Chapter 240: The Dingo Digs Deep
I take a step into Riley's room. It looks a lot different to the last time I was here. His room is a bit cluttered and messy now. I sit down at his desk chair (I've always liked how comfy it was), but he takes a step towards me. He bends over and begins to sniff me all over. I tense up, not realising what was happening at first.
Canines always like to sniff their friends, canine or not, to confirm it's them, and remind them of fond memories that they have of the friends. I can hear his little nose going wild after being in a completely different town for a week.
"Sorry Jamel... you know I can't resist the smell of a friend." Riley says. That sounded weird... "Anyway, how have you been, mate?"
"First I want to get something out of the way." I tell him. "I want to clear up everything that's been happening over the past few months. Your change in attitude, your PIS medication, everything." I say sternly. I need to at least be assured that my best friend is okay, especially after the week I've had. Riley is smiling at me, pleased with himself.
"Jamel, it's all fine now." He tells me. "It all started on my birthday, back in June. I woke up as usual, ready for a day of school, but I saw that my parents were sitting in the living room. They told them that I was having the day off, but... not for my birthday."
I remember that day. It was the day of the race at the Aerodrome... where I was attacked by that hyena, and I learnt all about Sam and his brother. I guess that day was big for the both of us
"I had my shower, got dressed and had breakfast, then my parents took me into town, to the carnivore clinic. When I was there, a doctor came over and told me about my... changes as a young adult." Riley explains. For the first time ever, someone has used that term, and I know what they're talking about.
"They said that as canines, especially wild ones like dingoes, we feel these pressing instincts and urges that are linked to our wild ancestors. The kind that tells us to eat... y'know, and harm those who we love and care for. After a few small tests, and some questions, I was placed on some Predatory Instinct Suppressants, or PIS Meds, as we call them. The doctor explained the medication to me, and halfway through, he got a phone call. He spent ages on the phone, until a nurse came along. She finished explaining everything to me." Riley tells me.
"The nurse told me that I was supposed to take three pills a day, at breakfast, lunch and dinner. It turns out that only larger carnivores take them three times a day. Dingoes like me take them once a day, so I was getting an overdose of this medication." Riley says. "I thought that I was supposed to take the medication at breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is why I felt so weird; headaches, mood swings, nausea, insomnia... there was a point a few weeks ago where I went 48 hours without sleep." It all sounds so distressing.
"Once I decided that the medication wasn't doing me any good, I stopped completely. That's when Mum and Dad found me in the streets, fighting against Sam, they took me to the clinic straight away, and everything was sorted out. The doctor said I had incredible resilience to have gone so long on such a large dosage." Riley said. A tear pooled in his eye, and I'm not sure if it's from regret, or from pride. A part of me hopes for both. "If I stopped taking those pills any sooner, I could've hurt you, or someone else, Jamel... and I'm so sorry for all the distress I've caused everyone." He cries out.
"Now, I take one pill every day, in front of my parents. Other than the slight migraine, and a few late nights every week, I feel so much better, and..." Riley says, before pausing.
"I want to be friends again, Jamel. It's you who kept me on the medication, it's you who convinced me to never give up and always keep doing my best to make sure everyone was safe. Even if the medication caused me pain, discomfort, and distress, I went to bed every night knowing that I was keeping everyone in my community safe. Dingoes are responsible for almost a tenth of the devouring attacks in Regional Australia, and most of those are due to us going off medication. I never wanted that to happen, Jamel. To me, or to you."
His face turns red, and he buries his face into his pillow before sobbing uncontrollably. His whole bed shakes as he sobs. Sometimes, when carnivores feel hysterical emotions, like grief, regret, or joy, it's best to leave them by themselves until they've calmed down. After a minute, Riley whips his head from out of his pillow, wet from all the tears, and reached into his bedside drawer.
"This is the measures I have to take now, Jamel." he says while holding something up from his drawer. "This is what I must do to keep everyone safe." I never thought I'd see one of those, especially being held by my best friend.
Chapter 241: Of all the friends...
In his hand, he's holding a muzzle, with a strap leading around the sides to attach to his head. I didn't think it would have to come to this... yet here it is.
"I wear this at school... admittingly, it's not a pretty sight. I've had herbivores move away from me on purpose in class, even some carnivores have tried to avoid me. Levi is the only friend who will sit next to me at recess, and I think he's a bit freaked out by it. But I have to wear it, to keep everyone safe."
I watch it dangle from his hands, with the metal cage shining from the light in the room. This can't be the only future for him.
"All of the dogs at school make fun of me for it. You know, there's a few Year 12s who... I don't really want to think about that. But I'm doing it for myself and everyone who could be vulnerable."
I didn't think he needed to go that far in order to keep himself from attacking anyone, but... here it is. The boy I first met when I was only 5 years old has transformed himself into a beast... but he's only a beast in his own eyes, and to those who make assumptions.
"Put it on" I tell him. He looks at me, confused and a little bit disgusted. "I want to see if it does make you look less dangerous." He nervously moves the muzzle around his head, doing up the straps behind his head. A look of defeat and submission is wiped across his face, he looks emotionally drained, and I'm sorry for doing it to him.
It's weird though... I look at him, and I don't see a monster, or a wild predator. I just see a young dingo, trying his best in such a difficult world. He's had it very hard over the past few months, with friends going away, and new emotions as well. No wonder he's had to beat himself up with the muzzle.
"I don't think it makes a difference; you know. I see you wearing it, and I only think that you have more control than the others. I mean, it is your choice to wear it after all." I tell him. His eyes light up as he unbuckles the strap on the muzzle.
"As long as keeps me from hurting anyone is all I care about." He says, while chucking it back in his drawer. "I hate this thing, but I think it also sends an important, yet disturbing message that everyone needs to know... not every carnivore is 100% safe to be around." Riley tells me.
He's right, and I found that out without the muzzle, sadly.
"Anyway... now that everything is sorted with me... I want to hear all about your trip at Berriwan." Riley says, with his face lighting up. I always noticed that he can always change the mood of the conversation, no matter how sad it was before. "I'm sure you had a good time down in the big city."
"Well... I had a very weird time at the city... I'll explain everything..."
~~~
I told Riley about everything, well... almost. I left out the part where Abe attacked me, but instead Sam saved Paddo and Sona. And of course, I didn't tell him about the talk with Coach Harris.
"So now, Abe's in juvie for two weeks, and Whigata will have four representatives in the State Finals... it's really exciting though." I tell him.
"Wow... you know, Jamel... if that Fassid and Masama ever tried to pull that shit here, they'd be killed instantly" Riley said in disbelief.
"Well, they won't be pulling it off here. I have a feeling they won't be doing anything for a long time..." I say in satisfaction. In the end, I think they got what they deserved. Pitting carnivores against weak herbivores just for their entertainment is sickening. The responsibly strong need to work to protect those who can't protect themselves... speaking of...
Chapter 242: Happy Festivities
"Any word on when Shearing Day is?" I ask Riley. He smiles happily at me; he knows I enjoy this day more than any.
Shearing Day is a very big day for us rural communities, especially herbivores. On this day, sheep from all over the area gather in a rural community and shear off all their wool to prepare for the summer. It's a time to come together and celebrate the freedom of less wool (and fur for the other herbivores), as well as meet new friends, learn about everyone's stories and news, even find a partner... I heard that my parents met at the Shearing Day many years ago, and they've always enjoyed celebrating it.
It first started just a little bit before the Carnivore-Herbivore War, which plunged our society into a great division. It's said that once sheepdogs were bred to round up herbivores by the thousands and herd them towards Carnivore Forces, the defenceless herbivores came together for one last Shearing Day to mourn their losses and say their final goodbyes to their loved ones.
When the sheepdogs saw what was happening, they couldn't help but feel guilty about what they were doing, and so they surrendered themselves to help shear the sheep. They then took some of the wool back to the Carnivore Forces, to prove that they had "killed" sheep for their fleece.
After the war had finished, the Shearing Day festivities were celebrated only by sheep and sheepdogs, but over time, herbivores were invited to join their celebrations. Now, it's strictly herbivores and sheepdogs only, to spread a sense of tranquillity and safety across to everyone. Herbivores from the large cities like Durranga also come up to celebrate, because of the "rural vibe" that we give off.
The summer is an important time of year for herbivores as well because devouring attacks are much less often, plus there are more fruits, vegetables, and plants around to enjoy.
"I knew you'd ask me when you got back. It's on Saturday, 26th of September. It's during the spring holidays, which is even better." Riley tells me. "The school's doing a bit for it this year, I think the Drama classes are coming together to do a performance, the art classes are doing paintings, it's gonna be great." Despite the fact that he can't go, he's always happy to see me get excited about it. I sometimes try and get him a souvenir or something to enjoy if I can find anything.
"I even heard that it's gonna be a nice, sunny day for it, which will be really great for everyone. It's been raining quite a lot lately." Riley tells me.
"It didn't rain at all in Lavalla for the week." I tell him in surprise. Whigata: You miss a little, you miss a lot.
~~~
We spend the rest of the afternoon talking about school. Riley definitely felt sad when he heard about Erica, but I reminded him that she should be back in a few days. I forgot how strongly canines feel about each other. Eventually, it gets darker, and I say goodbye to Riley. I'm so happy that he's doing alright now, and not distraught over all of his instincts.
I walk through the streets, still tired from today, but I can rest happy knowing that my friends are alright... for now.
I hope Abe is doing okay in juvie. I mean, he is a bear, but there is a chance that there's something or someone even scarier locked away in there too. And Riley's medication seems to be working for him now, which is really good. Both have suffered a bit over the last few weeks, but I'm sure they're on the right track.
But no doubt, they're gonna need to use this Black Market when they grow up. I just hope that they'll be able to control their habits, and that I never have to get involved with their dark sides again.
I walk slowly through the streets and met with a beautiful evening breeze. I didn't realise that tonight was a warm night, so the breeze is refreshing and cool. I turn around and see someone following me. It looks like a canine, but I can't recognise them. They're wearing the Whigata High uniform, so I guess I can trust them...
Right?
"Hey... Jamel, is it?" he asks me.
"Yeah..." I say cautiously. "Who's that?" The canine steps forward to reveal himself. I'm washed over with relief to find out it's an Australian Cattle Dog. Dogs, especially herding dogs, are always seen to be very safe and protective of herbivores. Even herbivores who are afraid of carnivores can trust them.
"I'm Odis. I'm a Year 11 school. I'm so happy to hear that an herbivore will be going to the State Finals. Not only that, but one from our school!" the canine says.
"Thanks. I'm really happy for all the support I'm getting from everyone." I tell him.
"I just wanted to ask if you were okay." Odis inquires. "I heard about what happened between you and your friend, and I know that carnivores can definitely get aggressive when things go wrong." Which friend is he talking about? The one who had to risk his life to save three herbivores, or the one that's now in jail. "I'm talking about Riley, of course."
Oh... right. That friend.
Chapter 243: The Helpful Sheepdog
"It's just that I understand how canines can act and feel, because we're getting older, and we're faced with all sorts of new feelings and emotions." Odis explains to me. Trust me, I've heard enough about that over the past few days.
"But Riley's on PIS Meds. He should be fine from now on, right?" I reply curiously. I guess Odis is trying to look out for me.
"Even PIS Meds can't stop his actions 100%. There's always a chance that it might not work for him. I mean, I heard that he attacked you once, in front of Mr. Jarman, of all animals. No one would be crazy enough to do it in front of him... unless he really wanted to hurt someone." Odis states. He's right. Riley both respects and fears Mr. Jarman, from his temper and his strength. Unless there was something really wrong with him, he would never do anything to attack anyone, especially in front of him.
"I never thought that his medication could fail... Maybe I should keep my distance, but still be supportive. I'm sure you'd understand what he's feeling better than I would." I tell him.
"If I were you, I'd just have someone around to make sure that Riley doesn't go... y'know... feral." Odis says.
Feral. That word is associated with great shame with adults from all around the world. In a time where teenagers and young adults strive to be as mature as possible, we have to do what we can to avoid being 'feral' as much as possible. Even if it means cutting ties with others.
"It's getting dark. We should probably go home now." Odis says. "If you ever need someone at school to talk to, I'm always around to help. You know us herding dogs, we always look out for everyone." He adds. I guess I could talk to him if I had any questions about Riley.
"Yeah. Thanks for your help and support. I'll see you around school." I say before heading back home. I keep on walking back home. I guess more and more fellow students are supporting me and hoping that I'm okay. Tomorrow at school, word about Abe is going to spread rapidly. I don't know how everyone's going to react to a fellow student going to juvie after taking herbivore blood, and almost devouring three herbivores.
Well, two I guess... Sam and Abe made sure that I wasn't involved, or else I'd be in serious trouble, risking my life like that. And they'll make sure that I'm not added into the story. I never realise the lengths they take to make sure I'm safe. Sam and Abe had to take a pretty big dive to keep anyone from finding out I was in the gym.
Good on them.
~~~
I went to bed early that night, relieved that Sam, Erica, Abe and Riley are all gonna be fine... hopefully. Sam's always gonna be a bit nervous around herbivores after what happened to his brother... but I just know that Ben is gonna make parole, and soon he'll be free. Abe will definitely receive help in juvie, I heard they have programs for carnivores affected by blood and meat. Erica's clear from concussion, but I don't know how she'll take all the news with Abe... a lot happened while she was around. And I'm so pleased to see that Riley is doing better, even if that Odis guy told me that he's got a long way to go. I guess I can always trust him as well.
I wake up the next morning, feeling refreshed and much better than the sleepless night I had before. I already have a few questions I want to ask Coach Harris about this "secret carnivore society". He said that he wanted to see me and the other State Finalists about the next stage of our events. I guess the excitement hasn't really hit me yet, or maybe the fight between Sam and Abe kind of overwhelmed me. Only four from Whigata have made it this year, and I'm the first herbivore in the entire country to get to a state level in a sport. That is a lot to be excited about.
I get ready for my first school day since Tuesday last week. I can't believe I haven't been to school for so long. I've almost forgotten how to get ready. But after my breakfast, I breezed through everything, and headed off on my walk to school. I guess everything has warmed up since I was last here, because it feels so great just breezing through the streets, with a refreshing breeze on my face.
Too bad that we have to wear the winter uniform until the end of the term. We only have 2 weeks until Term 3 finishes, but it can sometimes get really hot during the day. I feel bad for all the animals with long fur, because they sweat a lot, and it shows on our white shirts.
I walk into the school gates, and I gasp in shock at what I see. Riley is standing against a wall, wearing his muzzle. I completely forgot about it.
Chapter 244: A Rude Reminder
"Hey Jamel. You alright?" Riley says. I can't let him think that I'm afraid of his muzzle. It's just... it has a such a bad connotation. You see bad guys and dangerous villains in movies that wear these muzzles, and I can only see Riley as one of those bad guys. But deep down, I know that he's my true friend... he's just going through a hard phase right now, and I bet he'll be alright.
"Oh... yeah. I just thought that I forgot something at home... but then I remembered I didn't need it" I told him. He's the same old Riley... and it's not like he'd attack me in front of everyone, would he?
"It's been a while since you've been to school, huh. I guess it's alright, as long as you can remember where your locker is".
"Don't be silly." I say, trying to joke around with him. "It's in the art building, right?" It's so hard to look at him straight with his muzzle on. I know he's doing for himself, but it just looks so weird. Last night when he put his muzzle on, I wasn't bothered by it. Now I'm feeling a bit nervous around him. Riley and I walk up the pathway, but I'm keeping a small distance between me and him. I feel myself sweating a bit, and it's not because it's a warm morning.
We turn around a corner and see Sam sitting with Liam and Tye. I guess the other two would be a bit down after hearing about Abe's decent into madness. He turns to notice us.
"Oh, hey Jamel... hey Riley..." he says, noticing Riley and his muzzle. They haven't seen each other since the fight in the streets. I doubt they'd know how to react to each other.
"H-hey Sam. How was Berriwan?" Riley says cautiously. I notice that he's a bit shorter than usual, and his tail has drooped down significantly, showing submission. I guess when you're wearing a muzzle, your image is everything. You don't want to be mistaken as aggressive or scary.
"Yeah, it was fine. Too bad Jamel beat me in the race." Sam replied, half-joking. I know he's trying to get on Riley's good side again. I definitely don't want my two best friends hating each other, and Sam has no reason to hate Riley. I turn around to see a few carnivores looking at us, as if I was crazy. Am I crazy though? I'm here to support a friend, who's going through a tough time. Trying to find his identity and sanity in a world that works against him, as a canine. Of course, I should be helping him. I hear Sam and Riley talk for a bit more as I think to myself.
"Alright Jamel, we should put our bags away now. I need to talk to my English teacher about an essay." Riley tells me. "Nice seeing you again, Sam" he adds.
"Yeah, I'll see you both around." Sam replies, before we walk off. They were oddly calm with each other... carnivores tend to hold grudges, and usually get defensive if they see someone they fought with once. Riley and I make our way over to our lockers, where I see a lot of carnivores staring on at us. Riley barely even notices anyone as he moves over to his locker. When he finished, Riley turned around, where all the carnivores who were staring on at us immediately looked away, as if they didn't notice us.
"Bye Jamel. See you at recess." He says, happily. Does he even notice the others around him?
"Uh... y-yeah. Later..." I reply. I move away and try to find someone to talk to. I'm sure they've been waiting to hear all about how I've done. I walk back through the schoolyard a little bit and turn the corner to see them. The platypus and the sheep. Syd and Ollie.
Chapter 245: Herbivore Company
"Wow Jamel," said Syd. "To think that we sit before the great Herbivore Athlete, at our very own school. You're practically a legend now, everyone's gonna be talking about you for decades to come." I missed his eagerness and energy
"Yeah, everyone was super happy to hear that you won. It's all anyone was talking about during lunchtime on Wednesday." Ollie added.
"I'm just glad I'm back. My feet still feel tender from the race." I say. "By the way Syd, I heard that the Drama classes are doing something for Shearing Day." I saw Ollie's face light up. Of course, she'd be looking forward to it, considering how warm it's been lately.
"Well, me and a couple of herbivores from the other year levels. We're teaming up with classes from Opal Reef High to perform on the day." Syd tells me. Opal Reef is the other high school in Whigata. It's the only herbivore school around for hours, so it has herbivores from all across the region there. It has a dorm building for students who live out of town as well.
"They're performing the story of how the festival began, including the war as well, right?" Ollie asked. They show that every single year, but it's always nice to watch it.
"Yeah. They cast me as the evil Wolf Commander this year, because the guy who usually does it graduated last year. I'm kind of excited to play him this year." Syd says eagerly. Ollie and I look at each other, then back at Syd.
When you look at Syd; a platypus, you don't really think of a "big, bad, scary wolf". They have long bills, like ducks, and paddle-shaped tail like a beaver. The makeup team at Opal Reef is gonna have to do some serious work to pull him off as a carnivore.
"Uhh... no offence, but when I think of an evil Carnivore Supremacist, a small platypus in Year 10 isn't really the first thing that enters my mind." I tell Syd. He just smirks at me in response.
"Yeah, no one thinks of sparkly eyes, a cute tail and an adorable long duck bill like yours." Ollie says, staring at him.
"Ah, but that's the fun part. My canine classmates all agreed to trim their winter coats a week before Shearing Day. An art teacher is then gonna stick it all onto a shirt and some leggings, which I'll wear under my own costume. They're also gonna stick some fur on a long sock, which will go over my tail, and I'll wear a mask to conceal my bill, which will look like a canine snout. How cool is that?" Syd replied confidently.
"Are you sure you won't get too hot under that? All that clothing and fur, you'll be drowning in sweat by the end of it." I reply.
"Yeah, but the Marlu River's nearby. I can always jump in there once I've finished." Syd replies. I know how much he likes to swim, being a platypus.
"Hey, Jamel... we were gonna ask you about Riley." Ollie said quietly. Oh man, they're gonna ask me about the muzzle. "He's been wearing a muzzle since you've been gone. Do you know much about that?" I'm gonna try and tell them about it, but I don't think they'll understand. I'll need to keep out the part where Sam fought Riley as well.
"Riley's been wearing the muzzle at school to protect himself and other herbivores. I don't know too much, but something happened just before I left and now his self-esteem is a little low." I told them. "He's not dangerous or anything. He's just trying to save himself."
I look at these two and realise that they'll never have to understand the harsh idea that a carnivore will one day devour them. They'll never hear about the Black Market, nor the burning temptations for our fellow classmates and school friends either. How I envy them. They've come a long way to build up all their confidence around carnivores. I'd even go ahead and say that Syd is more confident than me around his drama friends, almost all of them being carnivores.
Ollie is shy, especially around carnivores. But I'm positive that with Syd there to help her, she'll grow up to be good around them. We sit and talk for a little bit more, until Nalu comes bolting around the corner, which makes all of us jump.
"Jamel, Jamel!" he says in a hurry. "Coach Harris wants to see us at recess about the State Finals. He also has something he wants to show you before the bell rings." Wonder what he wants to show me.
"Okay, I guess I should get going now. Thanks, Nalu." I say. I should also remind him to not come bursting around to scare us like that. I get up and walk off towards the gym to see Coach Harris. The bell will go in 10 minutes, so I'm sure I'll have enough time. As I make my way to the gym, a few other students congratulate me and say hello as I walk past. I guess everyone really is happy for me. I open the gym doors to see Coach Harris and Sam standing in the middle of the basketball court. They turn around to see me, in a comforting way. It's good to be back in Whigata.
Chapter 246: The Oppressing Hate
"Ah, Jamel. Good to see you. I hope you're ready for another day back at school." Coach Harris says happily.
"Yeah, it's good to be back... away from everything that happened." I replied. "You wanted to see me, Coach?" I see that he's holding something in his arms, a few newspapers, and a small booklet.
"Yeah, check it out!" he says, while unfolding and showing one of the papers. There, on the back page, there's a large picture of me crossing the finish line at Lavalla. "The Werrina Courier is calling you "The Antelope Athlete", the Lavalla Letter has "Herbivore Hercules", and the Whigata Papers call you "The Revolutionary Runner"" Coach Harris says in awe and excitement. "How amazing is that? You must be excited" he says while holding up all the papers. Even Sam is happy for me... I would have thought there'd be at least some jealousy.
"Oh man... the back page of the papers? That's incredible! I can't wait to race in Durranga." I say.
"Well... there is one more publisher that released their story... but it has a different point of view on your success." Sam tells me, before passing me the small booklet. I read the title of it, and realise that it's a magazine, The Herbivore Papers. The last time I saw one of these magazines, I was being threatened by dozens of carnivores about being an Herbivore Supremacist. I know the guys behind this one:
Toothless Australia.
"Don't worry; Mr. Selman and I have personally made sure that this is the only copy to reach any school in the entire state." Coach Harris tells me. I flip it open; afraid of what I'm about to see.
The first page has a black and white photo of me in the conference room, speaking into a microphone. Sharp teeth and blood have been poorly photoshopped onto my face, and Coach Harris is in the background, with red eyes. There's a large caption on top; "Jamel: Track Star Traitor".
Wow, rude. I begin reading the article, appalled with what's written down.
"Yet another crushing blow for the herbivores on Wednesday, as we have confirmation that carnivores are using brain-washing techniques to get herbivores to do their bidding. What's on their Dictator Agenda this week? Propaganda in the eyes of athleticism. Pictured here is one of Whigata's Carnivore Cult Members, Jamel. A young, seemingly innocent Blackbuck Antelope who recently placed third in the Year 10 Boys 1200m running race, another pointless sport, where carnivores run around in a circle, pretending that they're chasing prey.
Because carnivores insist that they are superior, this is the first time an herbivore has been given a chance at competing in the State Finals. Though it's obvious that he's only been allowed to qualify so he can entertain, and tempt the other student athletes to eat meat, and push him around, like they've all been taught to. Unfortunately, due to the lower herbivore populations in Rural Towns like Whigata, where Jamel lives, herbivores are easily manipulated and overruled by vicious carnivores.
One anonymous source from Whigata said that when she tried speaking to her carnivore workmates, they snarled at her, and threatened to devour her. When she reported it to her bosses, she was struck across the face and told to grow up. Imagine these kinds of monsters infecting our cities, harassing our children, and now they're getting herbivores to spread this message.
The next page had a picture of Coach Harris and I, standing proud at the end of the interview.
Sadly, many herbivores are blind to the dangers of their carnivore "friends". Pictured here is Jamel with his carnivore oppressor and "teacher", Mr. Harley. You can see in the predator's eyes how he lusts for young, fresh meat. The hand on his shoulder, the "proud" look on his face. The only thing he's proud of is how such a young and promising mind was corrupted. I bet he's just thinking of how he can devour and kill him, as felines usually do.
As it may be already too late for young Jamel here, but it's not too late for other strong, young herbivores. Stay away from the carnivores and look out for your friends as well. Be sure to donate to our charity, where 70% of all proceeds go towards stopping evil predators like Mr. Harley here. Perhaps one day, we will save Jamel from the evil clutches of the carnivore psyche, and he will thank us for all that we've done to achieve this.
Chapter 247: What about the others?
I felt sick in the stomach just reading this. It's a nightmarishly false angle on what's supposed to be promising news, connecting both carnivores and herbivores together, in hopes of cooperation in the community. They don't realise that this brought the communities together; carnivores who are interested in sports, as well as herbivores who were curious about such an event.
I don't say anything, instead I just stand still, getting more and more angry on the spot. Sam suddenly snatches the magazine out of my hand.
"Don't let them get to you, Jamel. Those bastards want division in society so they can have a reason to hurt the innocent." Sam told me, with a growl in his voice. He then hastily tore up the magazine into shreds, exactly what I thought about doing as well...
"There's already been some backlash to this article. A lot of journalists and young animals have already gone onto social media and talked about this, arguing against the group. It's no secret to what they're really up to now." Coach Harris states. Good thing everyone isn't easily led on by these guys. "Speaking of secrets... did any of you have any follow up questions regarding what we talked about on Wednesday Night?" Coach Harris added. Well... there was just one.
"Where's the Black Market in Whigata?!" I blurt out suddenly. I could feel my face heat up and turn red from embarrassment... that was rude and silly of me.
"There isn't one." Coach Harris said calmly. Sam and I look at him confused.
"But you said that carnivores need it, right?" Sam argued.
"Yes, but Whigata is way too small, and doesn't have enough herbivores for a market to work. If we did, it would easily be found out. We have other ways of getting "what we need" and let me assure you that it is much safer that having a Black Market. Most of it comes from out of town anyway." Coach Harris told me. Well, that makes me feel safer... I guess.
"If "it" is technically legal, then why did that guy get arrested at Berriwan on Saturday?" Sam asked. I think he's talking about Monty.
"Because "it" is illegal for minors to possess and use, and to have it outside the designated black market zones. The police told me that Fassid and Masama actually planted it in his room. Their jail sentence has been extended, and the other student has been released from the juvenile centre. It's also banned from all school grounds, for obvious reasons." Coach Harris explained.
"Jail?" Sam asks. "Wouldn't they go to juvie, like Abe?" Coach Harris smiled confidently
"Yes, well considering that they're both 18, they're no longer children. For their horrible crimes, they've been sent away to separate prisons. They won't be going anywhere for a long time." Coach Harris says. A part of me hopes that they'll be alright... I'm sure prison must be a tough thing to enter at such a young age. But another part of me hopes that they get what they deserve. They ruined Abe, and I can't imagine how everyone feels at both Whigata and Berriwan about this. Soon the news will spread around that not all Whigata Athletes will be returning soon, and that a bear tried to attack two Berriwan herbivores.
We talk for a few more minutes, before Coach Harris checks his watch.
"Oh man, I didn't even hear the bell go." He said in surprise. "Class started five minutes ago, you two should head off. I'll let your teachers know why you were late." Sam and I both turn around and move towards the exit.
"Jamel, just remember that there's a meeting on at recess about the State Finals." Coach Harris tells me as I'm leaving.
"Yeah, I'll be there." I say, replying to him. The door slams shut, echoing around the schoolyard. No one is around at all. I guess the bell already did go.
"I'll see you around, Jamel." Sam says before walking off to class.
"Bye Sam." I say before walking the other direction. I slowly make my way to my locker area, when I can hear a few others outside. I peer around the corner to see two large dogs standing in front of what looks like a smaller student. They're saying pretty mean things to him, and it looks like it could get rough.
Oh man... what do I do?
Chapter 248: The Scuffle of the Schoolyard
Should I distract them? No, they could turn on me. Maybe I should call for help? But what if someone gets seriously injured while I'm away. I just stand behind the corner and look on, I guess it's all I can really do at this point. One of the large dogs is a dalmatian, and the other one is some long-haired breed
"What are you gonna do, you feral mutt?" the dalmatian says
"Fight back, mongrel!" the shaggy dog taunts. They begin pushing the smaller one around, without saying a word. I just hope the smaller one is able to defend himself somehow.
"Leave me alone..." he says. The voice sounds very submissive and high-pitched. Hopefully he can get away without having to fight them.
"We're just doing the right thing, mate." The shaggy dog responds.
"You want to behave better, we gotta beat it into you. You'll thank us when you don't have to wear that thing anymore." The dalmatian adds. What... thing? The two dogs circle around the smaller one, opening it up to reveal...
Riley, and he looks very distressed. If I run out now, then he'll be ashamed of what he's become... but I can't let this keep happening. I have to save him... no, I can't, but I must! Oh, how would I be able to stop them? The two dogs then jump on top of Riley, pinning him to the ground. They pick up a few chunks of dirt and stuff it into his muzzle
"Get off me!" Riley calls out in frustration. After a few seconds, they get off of him, and walk off, chuckling to themselves.
"Just stay away from the smaller ones, Riley. Next time we won't be so easy with you" the dalmatian calls out. He must be the one that Riley was telling me about. Riley lies down on the ground for a little bit, defeated by his own instincts. He gets up and spits out all the dirt out from his face, before storming off in a huff.
I wait until the coast is clear to move off to my locker. I can't believe what I just saw; Riley being bullied over something he can't control. I would have thought that canines, out of all species, would be understanding and supportive of Riley, trying to help him through such a tough time.
I have to try and be there to help him, but he can't find out that I know about what happened. I promised Sam that I'll be around to protect all carnivores from any sort of harm, be it mental, physical, or emotional, and I'm gonna stick by my promise as well. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, and hopefully solve it, without having to fight anyone.
I quickly get everything out of my locker and move into my Maths room. As much as I don't like this class, I'm really happy to be back. Mainly away from the pair of psychotic Year 12s who wanted me to be killed by a friend, but I was beginning to feel a bit homesick.
"Sorry I'm late, Mr. Allen" I say to my Maths teacher. He turns around to see me and smiles politely.
"Not a problem Jamel. Mr. Harris has already told the office." He explains. "Take a seat, and I'll continue with the lesson."
~~
The class slowly shifts by, as it usually does, before the bell to recess goes. We all move out into the school yard, and I take my books back to my locker. As I'm putting everything away, I turn around to see Dom, the tallest lion I've ever met. He looks really happy to see me after all this time. I would have thought that after all the freakish trauma, I'd be afraid of him, but I'm strangely comforted by knowing that he's around.
"Hey Jamel. Well done on Wednesday, I heard you did really well." He says in a booming voice.
"Yeah, it was so much fun. I can't wait for the State Finals." I tell him, trying not to think about before. Speaking of, I need to go to that meeting with Coach Harris so I can find out all the info. I let Dom go through to put his things away, and I stroll comfortably off towards the gym.
Chapter 249: The Final Four
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, I feel two hands placed firmly on my shoulders from behind. It felt like I was getting slapped. I jump up in fright, and turn around quickly to defend myself, but instead I see... Odis?
"Hey Jamel, you seem a bit jumpy today." He tells me. Well, no shit. I thought I was being attacked.
"Well... herbivores don't like being surprised from behind. I didn't know what was happening..." I say, breathing heavily from panic. I need to calm myself down now.
"Sorry, I didn't know." He tells me. Weird... he's a sheepdog, so he'd know how to act around us. "Anyway, did you wanna hang out during recess today?"
"I can't, sorry. I have a meeting for the State Finals. Maybe at lunchtime..." I say. For someone I just met, he seems really interested in me. But it's not like he'd want to devour me or anything... I heard something about dogs being more resistant to the temptations of... y'know, but considering that Riley bit my hand, I'm sure that it's true.
"Well, hope it all goes well." He tells me, before I go to turn around. "Oh, by the way... I heard a rumour that Riley fought some older kids today." Odis adds. I stop in my tracks. I guess if everyone was in class, there would have been at least a few students who saw them out the window. But they would have taken it out of context. "Just remember to stay safe, Jamel. It's a tough and tricky time for us carnivores; some are having a harder time than others."
"Yeah... I'll keep that in mind." I tell him. "I gotta go now. I'll see you later." I reply to him. At least Odis is here to support me. I continue walking to the gym, thinking about everything that's happening... those other guys fighting Riley, and Odis' support for me. But thankfully, Coach Harris and everyone will be around to help me out if I ever needed help.
I enter the gym to see Coach Harris with three other students, one of them being Nalu. I guess this really is the final stage. There were about sixty of us in Lavalla, but now there's only four of us left.
"Ah, hello Jamel." Coach Harris says invitingly. "Come in, I was just about to begin explaining the State Finals. I see Nalu, who's also happy to see me, but two other students who I've never seen before. There's a lizard of some sort and a rottweiler. That must be the other two qualifiers for the State Finals.
"My name is Leah." The Rottweiler says to me. "I'm in Year 8, I'm competing in Javelin."
"I'm Peri. I'm doing the sprints." The lizard tells me. I'm practically hypnotised by his body. He has a nice, coarse, sand coloured skin, and he has a series of small, spikes sticking out of his neck, pointing downwards. He must be the Year 12 I heard of.
"You four will have plenty of time to get to know each other." Coach Harris says. We all turn to him, eager for all the info we can get. "Because you'll all be training very, very hard. You'll be throwing, sprinting, jumping and running like never before, in order to win at the State Finals."
Oh man... I hope I don't break myself before I get to Durranga.
"This year, they're holding the State Finals on Wednesday, the 7th of October. A week earlier, on the 30th, we will leave and go down to Durranga. I've booked a hotel for the five of us near the stadium, so we can also get some training in. The events will be held at the Anembo Stadium." Coach Harris announces.
"What's Anembo stadium like?" Nalu asks. I'm curious as well.
"Anembo is unlike anything else in the state. The running tracks are a beautiful ocean blue, and they're at a world-class standard. The grass is so nice and green, and the sand for the Long Jump is super soft. They use high-tech cameras to clock in times and distances, down to the tiniest millisecond and millimetre. You four are unbelievably lucky to be competing on a track like this." Coach Harris tells us. It sounds like a dream... like an amazing, magical dream.
I can't believe that all my hard work has ended me up competing on something so luxurious. I heard that they hold tryouts for national squads and even the Olympics at the Anembo Stadium... to think that some country herbivore like me can manage to get somewhere like that... it makes me think that anything is possible for me.
There's no limit!
._./|\._. Dreamtime Story 27: Scruff Stories ._./|\._.
Nalu: Hey Jamel, do antelopes have neck scruff?
Jamel: Huh? Oh, that excess skin at the back of your necks? No, we don't have that.
Peri: What's that?
Jamel: It's a fold of skin that's at the back of some animal's necks. I think it's mainly found in canines, felines and some rodents.
Leah: Whenever mum or dad had their hands full and needed to carry me somewhere, they bit down on my scruff to carry me around.
Peri: That sounds horrible!
Nalu: Actually, you can't really feel it, and they don't bite too hard. I remember really enjoying it, because it felt like I was flying!
Jamel: So, if I wanted to pick you up, Nalu...
Nalu: You could try, but I'd punch your hand away... you should never hold the scruff of someone, unless they're your child
Peri: Mammal bodies are weird...
Jamel: You're telling me...