Under the Bed
Carl shakes his head. This causes his horns to kick up a white dust cloud that floats forward, partially concealing his features behind grainy white particles raining down on the bed of his parents room. He coughs.
"Geez, Carl. If you're going to have a coke party invite us next time." Leo tilts his head confused. The ram sniffles and chuckles, still composing himself after whatever trance he's come out of.
"Bleh. This is knockoff drywall stuff," Carl responds. The play along response from him alleviates some of the tension. Chase notices the piece of drywall on the bed. Kudzu had found Carl in his parents room, unfocused and confused.
Carl sits on the edge of the bed, waving off TJ and Chase as they approach.
"I'm alright."
"What happened?" asks TJ. He shifts his weight from leg to leg, fidgeting with concern.
"Crazy dream. Like I was in a maze of my home. But it wasn't my home. I dunno how long I was there." There is a brief silence that Leo can't help but fill.
"Heh, TJ was found hiding under the bed in the motel." TJ's ears flatten.
"Leo!" His whiskers droop.
"Hey, it's alright." Leo claps a paw on the cat's shoulder. Chase shakes his head next to Kudzu who starts muttering something in his ear. Carl glances at the raccoon.
"Uh..."
"Kudzu." Kudzu waves, introducing himself.
"So I've been thinking about all of..." Leo gestures at everything with a swirling paw, "whatever the fuck is happening here. And seeing both you and TJ hiding in rooms terrified..." Chase tilts his head, blinking with concern at what sudden plan Leo could have conjured from nothing.
"And Chase being all hurt. Hell, in some way we're all beat up."
"Yeah?" TJ twitches his whiskers, shuffling a bit more towards chase and Kudzu by the far end of the room.
"Before we all go completely nuts, how about we hunker down in here?"
"In my parents room?" Carl shifts his eyes from Leo to Chase to Kudzu as if any one of them could translate what Leo is suggesting.
Sitting still and not running across a crazed town sounds tempting. But so would escaping Echo. And there was still the problem of Jenna and Flynn not being accounted for. Kudzu clears his throat,
"So, what can we do? Just sit here until the sun comes up? It's not like daylight made Echo any prettier or safer." Leo rolls his eyes at Kudzu, huffing a breath before smiling at TJ.
"Let me demonstrate a show of support for our cat and ram friend ya?" And with that, Leo bends down and...crawls under the bed.
His feet stick out, along with the tip of his wagging tail.
"Join in now. Hiding is the best plan. TJ has the right idea."
"How is this supposed to-" Leo cuts off Chase,
"Under the bed!" Chase looks to TJ, who shrugs then follows, getting right down next to Leo then crawling under. Leo pats his head. TJ shakes it and grumbles, not wanting to admit that the head pats felt good.
"I don't think my horns are going to fit." Carl walks around the bed, trying to figure out an angle. Kudzu approaches, looking between Carl and the edge of the bottom of the bed. He points to the opposite side of Leo, closer to the edge by the legs of the bedframe.
"I think there's enough room over here."
"Hmm..."
"We're really doing this?" Chase crosses his arms and watches as Carl gets down and checks the height of the bed. With relief, he manages to sneak under. His horns have about two inches of space from the peak of their curve, allowing him just safe enough movement.
"Good job!" Leo laughs, and Chase snickers as he watches Leo's butt shake from outside the bed. He catches Leo's tall tip with his toes and teases it.
"What's going on out there?"
"Just feeling your stupid wagging tail." Chase slaps Leo's legs with a foot before walking around to the front of the bed. He and Kudzu then get down together.
The group now rests under the bed, propped up on elbows. They look at each other awkwardly.
"This is stupid," Kudzu speaks first.
"But it's distracting ya?" Leo gives a goofy smile, flashing it to everyone else.
"Scariest sleepover ever," says TJ. Chase nods contemplatively, then asks,
"But why?" Outside, some strange laughter can be heard. Leo glances at Carl before gesturing with his muzzle in the direction of where he guessed the window would be.
"Do any of you really want to be outside right now in that hell circus?"
"Sitting still is probably best," Kudzu sighs. Chase and TJ stare at each other over Leo. They each wiggle their whiskers as if acknowledging a shared sentiment. Leo immediately whips out his phone from his pocket.
"Let's complete this group. People are missing." He scrolls through his contacts, ignoring the confused expressions facing him.
"How do you even have-"
"-shush, it's ringing."
"Leo? I'm working!"
"Not anymore. Come to Carl's."
"How the hell are our phones-"
"-Nevermind that, just come over."
"Everyone's going fucking crazy."
"Flynn, if you don't show up, I'm tying your tail in a knot the next time I see you. This is important." There's a long grumbly sigh over the phone. The sigh goes on. And it goes on. It keeps going until it no longer sounds like a sigh but instead a rusty pipe organ deflating with infinite air. After what could have been two minutes of one long uninterrupted sigh, Flynn finally speaks,
"Alright, calm your tetas, hombre." Leo hangs up, satisfied.
"Cool, that's one."
Carl shifts for comfort. His horns barely graze the underside of the bed springbox.
"So, yeah I got some weird shit to tell you about this nightmare." The group focuses on Carl, their ears tuned like radars all pointing in his direction. Even Chase's stubby otter ears tilted forward to listen.
"So, I saw some goat ghost. And there were all these locked doors and long walls. It was confusing. There was some chanting, and fire. But the ghost was unhappy. I think it was looking for someone. Then it just sort of left me there. I was there for so long, I got hungry. Not knowing what to do, I tried eating sandwiches but they tasted like chalk." Kudzu nudges Chase. The otter turns to him, head propped up in his paws on elbows.
"Sounds like the hysteria alright."
"Carl, glad you're here though. We were worried you'd go missing again.' Carl coughs once, grinning sheepishly at Kudzu and Chase,
"I can't seem to stay in view huh?" Leo clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth.
"Maybe I'll buy you a bell to put around your neck for your birthday. Just follow the jingle. You'll never get lost again!"
"I'll suplex you."
"And I'll double jump it!" Chase facepalms, cringing from the reminder of that old catchphrase.
TJ clears his throat, saying, "by the time this night is over, all these bad jokes are gonna prompt me to perform an exorcism." He bleps at everyone. Silence. "What?"
The group settled down so much in each others presence they had forgotten the awkwardness of lying under the bed. TJ wipes his eyes with a paw.
"I appreciate it, guys. Often, it feels like I always go unheard. So it's nice to actually be acknowledged, even if this is weird." Leo gives TJ a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. His paw so large it practically swallows it up. But the genuine tenderness of it spreads. And Chase follows by holding onto Leo's free paw since he's out of reach for a bigger gesture. Soon they are all interlocked, holding paws. The moment is broken by the doorbell ringing.
"Aah!" TJ bristles, and the others jump in fright. Carl's horns thunk loudly under the bed. They laugh at their own surprise.
"Fuck! Alright that's probably Flynn." Carl waves at Leo,
"I'll take care of it."
"I'm coming just in case."
Leo pushes himself out from under the bed. He quickly stands with popping joints and slides up to Carl, hurrying downstairs. Their steps get progressively quieter as they reach the door. Kudzu scratches his chin. "Well, this was fun, but uh, I need water or something." Chase stands and pulls Kudzu up.
"I'll show you where to go." TJ exits next. As soon as he stands he hears overlapping excited chatter. He picks out Flynn's voice from the crowd.
"Wow he's here." Everyone else had left the room, unsure of where to go, Tobias sits on the bed and stretches.
It's dark out and he can't see much of anything other than blackness which competes with the light reflecting on the window. The yellow curtains give the area surrounding it an old and stale glow. It isn't long before footsteps of different pitches and weight get closer to the room.
"We're chilling upstairs," says Carl. He and Flynn enter first. Flynn raises a hand in greeting to TJ.
"Here, kitty kitty." TJ's lips press tight at that, but he gives a curt nod of acknowledgement, "Flynn." As they head deeper into the room, Chase and Kudzu enter next. Kudzu and Flynn exchange greetings as well. Kudzu though, shifts his eyes away as if embarrassed about something.
"Dude, you're a volunteer. Of all the times to not have you around at the Hall." Flynn scolds.
"Shit, heh. It's gotten really scary out there."
"It's fucking Echo. It's always nuts here. Politics is always scary, we could use you tonight."
"Yeah, I've been...preoccupied." Leo coughs loudly as he enters,
"We've had a time ourselves, Flynn. Easy up ya?"
"Whatever."
Flynn shrugs and plops himself down on the bed, next to TJ who begins to scoot away a few inches because of Flynn's fat ass and tail. "So what's with the sleepover? And Chase, you look like you got hit by a car!" He looks around taking stock of the faces around him. His tongue flicks casually. Chase grunts at that.
"Leo wanted to demonstrate a show of support and love for Carl and TJ given their um...interesting evenings. And yes, I was hit by a car." Flynn's eyes widen at that. Everyone is silent.
"No shit?"
"No shit."
"Chula can take a beating ya?" Leo gently rubs Chase's head. He flinches at first, but then leans into it, the warm tingles flowing down the back of his neck soothing a little of the throbbing ache in his head.
"He's indestructible, thanks to the power of Jesus and plot armor." The group stares at TJ. He lowers his gaze and smiles. Carl loudly sniffles as they stew in awkwardness.
"So where's Jenna?" asks Flynn.
"I'm still worried about her," TJ pouts. Leo makes a soothing gesture toward TJ with open palms.
"I'll call her right now!" The group leans in around Leo, each finding their own comfortable spot on the bed. Kudzu sits on Leo's left, along with Chase. TJ and Flynn take his right and Carl sits in front of them.
"How do you have phone service?" asks Kudzu.
"Ask the author of this stupid story." Flynn blinks.
"Leo, what the fuck are you talking about?"
"Shush, it's ringing." After a few chirps from the phone's ringtone, there is a digital clicking sound and someone can be heard growling and snarling on the other side.
"Whoa, Jenna?"
"Rawr!"
"What the hell?"
"Hendricks must die!" Carl blanches as the group listens with dumbfounded faces.
"What'd I do?"
"James!" Jenna continues to snarl over the phone. Kudzu clears his throat.
"Sounds like she is having a moment."
"No shit," Leo mutters. "Um...Jenna?" She snarls back in reply. Leo tries again. "Jenna?"
"Arrrff!" TJ reaches for the phone, but Leo instead holds it tight in his grip and turns it to the group.
"Let me try something. Jenna always cools down with me."
The group now focuses on TJ as he speaks into the phone held out by Leo.
"Jenna? It's TJ." The phone goes quiet. Then TJ continues, "Wazzuuupp!!!?" Then they hear Jenna, "Wassuuuppp!?"
Flynn, with forked tongue flicking out adds, "Wasssssssssssuup!?" Followed by Carl, Leo, then Chase. Kudzu just screeches,
"AAAAhhhhhh!" When their nonsense settles, Leo passes the phone to Flynn.
"Yo, Jenna."
"Flynn? Where is everyone?"
"We're at Carl's house on the second floor."
"TJ is missing you bad," Chase teases.
"Am not!" Carl flicks the lynx on a paw with his hoofnail and says,
"Own up to it, lynx baby."
"Ow!"
"Who hit you TJ? Who do I have to bite?" Carl flicks his eyes nervously.
"N-nobody."
"Carl did it."
"You fucking snitch," Flynn chuckles.
"I'll be right over." Carl throws his arms up and stands as if the bed had shocked him.
"Dudes, I'm dead."
"Oh, hush. It's Jenna. Besides, Leo is here." Leo shrugs his shoulders wide-eyed.
"I'm not punching Jenna!"
"Leo, you'd punch a baby if it looked at you wrong." Leo huffs, crossing his arms indignantly.
"What is this suddenly?"
"You're aggressive," says Kudzu.
"You pout when you can't get your way." Chase mutters, just loud enough for Leo to hear. Leo gives him a hurt look.
Flynn clears his throat.
"Intervention time then?" The group looks at each other, then back to Leo whose ears have flattened to his head. He avoids meeting anyone's gaze. They mumble their agreement. Flynn sighs. He moves closer to the door and leans on the wall. His tail thumps it. Leo stands opposite, leaning next to the furthest open window. The window curtains billow with a chilly breeze.
"I know I fuck things up with my mouth, but you're too quick to hit me and I don't like it." Flynn's voice shakes a little. Leo doesn't respond so Flynn continues, "You always talk about how you love me as a friend, but your temper is too much. Just because I'm as rough as you are, that doesn't mean it has to be taken that far. I'm shitty at speaking and shit, but you got loose fists. You're a bully."
Carl gently bumps Flynn with his shoulder as a show of support. Leo nods. A sniffle fills the now quiet room.
"I...I never knew." His voice cracks. "I always thought I was just matching how you appeared. I don't want to be a bully like that, I'm sorry." Chase blinks curiously as TJ steps between them, operating as the quiet mediator. Perhaps he was emboldened by the fact that in the group, TJ was baby. And he was totally safe from harm if things got crazy. He stood as the barrier between the huge wolf and tall lizard. But once they were within inches of each other, The lynx appeared to shrink in front of them. Flynn, ever the most reluctant for physical contact, waits. Leo reaches out first and Flynn stiffens. But when large red arms wrap around him gently, he relaxes and the group closes in around them in the center by the bed.
"I'll try harder to be better," Leo mutters into Flynn's ear, giving him a peck on the cheek while rubbing his back.
The bell rings again, and this time no one jumps in surprise. Carl hesitates for a moment then heads downstairs to greet Jenna.
"The gang's all here!" TJ runs out, happily racing down the stairs and slamming into Jenna for a hug. He lets out a feral meow as Jenna groans from the impact. Carl laughs, almost bleating.
"I'm never letting you live down that meow just now, TJ." TJ hisses with faux indignation, but it's enough to make Carl a little nervous. Jenna catches him flinching.
"Carl, you're such a pussy." Carl hides his face in his bulk, raising his shoulders.
"Oh, you are so getting suplexed."
"Ram bitch says what?" Jenna tilts a large ear toward him, her arms still wrapped around TJ as she glares at carl over his shoulder.
"Nothing." Carl forces a smile even as he clacks his hoofnails nervously.
"Thought so!" She smiles, raising her arms and releasing the lynx to loudly slap Carl on a shoulder. Carl bleats from the stinging strike, making TJ snort.
Jenna walks into the bedroom and is greeted at once with a resounding, "Hey!" from the crowd.
'So, what in all-that-is-sensible is going on here?" She asks, taking note of all the faces around the room. She pauses when she meets Kudzu's gaze.
"New member of the group?"
"Yes. I'm Kudzu."
"Leo is still collecting friends like Pokemon I see." She eyes Flynn, who had just wiped an eye and had a thin dark wet streak on his face, only noticed because it crossed the orange stripe on his skin. She tilts her head curious, but doesn't ask. Flynn notices.
"We were just, um..." he lowers his gaze, and that's when Chase takes over.
"We're working some stuff out. Maybe it's best if we use this opportunity to contrast the hell that's outside. Talk about some stuff and get better ya know?"
"Maybe it would help with all the strange bad shit outside. Make us closer." Leo sits back down, his ears low and tail limp. Jenna nods in thought.
"Why don't we try to get back under the bed if it'll help with the shyness?" Kudzu suggests. The group looks at him and TJ, and Chase is the first to dive under shouting,
"For the moral support!" Then another member follows. Followed by the rest.
Flynn and Carl now rest on their elbows under the bed, with Jenna on Flynn's right. Leo, Chase, Kudzu and TJ circle up the other side.
"This is awkward." Flynn flicks his tongue, nearly slapping Leo on the nose with it.
"Good! Anything to break the tension."
"So...how are we gonna start?" The group looks at Leo, then Flynn. Both having at least settled their issues, they would hope. And Leo then sighs.
"Sometimes it feels like Im going crazy. It's a lot of things. And I want to apologize for my behavior. There's too much to single out, but I know I've been forceful and shady these past few days. My head isn't on right and I can't figure out why. Like whatever is real keeps slipping away from me."
"I feel the same," TJ says. "It's like I first feel light headed. Then things start changing but it feels like when I try to pay attention to what's happening, I have trouble realizing what changed. And then everything is different. And scary." Flynn speaks next,
"For me, things start quiet. But after what feels like emptiness, it's always something negative that comes to fill the space."
"Why do we all feel like this?" asks Jenna.
"Echo loves its negative energy." Flynn hisses it out. "This town nourishes itself on bad vibes, or so that's what my aunt believes."
"Duke seems to think the same thing," says Leo. "But I ate his arms so...yeah."
"You ate Duke?" Carl looks wide-eyed.
"He tied me to a chair and-"
"Whoa, that sounds too kinky for me right now." Carl and Flynn snicker.
"Shut up."
Jenna clears her throat.
"If it's negative vibes this town feeds on, then I need to come clean about something. Between me and Leo." Chase blinks. He and Leo share a look.
"A few years ago I did something nasty, and pulled Chase into it. I knew it was nasty, but the joke was completely at Leo's expense, and it was meant to anger him and make him look bad in front of Chase. It worked far too well and went beyond what I expected. I wasn't thinking and it opened up something awful that lingered between us three for a long time. And I want to apologize." There is a short silence broken by a low shuddery gasp from Leo. Jenna fixes her gaze on him. "But there's more than that. While I do have my own opinions about you, it's true that you've always tried to be a friend, even if at times you can be a problem. I realize that I only helped to amplify negative things about you. You've opened your arms for me more than once when I needed help. And I'm sorry. For all the bullshit, Leo I'm sorry." Leo nods, his gaze downward. Chase rubs his back as he takes a deep breath. They close the distance from each other just a little, embracing as a group.
A low vibrating noise is heard. A misty eyed Leo and perplexed others look towards the sound. TJ looks away as he wipes his eyes.
"Is he purring?"
"That's adorable!"
"S-stooop."
"It's alright, TJ." The embarrassed lynx fixes himself up, regaining his composure.
"Okay, all good. Anyone else?" Kudzu bumps Chase, whose been picking at the carpet under his elbows.
"I..." Chase takes a deep breath. He looks at Flynn as if he were staring at a judge.
"I did something to protect TJ in the past. And it involved someone getting hurt." Flynn's eyes widen The air around them thickens. Whispers and heartbeats can be heard all around. Chase's voice squeaks, but he tries again.
"I hurt an old friend but it was because I tried to save another. I got angry. I'm sorry."
"How...how sorry are you?" Flynn gulps, his glare fixed on the otter now. Chase's whiskers twitch with nervousness.
"I'll need to write something down. It was bad. But, if it will stop this, I'll make a confession in your office." Flynn looks satisfied. in an act of mercy, nobody pressures Chase to elaborate.
"Thank you, for allowing me to say this much and not pressure me." The group comforts him. Flynn extends a hand.
"I'll be by your side as you do this. And bring TJ, yeah?" Chase grabs Flynn's hand, holding it firm. Something breaks, and the air softens again. Several in the group release breaths they didn't know were being held. And one by one they exit from under the bed.
"I need a smoke," Carl mutters, waving as he clops to his own room. The sun is slowly peeking now through the window. But the light has not yet overpowered the light inside. But in time, the sun will replace the artificial light.
