Free Fall (A Furry Story)

III

"I can't believe I'm doing this..."

My mind flashes back and forth between all of the thoughts going on at once. There's the panicky voice that tells me that Father will be peeved to find that I've gone missing, and the fear of what will happen afterward frightens me all the same. There's a solemn little beating in my heart; some small, fragile hope that Henry will turn out to be the companion and friend that I've always yearned for. And somewhere in the middle of all that... there's a boiling sensation of joy in the knowledge that I'm finally going into the unknown.

"You've been saying that a lot in the past few minutes," Henry remarks as we start walking away from the estate. "I sort of imagine you saying something else, if we're being honest."

"What do you imagine me saying?" I find myself replying with an actual chuckle. Somehow, some way, this boy has given me some sort of actual light instead of the ever-present tendrils of darkness in my heart. It's true that I'm still holding a shred of worry in my mind, but I give Henry a comforting glance as we make our way down the driveway of my estate.

"Well..." Henry loses his grip on my hand, and for that I'm even more ecstatic; my snippet of anxiety has made my hands grow sweaty, and I casually wipe my hands onto my trousers when he's not looking. "I would probably be thinking about where I would want to be heading, firstly."

He slips his hand into mine again, and that return of warmth makes me blush. Despite the rather friendly demeanor about him, there's still moments where his charm gets to me. Henry squeezes my hand, prompting an answer and another blush from me.

"I haven't been to town for ages," I say quietly, inspecting the blades of grass that become compacted underneath our feet as we tread on. "It's been ten years... I have no clue what's there or anything." I awkwardly pry my hand away from his, and start fiddling with my fingers. I always end up doing that when I'm feeling a bit low.

"Well then." Henry stops, and puts his hands on my shoulders as his iridescent irises stare into mine. His paws slowly slide down my arms; the bruises begin to sting and his touch elicits a starved shiver from my skin. Somehow his touch both makes me flinch and want more all at once... He leans in a little bit closer, grasping my hands, and whispers, "Let's go paint the town red, shall we?"

His muzzle is dangerously close to my own, and I can't help it when my face turns cherry red. Henry's charm naturally gifts him with an alluring look, and the smirk on his face seals it all.

"You look like a tomato," Henry chortles, and I break out of my trance.

"Sh-sh-shush..." I stutter. I slip my hand back into his, and mutter, "Let's just keep walking."

"'Nuff said."

It's about another fifteen minutes of quiet strolling. The family estate sits on a hill, overlooking most of the town down below, so the walking is a little bit easier going into town. The trees have already lost their leaves alongside the road, though there are a choice few who still are holding onto their autumn treasures. Some leaves are already drifting along the roadside, and crunch loudly when Henry and I walk past them. It's so quiet out here, just like home... despite the bustling manner of all the servant and staff, despite Father's outbursts, there's a similar silence in our home that exists just outside. There used to be more noise, of course, but the source of that noise died out like the flame of a candle at the end of its wick.

"What are you thinking about?" Henry asks, interrupting my brooding. I shake my head, jolted out of my thoughts rather than gently shaken out of them.