Part Five
Snowball watched as Buddy slept. He did that a lot, a lot more than she did. She didn’t really understand why, couldn’t understand that the combination of poor health and emotional devastation he’d been through left him with virtually no energy, but she did understand that he needed to sleep. She was a little sad about that, since it meant they couldn’t play together, but mostly she was just sad that he was so sad all the time.
Wai Buddy’s saddies nu gu 'wae? Snowbaww gib wotsa huggies! she often wondered to herself. This time, however, her impatience was about more than playing. She wanted to talk to Buddy about something important.
She snuggled up to him, gently wrapping her front legs around him as best she could. “Huggies hewp Buddy feew bettew.” she murmured. Soon, she too fell asleep, lulled by the warmth and the quiet.
…
Buddy looked around the little sheltered park in confusion. When had he gotten here? He’d stayed here with his special-friend a long time ago, before the babbehs were born and he’d lost her to a stray dog. The little fluffy-park was designed to protect the fluffies from the outside world, so it made a great place to shelter until the morning when the humans returned and chased any feral fluffies out.
Why was he here during the day, then? Why was nobody chasing him away? Something tickled his mind, something about having a human-mummah, but he couldn’t quite remember. It seemed he was safe, at least, which was something he hadn’t been in a long time. Where was his special-friend, though?
“Speciaw-fwiend? Wai am ‘ou nu nummin’?”
Buddy turned, and his special-friend was there. He could have sworn she wasn’t there a second ago. When he looked at her, he felt a deep, bitter sadness that he couldn’t understand, but it quickly faded. He looked down, noticing the scavenged food for the first time.
When he took a bite, he almost spat it out. Why did it taste so bad? It was some of the best, freshest nummies he’d ever found, so why did he feel like he was comparing it to something so much better? Regardless, his stomach growled, so he ate.
“Am 'ou otay?”
“Buddy am otay, jus’ feewin’ a wittwe weiwd.”
“Who am Buddy?”
The orange fluffy was confused. Why had he called himself that? He was just a fluffy, he didn’t have a name. Had he given himself a name? But that wasn’t possible. Only humans could give fluffies names.
“Fwuffy am su confused!”
“It am otay. Nu nee’ be scawed. Hab huggies,” the sensation of her hug was something he felt as if he’d desperately missed, even though she’d hugged him not long ago.
“Fwuffy wubs 'ou, speciaw-fwiend.”
“Fwuffy wubs 'ou, tuu.”
The orange fluffy felt himself relaxing. A full stomach, a hug from his special-friend, and nothing chasing or trying to hurt them? It was like a paradise. He felt himself beginning to drift off to sleep.
“Daddeh!”
The voice jolted him awake again. His babbeh! But that couldn’t be right, his babbehs were…well, they were clearly right here. Why hadn’t he noticed them before? They were here, they’d always been here, their bright little bodies practically glowing in the sun.
“Babbehs!” he shouted, scooping them up into a hug. “Fwuffy wubs 'ou, babbehs!”
“Babbeh wub daddeh, tuu!”
The kind words warmed his heart, but something about the voice cut him to the core. Why did hearing his babbeh’s voice hurt? They loved him, they’d never do anything to hurt him, and he would never hurt them. So why did it hurt?
“Fwuffy nu undastan’,” he said, tears blurring his vision. He should be so happy, so why was he sad?
A sudden growling noise made the fluffies go rigid with fear and surprise. A barkie-munstah! The orange fluffy moved between the noise and his family, trembling with fear. However, he was resolute in his need to protect them.
A dog emerged from behind some bushes, and he nearly collapsed with fright. Against a kitty-munstah or even a small barkie-munstah, he’d had stood a chance, but against one that large? He knew he was going to die. Yet somehow, there was something even worse about the barkie-munstah. Something…familiar.
“Wun! Sabe babbehs!” he yelled, and charged the barkie-munstah, hoping to buy a few precious seconds. Maybe if the barkie-munstah ate him, it’d leave his family alone. But he knew that barkie-munstahs liked eating foals especially.
"SCREEEEE! he shrieked as sharp teeth and powerful jaws clamped into his front left leg. The barkie-munstah shook him viciously, then dropping him, leaving him bleeding in the dirt as it took off after his special-friend. “NUUUUUU!”
He dragged himself after the barkie-munstah, but too slowly. He was dizzy from being shaken, and felt as if the ground itself was moving. Sobbing, he dragged himself along. Maybe, just maybe, he could save a babbeh.
…
“Speciaw-fwiend? Speciaw-fwiend!” a voice woke him up suddenly. Now he remembered! The barkie-munstah had been chased away by a nice-mistuh! His babbehs were safe! His special-friend was safe!
“Fwuffy hab scawy sweepie-time pictuhs.”
“It am otay nao. Speciaw-fwiend am saef nao. Buddy!”
He was confused. Why had she called him that? He didn’t have a name…
…
“Buddy! Wake up!”
Buddy jerked awake with a gasp. Where was his special-friend? Where were the babbehs? He thrashed around, but he felt constrained by another fluffy’s wait. A fluffy whose smell he didn’t recognize.
Reality and memory hit him, all at once. He was home, with Snowball and his new mummah. But that meant…
“NU! NUUUUUU! BUDDY WAN GU BACK! BUDDY NEE’ GU BACK!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Buddy nee’ gu back tu famiwy! Wan gu back tu sweep! Pwease!”
“Buddy, it’s time for your medicine.”
“Pwease! Buddy nee’ see famiwy ‘gain! Nee’ gib speciaw-fwiend an’ babbehs huggies!”
“It was just a dream.”
Buddy realized. He couldn’t go back, not ever again. That life was gone, and he could never get it back. They were all gone forever-sleepies, and there was nothing he could do.
“Pwease, mummah. Buddy jus’ wan famiwy back.”
“I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Buddy wan see famiwy 'gain!”
“Buddy wan weabe Snowbaww an’ mummah?”
“Buddy nu wan choose…” he murmured.
“Buddy, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were having a good dream.”
“It am otay. Buddy nyo can nebah hab owd famiwy back. Jus’ wan’ pwetend fow a wittwe whiwe.”
“Buddy hab nyu famiwy nao. Hab nyu speciaw-fwiend if wan’.”
“Buddy jus wan’ gu back tu sweep. Jus’ wan pwetend a wittwe wonger.”
…
Snowball sniffled as she clung to her mummah. She hadn’t expected to be rejected, hadn’t expected it to hurt so much. “Wai Buddy nu wub Snowbaww an’ mummah? Wai onwy wan owd famiwy?”
“He’s very sad, Snowball. He’s lost so much. Just try to be patient.”
“Snowbaww nu wan be patient! Wan hab speciaw-fwiend an’ babbehs!”
“Snowball! I didn’t raise you to act like that!”
“Snowbaww am sowwy. Jus’ nu am faiw. Buddy nu deserbe saddies wike dat.”
“I know. I just wish there was more I could do to help him.”
…
“Speciaw-fwiend?”
The orange fluffy opened his eyes. He’d made it back! Back from where? It didn’t matter, he was here, with his babbehs and his special-friend.
“Fwuffy wubs 'ou, speciaw-fwiend. Wubs babbehs.”
“Bu’ fwuffy am gone. Babbehs am gone. Buddy am aww awone.”
“NU! Famiwy am hewe!”
“Am gone. Wiww nebah be back, but wan Buddy tu be happy. Nu wan gib saddies.”
“Den nu gu!”
“Nu can stay. Awweady am gone. Wai Buddy nu wet fwuffy west?”
“Famiwy nee’ Buddy!”
“Famiwy am gone. Nu nee’ nuffin anymowe. Bu’ Buddy nee’ famiwy.”
“Den wai gu? Wai weabe Buddy? Buddy nee’ 'ou!”
“Fwuffy nu coud stay. Forebah-sweepies taek fwuffy 'wae, taek babbehs 'wae.”
“NU AM FAIW!”
“Nu, nu am faiw. Bu’ am how it am.”
“Pweeeeease nu gu!” Buddy sobbed.
“Am awweady gone.”
“PWEASE NU GU!”
But she was already gone, taking their babbehs with her. All that remained was a soft whisper. “Pwease, wibe fow famiwy…”
“Nu wan…am wowstest saddies…wan see famiwy 'gain…pwease, nu gu…”
…
Buddy was alone in an endless darkness, sobbing. How could he go on without them? What was left for him? Why did everything have to hurt so much? It wasn’t fair!
“Wan…die…Nu wan gu on nu mowe.”
Pwease, wibe fow famiwy…
“NU! Wai speciaw-fwiend huwt Buddy su much! Nu wan gu on! Wan see famiwy 'gain!”
Pwease…
“Nu…nuuu…NUUUU! Nu am faiw! Wai weabe Buddy?”
Pwease…jus’ wibe…
“Jus’ wan famiwy!”
Jus’ gib one wast ting. Jus’ wibe fow fwuffy. Wibe fow babbehs.
…
Buddy thrashed awake, face soaked with tears. “Buddy undastan’ nao. Wiww wib fow famiwy. Eben if hab owwies an’ heawt-huwties, wiww wibe.”
…
It is time to leave.
Fwuffy undastan’. Jus nee’ed tu sae one wast ting.
You’ve interfered too much already.
It am otay nao. Nu min’ goin’ nao. Tank 'ou.
Part Seven
17 Likes
Live Buddy, live a life your family can’t. Enjoy every second for those that never got to. Live.
3 Likes
That person talkin to Buddy’s mate, was it “death”?
You given a second chance Buddy, your mate tell u to live and have a good family , Snowball needed you.
2 Likes
That’s so sad :(( poor Buddy…
1 Like
Why is the idea of a Grim Reaper having a serious conversation with a fluffy so amusing?
Anyhow, curious to see where this goes.
2 Likes
Death shows up for everyone, and always on time, too. The absolute beacon of professionalism and care for his clients schedule. Too bad everyone has a lifetime subscription to his services and no way to opt out.
Shadows and dust~
Fluffies have souls? Oh dear lord in this canon they must be infesting heaven.