Rupert called back through the brush. “Dis way!” He kept walking wandering further into the unknown, not waiting for a reply. Claire muttered “Nu fink wupewt kno’ whewe goin’.” under her breath. She had tried to remain supportive despite her special friends apparent sudden stupidity but that support waned the further she followed him. He had sounded like a lunatic when he suggested migrating out of the sparse neighborhoods to the edge of the city. Sure he made it sound great with his declarations of plentiful food, no angry humans to hurt them, and no mean walls or vroom vroom monsters, but he hardly stopped to consider the entire picture. Claire felt a grumble in her stomach and let her mind wander as her frustrations festered. She remembered all the beautiful vibrant colors of the houses and the flowers around them, the cozy warmth under that porch where their first litter was conceived, the taste of greyfluff human Palmer’s skettis that she’d never taste again. She should have told him he was a complete dummy when he said no humans. No humans meant no skettis. How much food could there be to make up for that? They could be pleading at Palmer’s door today if he hadn’t lead them further and further away bright time after bright time. “No am much fuwthew” She heard him calling ahead. He’d said that the last three bright times in a row. Even if they were closer it was getting hard to believe. She thought momentarily about turning around and walking back right now. She doubted he’d even notice. He’d just keep calling back encouragement without checking if she was following. “Am hewe!” He called and she sighed determined to catch up. She hoped his supposed plan was half as good as he made it sound. As she pushed her way through the bushes she saw he hadn’t done it justice. It was a vibrant landscape with row after row of familiar looking blue spots. She ate one and felt the sweet yet tart juices running down her throat. Blue berries! There were so many of them. The bushes seemed to go on forever. The adorable birdies sang as they played with each other flitting from branch to branch. Off on the distant hill one of the majestic forest friends with branches for horns walked slowly feeding on the grass. The sunlight danced as it was dappled in the swaying leaves. Near a pond at the edge of the blueberry fields was a single human house clearly made by standing whole trees on top of each other. She walked slowly gawking at all the color and light around her. It was so warm and so inviting. It felt like heaven. She found him grinning ear to ear proud as can be at his discovery. “What yu fink?” He asked eager to hear her opinion. She had so many questions.
“How? Wha’? Huh?” she managed to get out as all of her thoughts collided trying to be answered at once. He laughed.
“Heaw abou’ pwace fwom nice human. Wots ob pwetty sweetie nummies neaw summew housie.” She nodded understanding. The house was seez-un-al. Her old human had an aunt that did that. If it was summer that meant the human would be back in the hot times and probably wouldn’t be happy that they borrowed his… everything. She took a deep breath trying to think of how to break the news that they were going to be chased out of paradise.
“Wupewt, nu can stay hewe.” His face fell.He looked confused. This was going to be so much harder than she imagined.
“Why not? Wha’s wwong?” He asked. She breathed in trying to steel her nerves.
“Human come back in hawt time. Nee’ go back befowe den.” To her surprise he beamed at her.
“Das bes’ pawt! Wupewt heaw human say nu can come back eba again!” She blinked at him. A human that abandoned an entire house? With fields of sweet nummies besides? It was a smarties dream to do such a thing but it never worked. What could have driven them off? Rupert saw her concerned expression and nuzzled her to snap her out of it.
“Come on. Wets gu see ouw housie!” He put such emphasis on our. He was esctatic to have found a full human house for the two of them. They walked to the door and she wondered for a moment how they would get inside. Those questions were answered as Rupert simply walked through a flat white section of the door. ‘A fluffy flap. This really is a good house for fluffies.’ She thought to herself letting cautious optimism sway her. Inside the house was even more surprisingly convenient. There were a few human specific artifacts to suggest a human once lived here like the long white cane in the corner or the shotgun hanging on the wall. Strangely the rest of the house appeared to be fluffy accommodating. Many of the doors had foot latches and ropes tied to their handles and there were fluffy stairs up to almost every surface.
“Wha’ kind ob housie is dis?” She asked him. He shrugged his shoulders.
“Wupewt nu kno’. Seein’ dis fow fiwst time wike yu!” He grinned that goofy smile that made her fall in love with him. She took a further look around the room as Rupert tried to work the tv remote in the living room. She found the housie was small for a human. Very few rooms to go through but it was massive for a fluffy. She found real blankets and sighed happily as she lay across them. ‘No more newspapers.’ She thought. She looked around a little more and found a vest that looked fit for a fluffy. It had a weird metal loop sown into it and a name down the side. All the accommodations must be for “service” she realized. She heard a cheerful tune come from the living room. “Got da tv wowkin’!” He called. She could still hardly believe it. A real home and it was for just the two of them.
“Wace yu tu da bwuebewwy patch!” She yelled in a playful mood.
“Nu faiw! yu get head stawt!” He called running after her. They ran neck and neck out to the bushes and he tumbled into her sending them both sprawling.
“Ge’ off yu tuu heaby.” She teased. He laughed openly a bright and cheerful sound. She had missed that laugh. He rolled off of her and started towards the house again.
“Wupewt gu fin’ what ewse am hewe.” He said wandering off. She called after him.
“Come back!” He looked at her and sniffed.
“Wha’ want?” He asked sincerely concerned. She held out her arms.
“Wan’ huggies.” She said completing the pose. They embraced shortly and he set off again. She sighed and closed her eyes savoring the moment of peace and quiet in the sunset. This really was a wonderful place. Just think of how many foals they could raise here. She opened her eyes but something seemed to bother her. ‘Actually why is it so quiet?’ She thought. ‘The wind is gone, and where are all the birdies.’ The forest was silent and still as the nagging feeling grew worse until it burned into her shoulder. She felt like a foal caught out of the safe room. Like she was being watched. She followed where she thought she could feel the eyes burning calling out softly.
“Hewwo?” She asked quiet as she could but the sound seemed deafening in the silence. She jumped at her own voice but kept walking forward. An awful acrid smell hit her nostrils as she started climbing the hill. Her spine bristled with fear. It was a metalic smell. A smell of garbage and moldy meat. ‘Booboo juice and forever sleepies.’ She thought. She had only smelled something like it once in the bad old days of the herd. Smarty had angered a human with a lawnmower. There were fours of fours of fluffies before then, and many of those too! Even she could count how many afterwards. Three the rest turned to a red pulp scattered over the grass. Even then it hadn’t been this strong. What kind of carnage was she walking into? She found the source of the smell or at least thought she did. She saw the pointy branch horns of the forest friend laying on the ground. There was tummy skettis and booboo juice all around them but no other signs of the rest of him. The silence was finally cut by a sort of humming. It hummed like buggy monsters or the trans-for-mers humans kept. She shivered at the thought. She’d never seen one outside of its fenced off area before. Maybe that was what scared the human? Dangerous trans-for-mers roaming wild? That burning feeling of eyes staring through her got worse and worse. ‘What could it be?’ She thought frustrated. Then she blinked and saw him. His jacket was covered in pictures of sticks and trees and he was so still she thought he was a tree. He stared at her with blank milky eyes. She tried to skirt away from him knowing he couldn’t really see. She was quiet as she could be but he followed every movement as though he could see her perfectly. She realized running wasn’t going to help her on this occasion. ‘So much for not coming back.’ She thought. “Hewwo!” She said trying to be as bright and cheerful as she could be to not upset him. “Am yu nice human?” He stared at her and tilted his head slightly. Maybe he hadn’t heard her? “Wiww nice human wet fwuffies stay hewe?” She asked hopefully. he shuddered in a strange manner she hadn’t seen before. He laughed at her request. It was a bright high pitched laugh that didn’t fit him. It sounded like Rupert. She didn’t like it. “Wha’s su funny?” She asked hoping to laugh with the joke and endear herself to him. He paused a moment and spoke in an even higher more effeminate tone. “Nice human.” He said in a voice like Claire’s. It made her skin crawl. ‘Is he… Mocking me?’ She thought suddenly creeped out. “Ok nice human Cwaire weabin’ now.” She called hurrying off to the fields. She didn’t like being outside with him but she wanted something good to eat more.
Rupert sat at the tv trying to work the remote. He set the tv to a classic cartoon loop. He danced his happy baby dance for figuring it out. It may not have been fluffy specific but he knew Claire used to watch it with her daddy. He did a really good job finding this place. He may not have been as smart as her, but he knew she got really sad thinking about her old home. He felt guilty about taking her away but he really did think that smarty was on to something. Their comfortable housing here may not be a daddy who loves her but he hoped it was enough to make it up to her. He heard the soft marshmallow hoof pads of a fluffy tapping on glass and saw Claire was up by the window.
“Wha? How Cwaiwe get up dewe?” He asked.
“Hewwo!” She said brightly.
“Ok…” Rupert responded. It wasn’t like her to not answer. She always had the patience of a saint.
“Come back!” She said sitting down dropping her hooves from the window. Rupert was puzzled.
“Back? Wha’ Cwaiwe mean come back?” She stared unblinking.
“Come back!” She repeated and jumped off of the sill. Rupert was surprised but still optimistic. ‘Maybe it’s a game? She wants rupert to go to the back of the building?’ He thought obediently running out the door. He saw her down in the blueberry fields and his thoughts clicked together. ‘Oh, she means back to the berries to gather nummies!’ He started towards her and he heard her again. “Come back!” She called. Only it didn’t come from the berry fields. It was behind him. He looked back but didn’t see anything. When he turned to the fields she was gone. He turned back one more time and she was there. It was incredible! No fluffy could move that fast.
“How yu do dat?” He asked amazed. She turned and walked towards the back of the house without a word. Rupert beamed proud of himself. He was right the first time! He followed her running to catch up. He found her and she paused for only a moment before walking on. “Swow down!” He called. She didn’t respond but she did slow down. He caught up and she quickened to stay two steps ahead of him. “Yu fast! Get aww nummies need fo dawkie time? Yu wan’ Wupewt bwing mowe nummies back?” She didn’t answer. “Das okay am wots ob nummies.” He said to fill the silence. She slowed and stopped near a hollow not far from front door all the way on the other side of the house. Now he understood. She was great at finding hidey holes. But if she found it why lead him all the way around?
“Stay hewe?” She asked innocently. He grinned her favorite grin at the good job she’d done. To his surprise she stared blankly. Usually that smile made her melt and blush. She must not believe he liked it.
“Yes!” He said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. He stepped inside to show his sincerity. “Wooks su gud! Wupewt wub Cwaiwe!” He turned around. It was snug space to hide but it wasnt meant to be an always house. They would be fine here. Claire stepped down into the burrow after him. Rupert hadn’t noticed how tight the entrance had been. With the two of them inside there was little light leaving her silhouetted by the dark. “Wha’ Cwaiwe doin’?” He asked. It was so tight they couldn’t really pass each other. She moved closer. “Wha’ Cwaiwe want?” She paused.
“Wan’ huggies.” He was confused. ‘Again? But she could have huggies any time why lead him down-. Oh.’ He remembered how she liked the first few days after the herd. The close nights hiding under the porch. His mind wandered through lustful ideas. He shook them away. It was too cramped, too dark not like the porch at all! They hadn’t even made sure it was properly safe enough to stay and care for babies. She was always the cautious one so why was she rushing now? Plus the closed space was growing stale quick. She smelled… not pretty. They hadn’t had much time to clean up but he didn’t remember her smelling like booboo juice and forever sleepies. He suddenly got concerned. He had been walking for days hardly checking on her. She didn’t get hurties did she?
“Cwaiwe am yu okay?” He asked. She laughed a high pitched shrill sound. Normally he loved it but now it scared him. She moved closer. There was a buzzing like the angriest bees all around. “Cwaiwe pwease. Nu wike dis. Am scawed ob dawkies. Wupewt wan’ go inside. Pwease wet inside.” She moved in closer. He stepped back feeling the far wall pressing in behind him. The buzzing was unbearable. It vibrated in his head and made his thoughts hurt. The laughter continued. She was usually breathless by now. How could she keep it up? “Cwaiwe stop! Wupewt scawed! Wupewt wub yu!”
Claire sighed gorged on blueberries. They were wonderful after days upon days of just grass to eat. She turned to the house and saw Rupert standing in front of the door. He was still and seemed to stare at her. He was always a bit of a worrywart. She trotted up to him.
“Hey Wupewt! Yu get yu tv wowking?” She asked.
“Yes!” He replied simply.
“Das gud. Jus’ go inside. Nee’ wook awound sum mowe.” He stared and tilted his head.
“Wha’ Cwaiwe want?” He asked. She was surprised. He should be used to the check ups by now.
“Jus’ wan make suwe am safe. Wait by tv. Wiww take a bit. Cwaiwe wub yu.” He stared for a moment then headed off to the door. He danced by it and she chuckled softly. He could barely do the dance as an adult but he still had such a happy youthful outlook. She wandered checking all around the house for any other exits. She was both thorough and meticulous. Any way in was a way monsters could come in. At the same time any place with only one exit was sure to be a death trap. She found one such burrow dug just under the house. She crawled inside to check the cieling and see if it got in. No entrance for monsters here. She sighed at the scent. The burrow was still a bad sign. Any number of monsters made them and more worse monsters could steal them. It still smelled like blood and the fluff showed something had died here. She froze when she saw the fluff. ‘Not just any fluff, teal and purple. Like my Rupert.’ Tears welled in her eyes at the thought. ‘Thats impossible. He was fine a minute ago. Still both colors such a match.’ She crawled out and wiped her hooves on the grass. It was just scaredies. She had to calm down. She wandered back to the door and her heart fluttered still seeing him dance. Then she paused. ‘Is he still dancing?’ She thought. Most foals would tire or topple in under two minutes of dancing. Most adults could hardly balance to dance at all. He had been going for much longer. She walked up to him and he dropped to a normal sit.
“Yu ok?” She asked.
“Yes!” He said brightly not elaborating. She looked him up and down and he continued staring. The silence hung in the air. “Cwaiwe am yu ok?” He asked suddenly.
“Yes.” She answered. “Why don’t yu go inside?” She asked. He stared blankly. “Ok Cwaiwe go inside.” She walked in and heard him follow. He seemed ok now that he was in. She heard a familiar yowl from the living room. ‘Tom and jerry! I used to love that show with daddy.’ She smiled at him. “Can yu tuwn it up pwease?” She asked polite as can be. He stared. Did he really not understand? “Da tv.” She clarified. He wandered into the living room as she busied herself with dragging a blanket out of storage. She got into the room to find him perched against the tv fiddling with it unsuccessfully. “Wha’ yu doin’?” She asked. He stepped off and out of the way. “Why not use da wemote?” She asked. She pushed a button on it to make her point. He looked from the remote to the tv with a hard to read expression.
“How yu do dat?” He asked suddenly amazed. ‘But… he’s the one that figured it out. Why doesn’t he know?’ She pondered the gears in her head grinding together. He didn’t seem himself at the moment. She frowned a little thinking about it. She probably frazzled his nerves with all her worry talk. He tried so hard since the herd. Maybe she had been rough on him. ‘Well there’s always one thing that gets his mind on track.’ She smiled coyly. She swaggered closer trying to act as seductive as she could with no coordination and the voice of a squeakytoy. “Weww I fink we can fink on it. It might be, ed-u-cay-shun-al.” His face fell a little turning blank and almost sad. ‘Blunt was always more effective anyway.’ She lowered her front limbs and flicked her tail side to side in that way that made him blush like his grin made her blush. “Yu wan speciaw huggies?” She offered enticingly swaying her hips. He lit up at her.
“Yes!” He exclaimed and held his arms out in the huggies pose. ‘You’ve got to be fluffing kidding me.’ She thought. ‘All this and he wants a normal hug? He’s dense but he’s not this dense.’
“Nebermind.” She said laying down with a huff. He turned away and stared at the tv. ‘Oh come on he can be distracted away from me?’ She thought jealous of a piece of technology. ‘Can he not smell me is he blind?’ She gave herself a tenative sniff. ‘It shouldn’t be that. I still smell like a mare even if there’s the blueberries and that awful stink.’ She paused. She’d made sure to get it off before she worried rupert. Why could she still smell it? She sniffed around the room and froze. It was him. Rupert smelled like that. She was suddenly afraid as that buzzing sound grew around her.
“Cwaiwe am yu ok?” He asked her again. He asked her the exact same way. Claires fluff stood on end as she panicked.
“Yeah fwuffy jus’ wemembew somefing. Nee’ go outsidies. Be back soon!” She lied.
“Cwaiwe stop!” He yelled. She jumped. She’d never heard him that desperate. “Swow down.” He said more calmly. Claire didn’t buy it.
“Weww uh, nee’ bwing in bewwy nummies fow dawk time. Nu hab insidies nummies su nee’ get dem.” He looked at her annoyed.
“Das’ ok! Am wots ob nummies.” He said. His expression didnt match the apparent joy in his words.
“Y-yeah bu’ nu insidie nummies. Su nee’ go.” She repeated hoping he’d accept her flimsy excuse.
“Yu wan’ Wupewt bwing mowe nummies back?” He said. He seemed suspicious of her and didnt want her to leave.
“Yes dat wouwd be gweat Wupewt.” She said still scared.
“Ok…” He trailed off as he went through the fluffy flap. She ran over to the nearest chair and tipped it over. She pushed it into place so the back held the flap in place. “Wha’ Cwaiwe doin’?” She hard him ask as she pressed against it. The flap rattled as something tried pushing on it from every angle. He began pleading. “Cwaiwe pwease. Am scawed ob dawkies. Wupewt wan’ go inside.” She looked around in terror and realized she could never close them all. She thought searching her mind for any bastion of safety. ‘The bathroom!’ She thought. ‘One door. No windows.’ She ran inside and just got it shut when she heard glass breaking. She shoved herself into the door and braced it as best she could. She heard him shuffle up at a calm walk. “Cwaiwe pwease. Pwease wet inside.” He begged pawing at the door.
“Gu 'way! Yu nu wupewt!” She screamed. The pawing turned to scratching and pounding. The sound was deafening. She had no idea how the door didn’t break. He laughed. The high pitched eerie sound of ruperts laugh going on and on. It faded and shifted sometimes sounding more like her own. The voice chanted at her mocking her. It repeated ruperts voice pleading. “Wupewt wub yu! Wupewt wub yu!” She shivered as she sobbed as her senses were assaulted.
“Shutup! Shutup!” She cried. The laughing grew louder.
“Yu nu wupewt! Yu nu wupewt!” It chanted in her voice. The sounds continued all through the night. Sometimes louder, sometimes softer. It only went away after sunrise. She was hesitant, terrified of what would happen if she opened it. When she did there was noone there. The house was trashed more thoroughly than any fluffy could. She left without looking through it and walked towards the rising sun. She walked aimlessly a sick feeling in her stomach. All her worrying worrying about why they found it came to bear. She knew first hoof why this paradise had been abandoned and she couldn’t blame the humans that did it. She glanced through the trees and saw Rupert standing staring at her. A tree passed between them and he dissapeared. After last night she could never come back here again either.