Leo was awoken from his slumber by a strange icy chill. At first he thought it was just a draft, but as he stirred in bed, he noticed that indeed, the air inside his room had become quite chilly.
“Flippin’ hell!” Leo muttered to himself, “How on earth did this room become so cold…?”
The young wolf tried to cocoon himself in the blankets to prevent the cold air from nipping at his skin, but this hardly helped. Frustrated, Leo got out of bed, slid a hoodie on over his head, and went out into the hall to check the thermostat.
When he reached it, he discovered that even though it was on, it had only been set to seventy-two degrees. “Something is not right here…” Leo thought to himself, “There’s no way this humid weather could have dropped this low overnight.” ‘Creak!’ This unexpected noise made Leo jump and turn around in the direction of the main door to the hallway. As Leo stared at the door, he felt an eerie feeling that he was being watched; that someone was right behind that door.
His best solution would be to go to Angel and Rachael, as he felt safe with them. Besides, he was sure it would be much warmer in their room. But before he could move, the main door began to slowly open. “Mother…? Aunt….?” the wolf asked, trembling with fear. It had it be either of them; who else could it be? As the door opened, Leo’s eyes widened with fear and he gasped in shock. There in the doorway stood a tall male beaver dressed in a tattered uniform. His eyes shone emerald green and he had a scar on his left cheek. Leo wanted to run for his life, but instead, he found himself frozen; as though a spell had been cast upon him. As the beaver slowly approached the petrified wolf cub, Leo saw he had a good-natured smile on his face.
“Don’t be afraid, Son;” said the beaver, “I’m not here to hurt you.” His voice sounded friendly and reassuring, which calmed the young wolf down. It was then that Leo recognized the beaver standing before him.
“Are you Colonel Eric Duncan…?” Leo asked him, having found his voice.
“The one and only!” the beaver replied, lifting his hat, “I bet your wondering why I’m here.”
“Um… Yes indeed, Sir.” Leo replied; his fear turning to curiosity.
“Well, Leo;” said Eric, “I thought I’d pay you a visit as you showed great interest in my statue earlier; and I’ll bet you’d like to know all about my story.” Leo thought about it, then said,
“I’d love to. But… one question; how do you know my name?” Eric smiled and said,
“It’s my job to know.” He gestured towards the couch and said, “C’mon now; let’s sit down.” Leo nodded and went to sit down with Eric. Eric then began his tale.
“I grew up in a time of great turmoil; the American Civil War. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.”
“I did;” said Leo.
“Anyway…” said Eric, “I was born in Massachusetts; one of the union states, so when the southern states seceded from the union, I was rather upset. Partly because I was upset at how the South was treating slaves, and partly because I was afraid that such secession could weaken both nations if we were constantly waring.” He drew in a breath and said, “I joined a regiment at the age of ten; of course, they weren’t so comfortable with the idea of giving me a gun, so I was the drummer boy.”
“Is that where you became a Colonel?” asked Leo.
“Not really…” said Eric, “The war ended when I was fourteen, so I was still too young. But, thanks to my bravery in service, the army was gracious enough to let me stay in the army.”
“Then what…?” asked Leo.
“I reached the rank of Colonel in eighteen-seventy-three;” said Eric, “But by that time, I felt like the army was growing soft.”
“How so?” asked Leo.
“They were always praying to God for strength and victory;” said Eric, “I was of the mind that if we wanted to achieve victory, we had to work out and train more; it was our strength and will that would help us achieve glory, not God’s. But no one listened to me. Afraid that I might be given a dishonorable discharge for heresy, I decided to leave on my own; keeping my rank and dignity.” He sighed and continued, “But it didn’t end there… Everywhere I looked, the churches were beginning to have more than enough influence in the towns they were in.
Heck, they even printed ‘In God We Trust’ on our coins during the war.”
“So what did you do?” asked Leo.
“I headed west…” said Eric, “West to the lands untamed. I found a lovely piece of land in this very valley by the sea. I was about to spread out the blanket and have a picnic, when I said to myself, ‘This is it! Why not build a town here? Why not build a town and keep it free from the overbearing hand of the church?’ So that’s what I did.”
“And how did you come up with the name ‘Firewall City’?” asked Leo, “When I think of a firewall, I think of a strong barrier between the engine of a car and the driver behind it. As far as I know, cars weren’t around in the eighteen-seventies.”
“You’re absolutely right, Son;” said Eric, “I was thinking that since those God worshiping types were always claiming that Hell was full of fire and that sort of thing, I wanted the name to represent a barrier that would keep out the rule of God and keep my town under the rule of man.”
“Wow…” said Leo, “That’s… pretty intense.”
“It was;” said Eric, “It wasn’t easy getting people to come to my town, but some came… and they convinced more to come, and so on and so forth. Pretty soon, we were a real town.” He sighed again, and took a moment to dab the scar on his cheek. “And then…” he said, “The church finally moved in.”
“Did you object to it?” asked Leo.
“Not really;” said Eric, “That would have made me a dictator. I told the people of the church that they could have their church, but I would never institute the laws of the bible into the laws of my town.”
“I’ll bet they weren’t too happy about that, were they?” asked Leo.
“They weren’t;” said Eric, “But I survived that little debacle. Through the years, my town grew into a real city. I figured that if I could get through that, I could get through anything. So after years and years of careful planning, I announced that I would run for president of the United States.”
“What year?” asked Leo. Eric suddenly looked very grim and said,
“Nineteen-o-four…”
“Oh…” said Leo, “Is that when… it happened…?”
“It sure is…” said Eric, “While I was on my campaign tour in some of the southern states, some overzealous bible worshipers banded together and kidnapped me out of the hotel I was staying at. They said that they would never allow a godless heathen the likes of me to perpetrate my heresy on their nation. I tried to fight… I put up a good one too; but there were too many of them…” Eric became very sombre, and Leo was sure he could see tears forming in the beaver’s eyes. “They overpowered me…” said Eric, “and beat me to death.”
“Oh God…” Leo gasped, “That’s awful.”
“Yes…” said Eric, “Sadly, I don’t even know what happened after that. It’s just an endless black void for me now.”
“Wait a minute!” cried Leo, leaping up from the sofa, “If you don’t even know what happened next, how are you here?!?”
“Well, you see;” said Eric, forming a smile, “I’m not really a ghost; I’m a figment of your subconscious mind manifested as reality.”
“So this is a dream!”
“Yes it is,” said Eric, “But the troubles you face in your dreams are very real. In fact, you’re a bit like me, aren’t you?”
“I am…?” asked Leo, “How…”
“Well,” said Eric, “You went through a chuck of your life afraid to speak out; a fear that was brought upon by your mentally unstable mother; and reinforced by that bastard of a boyfriend she had.”
“You got that right…” said Leo, “But… we’re not really the same. I lived in constant fear of them, and they still haunt me in my nightmares.” He sighed and said, “I wish I could be as brave as you, Eric.”
“But you are brave, Leo;” said Eric, “You just don’t realize it.”
“Really…?” asked Leo.
“Indeed;” said Eric, getting up as well, “You were brave enough to go to Angel and tell her about your situation. It was because you were brave that you are in a better place now.”
“Woah…” said Leo, “You’re right! I am brave!”
“That’s the spirit, Boy!” said Eric, “And whenever your mother tries to haunt you again, just stay strong. Remember, to know that’s it’s not real. Keep your beliefs and stand up for them.”
“Thanks, Eric.”
“You’re welcome, Son.”
“So, what could I do, to be like you?” Leo asked him.
“Well… If ever you find someone who is in the same position as you were, do what you can to help them; and tell them that they can be strong too if they stand up for what they believe in. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Sir, Colonel Duncan, Sir!” Leo said as he delivered a salute.
“Ha-ha! At ease, Son.” laughed Eric, “Well, I best be going now. Stay strong!” He walked over to the end of the hall, went through the door, and closed it behind him.
“Wow…” Leo said to himself, “This has been one interesting dream…”
Not knowing what else to do, he went back into his room, took off his hoodie, and clambered into bed. The cold didn’t feel so biting now, so Leo was able to close his eyes and drift back into his slumber…
*************
Bleep, bleep, beep.
The sound of Leo’s alarm clock awoke him with a start. The young wolf switched the alarm off with his paw, before he sat up against his bed frame.
“What an unusual dream” he thought to himself.
“It’s not every night, I dream about meeting dead historic figures. I wonder if I can have dreams where I could catch up with my deceased grandma Cassie or even my father Stephen.”
After a quick shower, Leo put on a white t-shirt, that had a black paw print design in the centre and a black pair of shorts. He put his feet into his black and white vans, before he made his way into the dining room area to find Angel and Rachael already seated there. The lioness wore a white sleeveless summer dress and brown heals. She looked just like an angel from haven. In contrast Rachael looked as though she was straight out of bootcamp as the Hyena was clad in a light brown crop top, green and black camo trousers, and green running shoes.
“Nice outfit kido” the hyena complemented him as he settled himself down at the dining table. “It really suits you.”
“Um, thanks. I guess that’s why I choose it.”
“Did you sleep well, Leo?” his lioness mother asked him.
“Oh yes, I did.”
“Ah, that’s good to know. Did you have any dreams at all? You know I happened to have a good dream, where I was swimming the channel.”
“Hey! I also had a great dream!” Rachael says with a grin “I dreamed that I was power lifting, against that Ross guy from yesterday. I won of course.”
“Well, I did have a dream and boy it’s an interesting one” Leo replied. The young wolf feels it in his blood, to let his adopted mother and his auntie figure know about his dream. He trusts them and they are his best friends.
“Last night I dreamed about meeting the founder of Firewall city, Colonel Eric Duncan, himself. It’ll take ages to explain the exact details of what happened. In short, he told me about how he founded the city and about the day he was murdered by assassins.”
“Woah! Really? The Colonel Eric Duncan? That sounds bloody amazing, son!” Angel replies. The felines voice burns with curiosity and interest.
“That sounds like some heck of a dream, Leo” the hyena tells him. “Any idea, what may have caused your dream?”
The young wolf shrugged.
“I don’t know. I was interested by Duncan’s character, having seen his statue. Though I must say, for a dream, it felt ultra-realistic. It really felt like I was talking to the colonel’s ghost in real’s life.”
“You ought to write a story about your dream. That’s something, that I would read for sure” Angel tells him.
“You know Leo, perhaps you’re a medium,” Rachael suggests.
“What’s a medium?”
“Oh, someone who can communicate with the spirits of the dead” the hyena explains to him. “Honestly, if you have that type of skill then you should be very proud it.”
“Son, if you really can communicate with the deceased in your dreams, then I wonder if you could meet the blues singer Sam Cook or Elvis” Angel tells him. “I’d love to hear from those legendary music artists.”
“I’m pretty sure Elvis is still alive, Sister” Rachael chuckles. “Leo, if I was to tell you all about my late grandma Nancy and show you, her photos. Do you reckon you’d be able to talk to her spirit in your dreams? Once, we get back England of course.”
“Um, sure. Why not.”
“So, Leo with that interesting dream of yours aside, are you looking forward to our day out in the city? And seeing the Goldhart family of course” the lioness asks him.
“Yes, I am indeed mother” the young wolf replies. “I’m looking forward to seeing the comic shop, that Ryan mentioned. It would also be great to see Chrissy again…”
Leo then sighed before he said;
“Alright, I’m just a little nervous about telling Chrissy how I feel.”
“Well, that’s perfectly normal;” Angel says “Just remember that she likes you for who you are. There’s no need to pretend to be anyone else.”
“Thanks mum” Leo replied, “I’ll remember that.”
“Your welcome hon. Now, let’s order up some breakfast, eh?” the female lion suggests. “There’s no way in hell, I’m starting my day on an empty stomach.”
*********
After breakfast, Angel, Rachael and Leo took the elevator down to the ground level, before they hopped on a bus to head into the city.
It wasn’t long before the bus arrived in the city center. The trio got off the bus and marveled at the amazing sights; it was like something one would expect to see in a futuristic movie.
“Let’s see…” said Angel, “We’re looking for Margarita’s Coffee Shop; shouldn’t be too hard to find.”
Luckily for them, it wasn’t; Margarita’s Coffee Shop was a tall building that consisted mostly of windows for the outside walls. The three mammals went inside and began to drink in their surroundings. There were several small tables for two, larger tables for groups of four, and even eight. In the center of the floor plan was a giant decorative fountain that had a lot of coins down at the bottom. There were green plants to provide an eco-friendly touch, and up above was a second level that encircled the building, and even had an outdoor balcony.
“Good morning;” said a salamander, dressed in a smart uniform, “Welcome to Margarita’s Coffee Shop. Can I get you a table for three?”
“Um… no, actually;” said Angel, “We’d like a table for seven if possible. Some friends will be joining us shortly.”
“How soon…?” asked the salamander.
“Right now!” said a voice. Leo, Angel and Racheal looked behind them to see Bobbie, Elizabeth, Ryan, and Chrissy. The first thing that stood out to Leo was Chrissy’s wheelchair, and the Royal Air Force roundels on the wheels. He also noticed that she was wearing a baggy yellow tank top, over a dark green t-shirt and bright magenta shorts. For footwear the young canine wore a pair of white and pink sneakers (what Leo would call trainers or vans.) Leo guessed this was purely for cosmetic reasons as she couldn’t walk.
“Hi, Leo!” she said, “So good to see you again!”
“Nice to see you too, Chrissy;” said Leo, “You too, Ryan.”
“Thanks;” said Ryan, “If you’ve never been here before, you’ll really enjoy this place.”
“Nice to see you again, Angel;” said Bobbie, “How are you and your family, today?”
“We’re all good;” said Angel, “We’re also looking forward to what this coffee shop has to offer.”
“Well then;” said the salamander, “You can go ahead and pick out the table you want.”
Bobbie led the way past the fountain and over to one of the tables for ten. Angel, Rachael, Ryan and Leo sat on one end, Elizabeth, Bobbie and Chrissy sat on the other end; but not before Bobbie helped Chrissy out of her wheelchair and sat her down in the booth.
“So…” said Leo, “Does a waiter come by to take our orders…?”
“Not quite;” said Ryan with a sly smile. At that moment a screen at the end of the booth flashed on and a computerized voice said,
“Greetings, Patrons; Welcome to Margarita’s Coffee Shop. Please input your desired order.”
“Oh my” gasped Angel, “That’s really something else.” she thought for a moment and said, “I’d like a Redbush tea, please.”
“I’ll go for a nice pepper mint tea” Rachael says.
“I’ll have a hot chocolate;” said Ryan, “Dark chocolate, light cream.” Leo thought for a moment, then said,
“I’d love a pepper mint tea.”
“I’ll take a decaf with milk and sugar, please” Elizabeth says.
“I’d like an espresso with milk and no sugar” Bobbie said.
“I’d like a hot chocolate with marshmallows, please” Chrissy says. The screen then listed everything they had just ordered.
“Please press button to confirm your order.” said the computer. Angel did the honors, and the computer said, “Your order has been processed. Thank you for choosing Margarita’s Coffee Shop.”
“That was pretty cool!” exclaims Leo
“Yeah, that machine is definitely something” the hyena comments. “Straight out of a SC-FI movie.”
“Well, Firewall city has always been at the forefront of pioneering technologies in the United States;” Elizabeth explains, “And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“Really?” asked Rachael, “What other modern marvels can be found in this city?”
“Well,” said Elizabeth, “Our public library has a machine that can print out copies of books for a fee. So, if a child loves a book so much that they don’t want to give it back to the library, they can pay a fee, and the machine will print a copy for them that they can keep forever.”
“That sounds cool;” Leo comments. It sure would be great if his school had a machine, just like that.
“Oh, it is;” Ryan says “Especially considering that it’s much easier than trying to hunt the book you’re looking for down in a bookstore or on the internet.”
“And it’s not just the grown-ups that get cool stuff;” said Chrissy, “The school that we attend, Turner Middle School, has a lot of groundbreaking gadgets too.”
“Like what?” asked Leo.
“Well;” said Chrissy, “There’s an electric eye on the ceiling of every classroom that can automatically detect if a homework assignment hasn’t been completed.”
“Really…” said Leo, “I’ll bet that one’s popular with the students.”
“Well… Not really;” said Chrissy, “But it sure is popular with the teachers.”
“But I’ll tell you one thing that’s popular with us students;” said Ryan, “The bike garage!”
“Bike garage?” asked Leo.
“Yep!” said Ryan, “Instead of a boring old bike rack, our school has a giant multi-rack that rotates like a ferris wheel. That way, up to sixty bikes can be stored in the same place.”
“There are even places to store roller skates, skateboards, and scooters;” said Chrissy, “It’s the coolest thing.”
“And the best part;” said Ryan, “Is that the whole system is equipped with a security system that is so tight, it only operates with the sight of an eye. It’s kinda like a thumbprint scanner for your eye.”
“For real” said Leo, “I wish my school had one of those things.”
“It does sound like something myself, Angel and Crystal would have enjoyed in our youth;” Rachael said “Might have made going to school more enjoyable.”
“Who’s Crystal?” asked Bobbie.
“Oh, Crystal is my sister;” Angel explained, “She, Rachael and I were so tight in our younger days.” At that moment, a rabbit arrived, carrying their drinks on a tray and everyone took their drinks. Once the rabbit had left their table, Angel continued,
“As I was saying; Crystal and I shared almost everything together. We were almost always in the same classes in school, we slept in the same room for the longest time.”
“Well, that reminds me of my dad and my uncle;” said Elizabeth, “They shared a lot of things when they were young too.”
“Or of our friends Casey and Joey;” said Ryan, “They’re brothers, and they share everything together.” He paused and said, “Not that they have a choice in the matter…”
“Yeah…” said Chrissy, “It’s kinda set in stone.”
“Why?” asked Leo.
“we’ll tell you later. With their situation, it’s kinda personal” Chrissy explained, “But if you ever chance to meet them, you’ll see for yourself.”
“Okay then;” said Leo. He had to admit that his curiosity was aroused, but the chances of actually meeting Casey and Joey just by chance were nil, so he decided not to dwell on it. He took a sip of his pepper mint tea.
“This is pretty good tea. That minty after taste is just perfect.”
“I can’t agree more Leo, this is great tea.” Racheal said. “Do you reckon it’s the water they use?”
“Oh, probably” Bobbie replies. “All drinks severed here are made with pure flited water.”
“Mmmmm…” purred Angel after taking a sip of her tea, “This is one of the nicest cups of teas, I’ve had in months. Y’know I might have to migrate here.”
The felines humorous comment got a chuckle out of everyone.
“So, Rachael. Do you have any brothers or sisters yourself?” Elizabeth asked the hyena.
“No. Unfortunately, I was the only child to my mum and dad. However, that all changed when I was seven years old. I met Angel and Crystal at primary school, and we became best friends” Rachael explained. “Heck, we were so close, Angel and Crystal became like sisters to me. I’m never going to forget the countless sleepover’s the three of us had together, back when we were cubs. There was even a great time, the three of us went on holiday to Italy with Angel’s parents.”
For a moment Rachael paused before she said;
“Blood related or not. I reckon that anyone can be family.”
“Now that is an excellent philosophy, Rachael” Elizabeth says as she takes a sip from her decafé.
Ten minutes later, Leo, Chrissy, and Ryan had finished their drinks and were itching for some fun.
“Hey, Mom;” said Ryan, “Can Chrissy and I show Leo the Comic Coliseum? I think he’ll love it.”
“Comic Coliseum?” asked Leo, “That’s the comic store, right?”
“Only the coolest comic store on the west coast!” said Ryan, “You have got to see it to believe it.”
“Can I go, Mum?”
“Of course, Leo;” said Angel, “You go ahead, I’ll take care of your drink.”
“No need;” said Bobbie, “It’s on us today.” She turned to Ryan and said, “Go ahead, Son; just remember to be careful crossing the square, okay?”
“Sure thing, Mom!” said Ryan.
“And one more thing;” said Elizabeth, “We’ll all meet up at the statue of Chief McShaw by the fountain at four o’ clock. Does that sound fair?”
“Sure, Aunt Beth;” said Ryan, “We’ll be there.”
He and Leo exited the booth, and once Chrissy had been set back in her wheelchair, the three kids left the coffee shop to head for the Comic Coliseum. As they headed down the sidewalk, Leo turned to Chrissy and said,
“Chrissy, do you want me to push your wheelchair for you?”
“Sure;” said Chrissy, “How nice of you to ask.” Leo was a little surprised; he had almost expected her to refuse and say that she could do it herself. Regardless, he stepped behind her, took the handles in his hand, and gently pushed her along.
“So…” said Leo, “Pretty interesting choice of paintwork on your wheels, Chrissy; RAF roundels and all.”
“Thanks;” said Chrissy, “I got that paintjob at the Firewall City Orphanage when I stayed there. You probably won’t believe this, but I didn’t even ask for it; the staff asked if they could do it as a way to cheer me up.”
“That was really nice of them;” said Leo, “You were lucky you found Bobbie and Elizabeth; the same way I was lucky to find Angel.”
“Yeah…” said Chrissy, “I guess we’re both lucky that way.”
“If you don’t mind me asking…” said Leo, “Where did you come from before coming to Firewall City?”
“I was born in Pennsylvania;” said Chrissy, “For the longest time, I lived on a quiet street in a quiet neighborhood. Then, when I was eight, everything changed.”
“Is that when you lost the use of your legs?” asked Leo.
“Yeah;” said Chrissy with a sigh, “Happened so suddenly, it was like I was one person on Monday, and a different person on Friday.”
“I wish I could say I know how you feel…” said Leo, “But… I can’t, because… I didn’t go through what you went through.”
“It’s okay;” said Chrissy, “I understand. Besides, I can’t say that I know how you felt when you… when you…”
“When I what…?” asked Leo.
“Well…” said Chrissy, “When you got that scar…” For a moment Leo froze. Despite his scar being hidden underneath his t-shirt, Chrissy had unfortunately remembered seeing it yesterday.
“I’m sorry…!” Chrissy said, quickly, “I really shouldn’t have said that …”
“No, no, it’s fine…” said Leo, “We’re just being honest with each other is all.” Chrissy looked back up at him and smiled.
“Thanks…” she said, “For being so understanding.”
“You’re welcome. I wonder…. Are your interested by how I got my scar? Many kids at secondary school are.”
“Well, I am. A bit. However, you don’t have to tell me.”
“I’ll tell you later, perhaps. At some point, once the time is right.”
“Um… Sure. Whenever you feel like it.”
“Hey, you guys!” called Ryan, “We’re here!” Leo looked up to see a rounded building that was five stories high, and built to look like the coliseum in Rome. Leo read the title of the building in bold black letters, ‘THE COMIC COLISEUM’.
“Nice!” he said, “Do you think they’ll have a certain Bat-Wolf comic, that I’m after?”
“Does a sunburnt pig smell like bacon?” asked Ryan.
“You trying to funny!” an angry voice growled. The three pups looked up to see a large and angry pig wearing a white tank top, and sporting a very red sunburn. “I resemble that remark!”
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. But still do you deny it…?” replied Ryan.
“No;” said the pig, “I just resemble it. Clean up your act kid!” He then stormed away.
“We better go inside” Chrissy suggested.
“Trust me, Leo;” said Ryan, “You’re gonna love this place.”
The moment Leo entered the Comic Coliseum, he omitted a small gasp of excitement. Surrounding him were shelves of comics upon rows of shelves. There were posters almost as big as him displayed on the walls that consisted of heroes and villains from various superhero films and anime shows. There where even giant statues of iconic comic characters.
“What do you think, Leo?” Chrissy asked him.
“This place is incredible!” Leo exclaimed “It puts the comic shop I go to back in Watermane to shame. This shop must be at least ten times bigger.”
“That’s not all of it, Leo;” Ryan informed him “There’s an upstairs with DVDs of movies and complete series collections, and even a down stairs, that has a lot of anime and manga books.”
“Alright!” said Leo. “I can never get enough manga; Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, and Akira are my favorites.”
“Same, Man;” said Ryan, “I freaking love Attack on Titan.” After glancing around in awe a few more times, Leo turned to Ryan and Chrissy and said,
“Okay, Guys, do you know which one of these shelves contains the Bat-Wolf comics? I’m looking for a comic issue called Bat-Wolf 89.”
“I’m glad you asked;” said Ryan, “Follow me; you’re going to be amazed.” Wheeling Chrissy in front of him, Leo followed Ryan through a small crowd to a computer monitor. “There you go;” the pup told him, “Just say the name of the comic you’re after into the mic.”
“Right then;” said Leo as he approached the monitor. Leo then said in a clear voice “I’m looking for Bat-wolf 89 issue 1” To Leo’s amazement, the title and picture of the comic issue appeared on the screen as well as the price (which showed $4.99) and a map to the shelf of where the comic was located.
“Oh my…” Leo chuckled to himself, “The library at Watermane should definitely have one of these. It would make finding books for homework a million times easier.”
“Well, we actually have one of these things in our public library, and one or two in every school in the city.” Chrissy informed him. After taking a quick photo of the map with his phone, the three canines made their way to the shelf where the graphic novel was located. In a short amount of time, Leo had located Bat-Wolf 89 issue 1. He beamed to himself as he held the comic in his paws.
“Anything else you’re after, Buddy?” Ryan asked him. “This place also sells T-shirts, board games, mugs, and drinking glasses.”
“Did you say mugs?” Leo asked, “Because if there are mugs here, then I hope I can get one for my mum. She’s been very nice to me this year and deserves another present, next to that hot water bottle case I got for her.”
“Follow me then” Ryan replied. Ryan led Leo through the maze of shelves until they reached a wooden shelf with a variety of mugs and drinking glasses clustered together.
“Now… which one I should get her?” Leo asked as he scanned the shelf. He almost chose a dark blue mug with Captain America’s shield on the front, when he spotted a different mug through the corner of his eye. It was a mug with the Bat-Wolf rabbit villainess Harley Quinn, on the front: in her classic jesters’ outfit. “All right!” Leo exclaimed, “Harley Quinn is one of Mum’s favourite villainesses; I’m so getting her this one.”
“Your mom’s a big DC fan, isn’t she?” Ryan asked him.
“One of the biggest fans in England for sure;” Leo replied, “She’s been reading and collecting Bat-Wolf comics since she a cub. I guess when she was growing up she was kind of a tomboy.” He thought a moment, then said, “Now that that’s all settled, I wouldn’t mind seeing the manga books on the bottom floor. I think I’ll get Aunt Rachael a copy of Dragon Ball Z, for Christmas. She is very fond of that series.”
“Sure; we’ll head down there now;” Ryan said. “Hopefully, they might have some manga books on offer.”
*****
In total, the 3 pups spent a solid hour rooting through every inch of the store; just in case there was anything else on offer. As they browsed, they chatted about their interests in comics, anime, and cartoons.
There was also the odd question Leo’s received from Ryan and Chrissy, regarding his hometown of Watersmane and tourist locations he’d visited in England. When it came time to leave, Ryan had bought a new card set for a trading game he was into, and Chrissy had bought the latest issue of her favorite comic, The International Flying Squadron. After Leo had paid for his gifts, they excited the store. It was then that Leo realized he was a bit peckish. Like an answer to his prayers, Ryan asked him,
“Say, Leo, do you enjoy Mexican food?”
“I love it, with a capital L;” Leo replied. “I can’t get enough of tortillas and mashed avocado.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that I have some tokens for free meals at Craneos;” Ryan explained, “It’s a Mexican restaurant that serves some great food.”
“You up for it, Leo?” Chrissy asked him. “It’s about a 10 minute walk from here.”
“Count me in;” Leo replied, “Craneos sounds promising.” He thought a moment, then asked, “By the way, why is it called Craneos?”
“Oh, it’s Spanish for skulls;” Chrissy explained to him, “Without giving too much away for you, there are a lot of paintings of skulls there.”
“C’mon!” said Ryan. “I know a shortcut there.”
“Are you sure you want to push me for ten minutes?” Chrissy asked Leo.
“I’ll be fine;” said Leo, “Don’t you worry.” And he was fine. For the entire walk to Craneos, he pushed her along with ease; even up the occasional curb. Chrissy couldn’t help but marvel at how strong and enduring the young wolf boy was. 10 minutes later, the trio arrived outside Craneos. “This place looks promising…” Leo thought to himself as he observed the tall yellow building. It reminded him of a pub in his home town of Watersmane; only it was much bigger (at least twice the size) and it had giant roses painted on the sides. As soon as they entered the waiting area of Craneos, they were greeted by a tall brown mare in a festive uniform
“Hola!” the mare said, warmly, “How are we today.”
“We’re good, Miss;” said Ryan, cheerfully, “We would like a table for three upstairs. Also… are you currently taking tokens?”
“Of course; we have a nice table upstairs.” the mare replied, “I just need to check these tokens for you to see if they are still valid.” Ryan handed the mare his tokens, which she checked and confirmed for him; they were indeed valid. She then wheeled Chrissy to a nearby elevator, which led up to the top floor.
“This way, Buddy.” Ryan said to Leo and led him up a winding stair case. When they reached the top, Chrissy and the mare waitress awaited them. They then made the rest of the journey down a small corridor to a large dining room. As they entered the room, Leo became captivated by the room’s interior. There where candlesticks placed in glass spirit bottles; whilst others where melted onto china skulls. There where messy canvas paintings of skeletons of various animals, hung up in frames on the stone walls that where painted bright yellow. However, the thing caught Leo’s attention the most was the retro gaming systems that where plugged into TV monitors at some of the tables! These systems included SNESs, SEGA Mega Drives, PS1s, and N64s. Leo had fond memories with the SNES. His adoptive aunt Crystal had one at her place, which she let him play on whenever he visited. Once they were seated at a small wooden table with a N64 attached, the mare asked them,
“Do you kids know what you’d like to order? If you’re not sure yet, I’ll come back in 10 minutes.”
“Well, I’d like a chicken burrito, please.” Ryan told her politely.
“I’ll have a plate of beef quesadillas, please.” said Chrissy.
“And I’ll have some vegetarian nachos, please” said Leo.
“Good choices, Kids;” the mare replied, “At Craneos, we serve the best Mexican cuisine in California. Now you kids have enough tokens left for a free jug of any soft drink of your choice. What will it be?”
“Would you guys be fine with a jug of cola to share out?” asked Ryan.
“Yeah, that’s fine with me.” said Leo.
“Same.” Chrissy replied.
“Good, good;” the mare said, cheerfully, “I’ll let the boys in the kitchen know about your orders.” She then walked away; her flowing tail swishing behind her.
“Before our food arrives, would either of you be up for a game of Mario Kart?” Ryan asked, eagerly.
“So long as I get to be Luigi, then sure.” Leo replied.
“I wanna be Wario!” said Chrissy.
“Sounds good;” said Ryan, “Yoshi’s my guy anyway.”
After twenty minutes of racing, their food and drink were delivered to them by a mouse lady. They switched off the N64 before they settled themselves down at their table and tucked in.
“These nachos are delicious!” Leo said as he licked salsa from his lips. “How about you guys?”
“Oh, my quesadillas are great.” said Chrissy, “By the way, since you’ve ordered something that doesn’t have any meat in it, are you a vegetarian?”
“Well, I tend not to eat meat on holiday in case of food poisoning;” said Leo before he took another bite from his nachos. After swallowing, he said, “Heck, apart from a bit of fish occasionally, I hardly eat meat. So, I might go full vegetarian eventually.”
“Wow… that sounds like an achievement.” Ryan exclaimed, “Veggies are nice and all, but even if I was paid, I don’t think I’d last very long without a nice bit of meat in my belly.”
“Me neither;” said Chrissy before taking another bite from her quesadilla, “Though, I did hear something about a vegetarian diet making you look younger.”
“I remember hearing about that too.” said Leo, “I’ll have to look it up again.” Just then, a pair of voices said,
“Hi, Ryan!” in unison. Leo looked up and gasped in fright. Standing before him was a strange creature that had two heads, four arms, and two separate tails! The two heads looked at him, then turned to Ryan and asked, “Who’s the new guy…?” in perfect unison.
“Oh…” said Ryan, “Uh… this is my new friend, Leo. He’s from out of town.” Ryan then directed his attention to Leo and said, “Leo, these are my best friends, Casey and Joey Weatherford.”
“Hi, Leo;” said the head on the left, “I’m Casey.”
“And I’m Joey.” said the head on the right, “We’re conjoined twin brothers.”
“Uh… Hi…” said Leo, “I’m… sorry if I freaked out….”
“Meh…We’re used to it. Besides, that gasp of yours was nothing” Joey replied “In the past some folks have screamed and ran as soon as they’ve seen us.”
“Woah. Um, really. I’m sorry to hear that.”
Leo could now get a slightly better look at Casey and Joey’s body. Both their heads were canine, but Casey’s head had a longer muzzle with floppy ears and bronze colored hair, while Joey’s head had a shorter muzzle with blondish hair and point-up ears.
The outfit the brothers wore, was unique. It looked like two different t-shirts of plain black and white, that had been cut in half and stitched together. The same make-shift design seemed to be with their shorts they wore, as the left side was green and the right side black.
“Would you like to sit with us…” Leo asked them.
“Sure!” said Casey, “If you’ll have us.”
“No problem;” the young wolf replied. The conjoined twins sat down with them, and it was only then that Leo got a glimpse of their twin tails; one was hang-down, the other curled.
“So…” said Joey to Leo, “Out of town, huh?”
“Yes…” said Leo, sitting back up, “All the way from England in fact.”
“England!” said Casey, “Land of Big Ben, The Yorkshire Dales, and the Loch Ness Monster!”
“Loch Ness is in Scotland, you drip!” said Joey, “And I highly doubt that there’s a monster in it.”
“Right…” said Leo, still not sure what to think or say. Eventually, he decided to ask an honest question. “So, uh… how did you guys… get to be this way?”
“We were born like this;” said Joey, “Mom said something about her egg cell getting scrambled; though I’m pretty sure she was referring to her genetic code or something.”
“And… did everyone else freak out when they saw you for the first time?” asked Leo.
“Everyone;” said Casey, “There was no way around it. People are just… you know, scared of things that they don’t understand.”
“And things that are so… unusual.” added Joey.
“Yeah…” said Leo, “I understand that.”
“But at least our parents supported us;” said Joey, “We’d be lost without them.”
“Yeah…” said Leo, “I can understand the feeling.”’
“Well;” said Casey, “It was nice meeting you, Leo. We’re gonna catch up with Ryan if that’s alright.”
“Sure, you do that.”
Soon, Ryan and the twins were chatting away about games, comics, and hopes for Christmas presents.
“They are a bit unusual…” said Chrissy, “But they’re really nice guys once you get to know them.”
“I’m sure;” said Leo, “I just… feel sorry for them.”
“Why’s that?” asked Chrissy.
“Well… said Leo, “I imagine there are some things in life that they’ll just never get to have, like… a moment away from each other.”
“Yeah…” said Chrissy, “That’s pretty much out the window.”
“But…” said Leo, “I’m sure they’re very glad to have friends like you and Ryan by their side.”
“They sure are;” said Chrissy, taking another bite, “And we’re glad to have them by our side too.”
“That’s great;” said Leo, “Nothing’s more important than friendship.”
After a little bit longer, the meal was finished. Ryan tipped the waitress, but before they left, Leo assured Casey and Joey that he was very happy that he got the chance to meet them. Casey and Joey said likewise, and they parted ways as friends.
All too soon, it was time for the pups to head back. Leo was full from lunch, and still smiling at his new comic issue. From what he had seen in the past two days, Firewall City was truly a magical place.
“So now we go and meet up with our mums at the statue of Mr. McShaw?” asked Leo.
“That’s right!” said Ryan as he led the way to the square.
“Just who is this Mr. McShaw anyway?” asked Leo.
“He was the finest police chief Firewall City ever had;” said Chrissy, “He retired some time ago and is living out the rest of life somewhere peaceful.”
“We don’t know where of course;” said Ryan, “If anyone knew, they’d be a target for crooks who want revenge on the old walrus.”
“It’s sad to think that people are so vindictive that they’d attack a lawman after he’s retired from duty;” said Leo, “But then again… I know what some people are willing to do to those who take away their freedom and ruin their lives.”
“So do I…” said Chrissy, “Well… we better make tracks if we don’t want to keep our moms waiting.” As she wheeled away, Leo’s mind went into overdrive.
“Think, Leo!” he thought, “There’s no guarantee that you’ll see her after today! And she might not be committed to keeping in touch if she thinks it’s just for friendship!” Leo’s head began to hurt with how fast his mind was processing everything. “Go on, Leo…!” he told himself, “It’s now or never!”
“Then let it be now…” Leo whispered. “Uh… Chrissy…” he said.
“Yeah…?” Chrissy asked over her shoulder.
“There’s uh… something I really want to say to you…” said Leo, doing his best to hide the fear in his voice. Chrissy turned her chair around so she could face Leo properly.
“What is it…?” she asked.
“Hey;” said Ryan, “I think that burrito is making a comeback on me. I think I’m gonna slip in here and use the bathroom, alright?” He slipped away and into a general store that was on the corner, leaving Leo and Chrissy by themselves on the street.
“Okay…” said Chrissy, “That was random…”
“Well…” said Leo, “When… When I met you yesterday, I really had a lot of fun with you.”
“I did too.” said Chrissy.
“And…” said Leo, “I think that you are a really great person, and it’s really nice to be around you.”
“I feel the same way.” said Chrissy.
“Yeah… that’s great…” said Leo, “It’s nice that you like me; Not a lot of people my age… ever… liked me like that; apart from my family and all…”
“O… kay…” said Chrissy, “This is nice and all, but you clearly have something that you want to tell me, so why bother putting it off? If you wanna tell me, just go on and tell me. You don’t have to feel nervous with me.”
“Easy for you to say…!” Leo thought. He took a deep breath and said, “Chrissy…… I have a crush on you…” He shut his eyes out of instinct, waiting for the verdict.
“You… you do?” asked Chrissy. “For real…?”
“Yeah…” said Leo, shuffling his feet, “For real.”
“Wow…” said Chrissy, “Wow… that is… so amazing!” And then came six words that made Leo’s heart skip a beat, “I’m totally crushing on you too!”
“What…?” asked Leo as he opened his eyes to look at Chrissy.
“Yeah!” said Chrissy, “When got me ice cream and you helped me out on the beach, I could tell that you were a great person. Oh, you have no idea how much I worried about whether or not you felt the same way about me!”
“You did…?” asked Leo.
“Sure!” said Chrissy.
Yesterday…
Chrissy, sat alone by the side of her bed, looking out over the landscape of the west coast that led to the ocean. Her mind just kept turning back to that wonderful wolf boy she had met on the beach that day.
“He was so strong…” she thought to herself, “And nice too… Helping me to shore; not just anyone would do that for me…”
“Chrissy!” came a voice. Chrissy wheeled around to see Elizabeth standing in her doorway, wearing an apron over her clothes. “Want to help make gingerbread houses?” she asked.
“Oh, sure, Mom;” said Chrissy, “But… can I ask you something first…?”
“Sure, Sweetie;” said Elizabeth as she came into Chrissy’s room and sat down on her bed, “What would you like to talk about?”
“About Leo…” said Chrissy, “The boy I met this afternoon.”
“Really…” said Elizabeth. She gave a sly smile and said, “Sounds like someone has their eye on a certain someone, hmm…?”
“Well… yeah…” said Chrissy, “Everything he did for me was so nice; there are not a lot of kids who would do those kinds of things.”
“True… true…” said Elizabeth, “Most of them these days do quite the opposite.”
“I guess I…” said Chrissy, “What do you call those things when someone likes someone…?”
“That’s called a crush, Chrissy;” said Elizabeth, “And they can happen to anyone; boys and girls, young or old.”
“I see…” said Chrissy, “My old mom never taught us about those kinds of things.”
“I can imagine…” said Elizabeth, with a hint of distaste in her voice, “But let me tell you something; soon, you’ll be a young woman, and you are going to have feelings that will seem strange and foreign to you. But you can take it from me that there’s nothing deviant or evil about these feelings; these feelings are all a part of growing up.”
“Thanks, Mom…” said Chrissy, “But… one thing I’m worried about is how do I let Leo know how I feel about him? If he goes back to England before I have the chance to tell him, I may never see him again!”
“Well then;” said Elizabeth, “Why don’t you just tell him?”
“I probably should…” said Chrissy, “But… what if he doesn’t feel the same way about me?”
“Well…” said Elizabeth, “Even if he doesn’t want to be an… item, there’s no reason you two can’t still be friends.”
“I guess so;” said Chrissy, “And… we can still talk as friends, right?”
“Of course, Sweetie;” said Elizabeth as she got up and gave her daughter a hug, “And who knows…? Perhaps over time, friendship will blossom into love. But even if it doesn’t, friendship is still a wonderful thing.”
“I know;” said Chrissy as she hugged her mom back, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, Chrissy;” said Elizabeth, “Now, what do you say we make some gingerbread houses before Ryan samples all the candies?”
“Sure!” said Chrissy. She wheeled herself to the door, when she stopped and said, “Hey, Mom! I’ve got an idea!” Interested, Elizabeth bent over and said,
“I’m listening…”
Today…
Leo couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He was almost afraid to believe it was true.
“So… yeah…” said Chrissy, “I was afraid that you wouldn’t feel the same way about me, but… I guess I worried for nothing!”
“Yeah…” said Leo, cracking a smile, “I guess so! Still… better than not worrying and being disappointed, right?”
“Too right!” said Chrissy, and the two of them laughed.
“So…” said Leo, “Will you be my… girlfriend…?”
“On one condition…” said Chrissy, “If you will be my boyfriend.”
“Deal!” said Leo. He stuck out his fist, and Chrissy fist-bumped him.
“Hey, guys!” said Ryan, “I’m back!”
“Got that burrito out of your system?” asked Chrissy.
“Yep!” said Ryan, “C’mon; we best get moving before our moms get worried.” He walked off, and Leo got behind Chrissy to push her. As he did, Chrissy whispered,
“Ryan’s able to hold his burritos way longer than that; he probably just wanted to give us some privacy.”
“Wow…” said Leo, “That was really nice of him.”
“It was.” said Chrissy. In a matter of minutes, they arrived at the statue of Chief Waldo McShaw in the square, where Angel, Rachael, Bobbie, and Elizabeth were waiting for them.
“Hello, Leo;” said Angel, “Had a good time?”
“For sure!” said Leo, “We went to a comic store, and had some Mexican for lunch. I tell you, this whole city is amazing.”
“It sure is;” said Angel.
“We’re glad you had a great time;” said Bobbie, “We’re very fortunate to live in such a wonderful city as this.”
“By the way…” said Chrissy, “Mom had something she wanted to ask you, Miss Angel.”
“Really…?” asked Angel.
“Yes…” said Elizabeth as she turned to face Angel, “Chrissy, Bobbie, Ryan, and I were wondering if you and your family, would like to come by on Christmas Eve for a Christmas party at Goldhart Manor.”
“That sounds great!” said Leo, “Can we go, Mum?”
“A party at your place?” Rachael exclaims as she wags her tale in excitement. “Count me in! I’m 100% up for that!”
“I… don’t know…” said Angel, “It’d be a bit tricky to get back to the hotel in Christmas Eve traffic.”
“Not to worry;” said Bobbie, “If you want, you can spend the night with us. Save some on the hotel fee.”
“Oh, but our plane home doesn’t leave until the day after Christmas;” said Angel, “Are you sure we won’t be a bother?”
“Perish the thought, Angel;” said Bobbie, “We have guest rooms, and you would be our guests. Besides, between you, Rachael and me, and our kids, I’d say we’re all friends enough to spend some more time together before being separated by a whole continent and an ocean.”
“Our house is your house.” said Elizabeth.
“That’s a very generously officer” Rachael said. “If your fine with having us over, then I’d love to send Christmas at your place.”
“Well…” said Angel, “Since you put it like that… I concede! We’d be happy to come.”
“YES!!” Leo, Chrissy, and Ryan shouted in unison.
“Then it’s settled;” said Bobbie, “Can we see you around five or something like that?”
“We sure can;” said Rachael, “I look forward to seeing you then.”
“So do I” said Angel.
“See you three on Christmas Eve then!” said Elizabeth as she, Bobbie, Chrissy, and Ryan headed off towards the street.
“Bye, Leo!” called Chrissy.
“See you!” called Leo. He then looked up at Angel and Rachael, who both had a knowing look on their faces.
“Well, Romeo;” the lioness asked him, “Hast thou found thy Juliet?”
“Oh yes! We are pretty much boyfriend and girlfriend now!” said Leo, “Turns out she worried last night the same as I did!”
After a pause, Leo then said “Mum… Aunt…. do you honestly think a long distance relationship between the two of us could work?”
“You know something, Leo…? I think it can” Angel says with a smile.
“And so do I” Rachael tells reassuringly him.
*****
The past two days had been a blur. Leo, Angel and Rachael had gone exploring the hills beyond the city on the twenty-third, and they had gone back to the beach and Boardwalk Park on the twenty-fourth. Now they were back in their hotel room, all dressed up for their trip to the Goldharts’ house for the Christmas party.
“This is so exciting;” said Angel, “Getting to spend Christmas with our new friends.”
“You said it, sister!” the hyena replies. “Bobbie has told me that she has a gym in the basement. I’m up for a good workout session today. I feel it in my blood!”
“Chrissy mentioned that they have a pool, so I’m wearing my swimsuit under my jeans, just in case” Leo says.
“Well, I also have my swimsuit on underneath my dress. By the way, Leo, make sure all your bags are packed; we won’t be coming back here tomorrow” the lioness explains to him.
“Got it!” said Leo. We went into his room and tripled checked to make sure that all of his belongings were packed in his backpack. After one last look over of the room, he went over to the balcony and looked out over the city. Growing up in England, Leo had never seen a city like Firewall ever before. He could almost remember the first time he stood on this balcony just five days ago. He had taken plenty of pictures from there, but nothing would ever compare to really being there. After another two minutes, he left the balcony for the last time and joined Angel and Rachael by the door.
“Are you ready to go?” Rachael asked him.
“I’m Ready!” said Leo. The trio exited the room, checked out in the lobby, and walked out past the statue of Colonel Eric Duncan. For a glancing moment, Leo was certain that he saw a twinkle in the statue’s eye. Once at the street, Rachael flagged down a cab.
“Number Eight, Russel Drive, please.” The hyena said to the Raccoon cabbie.
“Ah…” said the raccoon, “The ritzy district, eh…? Don’t worry; I’ll get you there in no time flat!” As he pulled away from the curb, Leo looked at Angel and said,
“Ritzy district?”
“I’m… sure he means generally bigger houses;” said Angel, “Nothing to be intimidated about.” Leo agreed and settled in for the ride.
“Say Leonardo…” Rachael asked him casually. “Any more dreams about meeting Colonel Eric Duncan or any other deceased mammals spirits?”
“Unfortunately, no. However, on the plus side, I have been sleeping well and I haven’t had any nightmares.”
“Never mind, honey. At least you’re sleeping fine.”
Soon their cab was now driving near the outskirts of the city and up into the hills.
“Um… excuse me, Sir…” said Leo, “Are you sure we’re going the right way?” To him, the route felt very isolated.
“You wanted Russel Drive…” said the Raccoon, “You’ll get Russel Drive.”
In another four minutes, the cab turned onto a street near the top of the plateau; a street that was lined on both sides with luxurious mansions. He pulled up to the mansion that was at the end of the cul-de-sac on the right side of the street. “Number Eight, Russel Drive!” announced the Raccoon.
Rachael paid the Raccoon and went to help Angel get the bags out of the boot. Once that was done, the cab drove off, and the family were left staring up at the enormous house.
“Bobbie and Elizabeth live here…?” asked Leo. He looked at the mailbox, which plainly said, ‘8 Russel Drive’.
“Looks like they do;” said Angel.
“Wow…” said Leo, “Chrissy and Ryan were holding out on me…”
“Perhaps…” said Angel, “But I’m sure they wouldn’t have invited us to their party if they didn’t really consider us friends.”
Leo, Angel and Rachael walked up the concrete driveway and up the path to the door.
“Well…” said Angel, “Here goes…” She pressed the button for the doorbell.
