Group Therapy (gay furry camp story)

14 - taunt

Like satin, right? You're all rough around the outside. But if I cut in - I'm sure its all smooth and soft. That's what makes us who we are, kiddo. So stop pretending to be so tough will ya? 'Cause we aren't anything. We're not banktellers, or accountants, or drycleaners; we're not even men. We're edible. That's the only truth. And one way or another, you just watch, people will eat each-other. By tax. By hatred. By matrimony. By spite from your neighbour about the new tulips in your garden. They'll eat and eat, and eat. So you might as well eat honestly, kiddo. Look them in the eye, like a man... and consume them.

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All sensory neurons kicked off at once. The same shock of muscles as from a hot stove - though this time it reaches to touch you. The Ripper dove back into dead-space, filled with adrenalin and the intent of avoiding teeth.

The wolf's figure was a silhouette against the sun. A black entity, who'd been only inches from the Ripper's face and was now unmoving, and staring down at him. 

"You scared the shit out of me." Ryan breathed.

"C'mon." Roadkill said gruffly. "We're heading back."

The sun rose just enough to illuminate the top slab of the wolf's head. His dark fur glowed the colour of coffee around his red eyes.

The Ripper stared up at him. "But Bandit said."

"Shut your fucking mouth." The wolf enunciated, eyes wide. "Fuck what Bandit said. I'm telling you now to-"

"No." The Ripper growled. He stood up, but still couldn't match the sheer height of the wolf. "I'm fed up with this. Bandit tells me to get supplies, Bird Flu tells me to get Kyle or he'll kill me, and now you tell me to do neither?!"

"Birdflu told you what?" The wolf stared off, his rage momentarily subsided. "That's interesting."

"Don't care. I'm going anyway."

"Are you actually talking back to me?" Roadkill said. His teeth showed, pearls shadowed in darkness, though the wrinkling of his long, crooked muzzle grew illuminated above the slat "That's a stupid move, even from you."

"You're not stopping me." He said again.

The wolf suddenly grew taller, and now his whole face was in the sun, suspended like the orange glow of a desert spirit. The snarl was so audible it made Ryan's ears fold down. "Just tell me this - since you're so confident all of a sudden - what do you think is going to happen to you when Mr. Hyde, hell - Mr. Sad catches you out and about like this? Things have changed, thanks to you. You know what's gonna happen if they catch you? You wanna guess? No, well I'll tell ya, they'll-" His face abruptly softened. "She'll..."

"She'll what?" Ryan yelled.

Roadkill looked - for the first time in the brief, though seemingly eternal time he'd known him - as though he'd said too much.

"Who is 'she'?"

He shook his head, "Doesn't matter." he swallowed dryly. "Come back. I'm trying to do you a favour."

"I understand where you're coming from." The coyote said flatly. "But I'm still going."

"The fuck you are." Roadkill spat, and reached down to yank the coyote by the scruff of his neck.

The Ripper's teeth pulled back in a snarl. "Don't touch me."

"Ooh." Roadkill cooed, and he leant back into a safe distance. "I've gotten you mad, have I?" He kicked some sand up at the canine. "What are you gonna do? You gonna eat me? Gonna rip something off?" He dangled a paw in front of the Ripper's face, "Here, I'll make it eas-"