Stillness, floating stillness. But something dragged me to the surface.

"...-ler...."

I bobbed in and out of my mind.

"-ler! Tyler!"

I felt a distant sensation. A faint feeling on my facefur.

"Wake up!" a distant fur sobbed. "Please, don't go!"

It was a familiar voice. I knew the voice, knew the fur. A fur I trusted.

But it was too far.... I drifted away again.

"... thought you ... place was safe!" I heard Shadow's distant yell.

Someone replied but I didn't catch it.

I was sore everywhere. My cheeks stung....

"Tyler!" cried Shadow in a hoarse, ragged voice. "Tyler!"

A paw repeatedly smacked my cheeks. Lightly, but it hurt. It was still too much.

I moved my paw to my face.... Well, I thought I'd moved it, but it only rose a few inches and dropped back painfully.

"Tyler?" came a broken voice, faint with sudden hope.

I groaned a dull groan. I could hardly feel anything. Hardly anything through the lingering pain and nothingness. I felt so weak.... I couldn't open my eyes.

Where was I? Nowhere? I couldn't remember. Wasn't important.

"Let me see." Faraway pawsteps. Echoes of each singed my tender mind.

A tiny whimper. From me.

Someone held me close. Shadow, all wolfy smelling....

I heard Shadow growl loudly. Slow pawsteps came close. The desperate growl choked and broke off as I shuddered.

"Tyler?" came his whisper. It hurt... less. He stroked my cheekfur.

"I need to check him, okay?" came a calm voice.

Paws tensed around my distant body. Paws felt me... somewhere, then somewhere else.

Blinding light filled me. I flinched and the paws around me tightened. Then my eyelids were released back into darkness.

More paw touches... then they stopped. I felt Shadow's breath fluffing my sensitized fur.

My muzzle opened, and I tried to lick my dry lips.

"Water?" Shadow begged. "Please! Someone get some water?"

Ah, I was actually thirsty. I tried to mumble something, but it came out as a vague sound.

"There's no equipment to test him. Nothing works but the old-fashioned stuff, but I think he'll be okay." Some fur sighed, "I really don't know though, I only have some basic medical training."

I felt a tongue rapidly lick over my brow and ears. Frantic with relief. Shadow sighed heavily into my fur.

My eyes fluttered, barely more than a crack. I tried to raise a paw to him, but it barely rose. In response, he picked it up and drew it to his chest.

I could feel. His thick fur. Deep and black in my memory, warm to my touch.

"Water," some fur offered softly.

Shadow shifted. I was... raised up somewhere. I heard a bottle crack open, and a damp rim was at my lips.

I drank in tiny amounts at a time. It was hard to concentrate. Some ran out of my muzzle, and I felt water trickle through my fur.

"Go real slow, okay?" said the calm voice. "He probably won't be up to doing much for a while. Um... I guess lots of rest and quiet if you can."

I felt Shadow's head nod as it leaned over my shoulder. His breath shuddered against me in relief.

I heard heavy hooves. I... managed to recognize them as Burt's.

"Do you two need anything?" Burt asked in his deep voice, trying to speak softly.

Shadow shook his head along my shoulder. Nothing but each other.

"I'll bring some food later in case you get hungry." His hoofsteps clicked away.

Several other furs stepped away. The noise echoed... wherever we were.

It was quiet, then. Shadow continuously licked my fur. Steadily though, not franticly like before.

My legs were stretched on the floor, my torso held against a furry chest. He was rocking us slightly, soothing my nerves with his presence.

"Mmmm" I managed, dragging my eyes open a little. I blinked, seeing a black ear closer than a dim ceiling. "What... what happened?"

He pulled me close, clutching at my fur through my shirt. "I thought I'd really lost you this time..." he whimpered.

He pulled back, and I could make out his eyes. They were a faint gold-gray in the featureless sea of black. Shadow.... I smiled weakly.

He grinned, eyes leaking tears which vanished on his black face in the dim light. He locked his lips to mine for a slow, gentle kiss. I felt his tail swish by my legs.

I closed my eyes. My muzzle eased open, but I could not respond to the gentle entry of his tongue. The slow kiss allowed my breath to pass, and I breathed in his breath and swallowed his saliva. I tasted his tears. My fingers drew tiny nudges in his fur.

"Where...?" I trailed off when our muzzles separated. Thoughts weren't aligning correctly.... 'this way up'.

"We're still in the restroom.... After the Curtain hit, no one could move for a while." He struggled to form his words calmly. "You were panting and shaking like everyone else.... But then you went so still and quiet."

He shuddered and clutched me close to him, squeezing out my breath for an instant, then releasing. "Everyone agreed it had been bad, and that relaxing had helped. But you still had not moved an inch."

I tried to nod and managed to move my muzzle a little. Down... up.

His voice rose with upsetting memories, "I called and yelled, but you didn't move. I shook you and tried to wake you up." He paused, "That mouse Rusty, from before... the gray one who apologized. He took a look at you... and he wasn't sure if you'd wake up...."

"How... long?" I managed.

"An hour, maybe? It's hard to tell in here. I thought they'd lied and put us in a dangerous room." He shuddered; then he was still and breathing in my scent for several minutes.

Shadow reached somewhere nearby and pulled a blanket around me.

"I'm so tired," I said slowly. My paw rubbed weakly at my eyes.

"Sleep, then. It's okay."


***


I was roused several times. Shadow managed to get some food in me, and I managed not to choke on it. Other times, he woke me, just to make sure he could.

My waking moments blurred.

Time passed.


***


>>>>[[[[NOTE: DAY 10]]]]<<<<

When I finally woke and managed a slow stretch, I found Shadow had curled up on the floor behind me. His back was against the cold restroom wall, and we were tucked in securely under several blankets.

"Tyler?" Shadow mumbled into my neckfur.

I hummed and stretched. I felt clearer, stronger. Though I was still tired, like I had not gotten enough sleep.

He tightened his arms around me, pressing close. Hard again... as usual. I snickered.

"What?" he complained happily into my scruff.

"Nothing. It's just... every morning?"

I felt him shrug, then felt teeth grinning deep into my fur.

"Ah, I'm sore," I stretched my legs again.

"You sound better, though," he said, tail brushing near mine, tickling.

"Really?"

"Yeah. A few times when I woke you up, you didn't make much sense and fell right back asleep."

I didn't even remember.

"It's been two days. You pretty much slept through the last Curtain."

"Really?" I whispered. Was that even possible?

"Well, you woke up and seemed upset, but then you fell right back asleep." He shivered behind me. "I wasn't sure you'd ever be okay."

"I'm here now," I reassured him, holding onto a black arm.

He chuckled behind me and was silent, licking and snuffling happily into my scruff fur.

I was worried. Unsettled.

It was the second time a "bad" Curtain had come. Would I even recover in time if it came again? If I wasn't recovered, would I actually die? If I died... would I wake up in a few days? Would I get a snarl stuck on my muzzle?

I shuddered and tried to shift closer to Shadow, though I couldn't seem to get closer.

What else had happened while I was out? When we entered the restroom, we'd been ready to leave the FurShopper. It had seemed imperative from the dangerous way things had been going.

Shadow didn't seem hurried for us to leave now I was awake.

My paws stung. Glancing down at them, I realized they had bruises and scrapes in the palms. A deep bruise from each of my blunt-clawed fingers. The bruise from my thumb had dug into the knuckle of my first finger.

"I've gotta pee," I announced, realizing.

"Think you can get up?" he asked worriedly.

I nodded, but felt unsure. He helped me to my footpaws where I swayed, but managed. Too unsteady to stay standing. My butt plopped onto the commode, and there was... relief.

I sighed, listening to a trickling stream. Looked like Shadow had put a new pair of boxers on me. "What else did I miss?" I asked.

He coughed outside the toilet stall, giving me privacy. "Ah... not much. You slept. Um... some furs came to visit...."

Hiding something under the vagueness, huh? It must be okay, though. He didn't sound worried. He was grinning in greeting when I slowly stepped out, hanging onto the stall with pained paws.

"Blood and fur, I can hardly stand." I wobbled, and he was there to steady me.

"I -could- always carry you."

"Don't you dare," I gave him a weak smack on the arm. "I'd never live with the embarrassment."

He laughed in my ear, giving it a quick lick. "But you would live," He said, wrapping me in a blanket.

I reached under it and poked him in the ribs.

He wiggled and grinned, "Keep it up, and I might let you fall! Are you hungry? I don't know what time of the day it is, but I hear the ladies always have something out to eat."

I was hungry... so very hungry. When had that started? I licked my lips without thinking.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Shadow laughed. He helped me into a set of clothes we had readied for our leave-taking. He still wrapped me in a blanket. He picked up the bat and grinned. "I'll take you out to the tables. Just let me know if you need to lie down."

"Okay." I really wanted food. Now!

"Slow down, Tyler. You'll make us both fall."

We made it outside. I felt strange and weak, but didn't feel too much like I wanted to lie down. Still, I sighed my relief when he sat me down at a picnic table and wrapped me snuggly in the blanket.

There were no furs in sight. The few times I had seen this place, we had also seen suspicious, rejecting furs. Not really good associations here.

Shadow made sure I wasn't going to slip off the bench and poked around at a table covered in foodstuffs. He had set the bat next to me... as if I could use it with much strength right then.

"Someone's up early," said a cheerful female voice.

I looked up to see the collie mother - I couldn't remember her name. Remembering her dangerous looks before, I ducked my nose into the blanket wrapped around me. I fumbled around for the bat, just in case, and my ears slimmed down to my head in reaction.

"You're up! How are you feeling?" she asked warmly, her tail wagging.

I shrugged, feeling bleary and confused. My paw weakly gripped the bat.

"Hey, Shadow," she waved in a friendly manner.

He gave a small wave and smile back.

"Well," I mumbled in the blanket, "things really have changed."

"You were out for a while," the collie said, taking a plate passed to her by Shadow and setting it in front of me with a smile.

"I feel like Ruff Van Winkle," I said quietly, looking up from the plate to stare at her.

"Things have changed a lot while you were out.... Didn't Shadow tell you?" she asked. "Pass me the box of muffins, Shadow?"

I shook my head mutely, staring. I must have slipped through the Curtain into another dimension....

"Well, everyone was worried when you didn't wake up." She sat down across from me and started eating. "Shadow wouldn't let anyone touch you. He barely let that mouse, Rusty, close enough to check your vitals." She swung a muffin at me in a white paw, "When you were finally just sleeping, he wouldn't leave you."

Shadow shrugged and sat down next to me with plates of scrambled eggs for us both. He gently claimed the bat from me with a smile, and I enjoyed cold but fresh eggs despite my bruised paws.

Morning breakfast, then.

"They talked about us for a long time," said Shadow around his eggs.

She smiled. "After the first night, when he still wouldn't budge, we started to take turns keeping him company. After... hmmm.... Burt, Jenny and Howard all went.... Then they insisted the rest of us try to go for an hour. Roger, my mate, was worried about me and the pups, so he was one of the first."

I nodded. Roger's suspicion had bordered on hostility before.

She passed me a muffin. "He came back and told me it had taken the hour just to get close to Shadow. He claimed the pup seemed scared out of his mind, but needed the company badly."

I slumped, feeling horrible. As if I had abandoned Shadow....

"Oh, don't worry," said the female gesturing a paw wildly, "We all got him cheered up, even if we couldn't get him to bring you out of the restroom. The pups adore him now, and Roger seems to like him. Turns out, Shadow has a real soft spot for younglings." She smiled, "We played Parcheesi together. He said you had taught him only a few days ago."

"Thank you... um...." I searched desperately for the name. "Um...." I'd heard it mentioned, I knew it....

"It's Erin. And I already know you're Tyler. Don't worry, everything was crazy here. You probably don't remember half our names."

I nodded, embarrassed. "Thank you, Erin," I whispered, smiling. "You've helped us a lot."

She cocked her tri-colored head and smiled, "Well, aren't you a cute one."

"He's always cute," said Shadow, nodding to himself over his eggs.

Erin smiled thoughtfully at me, "Your friend Howard has been settling in too. He was all set to go before, but I think he's warming up now that we've come to our senses."

I shrugged neutrally. Howard seemed to be a good goat, if he found a place here, that would be okay. Safer, probably.

Helaina, the female wolf dropped into the seat next to Erin. "Hi, Erin. Hi, Shadow," she chimed brightly. Her tail wagged smoothly behind her.

Shadow mumbled something around a muffin.

"Hi, Tyler, are you feeling okay now?"

I nodded and smiled nervously. This wolf seemed to have mixed behaviors. She had been friendly when we were welcomed and distant when we were not.

"So, Shadow tells me you saw this 'Curtain' thing?" she asked with wide eyes.

I stopped eating and nodded slowly.

"Ah, don't be nervous. Everyone wants to call it that now. 'Midday' seemed too vague anyway." Her ears flicked and bobbed at me, "Even that stuffy antelope Sanway's been calling it that now. Still doesn't want to be near either of you, but he admitted the name made sense."

I shrugged neutrally. Did it really matter on any level?

"He's the only other one who has ever seen it..." Helaina babbled on.

...And she started chatting to me about each fur as they arrived, filling me in on 'important' details. Erin helped her fill in some gaps she'd missed. Most furs at least smiled cautiously at us. Ruby and Clovis even greeted Shadow warmly, even though Shadow was hesitant to return the same warmth.

I spaced out on most of what she said. I couldn't order my thoughts enough to pay attention to what little I did want to know. Most of the rest was social mucky-muck gossip which held no interest.

The pregnant cow, Michelle approached our table. "Morning! Tyler, are you feeling better now?"

I nodded, feeling relieved greeting a fur I already knew as friendly.

Michelle moved her bulging weight to a canvas chair set up next to the table. The pregnant cow sighed and leaned back, her loose dress pooling around her..

"We were just trying to bring Tyler up to speed," said Erin with a sympathetic smile. Apparently carrying young came with its own hardships.

Michelle happily joined the two females, and soon the three had my head spinning with information.

I realized there were only a few furs I didn't know. The doe who was around Sally a lot was Mia. Also, there was a hound called Ethan, not much older than Shadow and I. He was always with the graying old tabby cat Margaret.

One fur I had not yet seen was Jenny's friend, a ferret called Peter. He had gone out shortly after Burt and Jenny had left to find more survivors. He was late coming back. Of course, no one had known the zombies would improve each day.

I tried to count them in my head, then on my sore paws. Wait.... My mind still didn't focus properly.

"Means there's 20 furs, including us, and 1 out and about," whispered Shadow in my ear.

One missing probably meant....

"Eh?" said Helaina with a pretty frown. "What are you whispering? Hey... Tyler?" she asked leaning forward with a secretive grin. "Shadow's more of a nickname, right? What's his real name?"

I grimaced. I didn't want to get pulled into this.

Helaina applied a pout to her pretty face, "Shadow won't tell me anything. But I don't think any wolf would name a pup 'Shadow'."

Erin smiled and spoke calmly, "It's probably a nickname. Even if he has another name, it hardly matters now."

I sighed in relief and smiled gratefully at the collie mom. At least someone understood.

Watching the furs in the picnic area, I felt like I was in my old school lunchroom. Furs eyed the ones they disliked and chattered endlessly with the ones they did like. It was enough to wear any fur out.

Shadow caught me yawning, and he stood. "I'm going to take you back."

"Actually," I said slowly, "I want to stay up for a while. I've slept a lot, right?"

"You like coffee or tea?" he asked without hesitation.

"Green tea if they have it. Coffee's okay with lots of cream if they don't?"

He looked worriedly at me, hunched over the table. A fox bundled up in a blanket, sitting among little-known furs.

"I'm fine," I insisted. I really didn't want to continue being such a burden. "They'll keep an eye on me."

He nodded slowly.

Feigning severity I said, "Just don't wander out of my sight, pup!"

He left for the food table, grinning. Though he kept looking over at me, checking.

"So what happened to you two that you're so stuck to each other anyway?" asked Helaina.

"Shadow won't say much about it at all." Erin looked genuinely curious as she pushed the remaining muffins away.

When I didn't answer, Michelle prompted, "Did you know each other before the Curtain?"

"Um...." Maybe they would settle for the short version. I shrugged. "We each survived on our own and met after the second Curtain. Then we didn't even know there were furs alive until we met Burt's group...."

That was all I said.

They both stared.

"You were... alone?" whispered Erin.

"For the first two?! Everyone else who made it here met up with someone at least by the second morning!" yelped Helaina.

Shadow had caught the noise and looked over at us with a little frown. I waved and smiled so he could relax.

Michelle lowered her voice, "Most of us were with at least one fur when the first Curtain came. We had figured that every fur who hadn't met up with another would have very little chance of surviving the second one."

"How did you both survive through the first two?" Erin looked confused, "How did you not find anyone? Anyone at all... and then still make it? Both of you...."

I shrugged. There were reasons Shadow and I had not found anyone. He'd been injured, and I'd been burying my family. Well, I had called and screamed for help that first day....

"So, what else happened?" prompted Helaina. She looked so eager to know. It struck me that she couldn't be very much older than Shadow and me.

The two kept watching me for more, but I wouldn't peep.

Thinking about it, we had kept safe. Well... actually we had been very lucky. Howard was the sole survivor of a group. From the endless gossip I did recall many of the others had lost their loved ones or new acquaintances on the way.

I shuddered. Which one was worse? To see the furs you knew rise as zombies? Or to survive with a loved one and still have to accept their death after they suffered the new horrors?

Shadow sat down next to me and wrapped a paw around me. "Everything okay?" he asked, giving the females warning looks.

"Yeah," I said, managing a smile. "I told them how we survived alone is all."

He grunted and set a steaming cup in front of me. Coffee paled with lots of fake cream. It smelled of hazelnuts and chocolate; that worked.

I tried to ignore my aching paws as I slowly picked up the cup. The coffee was hot going down, and I sighed in contentment under Shadow's arm. I tucked my ears under the blanket, feeling warmth spread through me.

The females pestered a tacit wolf for answers. Shadow patiently listened to Helaina's insistent questions and Erin's suggested ones, but skipped giving any meaningful answers. At least Michelle didn't pry at all. The three females eventually gave up and chatted about mundane things. Dinner, pups, males....

"Right!" said Burt, appearing from nowhere. "I'm giving out assignments."

Shadow called, "Tyler and I can take the rooftop lookout today."

Burt frowned, "Only if you're up to it.... It's okay if you need more time."

Steve came up beside Burt, "You've had it rough. Tyler, at  least, may not be ready."

I wasn't fond of heights, but Shadow seemed to want to do something. After taking care of me for days, I could help him with this. "We can manage," I insisted, wagging my tail and trying to look perky.

Burt hesitated, but Helaina said, "I can help them out. Shadow's able, but Tyler can't move much for a while. We need at least two able watchers up there. I can show them what they need to know."

Burt shrugged, "Okay, then." He and Steve continued to give assignments. A few furs were still on body detail, but most were given cleanup in the perishable sections of the store.

Erin leaned forward, "We want to make this store safe to live in. Hopefully, we can even 'Curtain-proof' the roof."

Michelle nodded enthusiastically and rubbed circles over her belly.

I frowned. Even if they managed to get the roof "safe," a small space was much easier to check for light leaks....

Shadow smiled, even though I could see his doubts too. "Hopefully one day."

"Well, I need to get some food here." Michelle pushed up from the canvas chair and made her way to the food table. Roger and the pups were already there.

Roger came over to the table with the two pups, Jacob and Diana. "Good! Tyler's up," the large collie male said, sounding genuinely pleased.

I smiled nervously, remembering how he had shown me his teeth.... Larger than mine....

The two pups pranced up behind him and grabbed pawfuls of Shadow's black fur, giggling. He smiled happily down at them, his tail pounding the air.

Diana turned to me, "Tyler! Make the funny face again!" She yanked on the black fur and Shadow visibly winced.

I tilted my head and gave her a confused look.

"No!" she giggled. "Daddy already does that one! No, this one," she demonstrated. Her eyes closed, cheeks sagging, tongue lolling out slack jaws. She twitched slightly and mumbled nonsense.

"Did I really look like that?" I asked, wide-eyed. My ears dropped in dismay.

"Of course not," said Jacob, waving a little paw. "Tyler was only dreaming. Don't be so mean, Diana!"

Shadow shrugged. Apparently he thought it was close enough. I sighed, then imitated Diana. She yipped happily and raced Jacob to the food table.

Michelle rubbed the two pups between their ears before she came over. "Here," she passed me a large insulated travel mug. "This is for later on the roof. I made what Shadow got you, so I hope you liked it."

I opened the sealed mouthpiece and recognized the nutty chocolate steam drifting out. "Yeah, thanks Michelle," I said, smiling broadly.

"Any time hun. Now I'd better sit down before Burt gets on my back about doing too much." She sank back into the canvas chair. Even sitting, her belly bulged noticeably.

Well, I really was feeling better after the first round of coffee. Not great, but at least I didn't want to go back asleep.

"Roof," Shadow said quietly as he picked up the bat.

I nodded, and he helped me up. He held me around my shoulders and guided us down an isle. We were already well away from Camp before Helaina joined us.

"Roof access is the other way, Shadow," she laughed.

He froze, and when I turned to look, I saw her paw on his other arm. Shadow's eyes were wide with suppressed alarm. His paw clenched hard on the bat.

"Ah, don't be embarrassed, Shadow," she said in a low voice.

Couldn't she tell she had alarmed him?

She let go and led the way down a different isle than we'd taken. Shadow shivered and looked at me. I gave his paw on my shoulder a weak squeeze. Looking into my eyes steadied him, and he suddenly smiled.

"Let's go then, hun," he said, giving my ear a quick flick with a finger.

I glared dramatically at him, but my own grin and wagging tail told the truth.

Into the loading area again... then up a set of narrow stairs. A short ladder climb - harder than I expected with my sore paws - and onto the roof. I stood, blinking as Shadow finished climbing through the roof hatch after me.
 
The sun.

The light!

The air!

I laughed, blinking eyes that refused to adjust in the morning light. The wind suddenly gusted by. Several birds lifted into the air. I gave Shadow a comic kiss on the cheek and spread my black-gloved arms. "I can fly!" Yeah, just like silly movies.

Helaina climbed out behind us, smirking. "Like you've never seen the sun before." She passed me my coffee as I gaped like an idiot.

Shadow was grinning too, "Been a while since we've been out."

"Tyler, we'll set you up to keep watch okay?" Helaina smiled at me.

"Yeah," I said softly, looking down, where the travel mug rested in my pained paws.

It was bright with sunshine. A new world. Safe, no sign of snarling undead. The white expanse of roof spread out before me, broken by skylights and air control units. The distance suddenly seemed huge, as if I had forgotten what safety in a wide space was like.

The three of us began the trek across the whiteness. The FurShopper's facade front stuck up in the distance. I slowed us down, sometimes pausing for breath, but neither wolf said anything. I was feeling better the more I moved about, and we did reach the front eventually.

The sun was wonderful! ...But I was still so tired when we arrived. Some fur had left the small shipping crate there, next to a box filled with supplies. Shadow set me up, reclining on the roof and leaning on the crate. I was right behind the front facade of the store. Binoculars, blanket, coffee, crate, whistle, fireworks.... I was all set up.

"Right," Helaina said, all business, "if you see any fur approaching, give two quick blows on the whistle. If you see those nasties down there do something funny, give three blows."

I nodded mutely.

Helaina's ear twitched, "Okay, Tyler. We're expecting Peter to come back sometime. We thought he'd be back days ago, so keep an eye out. Just remember, if you see any fur, give two quick blows on the whistle."

I shifted against the crate, "Got it." I wasn't stupid, I would remember.

Shadow looked worriedly at me, but I gestured him off. I wasn't going to perish right then was I?

Helaina nodded to Shadow, then pointed at the mingling creatures below, "They've been more restless the last few days. Though they haven't touched your car since Steve and Burt closed it up yesterday when the zombies were all knocked out."

I smiled my relief, and Shadow gave me a responding grin.

"I'll take you to see your car. It's still parked at the side of the FurShopper where you left it," Helaina grabbed Shadow's paw and pulled him away.

Shadow pulled his paw uncertainly away but did follow the pretty wolf as she smiled.

"So, what kind of clan were you in? One of the traditional ones or one of the modern ones?"

Shadow was slow to respond as he followed her away. After several seconds, and a glance at me, he managed, "Ah... traditional."

"I guess that explains why you're... becau..." and the rest of her words were lost to me as the wind picked up in the wide expanse.

Shadow kept glancing back at me as his halting responses faded steadily away.

I made sure to look sound and confident until he was far enough away. Then I sagged into my exhaustion. Of course I wasn't recovered fully yet.

The expanse of roof was its own landscape. The metal roof, seen from inside, had a white covering here which felt strange when I tapped one with a claw. Seemed sturdy enough.... It felt so open here after days of being shut in. But I felt safe in the warm quiet, and the sun was magically making me feel better. Birdsong chimed strongly in the distance.

Unfortunately, the illusion was... slightly disrupted by creepy zombie growls and moans from the parking lot below me. If I didn't look down and only focused on a line of trees past the parking lot, I could easily fool myself into thinking it was another pleasant summer day. On an ordinary day, the sounds below could have been produced by a group of protesting furs. Maybe.

I sighed and pulled off the blanket. I was roasting in there. It was summer; of course I would be hot in a blanket as the day warmed.

The undead wandered the parking lot below. A few half-heartedly munched on corpses which had failed to rise. They glanced at each other in passing and occasionally sniffed the air. The height of zombie life.

A sharper sound from below drew my attention. I could see the snarling faces of the creatures right below. A few had sighted me, leaning on my crate, peering over the store-front ledge.

Was it like this all day for whoever claimed roof duty? Beautiful, but the constant reminder of what was still out there? Drawbacks existed in every sunny situation....

Only a few were able to pick out my presence up there. In turn though, they excited zombies nearby. A small knot gathered below. My fans. They would love me to death. Love my meat....

They moved pretty well. When a bird landed in the parking lot, several zombies moved surprisingly fast towards it. The bird got away, but I could tell some had gotten faster. Others were still painfully slow. What made them different?

"Tyler," said Shadow with relief evident in his voice and his paw relaxed on the bat. Back already.

"I told you he'd be fine," Helaina smiled, but flicked her ears in annoyance.

"Need anything? Food? Water?" Shadow asked urgently.

I shook my head and smiled. I really was okay like this in the sun.

"Time for another round," she stated. "Morning will go much faster if you relax a bit." She shook her head and led the way along the roof edge again.

Shadow paused, still looking uncertain, but then followed.

I hummed to myself and sipped hot coffee. A vague tune; I wasn't even sure how it went or what I was humming. Something tickling at my subconscious. A few notes and it would fade. Must be something from Eric's favorites he was always having me listen to. Maybe it was "The Far Away Den of Lions" ?

It was a wide roof. I could always see Shadow, except for moments when my sight was blocked by a roof air unit. Over several circuits around the roof, I could see Shadow relax a little. He checked on me thoroughly each time, to the annoyed tolerance of Helaina. The fur had a schedule to keep, I guess.

The morning passed slowly. Shadow and Helaina roamed the edges of the FurShopper roof. When they passed through, I noticed Shadow's answers to Helaina's prodding filled out... slightly. He sometimes gave her a whole sentence instead of a word or two. I hummed absently or peered through binoculars to keep myself occupied.

The roof was so large, they became tiny marks at the far ends. Far away. We weren't supposed to be apart, right? This still felt safe enough, though.

"Right," Helaina said, briskly walking up to me as I gazed into the trees. "Ethan says it's time to get below. Curtain's coming soon."

I shuddered at the sudden reminder as Shadow hurried up behind her. He frowned at her, then went to help me up.

My whiskers clenched uncertainly to my cheeks and my ears drooped. Much as I enjoyed being up here, I didn't want to be here when the Curtain came. Of course it would come. Even when things might settle down, they could never be the same. My stomach sank in resignation, knowing that the world was forever changed, zombies or not.