Delusions of Grandeur

A new story I decided to write. Tell me what you think if you want. The first chapter may seem a bit small but I never intended it to be that long for certain reasons. Enjoy!

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Delusions of Grandeur
Written By: Twilight_Prophet


Chapter 1: Cries In The Dark

Cries in the dark. That was the first thing I heard when I woke up, those cries…they sounded more like screams to me but maybe that was just the ringing in my ears from all the trauma and sleepless nights I’ve been through. Where was I?, I constantly wondered but in fact I did know where I was…just not as a whole. It has been only a week…well, I thought it had been a week, and this room was the only room I ever saw…or remembered of this place for that part. I yawned sleepily, wondering when those cries were going to end, it must have been only minutes, but it felt like they stretched on for hours as I slowly turned onto my side, my blanket bunching up around my feet as I gazed at what little space there was in the room. It was dark, obviously, it must have been fairly late in the night, but still it was clear enough to see the bars of my crib staring back at me. Damn crib I thought to myself…I thought a crib was supposed to make cubs feel secure and comfortable, but to me it only seemed like a prison, a prison within this nightmarish place…though I only wished it was a nightmare, a simple dream I could wake from and be my 16-year old self again…but it wasn’t…that was the sad truth. I was 16…well, in a way I guess I still was. I still was able to think like I was, I still was able to act like I was, and yet here I am, lying in a crib fit for young little cubs. That was another sad truth about where I was, for some reason, beyond any logic I tried to apply to it, I was no longer 16 when I came here…I was 3.

The cries continued if not intensified at that point, I tried to ignore them as I looked beyond the bars to see everything else. It was a square room, pretty small to me yet I guess I should have thought it bigger, considering my size. Up against the wall to my left were two more cribs and a third up against the far wall right ahead of me, all with other cubs around my age, sleeping silently, not a care in the world. Also up against the far wall was a changing table, which only served to remind me of the fact that I was, to my despair, wearing a diaper that crinkled softly under my blanket every time I made the slightest of movements. On the left wall was the door, the only door in the entire room, and even though most of the time it was closed, it didn’t help to keep those gut wrenching screams…sorry, those cries from keeping me awake. A light went on outside the door, I could hear soft footsteps rushing past our door. The steps soon faded and my mind reverted back onto the room. On the ground, toys were littered all over on a creamy white carpet, although in the dark it looked like a drab gray. Partially, I knew that some of those toys ended up there because of me, at this place there was always very little to do. Next were the walls, painted a soft baby blue. You would think that it would have a more pleasing effect to us cubs, but to me it hardly made any difference to how I felt about this hellish place. I guess that wasn’t the worst part about the walls, it was the fact that the walls had no windows. God I wish there were windows, at least then I might have some idea of where I was but there was nothing, I didn’t even know what was beyond the door even.

Something seemed off. Sitting up in my crib, rubbing my eyes as my ears perked up, it became obvious what had happened…it was silent. What had happened to the cries? I wondered. I looked over to the door again, the light was off again and I guess I should have been happy considering how little I slept these days, only about 3 or 4 hours each night, but it was different to me. Another one gone I repeated over and over in my head, settling back down in my crib. The thing was, these cries were common, happening every 2 or 3 days and at least I could be glad that no one in this room had ever cried during the night, because as far as I knew, when any of the other cubs cried, they were never seen again.

Suddenly, I heard it again, one last painful cry. I jolted up once more, looking around, my eyes wide with fear and red from being bloodshot due to the lack of sleep. It seemed to echo all throughout the room and yet it appeared as if no one else had heard it. I suddenly felt sick, I wished it could have been someone else in my place, at least then I could feel sorry for the other person without having to go through all this. I laid back down, my body shaking slightly as I clutched my tummy, feeling that I may throw up any second. Why me? Was something I wondered every day and every night I had been here. If only I did something, If only I could. This wasn’t fair, that much was obvious as I inadvertently wet my diaper, my life was perfect before this happened.

The cries continued in my mind, something like a mental scar, something I would remember for the rest of my life. This wasn’t how it all began…it all began when…

Good start. I'd like to see more!

Excellent stuff, Xenon! Keep it up! I really wanna see more!

Yeah!! wanna see more of this^^^

Ooooo. This is getting interesting. I can't wait to see what happens next. Keep it up.

Thank you all for your comments. I was in a writting sort of mood today so I decided to get Chapter 2 done early. Enjoy!

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Chapter 2: Just Like Everyone Else

I casually walked around amidst the night, making my way here and there, not really caring where I went…as long as if was worth it in the end it was worth it in my mind. Such was every night here in this nameless town…it had a name, sure it did, but like my own name I hardly ever spoke it. Walking down the streets, the streetlights guiding my path, I eventually made my way down to the boardwalk. The boardwalk was one of my favorite places to go at night, there was hardly anyone ever there, and unlike the skyscrapers that blocked out the moon, here the moonlight shown like no where else…it was peaceful…it was perfect.

Walking down one of the old wooden piers I noticed a lighthouse out into the distance on my left, its light circling around at its base, guiding ships to safety. If only I could have such guidance I thought to myself. I didn’t have friends…I didn’t even have a family…one more sad truth to add to my list…I was an orphan. Taking the last few steps, reaching the edge of the pier, I watched what ships there were harbored; I watched as they bobbed when the waves silently slipped past them. It relaxed me and I was glad for it, glad that I could keep my mind off of the hardships in my life. I sat down, laying back, staring up at the moon as my legs dangled over the edge of the pier. I knew I should have been more careful, if I fell off, the waters would be freezing at this time of night…it was cold enough already just laying there as a swift wind brushed over me, my clothes did little good in keeping me warm considering the amount of rips and holes there were in them. At least then my fur would be more of use I thought. After a while my mind began to wander, thinking about who I was…and who I am…

I was a wolf, currently 16 years old; it wouldn’t be too long before I was 17 either. My fur was a silver white…well except for my tail which had a streak of black along the backside. I did have parents at one point, up until I was abandoned…or lost…I never really figured out which was right. My memories were kind of a blur back then but I did know when I found this city…that was about 4 years ago. At first I was kind of happy, there were plenty of other orphans in the city, and for once I thought I then had someone to relate too…problem was…they were simply a bunch of idiots. For some reason I grew up able to understand, to comprehend, everything around me…at least more then the other kids of the street. I eventually decided to leave them to their drugs and depression…which only isolated me more from society. I liked it though, I always enjoyed my solitude, only then did I ever feel at peace. After that…well there isn’t much more to say other than that one time I saw…

…Something was off. I could feel it as I came back to reality. Sitting up I realized that the wind had died down…actually it was gone altogether. I looked once more over to the lighthouse and my suspicions spiked when I saw that the light was out in the lighthouse. That cant be I tried to reassure myself The lighthouse has never been out before. The sky darkened as I looked upward, clouds had just blocked out the moon, leaving only the dim lights from the lamps at the pier. A sense of fear swept over me, a feeling I wouldn’t soon forget. Trying to calm down, I looked over the edge of the pier, gazing at the water. My eyes were sharp enough to still see pretty well and I could see my shadow in the reflection of the water…but that wasn’t what sent chills down my spine…it was the fact that there was another shadow in the water, standing right next to me!

I tried to turn around but before I could do anything I felt “it” shove me from the back, forcing me right off the pier. I fell a short distance before violently splashing into the water; I was right as the water was indeed freezing. The momentum of the fall only plunged me a few feet underwater but it felt unbearable trying to surface again. Eventually I did though, my body shivering like mad, I forced myself to take some deep breaths before I heard another splash right behind me. Did “it” follow me? I wondered, but my mind was busy, bent on surviving this ordeal. I quickly swam away, back towards the beach, hoping that whatever jumped in wouldn’t be able to find me in the darkness. It took a few minutes but I soon got to the beach, embracing the sand as I laid on my back, my heart beating rapidly.

Whatever “it” was didn’t appear to follow me, for that I could be glad but only within minutes I felt another presence…and I was right. Another person, I think it was a person but I wasn’t really sure as the salt water in my eyes blurred my vision, kicked me hard in my side. I rolled over in pain, right back into the water, and before I could even try to get up I felt whoever was there grab my head by the ears and thrust my head further underwater. I gagged, my mouth instantly filling with bitter salt water, I felt like I was going to die…I truly did.

My mind seemed to falter, as I didn’t even realize when the person threw me back onto the beach. I clutched my stomach and threw up where I was, a mixture of sand and salt water…it tasted horrible when it came out. I didn’t really think I was able but I did stand up, regardless of the pain I was in. I mustered up what I had left in me and shouted at the person, the other one was emerging from the water “WHY?”. Why? That question could answer so much of my life but no matter how many times I asked, this time was no different…I didn’t get an answer. They stood there and before I could say anything more, I did the only thing I was capable of doing at the time…I feinted.

“Why?” was as much the question as the answer itself. “Why?” was another thing I would never forget and as the last of my energy slipped from my body…I could have sworn I heard a soft buzzing sound.

Very nice addition. I can't wait to see where this goes. Great job.

Scary stuff.

Took a while but Chapter 3 is here. Enjoy!

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Chapter 3: Illusions Of Acceptance [Part 1 of 2]

Pain. That was the only thing I could feel when I finally realized I was conscious again. I wanted to open my eyes, I wanted to see where I was, but even that was too painful. I tried getting up on multiple occasions…with no avail. Damnit I swore to myself, cursing whoever beat me the night before. I thought it was still night but I wasn’t entirely sure, I only knew that wherever I was, I needed to get the hell out.

I waited another 10 minutes or so before trying to sit up again and after a few quick jabs of pain I was finally up. I felt the ground beneath me, it wasn’t sand so I figured that they must have dragged me somewhere from the beach…but that wasn’t the only thing I felt, there was something else…movement. I was surprised I didn’t feel it earlier as my body shifted in different directions ever so often. I couldn’t stand it anymore; I had to see what was going on. I started to open my eyes as slowly as I could, eventually working it to about a squint. My vision was clearly still blurred; my eyes stung Must be the salt water in my eyes I thought, quickly closing them once more, remembering the night before. I rubbed my eyes and tried again, this time finally getting them open. Sure it hurt but I was too curious to really care. I looked around, waiting for my eyes to adjust and when they finally did I knew where I was (I just wished I knew the reason)…I was in a van.

I stared at the two van doors…it was obvious I was in the back. Were they kidnapping me? I wondered, my anger flaring, wishing I had done anything to stop them. I cupped a fist, ready to bang it against the side in contempt…but I never got the chance. The van must have turned sharply because before I knew it I was thrown to one side, I tried to recover but I slammed violently into the side of the van…face first. Blood dripped from my nose onto the cold metal floor, I screamed in pain, trying to keep the blood from coming out but it was useless, it had already left a crimson puddle on the floor. I nearly threw up again at that point, it was unbearable, I didn’t think the pain could have gotten any worse and yet it just did. I crawled to the other side of the van, leaning up against the side. I would have sat down but there wasn’t anything to sit on, there wasn’t anything to see either…no windows.

A half hour had passed and my nose had finally stopped bleeding, I was still unable to actually stand up but I didn’t want too even if I could, I didn’t have the heart…or the strength. Nothing made sense anymore, why did they want me, why did they even care about letting me live?…I didn’t really want to live myself . I wanted to die, I wanted to end all this. I knew it was wrong to think that way but I guess when you get stuck in these sorts of situations, a lot of thoughts go through your head. I slumped onto my back, staring up at the ceiling and then I did something I hadn’t done in many years…I started to cry. I hoped for every second that passed that someone would throw open those doors and save me from this nightmare…but that was why I was crying in the first place, because I knew that it wouldn’t happen, I knew deep down that as much as I wanted to deny it the fact was this was most likely only the beginning. I laid there in silence, crying quietly, only the occasional bumpy road to keep me awake the whole trip. I did fall asleep eventually and when I did I only had my dreams to keep me believing that I would get out of this eventually…

…I heard something. I listened as the tires of the van went over some soft gravel of sorts and then come to a stop. I heard doors closing and then footsteps as they approached…there must have been more then just the two people I knew of because I heard a lot of footsteps. Then there was silence, I laid there motionless, I no longer cared what they would do to me.

More silence…second…after second…after second…after second. I counted down each one, savoring the brief time I had to relax but that was quickly cut short when the two van doors were thrown open, light pouring in. I wasn’t even looking towards the exit and yet it still blinded me. I hadn’t seen light in quite a while. A glimpse of hope brightened up within me. Could someone actually be saving me? I wondered but sadly I was the one that shut that idea down No one even knew who I was, so why would anyone help me?. I didn’t even attempt to get up when someone stepped into the van next to me. I couldn’t even see who it was either, the light was still blinding me. Whoever it was, it had something in its hand, it bent down next to me and at that point I could actually see what it was…it was a shot. “It” plunged it deep into the side of my chest, I screamed out in pain, my energy somehow coming back to me as I tried to get out. “It” held me down and apparently I had misjudged since the shot didn’t just have one needle…but three. The second and third needles plunged into my fur…two more screams. The second “it” released its grip, I jumped up and without hesitation I sank my fangs into its arm, refusing to let go even when it continued to beat me with his other arm. “It” eventually cast me off, sending me tumbling out the back and onto the soft gravel I heard before. Others came and restrained me, one of them stood right over me, my vision was finally starting to come back to me. He was the only person I truly saw before whatever was in that shot took hold and cast me into a sleep. He was a wolf, his fur black as death itself, he grinned down at me in a wicked sort of way…at least that’s the way I remembered it.

I knew that wouldn’t be the last time I saw him. I thought I heard him say “Welcome…” before I fell asleep. I also remembered a sort of flickering in the sky when I looked up at him…was it only a trick of the eyes?

Wow this just keeps getting better. Keep writing I'm interested to see what happens next.

Chapter 4 is here. I hope you all enjoy it! Yes it is a bit shorter but there is only so much inforamtion I am supposed to give you each chapter.

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Chapter 4: Illusions Of Acceptance [Part 2 of 2]

Footsteps…that was the first thing I heard when I woke up. It was actually the only thing I could hear, I heard talking as well but it all sounded muffled so I couldn’t figure out what they might be saying. I couldn’t really see either, my eyes were wide open and yet everything I saw had a sort of wavy appearance, making it hard to differentiate objects from people. My entire body was sore also, so much so that I wouldn’t even know if my body had touched anything…it was kind of like being numb…only worse. I looked around, wondering what was going on around me and it took me a minute to realize that someone was actually holding me. How? I thought, I wasn’t fat or anything but I wouldn’t think it would be that easy for only one person to carry me…and then I realized it. I wasn’t the same person anymore…because the person didn’t carry me like I thought it would…it was almost as if the person was cradling me in its arms!?!

I didn’t really question how this may have come to be but my instinct forced me to ask “What happened?” I said out loud, my voice emanating a sort of innocence, a sort of softness that wasn’t there before. The person stopped walking and looked down at me, I think it smiled but I wasn’t sure “Why your three little one…” she said, I finally knew it was a she, her voice serene it not a bit motherly. She didn’t really answer my question, it actually only served to confuse me more, but at least I knew now what I was at that point…I was a cub again.

She continued walking, I wanted to know where she was taking me but I didn’t feel like asking any more questions…I had a feeling she wouldn’t answer them the way I would want anyway. I looked around, my vision was still poor at best, but I was able to tell that we were going down a hallway of sorts; I could see the outlines of doors as well. She kept on walking, taking a few turns here and there until coming up at one of the many doors, unlocking it, and walking inside. It was dark, a contrast to the bright hallway we were just moments before. It made me wonder what time it really was, how long I had already been here, and how long until I could get out. She carried me over to a table, it was even harder to see in here but I was able to still make that out, and gently laid me down on it. It was well padded, not the type of table you would eat off of and it was only then that I realized that I had been naked the entire time that she was carrying me…I almost blushed but I knew it would have been impossible to figure it out before anyway, considering my body was still numb with pain. She lifted up my legs, they were much shorter then they were before, and sprinkled some sort of powder on me. It smelled nice, in a way it sort of comforted me, she wasn’t like the other people, I kind of thought she was the only one that really cared about me. She wasted no time, quickly reaching for some sort of white fabric and placing it beneath me waist, lowering my legs onto it. It felt very soft, softer then the table…I didn’t figure out what it really was until later. She taped it snuggly around my waist, I was still in a lot of pain, but I felt a bit better when she did so. She lifted me back into her arms and carried me over to a sort of bed and settled me in. I didn’t realize until she did so that I was indeed very tired, I felt like I could sleep for days…I really did want too in a way. She lifted a blanket over me before leaving, closing the door slowly, a click acknowledging that it was probably locked again. I laid there for a minute, thinking about what to do next, between the soft white fabric around my waist and the cozy bed, you would think it would be obvious. I wanted to think about how I would get out of here but I must have fallen asleep, the soreness had obviously gotten to me…it was the best sleep I ever had…it was the only sleep I would have for a while…

…and then I heard it. My eyes fluttered a bit, I refused to get up even, the bed was so warm and nice I didn’t want to move…but that didn’t keep me from hearing it. It was there, echoing throughout the room, I didn’t know what it was until I paid more attention. It was crying, it sounded like another cub crying…it wasn’t very loud but it still left its mark in my mind. I started to cry even, softly to myself, and even though the other crying ended only a minute later, I didn’t.

It made me feel hopeless, it made me feel scared, it made me feel all of that and so much more. This was only the first time I heard it…it was clear it wouldn’t be the last. It wouldn’t be until I saw “her” that I would know why those other cubs cried during the night…

I'm really, really, enjoying this story. Great work, and I can't wait for the next part!

I gotta say great Writing. I love it a lot. This story's definitely got my interest.

This is probably the shortest chapter to date but gladly they shouldnt get any shorter then this...this one just only had so much to explain to get ready for Chapter 6. Enjoy!

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Chapter 5: Hope On The Horizon

“Hey…hey you…wake up…”. I heard a voice call out to me, I didn’t feel like getting up though, regardless of who may have been there. The voice called to me again, this time with more urgency “wake up…its important…”. “…perhaps he has already been lost to them…” another voice said. I turned over in my bed, turning my back on the voices, I didn’t have to open my eyes to know that it was still dark in the room, so why were these voices bothering me, all I wanted to do was sleep. “…just forget him, he doesn’t appear to be awake anyway…” the more and more I listened the more it all seemed like a dream, I started to drift back into my slumber when I heard the first voice again “do you want to get out of here…” the voice said coldly, that got my attention. I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes, my body still aching. I had recovered a bit but my body was still a bit sore, I probably wouldn’t feel any better until morning…whenever that was. I looked around, the first thing I noticed was the fact that I hadn’t realized until now that my bed was actually a crib. Jeez I must have been really out of it I thought to myself, my eyes adjusting to the dark. It took me a minute but I finally saw who was talking to me before…it was another cub, staring at me through the bars of my crib. “You finally awake?” he asked, his voice deeper then that of a cubs, it made me wonder why mine had changed. It was hard, but I could tell he was a panther, his fur black as night, his yellow eyes and diaper the only discernable features about him in the darkened room. I wasn’t fully awake but I still nodded in response before adding sarcastically “Nice diaper” I couldn’t believe that I would make jokes at a time like this. “You too…” he said coolly, I didn’t see it but I bet he grinned at that point as I looked under my blanket and instantly blushed…he was right, I was wearing a diaper, another thing I apparently didn’t notice before.

“Now then…your new here…so tell me, they kidnapped you too right?” he asked, I nodded once more, my anger welling up inside me when I thought on how this all began. “Well at least you haven’t been lost to them yet…you must be very confused…and most likely very tired…I can tell” he said before another voice spoke up “HEWWOOO!” a fox cub sprang up almost from nowhere, his vibrant orange fur and white chestfur made him easily stand out in the dark, his tail wagged around like a puppies “didn’t surprise you huh?...well you gonna help us or not?” he said in a pushy sort of way, his voice light-hearted if not humorous. I just sat there, looking at both of them, still wondering if this was only a dream. “He will be more helpful then you if you get us caught…now be quiet, we can discuss this later…” he lectured. I watched as the fox huffed and scampered off to what must have been his own crib, I wanted to watch and see how he got out of his crib in the first place, considering his size, but the panther called to my attention “You should rest for now…I will explain things to you later…here…” he slipped a cat plushy through the bars and into my crib, I thought it childish…but then again that’s all we were…children, toddlers at that. He walked off, his movement silent as he went back to his own crib. I settled back in, glad I could sleep again as I pulled my blanket over me once more. I looked back at the plushy, I knew I was still 16, but there was some feeling that made me want to just go grab it. I eventually swallowed my pride, grabbing the plushie and hugging it close. I couldn’t really explain it but it made me feel a little bit better inside…it made me feel secure in this horrific place.

Morning…well, I suppose you could call it that. There weren’t any windows in the room but it was illuminated by a single light off of the ceiling. I stirred, slowly waking up, my body feeling rejuvenated and new. I could hear giggling when I opened my eyes, I saw that I was still holding the plushy close with one arm. It took me a moment but I also saw that I was sucking my thumb; I instantly forced it out my mouth and wiped it on my blanket. I can’t believe I did that I thought to myself as I blushed lightly. I stood up in my crib, glad I could at last, and looked onward. I saw the other cubs, the panther, the fox, and a dog cub I didn’t see last night, and watched as they all played with tinker toys on the white, creamy carpet before me. They all seemed to be giggling happily, it was at this point that I seriously wondered if what happened last night was really a dream or not. Here they were, the same cubs that were talking to me about getting out of here, and now they were toddling and playing around without a care in the world. I wanted to think about it more but before I could I saw someone enter the room, a grown-up. At first it didn’t occur to me of who it was but as he drew near to my crib my eyes widened with fear. It was the black wolf I saw when I first came here, he looked down at me, grinning that wicked grin he had the first time. My body sort of froze, I didn’t know what to do…or what he wanted to do with me…

Nice. I just read the last two chapters, you write quickly! Hope to see more.

Once more I gotta say great story. Your good at this.

Thank you all for your comments. This is actually the first time I have ever written a story in a narrative but it seems to be doing well. Chapter 6 might be done tomorrow but I have lots of schoolwork as well tomorrow so its uncertain.

It's really great stuff! Can't wait for the next part!

Chapter 6 is here. Enjoy!

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Chapter 6: A Rebel Amongst Cubs

I sort of stared at him, I must have wet myself as I could feel my diaper grow warm, how pathetic I must have looked at that point, completely helpless and scared. I watched him as he started to reach down to grab me. I knew there weren’t any places to hide or to run for that matter, I was still stuck in my crib. I knew it wouldn’t make much difference but I eventually dove under my blanket, hoping for some stupid reason that if I did so he wouldn’t do anything to me, I wasn’t even able to completely get my body under it either, my tail was clearly sticking out the other side. I guess that it might have looked kind of cute in another’s eyes, but not to me. I sat there, my wet diaper emitting an odor that only made this situation even worse…I almost wanted to cry. I watched as he lifted the blanket partially, exposing my face to him, I started to turn my head away when I heard him say “What’s wrong little buddy…you don’t need to be scared” he said, his voice dark…yet sincere…a very odd mix. I stopped and gazed at him again Didn’t he recognize me? I thought. I found it hard for him not to know who I was but then again, for all I knew, there may have been hundreds of other cubs here like me, it must have been only coincidence that he ended up here at this room.

I didn’t say anything back to him but that didn’t keep him from lifting me from my crib, holding me out in front of him, looking me over “Looks like you had a little accident…” he said, clearly unaware at how embarrassed I was when he said it out loud. My fear started to turn to anger when he carried me over to the changing table, my eyes narrowed How dare he call me buddy, I didn’t ever want to be here in the first place I thought to myself. I lost control when my anger turned to hatred; I lifted up my arm and swiped at his face with my claws. Sure they were definitely stubbier then when I was 16 but I didn’t care, as long as I could do some damage I at least would get back at them for putting me here. To my dismay, my claws weren’t even able to penetrate his fur and also to my dismay, that didn’t keep from irritating him “Now don’t do that again…or there will be punishment…” he said menacingly, louder then it should have been, his voice no longer sincere. I only snarled back at him, bearing what fangs I had as he laid me down and proceeded to change me in silence, ignoring my contempt for him.

I laid there without resistance, knowing that doing anything else would be futile, as I calmed down and looked over to the other cubs. I instantly noticed the panther again, the others were still playing with their toys, but he sat at the far end of the room, watching me. I saw him shake his head, I must have done something wrong, I guess the problem was the fact that I acted without thinking of the consequences. The black wolf finished up with me, setting me down on the ground and walking over to the door before saying “Now play nice…I will get breakfast for you guys…except you, you don’t get any today” he said coldly, pointing to me. To me I thought it completely unfair…I was only a cub and I didn’t even hurt him…but I guess that if you thought about it, in a normal situation a cub wouldn’t know any better but he knew, he knew we were older then our age showed us off to be. He left after that, the door locking behind him like before with the woman, I stood there for a few minutes before plopping down on the carpet, my fresh diaper crinkling softly, pouting to myself childishly.

The panther came over after a little bit, the fox followed behind him not long after “a noble attempt…but the risks aren’t worth it…” the panther said, scolding me, I didn’t really like the idea of him lecturing me, but I knew he was right “Who are you guys anyway?” I asked curiously. The panther and fox both exchanged looks, it was the fox that spoke up first “I’m Eddy…I was 12 before I first came here…you here to be part of the plan?” he said, his tail flicking around aimlessly. He didn’t seem all that smart to me, he didn’t even seem all that affected by being here, what confused me though was the plan he talked about What plan? I wondered. The panther stepped forward, extending his paw “My name is irrelevant…but I guess you can simply call me Raven…now then, before we talk about the plan, do you have any questions?” he asked. I believed he wanted to shake paws but I kept mine where they were, I had only about hundreds of questions but the first one just kind of came out “Where are we?”. I suppose he tried to chuckle in a sort of sophisticated way, but it came closer to a giggle “I don’t even know that…and I have been here for months…” he paused, I guessed he wanted my next question “What’s the plan?”. Raven looked around, making sure that any of the grown-ups might be around before sitting down beside me “It is to simply…escape. Eddy here doesn’t think this place is that bad but there are workings here that we don’t want to be a part of…”. I took a moment to think about it, other than the whole kidnapping part, I guess for some it may have been paradise…or as close as you could get to it. To be cared for…to be loved…not a care in the world, it all started to seem not that bad to me until Raven reminded me “…didn’t you hear the cries last night?” he said. I had completely forgotten about them and the second he said it I knew I had to escape with him, I knew I wanted to leave this place and never come back…I never wanted to hear those cries again.

I nodded slowly, agreeing with him when the black wolf came back, holding some trays and bottles. He went around handing them out, first to the dog, who never seemed to ever say anything, then to Eddy and then to Raven. When he got to me, he had nothing left, he only grinned wickedly as he walked off. I wanted to snarl at him again but if what Raven said was true…the risks wouldn’t be worth it, so I sat there, solemnly looking at the ground. The door clicked once more when the wolf had left, I glanced over at Eddy, he seemed overjoyed by his breakfast. All of them had pancakes…everyone but me, I watched as Eddy and the dog started to eat without a moments hesitation, Raven however waited a few minutes before eating his. My tummy grumbled, I also forgot that I hadn’t eaten in days, Raven must have noticed because he swatted at his bottle with his tail, sending it rolling over to me, eventually stopping when it nudged into my foot “Your going to need your energy…the plan will go down in three days…” he didn’t say anything after that, he only continued to eat his breakfast. I didn’t say anything back either, I only picked up the bottle and began to suckle on it happily, I didn’t care if bottles were only for cubs, at that point I was glad that someone actually cared…

…three days…three days I had until it all happened…back then I couldn’t wait to see what would happen…I couldn’t wait to get out of there…it was only later that I knew that it wasn’t three days until escape…it was three days until catastrophe…

Oh this is getting good. You know you've got a good story when you get the reader's heart going. I know mine was. Great Job!

I'm happy on how this is turning out. I hope you actually get to an end with it, cause too many of us give up on their stories. I wait patiently for more, as I will try to continue to work on my stuff, whicj I hopw to come out with in a week or so. *hugs* Love ya Xenon

-Sirius

This is very engaging! Great story, Xenon.

Thank you all. School has taken up plenty of my time so Chapter 7 may not be here until this Friday. If I cant get it out on time I will have plenty of time after my SAT Testing on Saturday to do it...hehe, wish me luck.

Good luck with your SATs!

Wow I sat down to get a little writing done so I could have something to start on tomorrow but before I knew it I just finished Chapter 7. Enjoy!

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Chapter 7: Patience In Spades [Part 1 of 2]

The first of the three days went by pretty fast…hmph, as if there was much to do anyway. I constantly asked Raven questions about our situation. I never really questioned how he knew so much, he refused to ever tell me why either…another time that that question ended in silence.

I learned quite a lot truly, I learned that the light in the room supposedly followed the hours of the day, lighting up or turning off based on the time. I asked about Eddy as well, Raven only said to me “…he used to be a better person…”. I didn’t really understand what he meant by that but I decided to ask him later on why. I asked about the other cubs, how many were there, Raven apparently was the only one here that had been to any of the other rooms, he said there wasn’t much to see really, that all of the rooms were connected by long corridors and hallways. In the end he didn’t know how many, just that there must have been numerous others. I could tell that my endless questions were starting to annoy him, each time he gave me less information and tried to avoid telling me in the first place by saying that it was ‘irrelevant’, that was a word he used often…he kind of started to annoy me too…I wanted to trust him, but there was some feeling I had deep down that he may have been hiding something…he never talked about himself…

I eventually decided to ask him during midday about the plan when we were playing with some building blocks, up to now he never told me what part I was to play in the escape “Raven…how do we get out of here?” I asked, putting one last block on my toy tower and turning to him. He didn’t even stop to look at me, he only continued to build his own tower when he scoffed at me before saying “That is irrelevant, you will know what to do when the time comes…”. I sort of stared at him for a moment What? I thought What sort of answer was that?. I huffed, angry of course, I kicked at my tower, sending it toppling over itself. I stupidly hurt my foot when I did that but I didn’t want to show it, I only stormed off, I could tell that Raven must have been looking at me but I didn’t look back…I only kept on walking, or waddling, whichever it was as I climbed up into my crib, the sides were open during the day allowing cubs to get in if they wanted too. I chucked the cat plushy I got from Raven over to the other side of my crib before laying down and pulling the blanket over me, it was early and it would be hours until night but I didn’t care…I didn’t eat dinner that evening…

That night I couldn’t sleep, I had finally calmed down, but as I laid there in my crib there was something that kept me from slumber…a noise. It wasn’t the cries, it was something else, I could hear it outside. It was hard to tell but it sounded like static, like off of a TV or something. I kind of wished it was the cries though, unlike the cries that ended after a few minutes, this sound continued all throughout the night. I tried everything I could to block it out, eventually holding my ears down against my head. I looked over to Raven’s crib, it was only then that I realized that he was awake too Did he hear it too? I wondered. All I could see was his bright yellow eyes, it looked like he was staring at me or something around me…his eyes were odd like that. Minutes had passed and the static only grew louder…it was driving me crazy…that was when I remembered the plushy that I had thrown to the other side. It was still there, just laying there, the feeling in me was there again. I quickly crawled over to it and grabbed it, crawling back into my blanket and resting my head on my pillow. I hugged it close, it sort of helped in a way, it helped me forget about this place, the noise, and everything else as I slowly fell asleep…at least for that night it helped…

I dreamed that night, I sort of hoped that it would be a good dream but sadly it did little good. I was in a hallway, the same hallway that I had been in when that woman was carrying me but this was different. There was no light in the hallway, completely pitch dark, I had to keep one paw on the wall to keep me from getting lost. I wandered around for what seemed like hours, until eventually seeing a door with light peeping out from under it. I went up to it, feeling it with my paws, it was cold, I didn’t realize it until then that I was indeed shivering, if it wasn’t so dark I might have been able to see my own breath. I tried to open the door but there wasn’t any handle to speak of, I wanted to give up but then I saw it, a small opening on the side that I could fit my claws through. I did so, it wasn’t like other doors, this one was a sliding one and I struggled to force it open. Light poured onto my face as I squeezed my way through, I was finally able to see, the room was huge to say the least. The entire room was filled with technical equipment, computers, monitors, and the like were strewn about. Wires crisscrossed across the floor every which way, some of them still hummed with power as I slowly walked around. I noticed that many of the computers, if not all, were broken in one way or another, the entire room seemed abandoned and forgotten. It was when I reached the middle of the room that I saw one of the computers was still working and I quickly ran over to it, tripping over some of the wires as I did so. I hopped up onto a chair and looked at the monitor, it had a list of peoples names, including my own! I read across the screen from my name and found that it said ‘CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS’ on it. I saw that at the bottom there was a button that said ‘END PROCESS’ on it. I quickly dragged the mouse over and highlighted my name; there was a moment’s hesitation as I hovered the mouse over the button, I stared at the screen for a few more moments before finally clicking it…

…that was when I woke up to the second day. The dream I had seemed all to real…to this day I still wonder if it really was a dream…