  \n  \n\"Doubt it,\" Hudson said with a giggle. \"Cause ya know. Ya have to like butt-fucking to be  \ngay. And trust me...\" He paused and gulped. \"I... don't like butt-fucking...\" His voice got a  \nlittle shaky at the end.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Fair enough....\" Trusser let out a huge yawn, leaving Hudson with the stench of everything  \nhe had eaten that day. \"Now go to bed. I gotta look well rested to talk to the captain  \ntomorrow. And you...\"  \n  \n\"...have a lot of work to do...\" Hudson interrupted him. \"I know, I know...\"  \n  \nThe sound of the ocean had been loud enough just for the dalmatian to faintly hear without  \nraising his head from his pillows, which soon was interrupted by the sound of the Tiger  \nsnoring as loud as he could.  \n  \n\"No sleep tonight...\" Hudson sighed, debating on getting up. He always did back at home.  \nJust to wander. His parents always said he should have slept fine, but in his world, he was  \nalways... cold. The sheets in any bed were so uninviting, and never warmed up enough for  \nthere to be any real comfort.  \n  \n\"I wonder...\"  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \n{The sun rose quickly, finding a canine curled, aching on the wooden deck of the sailing  \nship. The chains crinkled as the wind fidgeted them above the cage that held him and he at  \nonce noticed... not a soul was around. Not even Angela... and he found himself sighing in  \nrelief.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; Suddenly the cage seemed to open as birds flew overhead, dropping provisions and mail  \nonto the deck where nobody collected them. Their song flew around him as he lay back,  \nstaring into the great wide abyss of the ocean above, and yet, he found himself wanting.  \n  \n\"Psst!\" He heard from his right, causing him to crack his eye open and perk his ears. The  \nsite of the dalmatian that waited on the other side of the cage took his breath away as he sat  \nup as quickly as he could.  \n  \n\"Hi,\" Came from Wyler's mouth, meanwhile his brain was screaming. His heart thumped as  \nthe dalmatian motioned with his finger 'come here'.  \n  \nWyler's body reacted on its own, raising him high as he floated over trying his best not to  \ndrool everywhere. Once he arrived he rested on his knees, just like the other was, and he  \nwaited, gazing into eyes that returned the stare, complete with a smile.  \n  \n\"You shouldn't be in here...\" Hudson sighed as he reached beyond the bars, touching the  \nmutts arm. Breathtaking.  \n  \n\"I shouldn't have come here in the first place...\" Wyler sighed, just barely keep eye  \ncontact. \"I mean... I should be at home... Disobeying my parents and being a loser... Ya  \nknow...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"I know,\" Hudson said with a smile. \"I shouldn't be here either... I wanna go home...\" He  \nleft those words hanging in the air, obviously not completing them.  \n  \n\"I miss Jasey...\" Wyler began to sob as he moved closer to the cold steel. Hudson did so  \ntoo, and they embraced with the bars freezing them. \"I miss everything...\"  \n  \n\"I know...\" Hudson whispered into his ear. \"But... I've missed you...\"  \n  \nWyler took a look back into Hudson's eyes, this time their muzzles inches from each  \nother. \"What... do...\"  \n  \n\"Shh...\" Hudson whispered as he drew closer. A slow movement that called upon  \nsomething in Wyler, which made him mimic until he felt the warm touch of the dalmatian on  \nhis lips.  \n  \nThe heat... the moment... the familiarity...}  \n  \n  \n  \n\"Gah!\" The mutt screamed into the mourning air. His eyes felt like they had been frozen  \nshut as a thin mist creeped over the deck, making his shiver.  \n  \n\"What!\" He heard Angela say, followed by the flailing of, what he guessed, was her attempt  \nat defending herself from nothing. \"What's going on!?\"  \n  \n\"I just had...\" Wyler said as he became aware of the boner that had formed in his pants,  \nwhich made him blush a little. \"... a good dream...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Oh,\" Angela said. \"In that case, I'm happy. Please feel free to freak me out EVERYTIME  \nyou have a nice dream, kay?\"  \n  \n\"Okay,\" Wyler said as he looked to the horizon, half in thought, half in wonder. \"...wow...\"  \n  \n\"What now?\" Angela sighed, moving closer to the canine as she looked to where he was  \nlooking. \"What?!\"  \n  \n\"The sun's rising...\" Wyler smiled a little. \"I've never taken the time to... ya know... look at  \nit...\"  \n  \n\"That's cause you can't see it in our city,\" Angel replied. \"But your right, it is pretty...\"  \n  \nAnd it was. A giant burning blaze of orange and yellow streaked across the horizon like  \nmelting ice cream, running together, creating new and wondrous colors that only added to  \nthe flavour. In the middle lay an egg yolk of light that rose slowly, but surely, as it mixed the  \ncolors, only with the innocent intent of taking your breath away.  \n  \nThey sat in silence in the cage, and although neither of them liked to admit it... they were  \nglad they were sharing it with someone. Even if that someone wasn't the someone they  \nwould like to share it with. Or something like that.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"So...\" Angela broke the silence at last. \"What was your dream, anyway...\"  \n  \n\"I...\" Wyler sighed, not taking his eyes off the sunrise. \"... kissed someone...\"  \n  \n\"It was me wasn't it...\"  \n  \n\"It was ...amazi... wait.. what?\"  \n  \n\"I knew you weren't gay...\"  \n  \n\"Ew! No... It was someone else...\"  \n  \n\"You don't have to hide your feelings any longer, Wyler. I know you love me...\"  \n  \nThe mutt sighed and looked at her, wanting to thump her one. \"It most definatly wasn't  \nyou, Angela.\"  \n  \n\"I'm sorry,\" She just kept going. \"But I do believe my heart belongs to someone else...  \nI'm sorry to have to shatter you like this... but...\"  \n  \n\"Who could your heart belong to...?\" Wyler groaned, laying back.  \n  \n\"That lovely tiger that fed me last night.\" Angela chuckled. \"He's just dreamy isn't he?\"  \n  \n\"Not my type...\" Wyler chuckled, resting the back of his head on his paws. \"I'd rather  \nlike...\"  \n  \n\"Me,\" Angela cut him off. \"I know, Wyler. But we're just friends okay?  \n  \n\"Whatever,\" Wyler said, wishing he could just walk off. But then again, where could he go?  \nThe other side of the cage?  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp;  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \n\"So what yer sayin' is...\" Captain Agnus grunted in his cabin as he puffed on a pipe. The  \nroom was thick with smoke, and it wasn't tobacco he had been burning all morning,  \neither. \"You want me to let those two thieves walk outside. With the rest of us?\"  \n  \n\"If... it's not too much trouble...\" Trusser asked. He was nervously crunching his hat in-  \nbetween his paws as Hudson stood beside him like a good boy.  \n  \n  \n  \n\"Don't say a word...\" Trusser had told him when they were on their way to the cabin. \"Just  \nlemme talk, and you stand there like a good boy, right lad?\"  \n  \n  \n  \nAnd so, stand there he did. He eyed the room, which didn't look much different from his  \nand Trusser's room, save the extra space he had from only having a hammock as a bed. He  \nalso had a couple medals, mementos, and trophies that lined his walls, but other than that,  \nthey were identical.  \n  \n\"They could kill us in an instant!\" The captain shouted. \"WE don't know what their capable  \nof, mate, and I, for one, do NOT want to risk a single scallywag's neck just because you and  \nyour CABIN BOY feel we need to show mercy!\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"But sir,\" Trusser tried to reason. \"They're just kids. Honestly, let 'em sleep with us. You  \ndon't have to spend any more space on 'em.\"  \n  \n\"And how do you expect to feed 'em, eh?\" Agnus asked, obviously oblivious of last night's  \nepisode. He eyed the two and waited for an answer.  \n  \n\"They'll come out of my cut of the pay,\" Hudson stuck his chest out and stepped forward  \nslightly. He then realized how tall the captain actually stood and suddenly regretted the  \nballsy decision. That sickening feeling was soon followed by a devastating elbow to the ribs  \nas Trusser chuckled.  \n  \n\"What he's TRYING to say, cap'n,\" The tiger said, offering peace with his arm gestures. \"Is  \nthat WE will pay for them. We'll watch them, and we'll take care of them. No thorns in your  \nside, or anything, what do you say?\"  \n  \nCaptain Agnus took a long hard look at them and raised his cheeks in, what Hudson  \nthought, was an attempt at a smile. \"No.\"  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \n\"This...\" Angela broke the silence that had manifested for almost two and a half hours as  \nthe two of them sat in puddles of their own sweat. The sun had long since risen and had  \nslowly begun to bake them as members of the crew passed and chuckled at their  \nmisfortune. \"...is stupid. I'd rather be out swimming like they were originally...\"  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"No you wouldn't...\" Wyler said as he sat in the corner with his eyes closed. His back was  \nsupported as he laced his fingers in his lap. \"Because if that HAD happened to us, I would  \nhave drowned you already. Although I'm sure that wouldn't help anything, seeing as you  \nwould just be complaining that you're dead.\"  \n  \n\"How?\" Angela scoffed, moving over so she didn't have to shout from the other side of the  \ncage. She didn't have to anyway, but the sun was playing tricks. \"I'd be dead. Ghosts can't  \ncomplain.\"  \n  \n\"Oh,\" Wyler replied. \"But knowing my luck, you'd be the exception. And you sit there,  \nfloating the whole way while I slowly drown from exhaustion, I'd have to put up with it until I  \nsnap my own neck. \"  \n  \n\"You've become a real downer, Wyler,\" Angela smiled.  \n  \n\"And you've become a real pain,\" The mutt shot back, opening his eyes. \"All you do is care  \nabout yourself. And when you fuck up, you can't even admit it. Everything is all about you in  \nyour world...\"  \n  \n\"And you find a problem with that?\" Angela said with anger fused within her words.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Yeah,\" Wyler chuckled as if trying to sound sarcastic. \"Because if you'd actually care  \nabout something, maybe you'd be better to be around.\"  \n  \n\"You don't really mean that...\" Angela said.  \n  \n\"I've never meant anything more in my life,\" The mutt kept on, realizing that he was  \nactually winning. \"If I could... I'd leave you in this cage. I'd... I'd push you off a cliff... I'd...\"  \n  \n\"I get it,\" Angela said angrily. \"I'm sorry for being me, okay? Get over yourself and quit  \nbeing so selfish.\"  \n  \n\"Can't you ever shut up...\"  \n  \n\"You aren't going to accept my apology?\"  \n  \n\"I'd rather die... then accept your apology...\"  \n  \n\"You're a jerk...!\" Angela pretended to cry, which left Wyler sitting there in his puddle to  \nstare at the floor.  \n  \n\"Sticks and stones,\" Wyler said. \"If I actually cared what you thought, that might hurt...  \nBut seeing as I don't, you might want to save your tears. We don't know when their bringing  \nus water...\"  \n  \nAs if an act from God, or some monitoring system that recorded what they said, they  \nsloshing behind them that interrupted the argument. This was then followed by the sound of  \npanting and snickering.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"It's just two buckets, lad,\" Trusser said as he watched Hudson carry two huge barrels,  \none in each paw.  \n  \n\"It's freaking heavy!\" Hudson returned, following up with putting the two down. Water  \nspilled everywhere as the thud seemingly rocked the ship. \"And plus you have to  \nconcentrate not to spill any...\"  \n  \nAngela raised a paw, along with an obviously forced smile. \"Oh tiger-boy...\" She said. \"I  \nwould like a new roommate... This one's broken...\"  \n  \n\"Broken...?\" Wyler scoffed, but was interrupted by Hudson, who was fumbling with the lock.  \n  \n\"I'll trade ya,\" He winked, followed by wincing.  \n  \n\"How the hell did ya get my keys!\" Trusser growled playfully as he snatched them. The  \ndalmatian shot back a grin. \"...sneaky monkey...\"  \n  \n\"Oh tiiiiigerrrr,\" Angela called again, batting her eyelashes. \"Roommate? Trade?\"  \n  \n\"As much as I'd like to spend the rest of the trip in a cage...\" Trusser said, opening the  \ndoor and bringing in the buckets of water. \"And get up that cloak of yours. I think I'll stick to  \nmy bed, lass.\" He started walking off.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"Although,\" Hudson cut in. \"We are trying to get you guys out to stay with us in our cabin.\"  \nHe smiled in Wyler's direction. \"But the captain has something up his ass... So we have to  \npry at him. But don't worry...\"  \n  \n\"Hudson!\" Trusser called. \"You can talk to them later. Work awaits, ya know...\"  \n  \n\"Right,\" The dalmatian said. He waved, and Wyler was sure it was to him, which he quickly  \nreturned and gave a smile. A turn back to his cell-mate revealed a smiling raccoon with her  \narms crossed and a sly eye.  \n  \n\"And I thought I feel in love easily...\"  \n  \n\"This isn't love...\" Wyler sighed. He then thought about it for a second. \"It's just me  \nmissing what life was... That's all\"  \n  \nHe sat back and thought about that for a minute. Everything had changed so much, and  \nyet something about that dalmatian brought back that thin slice of happiness his old life  \nbrought him... only it seemed without strings...  \n  \n\"Maybe I am falling in love...\" Wyler said under his breath. He looked up to see Angela,  \nwho had been drinking. She turned her head to him, making him smile.  \n  \n\n\u0026nbsp; \"What?\" She wiped her mouth.  \n  \n\"I guess we just both love too easily, it seems...\" He said. He then took a deep breath and  \nsighed. \"I'm sorry for saying those things Angela...\"  \n  \n\"Ya know Wyler,\" She said sincerely, coming over. \"You'd Better be!\"  \n  \n\\*Smack!\\*  \n  \nAnd that was the hardest she had ever hit me...  \n  \n  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \n  \n  \n(8)So everything's different... Well, I guess that's OK.  \nCause those thoughts that used to hold me down, have all gone away.  \nI feel like I can take on the world. So, come along for the ride,  \nOr just get out of my way!(8)  \n\"Follow Me Now.\"  \n-Alvin and the Chipmunks.  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nSo I'm very very veryy sorry to everyone who had been waiting for this to come out. I apologise for the extended period of time it took for me to post this and hope that the story itself made it better. I'll try not to stay away from the keyboard like that in the future, but life's been busy as of late. I also appologise if this seemed sort of rushed and had mistakes. I just wanted to get it out to you, so I hope you enjoy it's imperfectons =D.  \nLove you guys as always =).  \n=Pup  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Caught Up in the Moment/But not in the Right Way.(INCOMPLETE)","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/48197-chapter-4-into-the-ocean.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/50943-chapter-6-incomplete.json"}}