The Spotted Tail

Garon didn’t seem worried, in fact, he looked relieved, slipping into the back seat with a tired sigh.

“No cube?” she said in a quiet voice as the man shut the door behind her and got into the driver’s seat.

“Cars a little too old fashion for you?” he said, whispering back to her.

“No, but…” she said, confused.

“It’s harder to be tracked by car than by cube,” he said in explanation.

“Oh.” She hadn’t ever thought of that. However, she did think that Garon had arranged for the car. She wondered where they were going, but was afraid to ask. The driver didn’t pay them any attention, but she didn’t know if it was wise to ask. Then she thought she was being silly. Of course, the driver knew where they were going. He was taking them. So how did he know where they wanted to go? She didn’t hear Garon tell him.

Paxine found it hard to ride in silence with so many questions on her tongue. She didn’t know if she could ask or even should ask. Garon rode in silence, twiddling his thumbs, staring out the window. She decided to do what he did.

The city buildings all looked alike to her. They weren’t very interesting until the car passed a familiar shop. This was her mom’s favorite shopping district. Why were they going into a shopping district? A twinge of excitement tickled her spine.

The car stopped at the end of the street.

“It’s a little early,” Garon said, closing the door of the car. The car drove off and he strolled up the street. “I think, though, that some places are opening early to help with the Gala Ball customers who are doing all their last minute shopping.” He chuckled. “Like us.”

“We’re getting me a dress,” she said, feeling the twinge of excitement tingled all the way up her spine.

“Don’t you need one?” he said, heading into the first store. “You can’t go like that.”

’I-I…I know that,” she said with a laugh.

Paxine knew this store well from shopping with her mom. However, this was the first time she was excited to be there.

“May I help you?” the clerk said, modeling one of the more expensive gowns. Her makeup and hair looked professionally done. A practiced smile played on her lips as she looked from one to the other. She settled on Garon.

“An evening dress,” he said.

“Blue,” Paxine said. This was her dress to the Ball. She was going to pick it out. “Light blue, not dark.”

“Yes, good choice,” the clerk said to Garon, moving over to some racks, ignoring Paxine.

“How much is on the cash card,” Paxine said, pretending to check out a dress on a nearby rack.

“More than you could spend, even in here,” he said, heading for a chair.

Paxine decided she could shop like her mom and get a proper dress for the Ball. The designer racks were over by the window. She passed a mirror that showed her wrinkled play clothes and her messy hair. No wonder the clerk headed to the clearance racks.

“That dress is five thousand,” the clerk spoke, articulating each word, trying to decide if she needed to speak to Garon or Paxine. She had a slight upward tilt to her nose, and chose to lean toward Garon.

“Within my budget,” Paxine said, thrusting the dress into the clerk’s hands.

The clerk changed her focus to Paxine when Garon sat, seeming to ignore them, unconcerned with how expensive or not a dress was.

Paxine had the feeling that he was humming, looking quite serene. She whipped through the racks, finding another dress. Now she knew why her mom liked to shop.

A warm sensation surrounded her ankle. Tache was checking up on her. He was still far away, but felt like he was coming closer. He told her he was still with Shaloonya.

***

Tache didn’t like all the trash in the alley, feeling at any moment something was going to jump out at him. He was following Shaloonya, trying to keep watch behind him at the same time. Shaloonya’s tail poked his eye, making him hop sideways to avoid running into her. An alley cat barred their path, glaring with menace. Scars streaked across his face and chunks were missing from both ears. The cat hissed a territorial warning.

Shaloonya glared back. Her tail flicked once as her only warning, lunging with claws and teeth, becoming a blur of swinging claws. Tache jumped after her, managing to get a mouthful of fur before the alley cat fled, with both Tails close behind.

The chase ended at the edge of the alley only because Shaloonya stopped, letting the alley cat escape under parked cars. Tache spit out fur. A steady stream of people passed. Shaloonya took a step during a lull in the foot traffic, but didn’t go any further. Tache glared. Was she afraid of the dog?

A man walking a big dog passed them. Tache shook his head free of the last bit of fur, lashing his tail at her. She ignored him, waiting until the dog was past, then moving in right behind the dog.

The dog eyed her, slid his tail between his legs and bumped, almost tripping, his owner.

“Heel,” the owner said with a growl.

Tache lashed his tail with irritation. She wasn’t afraid of the dog, she was using him as a shield. He should have thought of that.

“Heel. What is wrong with you?” The owner jerked the dog, causing it to whimper.

Tache thought he could easily pull the dog’s tail out from between its legs and really scare it. One paw length away and… Shaloonya sidestepped into him. His paw missed his target.

Grrr, Tache thought. Just wait until he was a better fighter.

Bump.

Shaloonya sidestepped into him again, pushing him under a parked car. The man and dog continued up the block.

Tache’s tail lashed in irritation, but Shaloonya ignored him, watching two cars pass, waiting for the street to clear. Her tail teased him as she dashed across, causing him to chase her across the street and up along the curb. He was about to pounce when she growled at him, reminding him this wasn’t a game. Then she hopped up into a large planter full of weeds, snaking in between the plants, settling down, hidden from view.

Tache settled as far away from her as he could, but the planter wasn’t that large so he was only a tail-length away. A breeze ruffled the weeds overhead. Whoa, those were fun. He batted at them, playing a game, until an icy stare shivered down his spine. How did she do that, he thought, ending his game.

A moment later, her icy stare focused on him again with the addition of a snarl of teeth. What? He hadn’t moved an inch. What did she… His tail, twitching, moved the weeds. He couldn’t get it to stay still. Shaloonya extended a claw as if she was going to rip his tail off. He tucked his twitching tail under his back feet, now feeling like electric shocks zapped through his tail, His tail twitch the more he thought about it. He shifted to get more comfortable but froze when Shaloonya glared at him again.

A car pulled up by a building across the street. Two men got out. This seemed to be what Shaloonya was waiting for. She told him that Garon and Paxine would rest easy as long as that car stayed put.

A breeze rifled the weeds over his head, creating a rustling movement that he used to disguise shifting his feet. How long were they going to stay here? He knew he couldn’t ask. At least she maintained her focus on the building and less on him while he made small adjustments to his twitching tail.

“Jake. Look,” a boy said, shouting near the planter.

Tache’s tail thrashed beneath him, almost causing him to run. Shaloonya gave the boy one quick glance, before returning her attention back to the car.

“Yeah, Harl. If it ain’t Mr. Jonny boy. Hey, got any money?” Jake said. He was a big boy in baggy pants and a t-shirt three times too large and he blocked the path of Jonny, a boy half his size, coming from the other way.

“N-n-n-o,” Jonny said, backing off.

Tache’s tail twitched hard under his feet again.

“Oh, what else ya got then?” Jake said, shoving Jonny.

“Where’s your gamer?” Harl said, stepping behind Jonny and shoving him back to Jake. He was a hand smaller than Jake, wearing a sport jersey that an adult twice his size would wear. Frayed holes in his jeans let his knobby knees stick out.

“I-I,” Johnny said, eyes huge, scanning around for someone to help him.

Jake shoved Jonny back to Harl with a laugh.

“I-I don’t got one,” Jonny said, his eyes even bigger with the realization that no one was around to save him.

“What are ya gonna give us?” Harl said, shoving Jonny back to Jake.

Tache’s tail twitched hard, almost breaking free, shifting him to one side. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck. The boys pushed Johnny one more time, and Tache found himself sliding out of the planter down by the curb. He crouched, slinking fast along the curb until he was as near as he could get to the boys.

Jake reached up to give Johnny another shove when his legs buckled beneath him, and he landed with his breath knocked out of him. Harl seemed dumbfounded until…

“Ow. It bit me,” Harl said, yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Wha? Wha?” Jake’s couldn’t catch his breath fast enough. “Ahhhh,” Jake said, getting tangled in his baggy pants, tearing them. “I’m bleeding. My elbow.”

“Ow, it bit me,” Harl said with a shout, trying to sound more serious than Jake.

“What was it?” Jake said, examining his scraped elbow, as if he had never seen anything like it before.

“Dunno. Raccoon?” Harl said, hopping about on one foot as if putting his bitten ankle down would cause more damage.

“A raccoon? Get away. Those got rabies,” Jake said, running in terror.

“Noooo.” Harl said with a scream, limping after Jake.

Jonny was already half-way down the street, running as fast as he could.

Tache’s tail smacked into the curb. He didn’t like those mean boys, feeling good that he had gotten them out of the way. Shaloonya should be pleased too, now that they weren’t interfering. He slipped back up into the planter expecting praise, but met an icy glare instead.

Shaloonya looked as if she was going to attack him, giving him a silent hiss, showing all her teeth. Tache felt as if she had grown to double her size. He settled back into the planter, keeping as far away from her as he could.

His tail, fearing for its life, didn’t flinch even once, even when people passed, sending pigeons flapping overhead. His focus on staying still seemed to be unflappable, except for an irritating vibration. It penetrated his whole body, even making the planter feel as if it was shaking. His aural ring tingled, sending irritating sensations down his ear.

Tache had to move. He had to leave. The limit was reached as to how much he could take, propelling him out of the planter. He knew he was dead, feeling that Shaloonya followed him to make the death strike. However, she passed him, staying low to the ground, using the curb and parked cars as cover as she moved up the street.

His tail, finally free of restrictions, smacked the curb with every step he took. He wasn’t dead. Shaloonya hadn’t struck. What happened?

A delivery truck pulled up beside them, causing Shaloonya to stop so quick that he almost stepped on her tail. He received a glare that told him to be careful and not to move.

The driver ran past them with a package, disappearing into the shop nearby. Shaloonya dashed over to a nearby sewer grate, rubbed her paws on it and then dashed back to Tache.

The driver ran back out of the shop and into his truck, driving off. He delivered one package but picked up two new ones that he didn’t know about.

Tache tucked himself behind the seat of the driver so he could see out the door of the truck. The truck paused at the end of the block. Two men jogged by, heading up the street, each holding the leash of a large dog. Tache tensed, hoping the truck moved. The dogs sniffed where he helped the boy, then moved up to the planter and along the curb to the sewer.

The truck jerked into gear, rolling around the corner. Tache dug his claws into the carpet on the floor to keep his balance. Something sharp grabbed his tail and he jerked it away.

Shaloonya’s claws, with shreds of his fur, flexed. She was furious with him, hissing to let him know they failed their mission because of him. He had revealed himself. The enemy used a scanner to find them, thus causing the irritation to their aural rings. Her eyes glared at him as if they were lasers shredding him to pieces.

Well, at least they could go back to Paxine, he thought.

Shaloonya shook her head, dashing his hopes. They couldn’t go back until they found another way to watch the building.

Tache’s tail whipped against the side of the truck in frustration.

The driver looked out his side mirror to see what hit his truck.

***

“This one,” Paxine said, twirling in front of the mirror. The dress was light blue, which matched her eyes. Sequins covered the bodice and soft-layered chiffon made up the skirt. She accessorized with silver high-heeled shoes that made her three inches taller. It was simple, yet elegant. And the most expensive dress.

“This is an original. Everyone wants this one, but not everyone can wear it. You certainly can,” the clerk said, pouring on the compliments.

Paxine expected Garon to comment on the price, but he only nodded. He seemed distracted and then he frowned.

“You don’t like the dress?” she said.

“The dress is perfect,” he said with a smile.

Paxine headed back to the dressing room, catching him checking a pocket and then frowning again. Something was going on and it didn’t seem good. She didn’t take long to slip out of the dress, handing it to the clerk.

Garon was checking another pocket when she came out of the changing room, but this time he smiled. She placed the cash card on the counter while the clerk covered the dress in plastic. The clerk scanned the card and the purchase was completed.

“This is the coolest dress ever. Thanks,” she said when they left the shop.

“Yes. You needed one,” he said.

Paxine wasn’t surprised this time when the car pulled up. Garon hung the dress on the hook over the door. Even covered in plastic, the dress glittered.

“I think even my mom would be jealous about this dress.”

“Especially since she didn’t pay for it.” He chuckled.

Paxine laughed. Garon began to hum, twiddling his thumbs. She thought it was funny and found herself enjoying the ride. The view was the same dull city buildings, but a quick peek away was the most beautiful dress she had ever owned.

“Where we going?” she said, feeling comfortable asking.

“City central.”

“Cool.” She knew that area. “How far is it?” Cars seemed to be slow and she felt like she had been riding in the car forever.

“Depends on traffic.”

Traffic was picking up the further they moved into the city. She didn’t know if she liked cars. Cubes seemed so much faster and there wasn’t any cube traffic.

“Why don’t everyone have cubes?” she said.

He chuckled. “They are controlled and very limited.”

“My dad has one.”

“Your dad is special. You actually have two. Your dad has one and your mom.”

“How come cubes are faster?” she said, letting the questions fly, especially since she was getting answers.

“Different technology than cars. Cubes travel on light. Cars travel on roads. Light is faster,” he said, watching out the window.

“Oh.” She was thinking of a whole bunch more questions, but the car entered City Central.

There was a fountain and a number of sculptures in the center of a drive where taxis dropped people off. Their driver pulled in, they hopped out, and the driver drove off. Garon carried the dress.

The lunch crowd was just beginning to fill the area. He headed toward a nearby café that sat up on a raised patio. There was already a line and they joined it. It was a pleasant wait since it was a beautiful sunny day with a slight breeze to make it comfortable.

A delivery truck rumbled to a stop across the street. The driver ran out with his packages into a store. In moments, he ran back into his truck, and drove away.

“I didn’t know they delivered Tails,” she said, feeling Tache.

“I don’t think they know either,” he said with a chuckle, looking out over the crowd for the Tails he couldn’t see.

“How many, please?” the young, high-energy waiter said.

“Two,” Garon said, raising two fingers.

The waiter rushed them to their table, tossed down two menus and was gone. Paxine already knew what she wanted, having seen it on someone’s plate when they passed; hot dog and a soda. Her mom would have said no to the soda, and then try to interest her in a salad.

Warm, soft fur brushed against her legs. Without looking down, Paxine repositioned her backpack so Tache could hop in. She felt relief from him that he was with her. He complained about Shaloonya being upset.

Shaloonya was nowhere in sight. Garon didn’t carry anything to hold Shaloonya and she wondered how he hid her.

“Where is…” she said.