This marks the end of the chapters I had written before I started posting (I was holding out on you guys). The 10 chapters did need editing and minor fixes, but otherwise not much has changed. I have another chapter I wrote after that, so it'll come up as soon as it's edited....

We were indoors; safe and dry from the growing storm outside. We set up our things in the office after dragging the dead zombie manager out of the doorway. It was perfect for our needs tonight.

It had sturdy, windowless walls, a heavy locking door, and if the safe and desk occupied a fair amount of the space, it didn't matter. It felt safe and strong. All sounds of the storm outside were muted. We had pushed the desk against the wall and laid out the bedding.

A flashlight stood on end, shining on the ceiling. I wished we'd brought my little kiddie lamp in from my car. But I really didn't want to brave even the few feet of driving rain to the car. I would be completely soaked if I tried.

"Back to two sleeping bags, huh?" Shadow, teased me with a grin.

I smiled back, but it faded as the wind quickened even more outside. It whistled and howled, clearly audible even through the heavy, industrial walls. It sounded... angry.

Shadow stood straight, "Come with me? I want to take a look outside."

I gaped at him, "Huh?"

"I want to see how bad the storm is, don't you?"

I shrugged. I wasn't really afraid of storms and thunder, but I did get pretty unsettled with this much thunder. Large sensitive fox ears had a lot of drawbacks. I got up anyway, my ears drooping. It was going to be thunder-rama outside. Shadow opened the office door, and we stepped into the windowed store. It was gloomy and dark from the storm. He set his paw reassuringly on my shoulder, and we went to the windows.

The rain poured to the ground, rivulets formed into runoff streams. This was a serious storm. Thunder snapped sharply, very close, then retreated into rumbles. The glass rippled slightly under the wind pressure. I flinched as another, nearby flash of lightning brought a sharp sound of thunder. A bolt of lightning hit very close, the cracked pattern of light flashing just a little ways from the station.

I jumped with a little yelp of shock.

He grinned at me, his neck craning to get a better view through the windows over the shelves of wiper fluid. He had to raise his voice to be heard. "I'm usually more frightened of storms if I can't see them. If you watch them, it's fascinating!"

I drew closer to the window, then tried to relax and watch the storm. He was right, when I watched the violence of the storm, it seemed to sweep me up in a wave of chaos and wake something ancient and primitive in me. My heart began beating faster, trying to keep up with the rain beat. When hail started hammering, the excitement seized me.

Oh, but it was still too loud! The rain alone would have been more than enough to make my ears ache. This storm had rain, hail, and howling wind. Together, it was all very loud and it threw me off my excitement. Made it hard to concentrate.

"What is that?!" I yelled and pointed off in the distance.

Shadow gawked for a long moment with me. "Is that a-"

I grinned uncertainly. Or maybe I was showing my teeth....

"-a tornado!?" he finished with a yell.

It was distant. But not far enough away that it was not a threat. Tornadoes could move all sorts of directions, touch down multiple times. Every tornado came with its own personality. I was no judge, but this one might just want our furry hides.

It wasn't fun or exciting for me any more. I shielded my aching ears with my paws and stared outside with whimpers that were lost in the rumbling. Shadow was silent too, his face unreadable as we stood and watched the tornado. There was nothing else to do. It would be more dangerous to go outside, and we were unlikely to find a better place than this to hole up in.

We watched the finger of chaos twist and churn closer. Oh, this was bad. The windows vibrated, and I shivered. The tornado turned more in our direction, then a little away again. I wanted to scream at it to make up its mind to either come after us or go away. Maybe Shadow was thinking the same. If anything happened to us, no one would search for us. No one would come to help. There was no one out there. Either it would come and wipe us out, or it would not.

Then it all changed.

The hail stopped and the rain eased, but still fell heavily. The vicious base of the funnel faded. The twisting shaft became ragged and dissipated, the remainder pulling back into the clouds. The wind was buffeting, but no longer seemed dangerous.

I exhaled a long breath and leaned back against a shelf, my paws dropping from my aching ears. I rubbed my ears. Too loud. Then Shadow was there rubbing them for me. I smiled up at him. He wasn't much taller than I was, but his build was sturdier, even if some of his years had been painfully hard. He led the way back to the room. I insisted on a quick detour to another isle. Duct tape was there, I wanted it. He wanted to get food and water from another isle.

Loaded down with new gear, we entered our sanctuary. If we didn't leave this room until after the Curtain tomorrow, I would not have any complaints. But as I settled down in my sleeping bag, I found I did have a complaint. The floor was hard and the thin padding of the sleeping bag was not much help.

Too early for bed anyway. I crawled out, enjoying the freedom and clarity the flashlight gave the room. I crawled over to Shadow's sleeping bag where he sat, digging through his pack. Sometimes, I had no idea how he kept it with him. He must have pulled it out when I was digging for the bedding.

"What's in your pack anyway? You always have it with you."

He shrugged and passed it to me. Guess it was nothing too secret. He watched as I pulled out items and set them next to the pack. A bottle of water, refilled apparently. There was a pair of fresh boxers, which he snagged and slipped on, sighing and claiming the old ones itched. There were packages of densely packed, hearty food - didn't look appealing, just filling and dense. That was all in the main pocket. The side pocket yielded several little packets of condoms and a tube of clear stuff that I squinted at in the dim light.

"Lube," he filled in with a smile.

I squeezed the tube curiously. And that started a conversation with him about the ins and outs of sex. First male and female sex, while we ate. Then a long conversation about male to male sex.

There were a few things I'd heard in passing, but never really connected what they had meant. I did know that males could have sex together and that some preferred it. A lot of other things I'd heard had been rumor and misconceptions. Shadow was there to straighten me out and was clearer and more direct than the nagging sex ed teacher in high school. He didn't hide anything, good or bad, about sex with males or females.

I was fascinated. Well, it was new information, on many fur's favorite, secretive subject: sex. We spent hours discussing various related subjects, until my eyes started to droop. It was great, just like camping with a close friend and staying up late talking naughty things and secrets. I got a little aroused a few times at his descriptions, but it had been too interesting to stop.

A peek out the office door proved darkness had already fallen. It was dead, black, dark outside. No moon or stars made it through the heavy clouds and the rain still pattered steadily outside. At least the storm's violence was gone. I locked us inside, feeling better when the strong bolt was in place.

After our good nights, I undressed, and we crawled into our respective sleeping bags and turned the flashlight off. I relaxed downwards... but then had to shift. And shift again. I shifted over and over, but couldn't get comfortable. I knocked over an empty food container from dinner, and it rolled under the desk. I could feel every crease in the hard linoleum. I could feel the little bits of gravel on the dirty floor. I was so tired and so frustrated, that I yelped when I felt a paw land on me.

"Sorry," he mumbled sleepily. "Is anything wrong?"

"I can't get comfortable, the floor is too hard and the bag is too thin. These are cheap sleeping bags, not serious ones." My complaints sounded silly even to me, but I was tired and didn't care. "How are you able to relax?"

He chuckled faintly, "I've slept everywhere known to furs. This is better than a lot of places."

I grunted, "Well, I'll get used to it, I guess." I shifted restlessly. There had to be some spot that was-

"Crawl out of your bag for a moment." A zipper unzipped and I heard him crawling over to me in the dark. He gently got me to move aside, off my bag. There was rustling as he did something. "Okay, now go ahead and crawl in," his paw guided mine to the open bag.

I crawled over to it. He had put his sleeping bag over mine. "Ah, it does feel softer," I said prodding at the bedding. "But now there's only room for one."

I heard him chuckle and he said, "We can both share it, or I don't really mind sleeping on the floor."

"No!" I insisted. "We can share it. I don't want you to give it all up. Even if you're okay with sleeping like that while I take both, I'm not.... Um, can we really both fit in there?"

"Yeah, I've done it before," he said sleepily.

I felt bad, making him get up like this. I reached paws out and felt him slip into the bag. I felt over him and could tell he held the bag open to me. Still doubtful, I slipped in with him. We were both on our sides, curled and spooned against each other, like we had done several times already. He zipped us up, sealing us in.

"I didn't think this would work," I admitted softly and shifted. This was so much better. I had a wolf at my back to keep me warm and the padding beneath us was comfortable now. His paws circled me and my paws rested under my chin.

I was comfortable now, but now more awake, despite being so tired. I thought over Shadow's story. It did explain some oddities in his behavior. He was a wolf with a troubled past. I couldn't see how anyone could survive what he had and still be functioning. Maybe that was not entirely true. He had slipped away into that stillness yesterday.

"You're not falling asleep?" Shadow whispered in my ear.

"No. Not yet."

"Anything wrong?"

"No, I was... I was thinking about your story. What had happened to you."

"I try not to think about it too much. It only seems to make me more upset than I can handle."

"Is that what happened to you yesterday? When you went all still?"

"Sort of." He pulled me closer to him for a long moment. "We made that crazy run from the creek, you know?"

"Yeah."

"When we were safe inside and those zombies attacked the door, all I could think of was how much I hated them for endangering us. Endangering you."

"I was thinking I was an idiot for not even considering the dangers and even leaving the door open," I admitted.

"When they stopped, I realized that while I was racing for the house... I had lost sight of you. I had not even thought you might not be able to keep up and might get caught."

"Well," I chuckled, "foxes are pretty nimble."

"No.... that wasn't it. I lost sight of you, and only realized it when you crashed through the door behind me. I could have lost you out there." He shivered behind me.

"But I was fine."

"It could have gone any terrible way so quickly because I couldn't see you. So I decided to always keep you in sight. Then we were trapped, with the zombies outside. I didn't know how we could get out. And suddenly, it seemed like I was back in that shed, listening to wolves just outside. I never knew if they were passing in the area or coming to me. Yesterday in the house, I felt angry and scared and confused. It all built up so quickly. Then it faded, and I faded too. But I was suddenly afraid that if I slipped away, I would become a zombie like them."

He shuddered and held me close, "The more I panicked and tried to fight my way out, the faster I slipped away. Then... my memories are kind of faint.... But I remember you holding me and the sun going down. I was relieved that we were still there, still together."

"Shadow? How long were you in that shed?" I whispered, almost hoping he had not heard or refused to answer.

There was no response for a long moment. "I don't know exactly, but I know it was over a year.... Maybe even a year and a half." There was another long pause, but when he continued, he sounded thoughtful, not upset. "I wandered for a while afterwards too, but... yeah. That sounds about right. I left that first city over four years ago."

"How old are you now?"

"I turned twenty two months ago. You?"

"I'm turning nineteen... um..." I twitched in his arms. "I missed my birthday!"

"Huh?"

"Oh," I whimpered. "As if the Curtain has not already taken everything else away?!" I sagged. "My birthday was yesterday," I grumbled, feeling desolate and disappointed. The storm outside had eased to a steady rain, crying for me.

"Hmmm," I could feel his nose digging in my neck as the gears in his head turned. "Ah!" he squeezed me and giggled happily into my fur.

"What the- you've really lost it." Should I be feeling a little hurt? At least he seemed to be cheered up again.

"That means I gave you your first kiss on your birthday, and we had a pool party!" He wiggled behind me happily. His tail desperately tried to find wagging room around us.

It took me a long moment, then I really had to laugh. It was too funny a parallel. The more I thought about it, the harder I laughed.

"A -pool party-?!" My body was trying to double over in laughter. Oh, my stomach was starting to hurt as I gasped for breath and clutched at the sleeping bag for anchor.

Each time one of us would slow in laughing, the other would start snickering, setting us off again. Eventually, we both ran out of laughs and were light-headed from gasping so much.

"Well," I said finally when I felt normal again, "maybe it wasn't that funny...."

He snickered a little, but controlled himself, "No, it's pretty funny."

"But I think I needed that."

He nodded behind me and licked my neckfur a few times. "Me too." He relaxed a moment. "Ah," he gasped, "the bag, it reeks of... that... Tropical Orchid!"

I muffled a laugh in my paw, "I did warn you!"

"Ugh," he snorted. He tried to give me an indignant shove, but couldn't get enough space for his paw. With a dramatic sigh he sagged behind me.

I sighed happily and closed my eyes in the darkness.

"Tyler?"

"Hmmm?" Sleep was starting to call me again.

"Bardawulf."

"Huh?"

"My name is actually Bardawulf."

"That's a... what is it again?"

"Bardawulf," he replied patiently. "I know it's a weird name. It means 'Bright Wolf' in an ancient tongue. It's traditional to wait until a pup is a few years old before naming them. My mom named me when I grew out of my pup eyes."

"She named you after your eyes?" I breathed.

"She said my eyes were beautiful. I was her hope."

"It's a strange and beautiful name," I thought out loud. "Bardawulf." I said it a few times, it felt strange on my tongue.

"Yeah, most of the clan thought it a good name. But it is an unusual one. I chose 'Shadow' after I left them."

He nosed drowsily in my neck fur. I reached around myself with a paw and grasped his.

Shaking it firmly, I said, "Bardawulf, I'm Tyler Evans. It's nice to meet you."

He sighed in my fur and held me close.

Sleep came quickly while I felt his even, sleeping breaths against me.


***


>>>>[[[[NOTE: DAY 7]]]]<<<<

Again, I slept through the night. I saw light from under the door. The rest of the sturdy door showed no light. Really, this was not a bad spot. Maybe we would stay a few days until we figured out what to do. Having three sleeping bag layers under us gave a comfy, cushy bed. I sighed, closing my eyes, searching for sleep again.

I was roused some time later by some fur licking behind my ear. When he moved to lick the ear itself, I flicked it around playfully and stifled giggles in my paws. Some wolf had latched onto my ear! I was caught!

"Mornin'," Shadow said, around a mouthful of ear.

I groaned, "Can't we just skip getting up this morning?"

"I'd like to," he said softly and pressed his hips forward to punctuate his thoughts. Hard... did he get one every morning? "But," he continued, releasing my ear and reaching around me to the zipper, "I only have this one clean pair of boxers left and we need to see about how close to midday it is." He paused, licking my ear strongly several times as I relaxed. "We might accidentally oversleep in this darkness."

I shivered at the thought of oversleeping past the Curtain with an unsealed door. He got up behind me, and we left the sleeping bag. Together, we peered out the door. Almost expecting the Curtain to come while it was open. We left the dark office for the store.

"Looks like midmorning, guess we lucked out," he smirked. He probably never slept late.

Well, it had been a nice thought. We poked around the store, drinking from bottles in the useless cold-cases and munching on various trail mixes and packaged donuts.

"I found some jerky, you want some?" he asked. I could see him in the next isle. We glanced at each other every minute or so, keeping in sight.

"No, I'm good. I've had so much jerky, I think I'll fart smoke soon."

"Don't know if I would even smell something smoky..." Shadow mused with a smile. It smelled in here, but we were getting accustomed to nasty smells. As long as you didn't get too close, it didn't get stronger.

It was safe in here. Nothing had changed in here since yesterday. There was the single entry, which had only admitted us, and all the corpses had their heads smashed in. We still had to keep within sight of each other at all times, but we relaxed.

There were a few antique penny-games along the back wall. They all worked without power, so Shadow opened up the cash register and we raided the drawer for pennies.

We laughed like little pups and cheered each other on. Shadow got really intent on one game, insisting he could make some impossible shot. Eventually, I slowly wandered the store. They had little souvenir spoons. Kaylee would have liked that little unicorn toy....

"Hey! Come here," I yelled and pulled aside a cardboard display case. "There's t-shirts here!"

He came over eagerly, giving his bare chest a quick scratch. Unfortunately, after several minutes of searching, we discovered they had been almost picked clean. Nearly all that were left were either smalls or extra-extra-extra larges. I frowned at him as he tried to make a huge shirt fit his lean frame. It was probably designed for the hippo, elephant, or rhino species. The neck kept slipping off his shoulders and the sleeves got in the way any time he moved around.

"So, the only ones in your size are this pink one that says 'Maa-my's boy' with a goat's head or the brown one that says 'Merr County Organic Manure Excre-vaganza'. Which do you want to torture yourself with? You won't fit in any of mine...."

He sighed and plucked at a small-sized t-shirt on the shelf. "I've had worse things happen... but somehow, today this seems awful."

"You could always go around in just your boxers another day, no one will know. You could always wait until we stop somewhere else...."

He sighed, "Give me the manure one."

"Okay." I really wasn't sure which would be worse on him.

He put it on and sighed. "At least it fits...." He took it off and turned the brown shirt inside out. "Just because it says something terrible doesn't mean anyone has to see it."

I snickered evilly, "I'll know what it says, but at least it isn't pink."

"Can you make out what it says?" When I paused too long, drawing the moment out, he whined, half feigning desperation, "Tyler?!"

"Don't worry, I can't tell what it says at all." I laughed and gave him a hug, flicking the tag behind his neck with my fingers. I released him and looked around. "I didn't see any shorts or pants, did you?"

"No."

"Any bandannas? Any scarfs we could tie around your waist?" My tail was bouncing merrily behind me.

He grinned, "None. They have no coverings for furry privates anywhere! We must report this to the authorities!"

"Hmmm. Do you think a t-shirt would work?"

He guffawed at that, then bit back a grin as I held out various t-shirts to his waist, shaking my head at each fit.

"Well, they do have three holes you know. Here, try this one on." I passed him an extra-extra-extra large white mass.

He snickered and snuffled back laughter as he slipped his legs through the large arm holes and his tail through the neck. While he struggled to put it on over his boxers, I went into the next isle and grabbed a length of cord. Well, it did go on and tied securely. I was tempted to have him wear it at least for protection support if we had to run again. It did look pretty silly though. It weighed down his tail and the rest puffed around his hips like an old safari hunter. Or diapers?

He saw my thoughtful look. "Oh, no! I am not actually wearing these. I can't even see myself, but even I know it looks completely ridiculous!"

"Try on the pink one? Maybe it'll fit."

"Oh, no. Not doing that. I'm taking these off."

"They're not that bad," I insisted. "Besides, there's no one here to see." I glanced and gestured out the window. Then my head snapped back to stare outside. Shadow was frozen and staring too.

Furs.

Furs were running towards the shop...

...followed by a large pack of shuffling zombies.