CHAPTER 1 - Bad Dream

The alley stretched out before him once more. Out of breath, the wolf kept on sprinting, stumbling over haphazardly stacked boxes that he shoved behind him, hoping to slow his pursuers.

He veered left again, weaving through the narrow passage lined with doors he knew would be locked, pressed by the distorted echoes of shoutings and crackling static filling the air. Above, fractured glimpses of a gray sky peeked through the uneven rooftops and tangled wires, where still-damp clothes hung, dripping and forming cold puddles on the cracked brick pavement that splashed against his fur as he ran.

The second-to-last turn approached. 

His lungs burned as he navigated a staircase that led into yet another maze of buildings. There was nothing  of value in his pockets or back, nor secrets in his head. But his leash had been left behind, and that was a crime that could not be left unanswered.

If he could just reach the tunnels at the other end of that maze, he might just have a chance to disappear, to anywhere.

Taking the final turn, the light of a flashlight momentarily blinded him. He reached for his gun, only to find it missing. As realization struck, he tried to turn to run, but a deafening bang interrupted him.

-

He jolted awake, gasping for breath, eyes darting around the unfamiliar room. His fur stood on end while his muscles trembled due to the tension.

The sound of jangling keys pulled his attention, and he instinctively reached for his gun under the pillow, but there was nothing.

He leapt from the bed, moving silently across the room to brace himself against the wall next to the door. The sounds of footsteps echoed faintly outside. Scanning the room for a weapon or an exit, his gaze fell upon a familiar picture. Shutting his eyes, he exhaled deeply, and reopened them. The hazy shapes in the room began to sharpen—the bed, the lamp, the stand. He knew where his gun was, but he didn’t reach for it. Instead, he slid down the wall to sit on the floor, running his paw against the rough surface of the wood flooring underneath, his heart still beating violently amongst the echoing static in his head.

The noise outside continued. He looked up at the worn metal ceiling for a moment before picking himself up and walking out the door, pausing at the end of the short corridor.

Grocery bags were strewn across the kitchen table, and a fox shuffled around the room, unpacking items and humming a familiar tune he couldn’t quite place. When the fox noticed him, he greeted him with a smile, continuing to organize the groceries.

The wolf leaned against the wall, listening absentmindedly as the fox recounted his day, but the wolf’s gaze drifted to the window, his mind still drawn into the maze of his nightmare.

The fox called out to him about his rest, but got no response. Turning to face him, he stopped for a moment before realization struck.

Putting down a canned meal of no importance, he approached him with a gentle smile, reaching out and lifting the wolf’s chin, caressing his cheeks. Despite his desire to look away, to hide his inescapable maze from the fox, the wolf was trapped in his companion’s amber eyes. Slowly, the fox wrapped his arms around the wolf, who faltered and rested his head on the fox’s shoulder.

The fox whispered softly into his ear, "It's alright..." but the wolf struggled to suppress the tumultuous tempest of emotions swirling within him. He focused on the fox’s steady breathing and comforting warmth. He wanted to hold him tightly, as if clinging for dear life, but feared causing him harm.

With a deep sigh, he tightened his embrace gently, and buried his head further into the fox’s shoulder. The thought of losing him pressed his grip.

"I’m alright…" he replied with a trembling voice.

The fox held him harder, for he knew what that meant.