In Darkness I Hide: A Zootopia Story

Tuesday - A Darker Forecast - The Second Morning

Savannah Central – The Red Lion Apartment Suites – Forest Penthouse Suite – Den 23A
Tuesday – 05:58 AM – Overcast Skies / Light Sprinkles

The stifling incense permeating the air was blocking her senses, creating a fog that clouded her mind and suppressed her unbridled panic at being in this place. She could hear the chanting down the dark stairs, lit only by candlelight. Her mother was roughly pushing her down the steps, nearly tripping her several times. She reached the bottom and continued to nervously hold the candle she was forced to carry herself, taking extra care not to let it go out for fear of having them punish her again.

A paw tightly gripped her shoulder and she was abruptly turned into a large basement room where the source of the incantations was originating. Multiple mammals of varying shapes, covered from head to toe in black robes, stood in a circle around a central altar built from wood. Each one was holding their own light and continuing the droning as they brought her to the forefront of the group. She was smaller than most of the participants here, being a young pup herself.

The group parted way for her and her mother, revealing a small wolf pup roped down to the legs underneath the table, struggling to free himself, but to no avail. Her heart wanted to go out to her brother and tell him it would be all right, but she was kept rooted to the spot by the firm hand of their mother. A larger canine stepped forward from the rest and the chanting ceased as the two pups stared at each other in petrified terror.

"May the ceremony commence my brethren." The deep voice resounded, pointing first to the fox next to him.

"Mommy?" The female pup quivered. "What is he going to do to him?"

Her question was greeted by silence. Her eyes were rapt on the figure before her as the fox split his robe open to reveal his form. The pup's eyes grew wide as she saw what was about to happen. She screamed and cried in unison with her brother as each mammal in the group took turns. She twisted and writhed in her mother's grasp, requiring an additional set of paws to keep her in place as her heart yearned to be with her brother. At long last it was finally over, both siblings crying together in their separate places.

The larger wolf signaled his mother to move the young female forward. "My dear." He intoned gruffly. "You may baptize your brother in the holy water that bonds this covenant together."

Sniffling, she looked up to the wolf and then back to her mother who stood expressionless, giving her nothing but a nod to continue. She hesitantly padded over to her brother, taking a shaking paw into her own, their tears melding together. "It's okay little brother. I'm here now. I'm going to wash your wounds and make it all better." She lowered her voice so that only he could hear her, his eyes focused solely on hers. "And we're going to run away from this place, just you and me."

Taking the proffered container of water, she began pouring it over him. Her nose became irritated as she was halfway done with pouring the liquid onto her brother. It was more viscous than water, and it had a pungent odor. She had halted the pouring when a paw tipped hers and sloshed the remainder all over him. Taking her firmly by the arm, her mother pulled her back into the circle of mammals.

"Mom!" She whined. "That isn't water! What are we doing? Let him go!"

Without a second to prepare herself, the lead wolf threw a lit match onto her brother. Her blood-curdling wail pierced the night as Murana rose up screeching from her bed, Anthony being thrown off the mattress as Trevor and Zoey burst into the room at her awakening. She was frantically thrashing through the bed sheets, getting further tangled up in them as she was screaming for them to get off of her.

Anthony was upon her in a second, grasping for her shoulders to shake her awake, deftly avoiding her claws as she swiped about trying to attack anything that drew near. "Baby! It's me! Anthony! Murana, wake up!" He shook her vigorously.