A Single Candle, Part 1
When the flickering light beneath the door had faded at last, he knew it was over. It had taken longer this time. The red panda, cautious but prepared, waited another pawful of seconds, just to make sure that no more flickers could be seen. Padding to...
A Single Candle, Part 3
"Are you going to tell me now?" "What, and spoil dinner?" Newton offered a rueful smile as he looked over the happy ruins of the dinner that the two of them had shared in Chase's quarters. The coyote had done them proud, with his...
A Single Candle, Part 4
They ended up in Chase's quarters, for reasons of proximity to the lab, size of the room, and the availability of chilled bottled water. Newton had rarely felt more parched in all his life, and he was grateful to the coyote for reminding him not to...
Maxwell 2
# Maxwell 2 **Saturday, July 23, 2001** The great golden bear sat in one of the large, high-backed booths at the back of the local draft house. It was one of the reasons that he liked the place - they had furniture and space to accommodate the Ursine...
Robbie 2
# Robbie 2 **Monday, July 4, 2011** The door to Robbie's clothes closet had a mirror on the inside of it when the family moved into the house. He doubted that he would have put one in there himself. He took pride in maintaining his body, but he...
Grayson 1
# Grayson 1 **Saturday, May 7, 2011** Dear Diary: I've always had mixed feelings when a semester ends. On the one paw, no more papers to grade, no more timetable to hold me so strictly to the demands of a clock, no more (yaaaawn) faculty meetings....
Robbie 1
# Robbie 1 **Friday, January 7, 2011** "Robert Patrick Willowdale?" For just a moment, Robbie wasn't sure he would be able to make a sound. The snowy white fox standing at the front of the classroom practically glowed even under the fluorescent...
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...
Jumping Mouse, Part 2
I gave myself a little extra sleep the next morning, to make up for last night's work, as well to give time zones a chance to catch up with one another. I was at my favorite table at the Has Bean Café, pad and pen at the ready, placing a call to...
Amphorae
I stretched as well as an old wolf can, feeling my muscles trying to explain to me, yet again, that they all wanted to be laid tenderly, horizontally, upon the comfort of my bed, rather than more vertically in the office chair in front of my screens...
Bloodline, Part 4
I didn't sleep that night. One advantage to being my age is having learned some tricks over the years, which includes how to get by with little or no sleep for short periods. I was to meet Johnny later, and I had a lot of thinking to do. I had already...
If Only You'd Wanted Me Back
They sat around the small campfire, each silent, each with his thoughts. _Five Characters in Search of an Exit,_the old bear remembered, except that there were six here tonight. He'd met that actor, the one who played the major, who had met the clown,...