# By The Campfire

Author: CreativePr0cess
Tags: Depressing, Depression, Fox, M/M, Raccoon, Sad, Short, apocalypse

#1 of From The Ashes Saga

A story about grief and regret. The prologue of "From The Ashes".

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;I looked over the red fox boy's features, flames seeming to leap off his face in anger.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Freddy...", I managed to say.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "No! Be quiet and listen, racoon!" I shut my mouth immediately.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You...", Freddy began, his finger shakily pointing at me. "You left us. You left the town."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was right. I left the town. A town I promised to protect under any circumstances.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "How could you... Just leave... Leave us all to die? Those monsters come at us like a storm."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; You don't understand... I wanted to stay, but I couldn't. I'm a coward, don't you see that?

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You betrayed us. We all, straight from the beggining, when there were still fourty of us, swore we'd fight to the end."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Fight to the end we would have. The end of the entire town as we knew it. There wasn't a chance we could have survive, why don't you get that? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I never thought that you would just... Leave."

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I asked you to come with me, didn't I?

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "When you told me your plan, I-- I didn't think you'd leave without me if I said I wouldn't go. Why-- Why did you go, Sean? Why did you leave the town?"&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I noticed there was a pause, so I talked. "Because... I don't want to die... I'm afraid..."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "So, you'd leave us all to die just to save your sorry ass?" &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "NO! It's not like that!" Freddy opened his mouth, but it was my turn to talk. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Do you think I did this on a whim!?", I screamed. "Do you think this is something someone decides to do overnight!? Because it wasn't! Do you think it was easy leaving the one I loved to die in a town surrounded by those things!? That's right, Freddy, I loved you! God damn it man! Do you know how hard it was for me to leave you? You could have come with me back when I asked you! There were only six of us at the time, do you think we stood a chance!? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T! WE WERE ALL DOOMED TO DIE! AND I COULD BARELY LIVE WITH MYSELF KNOWING I WAS MOST LIKELY LEAVING YOU TO DIE!!!"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ...

&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ...

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ...

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Who am I talking to?

&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The campfire I was screaming at crackled in response.

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/J1ORJZ4n
Part of the series From The Ashes Saga
Next: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/656321-from-the-ashes.md