Choice
Perhaps the hardest thing that Barton ever did was to force himself to pretend not to care too much. The young rabbit would have a tough enough time trusting him not to turn them in to the authorities, much less believe that he actually wanted to...
Handicapping (Pundamentals 1)
Handicapping She was nervous as a... well, she was nervous, anyway. Her long full tail twitched almost as much as her long whiskers, as she waited for the line to move forward. As a rule, she was patient - most cats, especially those who still hunted...
Will You Serve
The drive back to my house -- I still couldn't quite call it "home," for so many reasons -- was calming, thoughtful... thought-full. I didn't feel burdened or depressed in any way. I wasn't even whelmed (Darkstar assured me that it really was a word)....
Identity Theft, Part 1
I could have answered him a moment before he asked the question, but now, my mind seemed utterly blank. “Mr. Rawlins?” My name. That might be my name. A lot of other things were trying to crowd back into my mind as well. “Yes. I mean, yes,...
Perceived
Thursday morning saw me getting a bagel and schmear from a local shop, just in case the cap'n actually meant it. I chose cinnamon raisin, on the off-chance that he might have a sweet tooth. If he didn't want it, I'd eat it. Until he mentioned it, I...
FlashFic: Roadside Assistance
Not from around here, are ya? I can always tell. You hear the calling of the wolves out in the canyon, and you get a kind of look in your eye, as if you're too civilized to have to worry about it. You're right, at one level, of course; unless you're...
Engineering, Part 2
While still at the table in the Amore Bistro, I took out my common-use cell and made contact with Ignacio Santos. He seemed reluctant to meet with me again so soon, until I told him that I might have some clue about what had happened to Shelby Greiner....
Theo's Way
“Tristan, may I talk with you?” “Of course, Theo. What’s up?” Looking around him, the gray tabby cat’s expression showed everything from simple concern to something like fear. “Would you come to my room?” I nodded, rising from my table in the dining...
New Year's Day
For Americans, the biggest food-feast day of the year is Thanksgiving, with Christmas Day being a reasonably close second. For Russians, however, it's New Year's Day. This is what Aleksandr told me as he explained his traditions and the reason for the...
Grayson 2
# Grayson 2 **Sunday, August 7, 2011** In the names of all the gods, what have I done? In one sense, I've done nothing. Nothing "bad" or "harmful" to anyone. I hadn't realized just how much I needed someone to hear me, to really hear me, and even to...
Spotted
Spotted The locker door closed quietly, accompanied by a small, nearly silent sigh. The young white stoat looked carefully around himself, grateful that he didn't see any of the faces that usually meant trouble, or at least moderate discomfort. He...
Sauna
He sat on one of the benches outside of the sauna room, wrapped only in a towel, his sleek panther's body already the object of more than one salaciously raised eyebrow, crooked grin, or openly lewd wink. He had merely smiled and tried to look very...