The hound, Ethan was waiting impatiently at the roof hatch. Shadow left the bat there, ready for our return. At least the trip down was easier, but I slowed the two wolves down. Shadow had me by the paw, and Helaina was rushing us to the restrooms.

Ethan led us into the girls' restroom this time, but I hardly had time to look around. Steve sealed up and tapped the wall to confirm with Burt that all was prepared.

I looked around in the dim light of another jumbo flashlight, set on the bathroom counter. A few of the furs looked uneasy with wolves in their midst, but said nothing. Sanway looked away in disgust; no improvement there. Ethan sat with the old cat Margaret who stared with wide eyes.

An uneasy truce then. Full acceptance would forever be an illusion.

"Everyone settle!" called Steve. "Right, about three more minutes. Relax and settle in."

I tugged on Shadow's paw, encouraging him down, but Helaina had seized his other paw and was dragging the three of us over complaining furs. She sat us near a glaring Sanway. Not my first choice, but she smiled at him warmly.

"Lie down, Shadow. Sanway won't bite," Helaina insisted.

No time. I lay down, closest to Sanway. I could shield Shadow from his hostile gaze... which he was suddenly turning on me too. Damn! How was I supposed to relax like this?

I felt Shadow settle behind me. He pulled me, dragging me back along the blanketed floor. There was more space from Sanway, at least. I heard Helaina squeeze in behind Shadow, and I felt his body shift as she wedged herself in.

"Make room, Shadow! Jeez... males...."

My mind flicked back to when I had laid across from Burt at the gas station. I had met Burt's worried eyes as we recovered. Now I stared wide-eyed at a springbok who was nearly hissing in anger.

I shivered and closed my eyes as the restroom went quiet. Shadow gripped me closer and growled softly somewhere above my head. I consciously made an effort to relax and Shadow's growl eased behind me. He relaxed cautiously behind me, and I felt my tensions ease slightly as a faint hum rose.

The hum escalated and the Curtain dropped on the FurShopper.

The floor vibrated first, as the whole structure transmitted the oscillations into our bones. Then it came to us.

The vibrations crawled up my arms, skittered under my fur. Digging into my being. Diving into my mind. Nothing existed beyond the screaming sensations. I was lost in them. Tiny vibrations of infinite complexity, tiny and terrible.

I recognized the rhythms. I danced with them... but then, I was lost again. The vibrations overwhelmed me. Endless time stretched as everything in me screamed with a tiny voice.

But then it stopped.

And for a single instant, I stopped.

But I was there, panting heavily as the shock and strain on my body released through my shivers. Shadow panted behind me, and I knew his black fur intermingled with my red fur. Somehow, it was comforting.

I remembered that Sanway was right in front of me and resolutely kept my eyes closed. I didn't want the thought to interfere. I was here with Shadow. Minutes passed and Shadow held me firmly. I calmed with my breathing.

Tried to ignore-

A fur snorted loudly - so close!

My eyes snapped open. Any distance at which I could have seen his aggressive eyes would have been too close. This was far, far too close.

"Smells too much of you wolves in here!" he grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his nostrils in disgust.

Helaina huffed a breath and I heard her shift. "Don't be so picky, Sanway. You're not on anyone's menu. You're alright, and so are they."

Sanway gave her a dismayed look. Grumbling, he crawled a few pawlengths closer to the door before managing to stand.

Having recovered enough, I sat up quickly and glanced back.

Helaina had raised up on one elbow with a long-suffering look on her face. "Too sensitive..." she huffed and took some time to smooth her Curtain-puffed fur - a trending style sported by every fur there. "He's touchy, but would never actually harm any fur."

I felt a deep twinge. For the Curtain, she'd had to curl up close to Shadow. There was no way she could have laid without her paws and her fur touching....

Shadow sat up slowly, rubbing his head.

"You okay?" I asked worriedly. I was the one who was usually worse off after these....

"Yeah," he sighed, "I just couldn't relax with him glaring at you like that."

"Right," said Helaina, standing as Sally and the doe Mia stood across the restroom. "Time to get back to the roof, boys."

Shadow groaned and turned away from her, "Can't we sleep in longer?" He gave me a grin and a wink.

"Up," she insisted around Shadow's wagging tail.

Shadow looked at me questioningly as he got up. I shrugged and stood up... which didn't feel as stable as sitting.

The trip back to the roof was a haze of fatigue. I sagged, sitting on the crate, plucking absently at the folded blanket's edges as the two wolves headed off.

"Remember to keep watch for Peter," Helaina reminded me as the two wolves headed off.

I shrugged. The fur was probably dead anyway.

Helaina looked like she was chatting Shadow's ear off. He didn't look too involved, but at least he was managing himself well as the reclaimed bat swung loosely while he walked.

I hummed under my breath. Whatever song had gotten stuck in my head was probably stuck forever.

Helaina seemed like a cheerful wolf, even if I doubted her intentions. She got along well with everyone, even Sanway. If she became Shadow's friend, that would be good right? There could not be many furs to make friends with. Maybe she simply disliked me.

It just seemed to be happening so quickly. She acted so familiar around him.... I wasn't even sure how that made me feel. I didn't even know what it was I felt for Shadow.

My mind blurred as I hummed and stared at the zombies collapsed all over the wide parking lot.

"Tyler," said a wolfy voice... only not the one I most wanted to hear.

I looked around in alarm. Where was Shadow?!

I spotted him across the roof, pacing back and forth at the rear of the FurShopper. He was looking this way, and I waved to him, hoping he would return. He waved in response but stayed back, though he worriedly kept his eyes on me.

"I just wanted to get a chance to talk to you," Helaina said with a wolfy grin.

I shrugged neutrally.

"I know you two are close, and I wanted to make sure I knew you as well."

I must have looked confused, because she sat down next to me and peered over the low ledge at the sleeping zombies below. Across the roof, I saw Shadow pause, then resume his watchful pacing. He held the bat warily. Why wasn't he coming back?

"I asked him to give us some time. I told him it's not healthy for a fur to know only one fur."

I guess that explained it. I really didn't know anyone besides Shadow. I just didn't like how this was turning out. Shadow was so far away....

"Shadow won't tell me anything about his previous life, or his current one since the Curtains started. So tell me about yourself. If I had met you a few weeks ago, what would you have told me?"

I smiled hesitantly. At least this felt like familiar ground. Ordinary. I guess it didn't matter if she knew some basic things.

I quickly told her about my house, my old high school, my mother and Kaylee. It felt good to tell someone about these things which had meant so much in my previous life, but had no place in this one. Some part of me needed to keep their importance intact.

Shadow eventually wandered close, to check on us. Well, he completed a 'circuit' around the edge without much interest and came our way.

I smiled happily at him when he came up. My tail swished on the white roof covering.

With a relieved sigh, he sank to a crouch next to me. He gripped my red shoulder with his black paw. With a nod of thanks to Helaina he asked me, "You okay?"

I nodded.

"She being nice to you?"

"Yes, I was telling her about my family," I replied, my tail swinging happily behind me.

"Tyler's mom would bake toys into their birthday cakes! I wish my mom would do that.... Or did." She sighed and her ears sank.

The three of us were silent a moment. Below, the undead snarling things were crawling. That song rose in my mind again....

"Ah, Shadow," Helaina looked up into his bright yellow eyes. "Could you check the other side of the store again? I need to make sure we keep watch up here. I also want to talk with Tyler some more, see if I can get more out of him than I can get out of you."

Shadow looked uneasy. I was uneasy too, sitting next to an unstable female, looking down on the slavering undead. But, she had seemed genuinely interested in what I told her about my family. Friendly even.

"Oh, come on! I just want some private time with him," she blinked wide, pleading eyes.

Shadow grimaced and looked at me. After a shared gaze of uncertainty, he said firmly, "You okay with this?" At my shrug he growled something under his breath. "Don't wear him out, okay? He's been through enough."

Helaina grinned widely, "What am I? Torturer of sickened furs?"

Shadow stepped slowly away, looking unsettled. "Seriously, don't upset him either, okay?"

"Of course!"

"Promise," Shadow added in an insistent growl.

"Yes, already! Just go. We really need to keep watch here."

After a last long gaze at my blue eyes, he managed to draw himself away. The bat was clenched in his black paw, gore highly visible in the sun.

Shadow's progress was greatly slowed as he kept looking back at me and tried to keep vigil on the surroundings too.

Helaina looked at me, all seriousness. "Tyler."

My eyes widened and my tail stilled. This new attitude alarmed me, and I looked past her at Shadow's diminished size. This new wolf, who I hardly knew. Any unstable fur.... A time when no crime would likely be punished. Was this really safe?

I would have been certain of my safety before....

"Tyler, we need to talk."

I gaped at her. "Um... we were just-"

"No. I mean, we need to have a talk about Shadow."

I shivered in the warm sunlight. The sunny day, suddenly a mockery of the chaos.

"The world has changed, you agree, right?"

I nodded, but felt too alarmed to speak.

"It's all about survival now. Survival always means that some are left behind."

My eyes widened further, and I edged away from her. "Wait!"

"Not now, idiot!" she said hurriedly. "I meant we'll probably all die young.... Some may die younger than most."

I felt even less comforted. Offended even. She didn't have to blurt it out like that.

"Those who survive will be superior to those who perish. At the very least, the ones a fur allies with could determine that very survival."

"...What?"

"Fine! I'll be blunt. Shadow needs a strong partner. Furs in this world need strong partners," she said. "I'm sorry, you're...."

I tensed in horror. I wasn't that weak! I wasn't that small, either! Shadow and I were in this together, how could she say otherwise? So wrong to suggest such a thing. The horrible part was... it was true, in a way. This was not the Furdom of the past.

I sagged, though my heart protested with a hard twinge of pain. Strong? I could not be that for him. For anyone. Not compared to many furs. I had never been the strongest or the fastest. I... was strong where I could be, but that was all I could manage. The Curtain was also proving I was disadvantaged with too much sensitivity.

"There can't be many wolves left. We're amazing creatures who can thrive, even in times like these. Wolves need a chance."

I stared at her, knowing where this was going. I didn't want to think about this.

"He needs to make sure wolves survive.... I-we could do it together, but he won't leave you. For days he huddled over you in that restroom. He's too attached to you after what you've been through together. It's not natural. It's an artificial bond."

I shuddered. Horrible, this was horrible.

She sighed and continued, "I know he's a couple years younger than I am, but he's strong. I doubt I'll find a better wolf around. Though it's hard to tell because of the baggy clothes he wears, he probably has decent bloodlines."

I nodded. According to Shadow's story, he had been the son of a clan leader, and they often passed leadership to their progeny. He probably had very good bloodlines. Somewhere inside though, my heart was crying.

She rubbed my back, attempting some comfort. "You should stay friends at least! He'll need good friends. But you need to make sure he gets space to become independent of you. Let him be a wolf among wolves."

I sniffed, "I-"

"Now don't get upset on me, okay?" Helaina asked earnestly. "I'm sure it'll ruin my chances. Hold it together, there's a good pup."

She was right. If Shadow caught her making me cry, he might never allow himself to grow closer to her. "How old are you?" I asked, trying to divert my mind.

"Twenty-two. Just last winter. I was out of college for the summer."

I nodded mutely, staring at the rooftop beneath my footpaws. They would make a good pair. Produce strong pups.... Beautiful pups....

"Hey, hey! Seriously, he's looking this way."

I shivered and straightened. Through blurry eyes... did I see Shadow wave? I managed to raise my paw too. How could I assume the right to protest this? Survival and Shadow's pups....

"It's a good thing. To let him go. He needs to do this, and so do I. Just let me get him away from you more often. He'll come around."

Why did this feel like a betrayal? I was guilty too. I was already agreeing to push Shadow away. Confusion and deep ache settled in.

We were both silent for long minutes. I looked between my sore paws and the ridiculously white roof covering. Some sort of attached covering....

"Hey!"

My gaze jumped up in guilt and relief. "Hi," I said with a weak smile.

Shadow looked at me carefully, then at Helaina. "Everything okay here?" he asked me slowly, paw curling around the bat.

I nodded vigorously, "Yeah... um.... I was," I glanced at Helaina, who was giving me a pointed look. I cleared my throat, "Um, thinking about the past was...."

Shadow eased slightly, but continued to frown.

I couldn't even look at him or Helaina.

"Tyler," Shadow began, "are yo-"

"Ah!" Helaina jumped to her footpaws. "I think that's Peter. He's back!"
 
Shadow shifted, torn and unsettled. For me, it was a welcome distraction to pull me away from... what I couldn't face.

I looked through the binoculars, cupping them carefully in my injured paws. There, I spotted a bit of bright cloth wave from the nearest part of the treeline. It was a ferret, and I could see several more furs hidden in the trees. The trees were the closest available cover to the FurShopper. "Looks like there's a group of furs with him," I mumbled.

"Blood and fur! What bad timing," griped Helaina. "After the Curtain, but a bit too long. Give me those."

I handed her the binoculars and looked down at the zombies. Many were on their footpaws, while others lingered on the pavement in the hot sun. "They're getting more active, and that's a good-sized group of furs coming."

Helaina growled, standing next to me. "He's brought too many, We'll never be able to sneak them past. Looks like some younglings too."

Shadow's ears flicked, and he stared at the trees where the waving cloth swung in the air.

Helaina set her jaw and her ears perked forward intently. "Tyler."

I stiffened.

Helaina crouched and opened the supply box. She quickly passed me a pawful of rocket-poppers and swiped a brightly colored cloth from the supply box. It swung above her head in a return signal. She hung a wide banner with a painted arrow over the side. It pointed to the side we had come in a few days ago.

She frowned at me, "Shadow and I will go down to help the others bring them in. You stay here and distract those things with fireworks."

"What?!" snarled Shadow.

"Down with me, Shadow. No arguments, we'll need everyone who can help down there. Tyler's fine. You won't fall off will you?"

I shook my head, "I'm not that sick. But-"

Helaina snatched Shadow's paw and dragged him away, ignoring his protests while he juggled the bat. "Give us five minutes to gather the furs below, then start the fireworks. Yell. Scream. Whatever you have to do to keep them focused on you!"

"Wait!" yelped Shadow. "Tyler," he called over his shoulder, "don't die!"

"You too!" I yelled, shrilly.

Shadow hesitated with a pained grimace and turned away. He hurried away with Helaina towards the nearest hatch.

Would this be the last time I saw him alive? If he came back, would I have to abandon him?

No. I couldn't do anything about it right now. I needed to focus; Shadow would have to also.

The roof was an empty wasteland of white. Not a single smudge of a fur about. Desolate. Alone. Alone with my own thought and the recent memories echoing in my ears.... Leave Shadow.

Keep busy, fewer thoughts there. Humming again, I pulled a small candle from the supply box and lit it with a lighter I found there. Setting a few rocket-poppers in a low bottle, I sat back on my crate and watched the treeline. The cloth had stopped waving, and they appeared to be waiting.

Couldn't start too early, maybe?

"Hey, Nasties!" I yelled. "Want a bit of fox for lunch?"

Several of the zombies below turned.

"I have your attention, right?" I called. "Um.... What do you say to corpses? ...Just keep yelling, huh?"

A leopard corpse growled and clawed at the FurShopper wall.

"By all that's furry! You should be lying in graves, not creeping around! I'm glad my family's not down there among you!" I shouted. I felt lightheaded from yelling; I was not recovered yet.

I had their attention. Had it been a few minutes? Close enough.

I leaned over. It was difficult with my injured paws, but I lit the fuses and hurriedly wobbled a few steps away.

WhZiiifff--

Up... up....

Shh-Crack! Cr-Krak! Spack!

Heated growls and moans came urgently from below.

I hurried back to the box and grabbed a whirly-pearly from the bag of fireworks. Lighting it, I dropped it to the side of the gathering zombies, turning the waking mob further away from the furs I could see emerging from the trees. "They'd better run fast!" I yelled down.

The spinning, flashing ball drew the zombies closer. Some who had only crawled before, managed to scramble to their footpaws. One zombie ran... actually ran. Damn. Running.

Was this even going to work? If I didn't keep their whole focus....

I grabbed a set of chirpy-birdies, lit them and dropped them down. They chittered and screeched below.

In the corpse chaos, I saw one- no two light up with flames. Clothes burning, fur burning. It spread, and a few undead screeched. Was it pain? Frustration? But most moaned or growled "normally."

I looked around checking.

The parking lot was quickly clearing at the edges and the approaching furs crouched and ran forward, angling to the side to which the arrow pointed.

I tossed another lit whirly-pearly down. Only a few zombies ignored the whirly-pearly and focused on me. I needed to keep their attention.

"Want some of me?" I screeched. I plucked a few hairs from my puffed tail and let them drift over the side.

After a few seconds, renewed howls from one zombie successfully drew attention from the other non-believers.

But only briefly.

I noted two which looked up, with their fixed snarls. Those necks were limber, not stiff with death anymore. I was plainly out of reach and they looked aside.

"No! Look here! I'm warm meat! Fresh meat!"

Two ignored me. Ignored the whirly-pearly and the chirpy-birdies. The leopard and the white ox spotted a group of living prey slipping past the partly-flaming rabble.

"Noo-ooo!" I shouted, clapping my paws, wincing as they stung strongly. "I'm here! Here!"

But the two turned away and sprinted after the furs who now ran for their lives towards the side of the store. The two zombies bellowed and howled unnaturally. Their voices warped in death. Others turned away from my fake bait and hurried after their calls. Inflamed or not they spurred the new hunt.

No. They knew. They had changed again. Alarmed, I fumbled the whistle twice before I managed to get three sharp tweets out of it. That was as much as I could do.... Even if I threw myself down now, it wouldn't change their hunt.

The running furs, led by the ferret - they couldn't make it! "Faster- you need to go faster! No...."

They couldn't make it the creatures were gaining too quickly.

The furs passed around the side of the store... but the first two zombies weren't far behind. The rest straggled at different rates. Several could still only crawl. From around the corner, I heard sounds. Vague at this distance, but the FurShopper furs had met the zombies.

I was no use now. The few remaining here with me were steadily burning away, lighting some old corpses too. Just in case, I dropped another whirly-pearly for them.

I scrambled to my footpaws and hurried towards the hatch. Distant sounds of conflict. Who was winning? Who would survive? Burt, Jenny, Howard.... Shadow was- where was he?!

No. "Shadow..." I whined as I ran as best I could. My tail streamed out behind me. I stumbled unsteadily in my run, but pushed forward.

Hatch... ladder... stairs... loading bay.... Minutes... huge store.... Further. Faster. Please.

Pain from my paws, fatigue was pushed aside by adrenaline. It overtook me. Faster.

There was a commotion ahead. The storage and loading area was lit in the distance. There was daylight coming in, open to the outside. They should be there.

Ahead, Jacob and Diana squealed in fear and were hastened away into the store by Michelle.

Shadow. Where?!

I was gasping for breath, stumbling forward. My recovering body could not handle this. No, I needed to continue.

The door was closed and the commotion stopped. Gasping and crying came... still ahead of me in the dim lantern light.

I had slowed to a stumble. "Shadow... Shadow," I whispered, threading my way through furs.

Jenny. Jenny, I recognized.

"Where's Shadow?" I demanded breathily, snatching at her shirt and gasping. My sweat-damped paws slipped away.

"Blood and fur, Tyler! Are you okay?" She leaned over her knees as she recovered. "I think I saw him that way," she pointed with a shaking paw.

I hurried towards the place she had pointed out.

Furs were calling to each other, checking to see who had returned.

I heard Helaina, "-was amazing! He had this wildness in his eyes and he took out the zombie! The kid's safe now for that!" Helaina was sitting a little distance from Shadow, already chattering to a new fur.

"Shadow!" I had found him. Crumpled and gasping on the cement floor next to the bat. I collapsed next to him, my paws landing on his black arms. I could hardly see his black self in the dim periphery of lantern light.

He jerked in shock, then smiled slowly when he saw me. "Tyler," he whispered between pants.

"Anyone hurt?" I heard Burt call. He didn't even sound winded.

"I got clawed a bit, but I'm alright." called someone distantly.

"That idiot Rusty got a swipe of me with his knife!" protested Sanway from nearby.

Rusty proclaimed his apology loudly in the distance, "I'm sorry! I know basic emergency care, not knives!"

I snickered and pulled a silent Shadow close, ignoring my pained paws.

A few other furs called things I didn't catch, but I didn't care. The only fur I needed was here.

Wet. I was wet. Thick and dark. What was this? I pulled away. "Oil?" I asked. "Shadow? What is this?"

Shadow was lying shivering. Silent.

No.

"Noooo!" I howled. "Shadow's hurt!"

Helaina turned, "What?! Wait! I did see him fighting. He took a few scrapes like the rest of us...."

"No," I sat up, dragging a poorly-responding Shadow to sit up with me. "Something's wrong! Help! Someone! Shadow's hurt bad! ...Rusty, help me!"

Rushing pawsteps came up.

"Quick, someone bring the light here," I heard Rusty call.

"Clear a space!" called Steve, hurrying forward.

Light poured over Shadow. My paws were painted in red. Blood.

Some fur said, "I can't tell, he's just too black! Flashlights!"

Sharper lights shone. Moved over a black wolf's fur. Several paws prodded Shadow, who whimpered faintly. I growled in frustration and helplessness as I cradled Shadow against me.

"What do you see?" asked Rusty, his small paws prodding through Shadow's fur.

"A few cuts on his legs, nothing too deep."

"Here!" Rusty said loudly. "And here too! No...."

My nose rose from Shadow's fur. I clutched Shadow tightly. I glared in fear through the bright lights trained on Shadow.

Rusty stared at Shadow, then at me. "He's been bit."




/////////////////////////
Da da duuuu-unnnnn! What will happen to Shadow?!

This really did work better as an independent chapter
---Originally a part of ch 15, but the length and a different theme made it a new chapter---