Chapter six: Through the system

If you have read this far I want to hug you!

-6- Through the system

It was impossible to sleep that night. The thought kept running through my head like a nonstop frieght train. The inescapeable idea of signing away my own freedom to one of those beasts made me more than distraught. Every ounce of my being wanted to take back what I had done. Though a logical sliver in my brain kept telling me this was alright and it had to happen, I wanted out of the contract. Something just kept burning up inside of me making more fear, confusion, and anxiety. Though Urving seemed to be a loving bear I don't really know him at all and that made me very uneasy! What if this is all a hoax? What if he doesn't care about me? What if I am re-purposed? What if I am eaten? For every one good reason I could come up with about going with Urving, I was hit with an endless supply of bad thoughts. The fact that I was being purchased by a huge meat loving predator probably had something to do with the way I was thinking and feeling. Why couldn't I have met a deer or a squirrel with Urving's personality? Hell I would settle for a dog or a cat... Pounding my head against the wall lightly I tried once more to go to sleep but failed within a few seconds.

This time I was overwhlemed by the thought of Urving's friends and the "party" they had planned. Something about that made me nauseous and it just felt wrong. When you get a pet do you have  big party to introduce them to your friends? I suppose being an intelligent creature he is doing this for me or to make things more comfortable between us. I was just desperate to leave this room! I feel like I am going crazy and if I do not escape this horrid place my mind will certainly crack open. F**k though... I'm so scared... What the hell should I expect? How do I just change everything about myself? Urving seemed really attached to me and that gave me a fairly large amount of hope. If he trusts me than I can betray that trust and easily escape! I just do not know how I would or what I would do if I did escape. Deep inside of me I was ready to do whatever it took to escape. To be free from... this... I will even kill Urving if I have to... Damn that actually hurt to think about. He treats me so well and I am absolutely willing to hurt him... to kill him. What does that make me? Am I the bad guy now because I want to escape? Or is it what I am willing to do to escape? F**k this is all so confusing and conflicting! Every part of me is locked in a state of perpetual fear that I cannot escape unless I am physically freed. My mind races back and forth between here and the home I will be brought to against my will. Not entirely true... I did agree to go with him. But I didn't have a choice! Or did I? A groan escaped my mouth as the lights came on and I knew sleeping would be impossible now.

What is it like out there? What is a humans roll in this world? Though it seemed to shock and bother Urving, I still think I am his slave. What other practical purpose could they have for us? A chill danced around my spine as I remembered the fact I may end up food. Urving could do away with me without even feeling full and I am supposed to trust him with my life? Hell no! The second I have a chance I am going to run, fight, hide, and do whatever it takes to get away. He had better not try to stop me either or I... Just then a horrible wave of guilt hit me as I pictured Urving calling me his cub. Did he really mean that? The way he said it was so moving but it was hard to believe the huge monster. Thats not right... Urving isn't a monster, that wolf and the lion who captured me, are monsters. His bright yellow colored eyes held so much emotion that it was hard to imagine the beast within who surely existed. Fear of meeting that beast held me in check and kept my desires shifted toward escape instead of friendship. He can try all he wants but I am adamant about my hatred of his kind, nothing can change that. The door to my cell suddenly opened and two guards entered causing me to shrink toward the corner. One, a tall muscular elk, held a leash and collar bundled up in his paw. The other, a young red tiger, approached me and began speaking in a vibrant and excited tone.

"Good morning!" She pretty much shouted at me with a big fanged smile.

"Morning." I mumbled not looking up at her for very long.

 "Today is a very special day!" She continued, her voice becoming somewhat scripted, though her enthusiasm was real. "You get to go home!" She cheered raising both arms, which revealed her stomach of vermillion fur.

"It's not my home..." I muttered sullenly staring at the musky jacket with a grimace.

"We need to give you some medicine and fit you with a tracker before you are released. Please put this on." The male deer asked in a plain dull tone as he handed me the collar.

My entire body tensed upon hearing the word "tracker". No! Damn it I was afraid of this... They have a type of failsafe to try and prevent a humans escape. They will be able to find me and bring me back! What the hell do I do? This isn't fair but I have to get out of here or I will be... re-purposed. God just thinking about that word lodged a shard of icy fear in my heart and brain. Shaking with anger I snatched the collar from him and locked it around my neck as I scoffed in frustration. With a gentle tug I was pulled to the center of the room where they instructed me to wait. The tigress walked around me, shooting a small grin my way, so she could disconnect my ankle from the wall. It felt so good to have both my legs free that I actually thanked her, though I hardly meant it. She replied by lightly running a claw through my hair giggling quietly. Another tug on the collar brought me toward the elk but before I could recoil properly the tigress locked my hands in shackles. Staring angrily she just smiled and pat me on the head again, without a word.

Now that I was helplessly bound they opened the door and led me out of the room I had grown used to. It was actually far more exciting than I would have expected! Though fear still gripped me with an iron hand I was eager to see an alien planet! Infinite wonder filled my brain when I began trying to picture what the world looks like beyond this building. Once in the hall I was stricken with sorrow as they led me past dozens of doors each labled with a number... each a prison cell. The hollow feeling of being this close to my kind yet so out of reach hurt like a spiritual wound on my heart. I could only imagine the fear each of my bretheren were feeling at this very moment... Next to each door a small screen displayed the face of a different animal. I could only assume that these were images of beasts who wanted to purchase the humans trapped within each room. Some of the screens were void of faces and it just displayed a series of unreadable text, there language was nonsense to me. Passing an endless number of imprisoned people we soon reached a set of double doors at the end of the hall. These doors parted with a swoosh and I was led into what I quickly discovered to be an elevator. It was sterile white and the ceiling was entirely made of lights. Watching as they hit a button the feeling of motion took over my body and I soon realized we were going upward! Had I been underground this whole time? Or are we heading to the top floor of this structure? Fiddling with my restraints, I read the buttons on the wall unit I began to comprehend some of the symbols as numbers! If this is an elevator of somekind than these have to be floor numbers! Upon further examination I learned that the number one for them was a simple diagonal line. The number two for these beasts was a pair of small circles next to each other. As I examined the third symbol, which sort of looked like a tree, the door opened to a long brightly colored hall with no doors, save the one at the very end of the hall. The walls of this hallway were lined with pictures of beast men each one posing with a human who appeared very happy. Every race and every species were paired in these portraits, each happier than the last. It was somewhat comforting to see humans not fleeing in fear from the alien animals and instead sharing loving relationships with them. Could I possibly achieve that with Urving? Do I really want that? It is hard to view them as people but the more I am around them the more I realize they essentially are "human" in overall sentience. Just the fact that they have these procedures and structured ways of treating us shows the beast men follows some form of order. Upon opening the door my vision was filled with a blur of black and tan fur.

"Issac!" Urving cried as the door opened and I was brought in with a yank of the leash. "I missed you!" He growled happily after lifting me into a strong hug, which winded me a bit.

"Hello Urving." I replied unable to hide that I was, sort of, happy to see him as well.

"Until he is off of H.M.A property you cannot remove his chains and the collar must stay on, undestood?" The elk man instructed Urving with a very serious tone.

"Yes sir!" Urving replied eagerly reaching for the leash, which he was given after a few more seconds.

"You excited bud?" Urving bent over at the waist so we were pretty much touching noses. "I am so freaking happy to see you out of that cell!" His golden eyes lit up like sunlight passing through a jar of honey.

"Thanks... I won't lie, I am a little nervous." Responding uncomfortably, I rubbed the back of my head, but managed to force a smile.

"Don't be Iza! Nothing bad is gonna happen!" He nudged me gently with the back of his huge paw and I couldn't help but stagger. "In a minute, we're gonna go into a waiting room and you can see some other humans! Sound good?" As he said this my eyes widened with both joy and worry. 

I have not seen another human being in so long! Only... Anthronians as I think they are called. This will be great! Urving literally could not stop smiling. Even when he was addressed and forced to sign several papers, he was humming and bobbing his head the whole time. After he signed all that was required of him, the fiery feline pulled out what I could only assume was another kind of link pager. It was larger however and it had a strange looking attachment that Urving's did not. After holding one of those things in my hands the other day... I understand why they easily defeated us. The technology that his simple communication device displayed was astounding! It could created solid looking screens with nothing more than a projector like system of lights. She held the machine out toward Urving and he began fishing through the pockets on his oversized basketball shorts.

"450C, sir!" The tigress guard demanded pleasantly as Urving produced a glinting gold strip of metal, emblazoned with an alien symbol.

"Here you are!" He said politely holding it toward her device, which shot a thin white light over this golden chip.

After three or four seconds the light spread outward and made a light chime that sounded similar to coins clinking together. This sound was paired with a small flash of light, which caused my vision to blur ever so slightly. When my eyes cleared his gleaming gold token was now a shimmering silver color. Staring in amazement I saw that even the symbol on the front had changed to an entirely new emblem. Urving slipped this back into his pocket seemingly displeased by the fact it changed color. Instantly a huge grin shot back across his face as he looked down at me and opened his paw awaitingly. With an internal sigh I placed my hands in his paw, like a child would with an adult. Being chained up did make it feel strange and rather uncomfortable, however. Urving was overjoyed that I did this as he began playfully marching toward the only other door in this large room, which was similar to my holding cell. We walked through another long hall full of cheery pictures... I will admit it was much nicer having Urving hold my hands then it was to be pulled by a leash. The rough pad of his paw was like low grade sandpaper, but pliable and fatty. This mixed with the soft tufts of fur between his fingers made it feel like I was wearing some kind of glove. 

Above the door ahead a large sign read "Keep quiet, humans!" and it depicted two humans not talking to each other. Keeping us from communicating only shows me they do not want us to be organized and this is an attempt to keep us enslaved... Upon reaching the other door Urving pushed it open casually and we entered causing many sets of eyes to rise or turn our way. Three humans and four Anthronians glanced at us but didn't linger, save a curious koala and a young girl. The koala returned to his magazine shortly but the girl stared at me for a while longer before looking away. Urving pat the seat next to him and as I climbed up there I noticed something peculiar. Two of the other humans were on the floor, probably not by choice. One of them, a middle aged white guy, was on his knees with his head hung low. The other was the young black girl who had stared at me, but she simply sat on the floor lifelessly. The third human in the room sat across from me with his owner, pleasently cuddled in her lap, enjoying the affection. The older latino man was apparently very happy with his foxy new owner. She was a beautiful blonde colored fox with a soft enchanting voice and bewitching silver eyes. Her lap was a bit small for her new pet, but she didn't seem to mind as the vixen gently clawed through his hair and cooed a loving lullaby. The koala apparently owned the young woman, for he rubbed her shoulder when she eyed the display of affection. Her pulling away told me that this was not a very happy relationship and her future would surely be a bad one. The man on his knees was held there by a incredibly built rhinocerus. He used one of the humans shoulders as a foot rest, which looked incredibly uncomfortable and humiliating. Urving put his arm around me just then and as I was snuggled close by his closing arm... I couldn't avoid feeling grateful. Out of all the Anthronians I have encountered there are very few I would rather over Urving. But that doesn't mean I trust him! He will always be, in some way, a threat and an enemy.

"Ma'am! We are ready for you." A tall thin opossum appeared at the doorway fixing his dark glasses.

"Come along little one!" The tall well manicured vixen stood, placing her human on the ground.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" He replied raspily in a desperate tone to her and the lab coat clad opossum.

What the hell had him so happy? Even though he had an innocent and seemingly kind hearted owner, he was still going to be a slave! What could he have possibly been so excited about? Perhaps being such an old man he was just happy to finally get to rest. Perhaps the idea of settling down was enough to make him happy... A strange emotion hit me then, like a soft wind blowing against my face. If I could think like that old timer... maybe things wont be so bad... Urving is not only friendly, but he can protect me and he wants to do so! If I am a good friend to my gentle giant then this life could be worth living again! Deep in thought I didn't notice the pager being brought into my field of vision until it was mostly there. Urving had loaded... that game... and stared down at me awaitingly. Chuckling to myself uneasily, I declined and continued pondering this forced next step in my life. There is no way he is really this good natured... Nothing can be that friendly without having some ulterior motive. Even that fox probably wanted him to... I don't know...

The door opened again and the possum slid into the room comically. The fox and her human trotted out happily holding hands. They thanked the doctor many times and the old man even shook his paw voluntarily. As they passed I couldn't help but notice the old man seemed more energetic and able bodied. What did they do to him? What did they do for him? How will the proceed with me? God I hate asking myself questions... I know there will never be answers...

"I can help you now, sir." The white opossum with the blending lab coat waved the rhino over.

Kicking his foot off the human he sent the poor guy to the ground. As the beast rose above him the adult man was thrown to the ground again when he tried to stand. Walking without any compassion for his crawling pet, the rhinocerus dragged the human along behind him. My blood began to boil, but seeing the guards and the doctors reaction, simmered me down. The guard, a panther, glared viciously in the rhino's direction. The doctor looked uncomfortable with the whole situation. With a small sigh the opossum fixed his glasses, then stooped down and gently put his arm around the middle aged man. Whispering softly he helped the human to his feet and began walking with him toward the operating room... At least thats what I assumed was back there. Sobbing softly the human clutched his face and followed the rat tailed figure through the doors.

"Don't you worry..." Was all I could make out from what the opossum said to him.

The panther, who had been in the corner the entire time, looked pissed off. His mug dropped into a scowl and the rounded square muzzle tightened to a slight triangular shape. His wicked green eyes seemed to darken for a moment as he stared at the callous beast, who carelessly tapped through his pager. The guards eyes sliced to me and I gapsed softly as we now stared at each other. Lifting his brow, I watched his eyes widen as a smile developed across his muzzle, revealing his two longest fangs. A reluctant smirk was created against my will and this made the big cat happy. Looking up I saw Urving was also on his link pager, but a new level of innocence grew around him. Seeing the way that horrible horned beast had kicked his human... I am glad Urving had decided not to do such things... Was he just merciful or was I really a friend to him? At any rate he had not harmed me for any reason and I was incredibly grateful. When the doctor returned I was overwhelmed by what I saw. The person who he had led away... was no longer with him. The humans mouth hung open and his body was lifeless, though he was actively moving around. His eyes were... empty... emptied of all that he once was... He stared blankly forward with no life in his body or face, except a small dopey grin, which seemed unnatrual. His arms were limp and he barely even seemed to stand properly when the rhino approached and took his leash. Blinking incredibly slowly, his head flopped from side to side as he looked around the room, seemingly unaware of everything happening around him. Smiling up at his owner, the human attempted to hug his rhinocerus, but got put in a headlock instead. The way he reacted to the trapping gesture was not human at all. Though the rhino crushed his head under his huge muscular arm the human simply chuckled as if these were friendly antics. It was as if they took a small piece of him away... They cut out or blocked off whatever made him aware... whatever in our brains makes us... human.

"Thanks doc!" The huge beast replied as he snatched the leash and happily pulled his slave along by the head.

"Your... welcome..." The doctor muttered halfheartedly, bowing his head and sighing.

My brain was on fire inside! Why the hell did they do that to him? Does he have emotions anymore or did they take all of that away? Who is he now? What's going on in his brain? What did he do to deserve such a punishment? Why am I any different... am I? Oh god that is going to happen to me! Looking up at Urving I was panting frantically now, unable to control the way I acted. Slowly both my hands rose to grip the collar around my neck. Once I had my hands on it, a wreckless thrashing began without my consent. Urving gently put his hands on mine and lowered them to my lap, though I continued to fight worthlessly. Shooting my gaze upward I saw his defensive eyes staring down longingly. My darting eyes searched deperately for an answer but he just shook his head softly and looked at the floor. Watching uneasily, I saw doctor opossum wave the koala over, but his captured female fought to remain in place. As the now sinister set of double door slid closed behind her, I felt my body shake with seizure of terror. Urving put his arm over me and as I began to cry, he pulled me in close, my body squishing into his fat side. 

"Please stay calm Issac! Don't cry buddy." The gutteral voice lovingly muttered as he rocked me gently.

 

"Is that... i-i-is that..." It was impossible to say anything properly as my entire body shook with fear. "W-was he... re-purposed?" I finally managed to ask after I took a few seconds to focus my voice and calm my breathing.

My words hung in the empty waiting room but he soon broke the silence. "Yes..." Was all he muttered as he scanned the opposite wall gravely. "But you have to believe me... I will never do that to you!" His face got very serious as he threw his paw outward, pointing toward the now long gone human.

"You can say that, but how I am supposed to trust you?" Shouting now, my tears flowed freely and I shoved his arm away with all my might. "Why am I here then?" I demanded him to answer with a fierce tone, but my crying eyes betrayed the image I was trying to present.

"Issac, please!" Urving cried desperately when I moved his arm with my pitiful strength. "Please just listen to me... " The breaking of his voice told me he was truely upset with the way I was acting. "Nothing bad will happen to you. I... love you..." Urving struggled to find and release these words but that only made them feel stronger when he finally did. "Please... give me a chance, Issac..." These final few words stung my heart as he hung his head in dissapointment.

My fear quickly dissapated as I saw his increasingly hurt face. His eyes faded from there normal happy glow and small pockets of tears developed, but were quickly wiped away. A heavy weight fell on my heart as I saw him wipe the tears from his eyes. This cannot be an act... Urving is really sad, crushed would be a better word. As the koala emerged I saw him stare at Urving before thanking the doctor and taking his woman with him. The smaller bear had a laugh at Urving's expense as he passed with the now calmer female. She was absolutely not re-purposed but she seemed overall happier and content with her owner. After I watched her pass I looked over to find the doctor approaching. Urving stood and his sheer size forced me to as well. Getting a small glance of Urving's face I could see he had managed to hide his tears well.

"Hello! How are you today?" The opossum addressed Urving with a small nod of the the head, his voice rather nasaly.

"Great! Thanks for seeing my boy!" Urving cheerily greeted the doctor... wait ... his boy? 

"It's my job! Come on man! Lets get you looked at!" The opossum opened the door and waved me through, his blue eyes widening with eagerness as he examined me.

"Come on Iza." Urving said this in an asking tone and I gulped slightly following behind the leash, which he would not pull.

Beyond these horrid doors I found it was just another basic hall... This time however, it had windows overlooking a small garden below. The lovely view made me gasp and attempt to walk toward it, but I stopped as the leash lost slack. Urving allowed me to moved further with a  small chuckle and a wave of his paw. Outside... the... world... I couldn't see much aside from another building and this small garden of stones, stairs, and flower patches. But the effect it had on me was like being reanimated. The sunlight! I couldn't see there sun but... the light!  A part of me wanted to cry, wanted to throw myself through this window and be free of this. Yet... I simply turned away and returned to Urving's side. If my fate is a terrible one then so be it, I will escape. If Urving is as he appears... please god let me live! Please! I have come so far and I want nothing more than to live! We reached the other end of the hall and I saw several documents mounted on the wall, which I could only describe as...  medical degrees! Wow! None of the text made sense, but the image of the opossum doctor, somewhat younger, with a large emblem below, told me he had some form of license. I was of course assuming it was medical...

"Sir, my office is rather small... Would you please wait in the hall?" Doctor opossum asked Urving and he nodded with a dopey confusion about him.

It dawned on me why they had these huge halls between all rooms, for larger animals! My leash was handed off and I followed the opposum into his "office". Looking back at Urving he released a small groan of disatisfaction upon seeing me go. He's a teddy bear, not a grizzly bear... Inside it was much different than any other room I had entered. The walls had thin windows that were tinted dark purple and the floor was covered in dense carpeting, which was green in color. The entry way was lined with mounted bookshelves and the ceiling had a mural of many ancient looking animals. Once the door shut, my attention turned to the opossum who had moved to his desk. With his back to me, the hairless pink tail shifting in small twitches, he seemed to be looking for something. Spinning back around to face me the critter made his fingers into pistols and took on a funny face, he had also styled his hair very Elvis like. 

"Hey!" His blues voice made me chuckle, but as he pointed the "guns" at me, my chains opened!

Rubbing my wrists I laughed harder now as he returned to his normal demeanor. "Thank you!" I replied happily as the collar also fell free. 

"Your welcome!" The nerdy sounding doctor asked sitting on his desk, his tail swiped around to the side. "How are you feeling?" The doctors voice sounded genuine when he asked this, which felt really good.

"I wont lie... I am... terrified." The more I spoke the lower my head drooped until I was staring at the carpeted floor, which my toes sank into.

"Please don't be!" He responded quikckly waving his hand like paws.

"You aren't going to... re-purpose me?" Still unable to look up at him I shivered when this question escaped my lips.

"Oh my god no! No!" He nearly lost his glasses reacting to my question. "I hate doing that..." His pained voice thinned as he also looked to the floor for comfort.

"Then why do you?" The rage I felt was filtered out by my voice, though a bit burned through.

"Not all humans are as cooperative as you... Some are really violent." The opposum seemed shocked that I asked this and answering made him uneasy. "Even you are pretty dangerous according to the Agency... It was up to your owner to request a re-purposing." His meek voice seemed quite confident as he finished this statement.

"S-so U-urving..." Stuttering uncontrollably I felt a smile of relief creep up my face. "He wasn't lying?" I asked this, but it felt more like I confirming it with myself.

"Well I don't know what he told you!" The opossum laughed after giving me a confused stare. "But believe me I am not going to do anything like that!" His laugh sharpened slightly, as he raised his hands defensively.

"Why am I here then?" My voice tightened with frustration, but he was just too friendly to be short with.

"Well, let me explain!" The opposum stated his response as a sort of offer, which I took with a smile. "If you were to go outside right now you would die in a few minutes..." He explained, his tone shifting toward sadness, as his ears and whiskers fell. "You need to take this pill, so you can breath our air and our bacteria won't hurt you as much!" Cheery again, the opposum produced a translucent green capsule from behind the papers on his desk. "Also I want to put one of these in your ear, so if you get lost... or stolen..." His voice trailed off as he began looking through some files. "Urving! Can come find you!" As he read Urving's name he opened his palm and showed me a tiny computer chip within. "Then you can go! Nothing to worry about." Doctor opossum finished by setting the chip down next to the pill and folding his arms.

Inside my head I was angry that he played off the tracking device so innocently. But... no, it makes sense. I need to be tagged so I'm safe... right? With a small sigh I approached the desk and the doctor stood quickly, backing away a little. He was alerted to my approach, almost... afraid... He quickly smiled again however, and handed the pill to me, which I took with a raised eyebrow. Scanning the strange colored capsule I gulped once, as if to prepare, but then swallowed it for real. Nothing seemed to happen and that made me chuckle slightly as I looked up at the quirky marsupial. Doctor opossum was so normal that it was hard to see the animal he was and not the personality he was presenting. That didn't really matter as he didn't own me... Watching the doctor ready a small clamp like device I couldn't help but think of Urving, waiting anxiously in the hall. It was hard to avoid how mean I had been to him, but at the same time he had to understand! My attention focused as the doctor bent over toward me. Staring up at him, he eyed me with a slight level of worry, yet he just smiled and continued. I wonder how many humans have attacked him... I understand his fear...

"This will sting a little, alright?" The doctor warned me innocently so I nodded trying to look tough.

God I wish I had prepared better. With a loud cybernetic buzz and a small fleshy crunch, I felt something being forced into the back of my earlobe. A small yelp of pain escaped my lips and I clutched the spot where it felt like my skin had been ripped asunder. Glaring up at the doctor, he shrunk a little with shame brewing in his eyes. He appologized, but I did as well since the pain vanished rather quickly. Doctor opossum set the strange clothes pin unit down and grabbed a bowl off his desk. It appeared to be full of candy... Shaking it a few times he looked up at me excitedly, but my puzzled response changed that quickly.

"Want a different emotion? I have some joys and a few mellows left!" His peculiar offer was paired by another shake of the bowl. "Excitement, love, bravery,... I also got a few confidence left, want one?" Though I understood the concept I was blown away by what he was offering.

Emotions... in a pill, huh? Well, now that I think about it, we have that on earth too! Just... the pills are horribly addictive or mentally crippling, for the most part. It all sort of made sense now though! The other humans who left happier, yet uneffected, must have taken one of these! This thought when paired with how friendly the doctor was made me understand! Another wave of relief crashed over me and I wanted nothing more than to get out of here! All of my fear had, not vanished, but began changing... I was excited! Not in a million years did I think I would get to see a planet other than my own! Now I get to experience a culture and a world far different than anything I could have ever envisioned. Suddenly I remembered that the doctor had asked me a question and I declined his offer, which made him frown comically. Setting the bowl down the doctor reached into his breast pocket and removed... a pen? He delicately unfolded this thin metal tube and pointed it my way as he studied it intently. From the tip of the device a thin field of white light scanned over me once or twice, before flashing and turning green. This pleased him greatly and he beamed down at me as the pen shaped device was slipped back into his pocket.

"Alright! Good to go Issac!" Doctor opossum said happily pushing his glasses back up his muzzle.

"Really? Just like that? I'm... free?" These words, though not entirely correct, made me feel higher than I have in years!

"Absolutely!" The opossum laughed, closing his eyes and patting my shoulder with a big grin.

"Thank you!" I replied softly and emotionally, before rushing from the room and back into the hall.

"How'd it go?" Urving asked with a small inquisitive smile as I appeared. "Everything good doc?" Urving stood up as he asked this and reached for me with one paw.

"Absolutely! Issac here is a healthy young man!" The doctor replied as I put my hand in Urving's paw, much to his delight. "He will need to visit a regular doctor in a few weeks for a check up. Oh, and make sure he eats something soon!" The doctor finished his response and Urving listened intently, nodding the whole time.

"Of course!" Urving laughed in response as they both eyed me. "Was worried he was sick, since he's so skinny..." Urving trailed off, speaking to the doctor as if I wasn't there.

"Nope, he's perfectly healthy!" The doctor replied to Urving as if I wasn't here, which was getting really irritating. "Take good care of him!" As the doctor said this he shook paws with Urving and winked down at me.

"I will!" Urving shouted gleefully shaking paws with the opossum. "You ready Iza?" He asked looking down at me, but I was unable to formulate the words I wanted, so I simply nodded.

My hand still clutched in his huge paw we began heading out. Once we were back in the waiting room four humans stared my way with a mix of anticipation, fear, and worry. Each face I met I gave a gentle and sympathetic smile. With my eyes I tried to tell each person that it would be alright, though I know for some... it would not be. As I passed the panther guard he chuckled lightly and offer his paw for a low five. Laughing myself, I slapped my hand into his paw and let it slide free, enjoying the soft but bristly feel of his fur. Urving laughed and told the panther to "take it easy". Heading toward the elevator Urving growled playfully and lifted me up onto his shoulder. Startled, I flailed lightly, but then simply rested and held onto his ear for balance. It was kind of fun! His huge lumbering steps shook me down to my bones and the view of the plump body covering so much distance made me thankful I didn't have to walk. Wow... his ear is really soft! Running my hand around the plush black fur I gently squeezed the sinewy flesh and caused him to react with a slight twitch. He shrugged his shoulders shortly after this, and I laughed as I was bounced toward the ceiling of the moving lift. Ducking as we exited the elevator, I gasped and had to force myself to continue breathing.

We stepped out into an enormous room filled with others like Urving. Dozens and dozens of all conceivable species scuffled about or waited in lines patiently. Urving lumbered out from beneath a tall triangular arch, which was made out of two tall glass elevators, each full of differing Anthronians. Ahead of us were multiple sets of stairs and at the bottom, two sets of scattered desks were alive with paper work or phone calls. The lines spread to differing desks and all conversations seemed related to humans in some way, though I couldn't make out anything specific. This place was some kind of terrible cross between a pound and the DMV. The thought made me shiver but I was quickly fascinated by something else. One wall on the western side was a giant screen. It displayed images of random humans and... prices. That made me shake with anger. But as a type of news program began playing, my eyes widened with curiousity. Nothing I saw was even remotely comprehendable but the friendly looking dog on screen was cheerfully telling me a story.... Passing over a group of young beasts, they all pointed and made amazed noises at the sight of me. Some mentioned my "mane" and others commented that I must have had funny looking "fangs". One of them asked why my "hide" was such a funny color... this is priceless! Urving grunted in an entertained way and I giggled shooting a glance back at the group of pups, cubs, and kids. There were other humans around the room... but I guess none as strange looking as I. Perhaps it was my long shaggy hair or the strange color of my eyes. Urving's paw hit the bottom floor and I gasped again, upon seeing the light to the door outside. This is it! Oh god... I have wanted this for so long! Semi-freedom!

Reviews

[Brittanie Bardwell]

Great chapter with great emotions. I really wanted to punch the rhino so you captured your readers emotions too. I am falling in love with Urving more and more and can't wait to see what this world has to offer Iza.

[Thatonedawg]

I responded out of order lol, my excitement got the better of me. Seriously thank you! Things have been rough lately, having this has been incredibly comforting. Thank you!