Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

When Boris woke up the next day, the light from outside was spilling through the fancy curtains and blinds on his window. He felt a presence behind him and he turned his head quickly, seeing Tyler there. The German shepherd was sliding his thumb against his phone with uninterest.
"Morning . . ." Boris tried.
"Hey," Tyler said, not looking up from the screen. "How did you sleep?"
"I had a nightmare. As usual." the otter sighed. "I'm not asking for dreams but I'd rather have nothing."
"Sorry to hear that," Tyler answered. "I slept pretty well. This bed's comfy as hell."
"I bet you don't want to even know how much it costs," Boris poked, playfully. "Hold on . . . you wear glasses?"
"You're right, I don't," Tyler said, curtly. "And, yep. Guess I've never worn them around you guys." He thought back to his talk with Leah the day before. "So what's the plan? Keep moving along now that we're refreshed?"
The otter shook his head. "Well, my sister's a witch, so that was quite the news. She already knew Absalom was possessing me."
"Holy shit, really?" Tyler faked wide eyes and surprise. "Witches exist?"
"Apparently," Boris told him, rubbing his face exhaustedly. "She's gonna try and work on a way to help me. Everything will be fine if we stay here for a few days."
"Days?" Tyler asked. "How long?"
"However long it takes," the otter reported. "It will be worth it." I could be free.
The canine scratched under his chin and then pushed up his spectacles. "I guess . . . you sure your parents will be chill with that?"
"They didn't even notice I was gone . . ." Boris muttered. "I doubt they'll even meet you."
"They didn't notice? What do you mean?"
"It's fine." Boris waved him off. "They're extremely busy. I get it."
"So what? What if you hadn't come back? Would they have ever noticed?"
Boris looked down, picking at the sheets with his claws. ". . . Eventually. And even then, they'd probably just assume I'm dead and move on with their busy lives."
"The fuck?" Tyler frowned. "That's shitty."
The other animal shrugged. "Are you hungry? We should go down to the kitchen and request one of the butlers to make us a good meal."
Tyler put a hand on his stomach and as if in response to his touch, it growled loudly. "We haven't eaten since those muffins yesterday . . ."
"Let's get down there."
Sitting at their large and ornate dining table with its multiple centerpieces, candles, and cloth that ran along the full length at it, Boris looked around the home he was so accustomed to. He realized how lucky he was to have something like this now that he had been out in the world and experienced true pain.
His father had never been there for him due to his busy lifestyle, but he still had a significant roof over his head, and everything was handed to him. He never had to grab things for himself or rely on himself. This whole Absalom business had been an authentic learning experience. A twisted one, but a learning experience nonetheless.
Boris glanced at Tyler, who continued to mess around with his cellular device. "Tyler."
"I just wish I could get ahold of him. Even for five minutes," the dog fussed.
Boris leaned forward on the table. "Him?"
"Nick! I've tried contacting him multiple times since the concert, and he hasn't even read it. I'm worried."
Boris moved his claw in a circle on the mahogany table. ". . . Tyler, I don't know how to say this. Do you recall me telling you about the Mortal Guard?"
"Yeah."
"Well . . . they took him." Boris gazed at Tyler's face, trying to gauge a reaction. What he received was a face of concern and anger. "What?! Why?!"
"Because I committed a supernatural crime in public, and he witnessed it. And, now that I think about it, he knows about Absalom. Odds are that he's still there."
Tyler clutched his phone tighter. "W-well, we gotta save him or something! How do we find them?!"
"Tyler, no! We can't do something that foolish. They're already after me. If I get caught, I'll be locked up there and most likely killed! And you know about Absalom, too!"
The German shepherd cursed. "They're gonna think I'm your accomplice or some shit."
"We can't risk it," Boris sighed. "I care about Nick, too. I'm sorry."
Tyler's bottom lip quivered. "It's just . . . how the hell are we going to get to him?"
Boris shook his head slowly. "I don't know anything about it other than they're after us. But I can assure you they have a place for animals like us there, and it isn't a good one."
The canine hung his head. "But Nick . . . it's not fair. They're gonna perform experiments on him or something! Or worse, torture him for information!"
Boris opened his mouth to speak, but the door flung open, and a tall adult otter burst through, wearing a black suit with a black and white polka dot tie. The man was slim and carried himself in a manner of professionalism that not even Boris matched.
The younger otter stood up quickly. "Father!" Tyler's head turned in that direction, and he seemed to be unsure of what to do with himself.
"Boris." The older man looked at Boris and regarded him with rather intense eyes. His eyes shifted. "And you brought a friend with you."
"Remember that band I told you I was a part of?" Boris asked. "This is the bass guitarist."
"Ah. That independent rock band, yes," Boris's dad nodded. "Well, nice to meet you. My name is Gerald Downing. You can call me Mr. Downing." He stuck out his hand.
The canine stood up quickly and shook it. "Tyler. Very nice to meet you, sir. Your home is awesome."
Boris could immediately tell that his friend was intimidated by the powerful male otter in his presence.
Mr. Downing looked around. "Certainly. I would guess you aren't used to such luxuries?"
Tyler shook his head. "No, sir. My house only has one floor."
"Well, that's alright. This was all inherited. I must say, running the company means your job is never done. I'm lucky I even get to stop and have this conversation."
The younger otter looked down.
Mr. Downing sighed. "You should come to one of our house parties some time. It's always open to the common folk, though little Boris has always been a stickler when it comes to parties."
Boris blushed and sunk into his seat. "Dad . . ."
"I'm aware," Tyler laughed. "I hope it's not a problem that I'm here."
"As long as you stay away from my daughters if you know what I mean," Mr. Downing chuckled.
Boris slapped his palm on the table gently. "Dad!"
Mr. Downing looked over. "I'm just setting boundaries, son. So he knows not to go poking his nose around where it doesn't belong."
Tyler raised a hand. "Trust me, sir. You won't have to worry about that. I have no interest in women."
Mr. Downing raised a brow. "You're here to court my son, then?"
"DAD!" Boris nearly shouted.
Tyler's ears went back. "Oh, no, no, no, no! We're just friends!"
Mr. Downing adjusted his tie. "I'm just letting you know I have nothing against your lifestyle. Now, if Janette were here . . . I'm sure we'd be having a different conversation."
"Don't bring mom into this . . . ." Boris mumbled.
Mr. Downing cleared his throat. "Alright, boys. I need to be on my way." He nodded his head toward Tyler. "It was very nice meeting you. I'm sure we'll speak again."
The German shepherd smiled shyly. "Yes, sir."
The older animal regarded his son with a similar nod, then quickly exited the room, taking his overwhelming presence with him.
Tyler was almost speechless. "What the fuck?"
Boris frowned, feeling rather heavy. "What?"
"He's so fucking cool. Why didn't you tell me he wasn't a prick?! You always made it seem like he was!"
"I never said that," Boris fired back. "I said he never had time for me. He didn't even tell me he loved me or hug me before he left . . . ."
Tyler grunted. "You think I got any of that shit? At least he doesn't beat you for being gay or having a friend over."
"I'm sorry."
Tyler uncrossed his arms, holding his hands up. "No, no. That was rude of me to say. Your experiences are different from mine, and your feelings are on a different level. Besides, he's gone now."
Boris looked to the side. "God . . . I'm so sorry. I just couldn't watch him hurt you, and it kept escalating and . . . ."
The canine stared at the intricate wood of the table. "I don't want to even know what happened when they found him or go near there. Promise me we'll stay away?."
The otter nodded solemnly. "I promise."
"So, Janette . . . is she . . . ."
"My mother, yeah," Boris nodded. "It was a whole thing."
"Your dad said things would be different if she were still here . . . What did he mean? Is she dead?"
Boris sighed. "Long story short, she had an affair with my private homeschool teacher. She ran off with him, and then my dad changed."
"Changed?"
"Believe it or not, he did use to be an uptight asshole, but now we know it was because my mother was influencing him to feel that way. She wanted to control everything, and when she wasn't getting her way, she found an animal who did let her get what she wanted."
Tyler rubbed his neck. "So . . . how did you find all of this out?"
"Well, I used to listen to classical records in the ballroom. I used it as an escape from everything around me, and it helped me calm down. One night, I went in there and found my father drunk, which was a shock because I had never seen him that way. But it was one night we spent together, and he told me everything, and I listened. Finding out your mom isn't who you thought she was is difficult."
"Ditto with my grandfather," Tyler sighed. "But the opposite. He was nicer when he adopted me. That was when my grandmother was still alive. Shortly after my parents died, we found out she had cancer, and, let's just say, the day after she passed, he took out his feelings on me. I think that's all he ever did from that point, as well as drinking and smoking almost non-stop. How he was still kicking this long, I dunno."
Boris continued to feel heavy throughout the entire conversation. "Damn, Tyler . . . ."
"And he was a lazy shitbag, too. I only know how to drive because he made me learn and get my license so I could run his errands for him."
Boris shook his head, disgusted. "Why didn't you call the police?"
"I did," Tyler snapped, and that was the end of that.
Suddenly, an otter butler came through the door, rolling a tray with their food out on a cart. "Food, Master Boris!"
Boris nodded. "Thank you, Marcel."
Marcel took the plates of breakfast food and set them down in front of the animals, along with crystal glasses of orange juice and silverware so clean that an animal could probably do their makeup in their reflections.
The otter picked up his fork and poked at his superb yellow and white scrambled eggs garnished with freshly crushed pepper. "So we've both had it rough, then?"
Tyler leaned on his palm while also jabbing at his food, the fork in his free hand. "Yeah. Guess we have. Only the difference is you're possessed now and have yet to go through the worst of it."
"Let's have faith in Leah, then," Boris muttered with a twinge of uncertainty.