Music of the Night

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Mizuchi was hanging out with her two friends on campus. They were sitting together at the bench while life goes on as usual. Both the black cat and raccoon was starting to suspect something was off with the harlequin rabbit.

She has been quiet lately but still regarded their main target, Haru a threat.

Was it because of her ex and how she wanted them to be back together? Or was it-

"No, it can't be," Riley the cat shook her head. Both her and Tanya the raccoon were drawing out possible conclusions as to why Mizuchi was acting all quiet ever since her weekend shopping trip. They had a possibility of why she's acting this way.

Right now, Mizuchi has been keen on reading the novel she bought in town and there wasn't a sign of her showing interest in talking to her ex. There was even a time where the both of her friends talked to him behind her back but he has moved on.

"Mizuchi," Tanya tapped her friend on her shoulder. "Is there something wrong?"

The harlequin rabbit looked up from her book. The plot was intricate, romantic yet melancholic and all it took was her friend to break her out of her concentration. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Riley hesitated, her tail swished nervously. "Ever since you came back from your shopping trip, you've been..."

Mizuchi shuts her book to look at the black cat in the eye. Despite her being a herbivore, her jade-green eyes were very intimidating on her half-black and half-white face with her ears sticked up straight.

"I've been what?"

"What Riley is trying to say is that your ears were down ever since you came back. I mean, not all the way down but you know what I mean!"

The harlequin rabbit rolled her eyes. "You do know I'm a rabbit, right? Of course I can let my ears down!"

"Since when do you read novels?" Tanya pointed out at the black paperback book in the rabbit's paw. "Especially something that sounded like a horror romance."

Mizuchi can't understand why her two friends were so worked up about it. "I don't always watch my favourite shows or follow celebrities on Roaragram all day! What's the matter with the both of you?"

Both raccoon and black cat exchanged glances. "Did that eyeless bat cursed you?"

Mizuchi's eyes were furious. "What the hell! Don't you need sights to see what spells you are casting? If anything, he might hurt himself more and did any of you see him causing harm to anyone?!"

Now, Tanya and Riley got their answer. "You met him, didn't you? While you were in town?"

"So?" Mizuchi huffed. "He just stumbled into the clothing store, thinking it was the supermarket. Girls, why are you acting like this?"

Both the raccoon and black cat decided to drop it since the harlequin rabbit now looked irritable. Just then, Mizuchi's eyes went wide at something that walked past her. Oh, she has to confront her about it!

Haru was just on her way to the cafeteria for an early dinner when a firm paw grabbed her by the elbow. She groaned at who was her attacker. "What do you want? Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

"Where is he?" Mizuchi demanded, gripping the dwarf rabbit's elbow a little too hard.

"Who?"

"Arthur!" Mizuchi shouted before realising what she just said. She covered her mouth but regain her hoity-toity attitude. Haru raised a brow and tilted her head.

"Wait, how do you know his name? Scratch that! Why the hell do you care?"

Mizuchi dragged Haru close. "None of your business. Now tell me, did you sleep with him?"

Haru kicked her in the shin to make the harlequin rabbit let her go. Haru stamped her foot in anger. "How dare you assumed that! He's a sweet bat and I see him as a little brother. As the gardening club president, stay away from him."

Mizuchi wanted to fight back but seeing the monstrous grey wolf approaching them made her think twice. The harlequin rabbit was left to her own device. Quietly, she decided to retire to her room at the Lagomorph dorm, deciding to binge watch her favourite competitive reality shows.

She might want to meet him again but it will have to be discreet.

...

Arthur decided to meet up with Bill and go along with the tiger's offer.

After all, it was one way for him to understand the night life here compared to the night life in his old town. He remembered hanging out with Sameer, having roasted nuts as they explore the town and city before heading back home every Friday night.

The only time Arthur remembered he ever got into trouble was stepping on a homeless animal, he thought it was just a worn out mattress just by the texture and springy bulk he felt under his feet. 

Ah, he shouldn't be dwelling so much on the past since he is living in the present at the moment.

He was wondering where is Bill taking him, judging by the rumbling in the Bengal tiger's chest, somewhere exciting. Arthur could hear his own stomach rumbling like a vibration of a railroad track that indicated that a train is coming.

"So where are we going?" asked Arthur, padding close besides Bill.

"It's a surprise. Think of it as a turning point in your life!"

Arthur was now confuse by the tiger's respond to his question. "A more specific hint?"

"Um....you're going to sample some food with me."

The Honduran white bat's steps were slower so he used his clicks and ears to try and make out where are they going. So he estimated that they're going to a bustling place that sells food. Much like the hawker shops he guessed or a market like the Farm Market he was familiar with back at his old home.

When Arthur sniffed, his leaf nose twitched at a scent that seemed very nauseating:

Blood.

"Bill," Arthur coughed on his wing. "Please tell me you didn't bring us to the Black Market."

There, he heard a halt in the tiger's step. "Wait, you know about the Black Market?"

"Legosi told me. So why are we here, Bill?"

The tiger was silent but staring into those foggy blue eyes in the dark was creepy for him to come up with an answer. Arthur waited, his expression was a slight anger.

"Bill, I'm not a Vampyrum! I get sick easily around the scent of blood and isn't meat forbidden for carnivores? What about your herbivore friends in the drama club?" 

There was silence and that was all the answer Arthur needed. He needed to get out before he threw up in public.

But his ears heard dialogues from the other carnivores at the market:

"Look, that tiger brought a bat! Is he going to sell him?"

"What's wrong with it's eyes? Can that thing bring good luck!"

"Oooh! I know a recipe for a soup on that thing! I can roast it's wings like crackers!"

Arthur's heart was pounding with fear. He was not going to linger around and be some animal's special dinner. He tried to hear for Bill but the footsteps of the tiger was no where to be heard. This made him worried.

"Bill, where are you?" he called out.

He walked quickly, trying to get away from the market but his mind was panicking, making him click all over the place. His thoughts were fuzzy and he felt bile rushing up to his throat. He was glad that he doesn't have to see the horrors this market had to offer.

Just then, he felt a rush of some force hitting him on his head, making him fall to what he smelled, a bloodied ground.