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“Run” by Dirt Coyote (read by Kergiby, part 2 of 2)
The following episode contains material that may be disturbing to some listeners. If a story concerning queerphobic, familial, or religious abuse in the form of conversion therapy is likely to disturb you, then please feel free to skip this one.
When Blake is sent to Guiding Path Academy, a school for converting gay boys, there’s only one thing he can do.
Today’s story is the second and final part of “Run” by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter, is writing a novel, a series, and short furry fiction. You can find his works in the recently released Furs with Benefits, upcoming anthologies, and at DirtCoyote on Twitter for future updates.
Last time, Blake had been sent to a conversion therapy school for boys. Not wanting to tolerate the lies Dr. Fitzpatrick tells him nor the awful treatment from staff and other boys, Blake took his future into his own paws and began the plans for an escape.
Read by Kergiby, a Full-Time Panther.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/run-by-dirt-coyote-part-2-of-2
Transcript
The following episode contains material that may be disturbing to some listeners.
Speaker:If a story concerning queerphobic,
Speaker:familial, or religious abuse
Speaker:in the form of conversion therapy
Speaker:is likely to disturb you,
Speaker:then please feel free to skip this one,
Speaker:and come back for another story
Speaker:another time. You’re listening to Pride Month on The Voice of Dog.
Speaker:This is Rob MacWolf, your fellow traveler,
Speaker:and Today’s story is the second and final part of “Run”
Speaker:by Dirt Coyote, who, when he’s not causing all sorts of trouble on twitter,
Speaker:is writing a novel, a series, and short furry fiction.
Speaker:You can find his works in the recently released Furs with Benefits,
Speaker:upcoming anthologies,
Speaker:and at DirtCoyote on Twitter
Speaker:for future updates.
Speaker:Ultimately, conversion therapy is futile.
Speaker:Its defenders can claim only a handful of people who have temporarily peddled public lies about turning straight,
Speaker:for like any method of torture
Speaker:the best it can hope is to make victims say whatever they think their captor wants to hear.
Speaker:It would be disingenuous to pretend it does not exist,
Speaker:or that it is not every bit as bad as it is.
Speaker:But hope remains, as this story intends to show:
Speaker:it can be escaped.
Speaker:It can be survived.
Speaker:It can be even be recovered from.
Speaker:Last time, Blake had been sent to a conversion therapy school for boys.
Speaker:Not wanting to tolerate the lies Dr. Fitzpatrick tells him nor the awful treatment from staff and other boys,
Speaker:Blake took his future into his own paws
Speaker:and began the plans for an escape.
Speaker:Read by Kergiby, a Full-Time Panther.
Speaker:Please enjoy “Run”
Speaker:by Dirt Coyote, part 2
Speaker:of 2. During the weekend, all three boys sat in the room together,
Speaker:mostly going over homework when he received a call.
Speaker:The phone on the desk rattled ominously,
Speaker:both Bernard and Blake turning towards each other with worried looks.
Speaker:It wasn't made for outgoing calls,
Speaker:only incoming and
Speaker:always a faculty member.
Speaker:Their hearts held in their chest,
Speaker:both boys sure they'd been found out.
Speaker:It wasn't until the fourth ring that Blake got the courage to get off his bed and grabbed the phone off its cradle.
Speaker:"Hello?" he asked, too afraid to even say his own name.
Speaker:"Ah, Mr. Fuller. So good to hear your voice,"
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick said from the other side.
Speaker:"Is Mr. Vasquez there with you?
Speaker:I tried to call his room, but his roommate said he was with his friends.
Speaker:His parents are calling for him.
Speaker:him." There was a short-lived moment of relief, knowing that he hadn't been found out, but it was accompanied with dread at the thought of Collin speaking with his parents.
Speaker:His own mom and dad only called Blake once, but he knew well enough to know that the calls weren't a very pleasant affair.
Speaker:He turned to the wolverine, who's brows went up with a little surprise.
Speaker:"It's your parents," he said, and Collin rolled his eyes.
Speaker:He got off the bed he was sitting in,
Speaker:taking the phone from the pine marten.
Speaker:The two boys exchanged spots, Blake reaching over and putting
Speaker:a paw on Bernard's. They held each other tight and watched the wolverine.
Speaker:"Yeah, it's me. Put them through,"
Speaker:Collin said flatly,
Speaker:waiting with the handset on his shoulder.
Speaker:He looked at his claws, flicking them against one another
Speaker:as if he could put on a show of disinterest.
Speaker:"Hi Dad…everything is fine…yeah…yeah,
Speaker:I've got friends…"
Speaker:There was a long pause in the conversation,
Speaker:the wolverine bobbing his head up and down as he listened.
Speaker:His eyes glanced over Blake and Bernard,
Speaker:and he could understand that the conversation was about them.
Speaker:"No, Dad, they're good guys…
Speaker:I don't know why that's so important to—
Speaker:Dad, just—" He was cut short and he could hear Collin's father speaking louder.
Speaker:As much as the wolverine tried to play cool,
Speaker:it was obvious that his demeanor was crumbling.
Speaker:He had to keep his head lifted as his nostrils began to flair.
Speaker:His whole body began to tremble.
Speaker:"Come say that to my face,"
Speaker:Collin muttered out.
Speaker:There was a moment of silence,
Speaker:Blake's sharp ears not even able to hear a voice come from the other line.
Speaker:"Did you hear me? I said say that to my face, you fat fuck!
Speaker:You better start running now,
Speaker:because I when I get out of
Speaker:—" He stopped and Blake could hear the flat line of the phone call being dropped.
Speaker:Collin stood trembling,
Speaker:listening to the tone of the phone before slamming it on the receiver.
Speaker:Both boys watching jumped as he kicked against a leg of the desk.
Speaker:Blake got to his feet first,
Speaker:wrapping his arms around the wolverine.
Speaker:"Don't touch me," Collin growled through a sob.
Speaker:He shook his body, trying to throw off the pine marten.
Speaker:Blake couldn't help but feel some guilt,
Speaker:like it was partially his fault he was in here.
Speaker:He didn't let go though,
Speaker:keeping him into a tight hug.
Speaker:The wolverine's paw went up,
Speaker:but not to fight off the embrace.
Speaker:Instead, he dragged his arm against his muzzle,
Speaker:wiping off the steady flowing tears.
Speaker:Bernard came up to the wolverine's side, stroking his shoulder as he cried openly.
Speaker:"I fucking hate him," Collin
Speaker:repeated over and over again between snot-filled gasps.
Speaker:Both boys led him to the bed,
Speaker:holding onto him
Speaker:as he let it all out.
Speaker:They held him close, and he didn't protest as they tried to comfort him.
Speaker:It was a reminder for Blake that they were all just boys here.
Speaker:Even though the wolverine was the biggest one in the school,
Speaker:he was actually a few months younger than him.
Speaker:He was still just a boy,
Speaker:vulnerable and deserving of love.
Speaker:All he wanted was patience and kindness. None of them belonged here.
Speaker:No one belonged here.
Speaker:"We're gonna get you out,"
Speaker:Blake said in a whisper, keeping his muzzle close to Collin's.
Speaker:His large head went up and down, most of the tears out of him.
Speaker:"Yeah, I'll be sure to get out of here, and then I'll show him,"
Speaker:he said, not getting it immediately.
Speaker:Blake shook his head back and forth and said more intently.
Speaker:"No. I mean, we're gonna get out of here…soon.
Speaker:here…soon." He stopped shaking, small mustelid ears perking up as he turned towards Blake.
Speaker:"What?" Collin was filled in with the plan they had so far.
Speaker:It was as good as a time as ever,
Speaker:but it wasn't complete.
Speaker:The wolverine was more than willing to listen, not needing to be convinced.
Speaker:His knuckles popped as he got the last details and he said with conviction,
Speaker:"Just lemme know what I need to do."
Speaker:Blake had one more important step to his plan and he was sure he knew how he was going to get it done.
Speaker:He had to wait for his meeting with Dr. Fitzpatrick the following week,
Speaker:and he felt like his bones were ready to jump out of his own fur.
Speaker:Not just with excitement for the escape, but to give the fox a taste of his own medicine.
Speaker:His stacks of research were ready when he got to his office.
Speaker:He didn't have to wait long before the door opened for
Speaker:him. Out stepped the lion boy, chipper smile on his muzzle.
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick had a paw on his shoulder,
Speaker:wearing the ugliest argyle sweater yet,
Speaker:like someone just puked up bile colored patterns onto him.
Speaker:"You've really improved these past weeks.
Speaker:I'm so proud of you,"
Speaker:he said, not even glancing to Blake yet.
Speaker:The pine marten couldn't help but furrow his brow at the other boy.
Speaker:He knew it was him that jumped Bernard in the bathroom.
Speaker:His fist clenched,
Speaker:and if they were alone,
Speaker:Blake would have thrown down right there.
Speaker:Like before though,
Speaker:the lion didn't even notice him
Speaker:as he walked out the office and into the waiting room.
Speaker:Blake followed him with his gaze,
Speaker:grinding his fangs in his maw.
Speaker:"Yoo-hoo. Mr. Fuller?
Speaker:You in there?" He turned to see the fox waving at him.
Speaker:His smile seemed more smug than usual,
Speaker:like he knew something between the two.
Speaker:"Yeah, I'm here," Blake said simply,
Speaker:getting out of the seat with his papers.
Speaker:He stepped into the office, listening to the audible click of the lock
Speaker:over the drone of the white noise machine.
Speaker:The fox walked around the desk, taking his seat before pointing at the papers.
Speaker:"Wow, very impressive.
Speaker:You've done a lot of work.
Speaker:work." Blake grabbed the first sheet,
Speaker:"So, I wanted to go over the statistics between depression and homosexuality first
Speaker:—" He was stopped by a paw raising in the air.
Speaker:"Woah, woah! Easy. Can't we just sit back and relax for a second?
Speaker:Why don't you tell me how your week went?" Dr. Fitzpatrick said, trying to loosen himself on his chair.
Speaker:Blake stared unimpressed.
Speaker:His lips remained pressed lightly together and he waited a second before saying flatly,
Speaker:"My week was fine.
Speaker:fine." He didn't say anything after that.
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick rolled his eyes, but kept a playful smile on his muzzle.
Speaker:"Normally, that's when you'd ask me how my week was.
Speaker:It's about behavior, remember?
Speaker:It's been good, by the way. Thanks for asking,"
Speaker:he said, and Blake wasn't sure if that was supposed to elicit a reaction from him.
Speaker:"I saw you at worship.
Speaker:You really got into it.
Speaker:it." That made the pine marten's eyes flick to the side,
Speaker:like he'd been caught doing something wrong.
Speaker:"Yeah. It was okay.
Speaker:The music isn't that bad," he lied,
Speaker:reply disinterested as he grabbed the top sheet again.
Speaker:"I did a lot of research and we don't have that much time,
Speaker:so could we—" "Actually,"
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick interrupted,
Speaker:leaning in and grabbing the stack of papers at its sides.
Speaker:He scooped it away from Blake before he even realized what was happening. The pine marten tried to grab them back, but the fox made sure it was firmly on the other side of the desk.
Speaker:"I was just gonna go over these on my own.
Speaker:own." Blake turned his gaze to meet the older man's and squinted at him.
Speaker:"You said we would review them together," he said, trying not to grit his teeth.
Speaker:"Yes, well, that was before I knew how much work you did.
Speaker:You're such a smart young man,
Speaker:but even I couldn't have anticipated this," he said,
Speaker:picking up the stack and giving it a wave.
Speaker:He opened up a drawer on the other side of his desk and quickly stuffed them away before crossing his fingers together and
Speaker:giving him that same small smile,
Speaker:adding, "I'm so proud of you.
Speaker:you." Blake looked in the direction the papers had been thrown in
Speaker:and then back to the fox.
Speaker:"Are you really going to read them?"
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick's muzzle twitched,
Speaker:like he was forcing his smile to remain as still as possible.
Speaker:"I've got a lot of work to do, but I'm sure I'll get to them eventually.
Speaker:There's no need to have an
Speaker:attitude. Behavior,"
Speaker:he reminded him melodically.
Speaker:His claws flexed and he had to open his palms to keep their tips from scratching the plastic armrests.
Speaker:"I don't want to improve my behavior.
Speaker:I want to go home,"
Speaker:he said, eyes narrowed on the fox. There was a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, like the doctor had done this song and dance over and over again.
Speaker:"We all want things, Mr. Fuller.
Speaker:Your parents want you to be cured, God wants you to love him,
Speaker:and I want you to be an exemplary student for the other boys.
Speaker:boys." A fire churned inside of the pine marten's gut, and he wanted to act out on it.
Speaker:"You're never gonna let me leave, are you?"
Speaker:Something of a cackle came out of the fox's throat.
Speaker:His arms spread in a flamboyant fashion that he hadn't seen him make before.
Speaker:"Is it so miserable here?"
Speaker:he asked with some glee.
Speaker:"We feed you. We teach you.
Speaker:We care for you. It seems to me like you have it pretty easy."
Speaker:Blake shook his head back at him.
Speaker:"This isn't normal.
Speaker:This isn't right.
Speaker:We're trapped." Dr. Fitzpatrick pointed a finger at him,
Speaker:and though his smile remained fixed,
Speaker:his brow furrowed
Speaker:and his vulpine slits narrowed as he said,
Speaker:"You're not normal, Blake.
Speaker:Blake." It was shocking to hear his name said by the older man.
Speaker:"You're not right, and that's the whole point of this.
Speaker:It's my job to fix you."
Speaker:"I don't need—" "Yes.
Speaker:Yes, you do," Dr. Fitzpatrick hissed,
Speaker:fist slamming into his desk.
Speaker:The fox's fingers curled into his palmpads and he squeezed it tightly.
Speaker:"And you're lucky we stopped using more traditional methods to correct you.
Speaker:you." His words were sharp, making his heart sink into the pit of his stomach.
Speaker:"More traditional methods, huh?"
Speaker:Blake sneered, muzzle wrinkling in his words.
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick pulled his paw back from the desk with a sinister grin.
Speaker:"Oh, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, Mr. Fuller. They used to strap you up with electrodes and shock you until you got better,"
Speaker:he said and then stuck his tongue between his teeth and began convulsing like a thousand volts was running through him.
Speaker:That sick grin hung on his muzzle,
Speaker:even as his body shook. "Zzzzzzz.
Speaker:"Zzzzzzz." He added, clicking his tongue at the end like something was funny about it.
Speaker:Before Blake could even think
Speaker:to stop himself, he asked,
Speaker:"Is that what they did to you?"
Speaker:His words were serious with no hint of sarcasm.
Speaker:Only disgust. The fox's wicked grin mellowed back into that small toothless smile,
Speaker:but his lip twitched close to his nose.
Speaker:He shook his head and sighed,
Speaker:"No. Don't be so dramatic.
Speaker:dramatic." His eyes flicked off to his right, like he wanted to look at the picture of his younger self.
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick leaned over his desk and whisper,
Speaker:"They had me clutch
Speaker:ice in my paws until my fingers went numb.
Speaker:numb." Blake hated him, but was beginning to pity him as well.
Speaker:He hated that too.
Speaker:"I think I get it now.
Speaker:I think I get you,"
Speaker:he stated, but didn't let any of the sympathy he felt slip through.
Speaker:"Oh?" Dr. Fitzpatrick asked,
Speaker:thin body moving back inside his chair.
Speaker:"I didn't realize these sessions went two ways.
Speaker:What is it you get, exactly?"
Speaker:he asked dismissively.
Speaker:Blake leaned in, making sure the fox had his full attention,
Speaker:even when he tried to play himself off as calm and collected.
Speaker:"You're afraid. You're afraid that if you find any contradictions to your beliefs,
Speaker:you'd have to accept that what happened to you was cruel.
Speaker:And if you go down that road,
Speaker:you'd have to confront all the cruelty you've ever inflected on others.
Speaker:others." As he spoke, the fox's soft smile began to warble.
Speaker:It was his turn to duck his eyes away.
Speaker:His ears folded back like he was trying to shield himself from the
Speaker:words. Dr. Fitzpatrick's nostrils flared,
Speaker:but he couldn't open his maw for air
Speaker:or else that calm grin might've crumbled.
Speaker:When he was finished,
Speaker:those vulpine slits returned on Blake,
Speaker:narrower than they'd ever been.
Speaker:His deepened brow spoke more than his fake smile ever said.
Speaker:It took a second for the fox to compose himself,
Speaker:and when he did, he reached one paw up to adjust his tie.
Speaker:His other opened a drawer on his desk
Speaker:and he said, "I think someone just earned themselves a week of janitorial duty.
Speaker:duty." Blake gave a sharp nod. Then he pulled his head back and thrust it forward as he spat directly at the fox's eye.
Speaker:It fell just shy,
Speaker:hitting him against his cheek.
Speaker:The saliva and mucus dripped down his fur, some beads hanging off his whiskers.
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick closed his eyes just in time, and when he opened them again,
Speaker:he wiped a thumb against his muzzle.
Speaker:"You're a very bright young man, Mr. Fuller," he said, pulling a pen from his mug and scribbling over the slip.
Speaker:"But that attitude of yours needs some discipline.
Speaker:Maybe two weeks of cleaning duties,
Speaker:just to be sure." The fox shoved the small piece of paper forward,
Speaker:but Blake didn't immediately take it.
Speaker:He breathed in through his nostrils, not needing to fake the anger, but needing
Speaker:to calm the excitement he was feeling. Dr.
Speaker:Fitzpatrick got out of his seat, walking around the desk and unlocking the door quickly. "I think we might've had enough chatting today.
Speaker:Don't forget your slip.
Speaker:I'll be sure to inform the cleaning staff.
Speaker:staff." Blake slammed his paw on the desk when he grabbed the slip.
Speaker:He got up out of the seat and walked through the door.
Speaker:As he got out into the waiting room, he paused and stood still.
Speaker:It was so routine, that he was the one to turn around and ask,
Speaker:"No 'God Loves You' today?"
Speaker:Dr. Fitzpatrick sucked in a long breath of air before letting out an exasperated sigh.
Speaker:He maintained his smile as he said,
Speaker:"I'm sure you already knew that.
Speaker:that." It wasn't until Blake got all the way back inside his room that he let his facade fall apart.
Speaker:He had stomped his way through the halls and into the dorm,
Speaker:but as soon as he got to his bed,
Speaker:he both laughed and cried.
Speaker:The fear and relief
Speaker:washed over him in conflicting emotions,
Speaker:making him want to break down and scream.
Speaker:For the first time since he'd arrived at Guiding Path Academy,
Speaker:he felt the sliver of hope crawling in.
Speaker:Janitorial duties didn't seem like a real punishment when he saw Collin and the other boys doing it.
Speaker:Now that he was the one in the position, he could see why it was.
Speaker:They made him get down on his knees and clean every crack between every tile.
Speaker:He had to scrub every corner of the school until his knuckles bled.
Speaker:Immediately after classes ended,
Speaker:he was expected to report to the custodial station
Speaker:and given a long list of chores while the other students were sitting in bible studies.
Speaker:Those weren't over either, just different.
Speaker:He had to memorize passages and repeat them back flawlessly after every task or else they'd make him start over again.
Speaker:The passages were all about repentance for sinfulness.
Speaker:Wordy atrocities he had to repeat in his mind as he cleaned just so he could avoid further punishment.
Speaker:Somehow though, he managed to keep them in mind while also remembering his goal.
Speaker:And sure enough, after spending a few days cleaning spots in the school he had never had access to before, he finally found it.
Speaker:Behind the kitchen was a hallway
Speaker:that was hidden out of view from the main cafeteria.
Speaker:He mopped the floors and inched closer and closer to it as casually as possible.
Speaker:The staff in charge of him
Speaker:didn't even seem to notice as he move.
Speaker:When he poked his head into the hallway, he could see in green letters above a door:
Speaker:Exit. "It's an emergency escape,"
Speaker:Blake explained to Bernard and Collin, a couple days before the sixth.
Speaker:He kept a text book open between his lap.
Speaker:"It's rigged to go off if it's opened, but with the fire drill going on, they won't know we slipped out.
Speaker:out." The wolverine pumped a fist and looked like he was about to call something out, but managed to restrain himself.
Speaker:Blake was glad because it was already getting late in the night and they could get in trouble just for having Collin in the room.
Speaker:Their cover right now was just studying, which could probably get them a slap on the wrist at worst.
Speaker:"So during the drill, we just head to the cafeteria?" Bernard asked.
Speaker:Blake shook his head,
Speaker:"No. There'll be too many students moving towards the field.
Speaker:You can't move against the crowd.
Speaker:crowd." Collin's teeth grit and his shoulders slumped,
Speaker:like the plan was all over before it even started. "Well,
Speaker:what the fuck man?"
Speaker:he asked, trying to keep his voice down.
Speaker:Blake held up a paw.
Speaker:"On Wednesdays, no one uses the biology lab.
Speaker:It's easy to slip into during the fire alarm and I'll make sure the doors are unlocked. We'll
Speaker:wait there until we're sure most of the students and teachers are gone.
Speaker:When the coast is clear,
Speaker:that's when we'll make our move.
Speaker:move." Bernard nodded and then asked, "What
Speaker:about once we're outside?
Speaker:Do you know where you're going?"
Speaker:Blake shared an intense look between both of them.
Speaker:Then he flipped to the back of his text book and showed off a couple pages with writing all over it.
Speaker:He ripped them out,
Speaker:the sound of the tearing paper enough to make the other boy's ears duck.
Speaker:"I know where to go,
Speaker:but in case we get split up,
Speaker:you'll have these.
Speaker:these." He passed them both a sheet and continued,
Speaker:"There's two things to keep in mind:
Speaker:first, you can't let them see this.
Speaker:I don't care if you have to hold it between your ass cheeks, Collin,
Speaker:but you cannot lose this.
Speaker:Second, all the instructions are backwards.
Speaker:If it says go north,
Speaker:you go south. If it says follow the river downstream, you go up.
Speaker:up." He passed a paper to Collin and Bernard each and then
Speaker:let out a long sigh.
Speaker:Bernard took it, folding it tightly and putting it in his pocket.
Speaker:Collin looked at it and then said,
Speaker:"I think I'm the only one in the school with butt cheeks tight enough to hold it for a few days.
Speaker:days." They laughed and the wolverine left for his room shortly after with some parting hugs to stave off the nerves.
Speaker:Bernard and Blake shared one last night in bed together, just holding onto one another until it was time to get up.
Speaker:The following evening, they would
Speaker:have to be well rested for the attempt.
Speaker:Making sure the biology lab was unlocked wasn't too hard for Blake to figure out.
Speaker:He snuck a roll of tape with him
Speaker:and taped down the latch to either door in the room.
Speaker:It felt a little too easy,
Speaker:the staff not seeming to realize he took extra time wiping down the door handles.
Speaker:All he could do was hope this wasn't an elaborate trap.
Speaker:Despite wanting to get a good night's rest the day of, his mind kept him up
Speaker:late. His eyes lingered to the window,
Speaker:the shadows of the trees clear through the reinforced glass.
Speaker:He worried that he might be leading his friends out into the wilderness and to their doom.
Speaker:Would freedom be worth it?
Speaker:By the time he came up with his answer, it was late,
Speaker:but thankfully the decisiveness was enough to calm his mind.
Speaker:He was asleep one second and then he woke up the next, dreamless, but refreshed.
Speaker:Blake got out of bed, making it perfectly as always.
Speaker:Before he left the room with Bernard, he pulled the mouse into a tight hug and whispered,
Speaker:"Stay behind your teacher.
Speaker:I'll see you soon.
Speaker:soon." They left for their classes,
Speaker:thankfully not too far apart.
Speaker:All throughout first period,
Speaker:Blake had to keep his legs from jittering.
Speaker:He felt wired, muscles coiled like tightly bound wires.
Speaker:It was the same feeling he'd get just before a race, but knew he had to hold himself back.
Speaker:It was ten minutes before the period would
Speaker:end, and Blake was beginning to worry that Bernard might have gotten the date wrong.
Speaker:Every minute that passed after made his heart race.
Speaker:At some point, he wasn't even writing notes;
Speaker:just scribbling on the paper to keep his fingers moving.
Speaker:Five minutes before the class ended, an alarm rang out.
Speaker:Every student, including Blake,
Speaker:folded their ears at the high pitched whistle.
Speaker:It rang in three round bursts before giving a five second pause and then repeated.
Speaker:"Alright, everyone, follow me,"
Speaker:the teacher said, putting away his stuff quickly before making his way to the exit.
Speaker:"Nice and orderly line, please.
Speaker:please." It wasn't nice and orderly when the students began piling out.
Speaker:There were hushes and murmurs about someone actually setting this place on fire.
Speaker:Most sounded hopeful.
Speaker:Blake was able to stay behind the largest group,
Speaker:blending in and staying low.
Speaker:Other students began coming in from every direction,
Speaker:making it easy for him to slide into the biology lab.
Speaker:Immediately, he skipped out of view from the little window on the door.
Speaker:He hugged a wall and then
Speaker:practically lept behind a lab station for safety.
Speaker:Blake waited a few seconds, poking his head from a corner at one of the doors.
Speaker:Less than a minute later, the door opened up again, and Bernard rushed inside.
Speaker:The mouse looked around,
Speaker:left and right, his heart visibly pounding in his chest.
Speaker:Blake waved for him,
Speaker:and Bernard scurried forward, practically diving behind the lab station.
Speaker:"I think someone saw me.
Speaker:I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,
Speaker:but I think a few students saw me," he repeated,
Speaker:tearing up with snot dribbling down his nose.
Speaker:Blake wrapped his arms around him, holding him tightly as he shook.
Speaker:"It's okay. It's okay. We'll keep going.
Speaker:There's no point in abandoning the plan now," he said, stroking his back.
Speaker:He assumed some students saw him go into the lab too,
Speaker:but he figured they wouldn't have had a clue what he was doing.
Speaker:Even if they might've suspected something,
Speaker:he could only hope they were on his side.
Speaker:All he could do was wait for the wolverine.
Speaker:And wait they did.
Speaker:Blake watched the clock in the center of the classroom intently.
Speaker:After a minute, he knew they were most likely in the clear from the Guardian Angels and faculty when no one came in after.
Speaker:When another minute passed though, he began to worry about Collin.
Speaker:He didn't want to leave him behind,
Speaker:but they were running out of time.
Speaker:The alarm rang again,
Speaker:giving that three whistle chime before pausing for five seconds.
Speaker:Blake had to make up his mind, knowing that they were going to kill the alarm soon.
Speaker:If he wasn't in the lab by the end of the next—
Speaker:The door opened up, and Blake instinctually ducked his head down.
Speaker:His heart was racing, expecting one of the guardians to have come in. It was only one person taking slow cautious steps towards the row of lab stations.
Speaker:He prepared himself,
Speaker:muscles tensing as he thought he might overpower the guard to at least give Bernard a fighting chance to run.
Speaker:A wolverine muzzle popped into view and both Bernard and Blake let out a sigh of relief. "Collin," the pine marten hissed,
Speaker:partially in anger for having to wait. Mostly, just glad to see him.
Speaker:He sprung up and slugged the other boy's shoulder before saying,
Speaker:"We gotta go." Collin nodded, reaching a paw down for Bernard and pulling him up.
Speaker:"Sorry. Couldn't get away from the crowd, but hid behind a locker.
Speaker:The halls are empty.
Speaker:empty." All three boys nodded at that,
Speaker:and Blake took charge.
Speaker:He moved to the other door of the lab, taking a quick peek through the little glass window before poking his head out.
Speaker:When he knew the coast was clear, all three of them moved as quick as they could while still remaining mostly silent.
Speaker:The trip to the cafeteria wasn't a far one,
Speaker:but the anxiety made it feel like a boulder was chasing after them the entire way.
Speaker:Blake led them through the back,
Speaker:down the hall where the emergency exit was waiting.
Speaker:At the sight of it,
Speaker:he made a mad sprint,
Speaker:listening to the sound of the alarm chiming in those three bursts.
Speaker:He couldn't have been sure when they would have killed it,
Speaker:but he didn't want to miss the opportunity.
Speaker:The pine marten practically slammed into it and forced down the metal handle.
Speaker:The door opened, but only enough to let a sliver of light through.
Speaker:He pushed again, but it wouldn't budge further.
Speaker:"Shit. Shit," he muttered to himself just as Collin and Blake got to his back.
Speaker:"They locked it?" Bernard asked, eyes widening in his visible panic.
Speaker:"Are they allowed to do that?
Speaker:It's an emergency exit!"
Speaker:Collin shook his head back and forth,
Speaker:"I don't think they really care about safety standards around here.
Speaker:here." Blake pushed again, trying to see through the space.
Speaker:"I think it's a padlock or something on the other side. We're gonna have to find another way out.
Speaker:Maybe there's a window or something
Speaker:—" He cut himself off as Collin held up a paw.
Speaker:"Just keep it open and step out of the way.
Speaker:I'll take care of it,"
Speaker:he said as he began to large steps backwards.
Speaker:Blake did as he was told,
Speaker:watching the wolverine line up on the other side of the hall.
Speaker:The fire alarm was still blaring,
Speaker:but he wasn't sure if it was because the drill was still going on or if
Speaker:keeping the door open forced it to continue.
Speaker:Collin waited for the three chimes, then waited another five seconds before the large
Speaker:boy charged for the door.
Speaker:At the last second, he put his shoulder into it
Speaker:and smashed into the exit with the full force of his body.
Speaker:There was a snap and the door flew open.
Speaker:Collin took a few stumbling steps forward before falling flat into the grass.
Speaker:He let out a groan and Blake rushed towards his side, getting down to the ground and putting paws on his back.
Speaker:The wolverine didn't get up immediately
Speaker:and when he tired to move his arm, he made an awful flinch. "Fuck,
Speaker:fuck," he muttered out through gritted teeth,
Speaker:trying to pull himself up with his uninjured side and help from Bernard.
Speaker:Blake looked up from the wolverine, turning his head left towards the field.
Speaker:That's when he saw it.
Speaker:The chain link fence with a hundred students standing around,
Speaker:frozen and watching the three.
Speaker:And of course, the faculty members and guardians all gawking at the sight.
Speaker:"Shit," Blake hissed,
Speaker:helping Collin up to his feet.
Speaker:The other boys looked out at what the pine marten saw, realizing they'd been caught as well.
Speaker:Collin and Bernard froze, the wolverine holding his arm.
Speaker:Blake couldn't get his legs to move or his mouth to speak,
Speaker:but the Guardian Angels were just as dumbfounded.
Speaker:It wasn't until he saw a husky's
Speaker:ears flick, like the computer in his head was just booting up, that he was able to call out,
Speaker:"Run!" Immediately, all three boys began racing towards the front lawn of the campus.
Speaker:Blake could hear the sounds of the adults running back towards the building as well.
Speaker:Collin wasn't moving very fast with his injury, and the pine marten had to keep a paw on his back to urge him forward.
Speaker:Over the noise of it all,
Speaker:he heard the sound of someone shout,
Speaker:"Break for it!" As Blake turned the corner,
Speaker:he could make out a dozen other students spreading out wide.
Speaker:They ran in every direction,
Speaker:like they'd all been waiting for this exact opportunity,
Speaker:heading towards the fences and back to the school.
Speaker:Faculty was spreading out as well, trying to run for the other boys all making their own escapes. It was pure chaos.
Speaker:"Go," Collin said, throwing off the pine marten's arm and pointing his muzzle towards the trees.
Speaker:He nodded and began to run on his own.
Speaker:Bernard was a few feet in front of him once second
Speaker:until he was a yard behind the next.
Speaker:Blake turned his head around, trying to encourage them to move faster,
Speaker:but they were putting their all into it.
Speaker:With the way Collin was moving, he wasn't going to get very far.
Speaker:Just as they passed the front entrance of the school,
Speaker:the double doors swung open.
Speaker:"Stop!" Blake heard the high pitched shrill of Dr. Fitzpatrick scream out.
Speaker:Blake saw the husky and a leopard guardian at his sides.
Speaker:Both began a mad dash for the three,
Speaker:the feline moving the fastest amongst the men.
Speaker:Bernard was still running for the trees, but Collin's gate began to slow.
Speaker:The wolverine looked up into Blake's eyes,
Speaker:and a knowing shared between them.
Speaker:Then Collin turned his body around,
Speaker:the leopard not expecting him to change momentum.
Speaker:With his uninjured side,
Speaker:the wolverine threw his full weight against him,
Speaker:pancaking the man into the ground.
Speaker:The feline was flattened
Speaker:and he didn't look like he was going to be getting up soon if at all.
Speaker:The husky leapt out of the way, stumbling for a second before catching his footing.
Speaker:The last thing Blake saw of Collin was him picking up speed and heading straight towards Dr. Fitzpatrick.
Speaker:The fox was stunned,
Speaker:legs buckling as the large wolverine began to close in on him.
Speaker:Two more guardians were coming out the entrance,
Speaker:but not moving fast enough to get in the way of Collin.
Speaker:If Dr. Fitzpatrick knew what was good for him,
Speaker:he would have started running too.
Speaker:The husky decided that the two boys were easier to deal with
Speaker:and began sprinting after them.
Speaker:Blake returned his focus in front of him,
Speaker:already to the trees with Bernard a couple feet behind him. He wanted to run faster, but the mouse was moving as fast as he could
Speaker:and he didn't want to leave him.
Speaker:Every few seconds though,
Speaker:he could tell that he was falling behind and the canine chasing them was closing in. Blake looked back to see that Bernard had become equal distance between him and the guard.
Speaker:He grit his teeth, knowing that the mouse didn't stand a chance.
Speaker:With every tree and boulder they dodged,
Speaker:the husky got a step closer.
Speaker:The dog had the advantage and as soon as he would pounce on the mouse,
Speaker:his chances of escape were gone.
Speaker:"Don't stop," Blake cried out,
Speaker:just before pretending to stumble on something.
Speaker:Either Bernard heard what he said or was just too scared to do anything
Speaker:but. The mouse blew right by his side and Blake did a fast cut to his left.
Speaker:Now he was closer to the husky and took off as fast as he could.
Speaker:He could tell the dog had stopped chasing his friend, but could practically feel his breath on the nape of his neck.
Speaker:Blake wanted to close his eyes,
Speaker:the way he might when he needed to give himself that extra boost during a race.
Speaker:He couldn't, having to look at the ground ahead of him.
Speaker:Foliage covered most of the forest floor,
Speaker:barely concealing any rock or twig that might end this chase.
Speaker:His chest burned like fire,
Speaker:his heart pounding harder than any race he'd ever competed in.
Speaker:Just as he felt himself getting distance ahead of the surely winded husky,
Speaker:he saw his worst fear.
Speaker:A large tree laid toppled directly in his path.
Speaker:If he cut left or right, he'd slow down and the dog would get him.
Speaker:He couldn't stop to crawl over it either;
Speaker:that would surely end things for him.
Speaker:Instead, he had to charge directly towards it.
Speaker:With all of his strength, he put weight into his right foot
Speaker:and lept over the log.
Speaker:Time seemed to stand still
Speaker:as he watched himself hurdle over it with one foot.
Speaker:His crotch cleared the top of it,
Speaker:and he almost felt relief.
Speaker:Then his back foot chipped the bark and he came staggering down.
Speaker:Blake hit the ground hard,
Speaker:losing speed as he tried to keep upright.
Speaker:His legs stumbled, his center shifting, and he began to fall backwards.
Speaker:He could see the husky, still charging at the log,
Speaker:even as his ass hit the ground.
Speaker:The canine could have
Speaker:easily gone around to continue the chase
Speaker:or he could have even crawled over safely and still caught up to him.
Speaker:Instead, the husky tried to make a similar leap to put an end to this.
Speaker:Blake watched as he planted his foot to the ground
Speaker:and lunged himself forward.
Speaker:His heart stood in his chest,
Speaker:ears back as he saw the dog make the jump into the air.
Speaker:But his foot didn't even clear the top
Speaker:and he crashed into the side,
Speaker:body wrapping over the log.
Speaker:There was a nasty crunch that sapped all of Blake's energy.
Speaker:He watched in horror as the guard struggled to lift his head,
Speaker:looking up with pained eyes,
Speaker:body shaking. His muzzle was wired shut, lips twitching.
Speaker:Whatever he did to his foot and leg couldn't have been good.
Speaker:The man didn't shout or cry or howl,
Speaker:but instead just stared,
Speaker:breathing sharp shallow intakes through his nostrils.
Speaker:Blake wasn't sure if he was witnessing the husky going into shock,
Speaker:but he couldn't stick around to find out either.
Speaker:He didn't have time to let out a sorry,
Speaker:even as the guilt began to build.
Speaker:All he could do was pickup where he left and jumped to his feet. Then he
Speaker:picked a direction
Speaker:and just kept running.
Speaker:The chase felt like he was miles from the school,
Speaker:lasting for hours.
Speaker:Really, it was done in minutes and he couldn't have been a mile out.
Speaker:It didn't slow him down, but eventually
Speaker:he had to put his head on straight.
Speaker:He looked at the mountains, giving himself some clue
Speaker:to where he was in relation to the gas station.
Speaker:All the while, he hoped that Bernard would jump out from behind a bush
Speaker:and he'd know he was safe.
Speaker:Then they could wrap arms around each other and congratulate themselves on their escape.
Speaker:And then Collin would pop out too
Speaker:and the three could celebrate.
Speaker:Those thoughts were nice,
Speaker:and he pretended that it was going to happen any second
Speaker:even up until the point where he found the road.
Speaker:Bernard nor Collin never showed up alongside it.
Speaker:Blake kept a good distance from the winding asphalt,
Speaker:knowing that any car that passed could be one of the faculty looking for him.
Speaker:Cars passed by, but none of them were moving at a crawl.
Speaker:He hoped that the wolverine showed them the fake instructions and they fell for it.
Speaker:Blake got to the gas station midday,
Speaker:thankful that the road guided him enough that he didn't have to rely on a single year of boy scouts to navigate him.
Speaker:He was careful to cross the road, keeping himself small and his head down.
Speaker:His first thought was to go inside and ask for help,
Speaker:but he wasn't sure who would be willing to help him.
Speaker:Or worse, if they might turn him in after he'd already gotten this far.
Speaker:Instead, he turned towards the row of semitrucks,
Speaker:keeping his eye on the diner portion of the gas station.
Speaker:He wasn't sure how obvious he looked,
Speaker:but he began trying the handles for the cabs.
Speaker:The first two were locked up and he was just about ready to reconsider going into the gas station when
Speaker:the third handle he tried opened.
Speaker:Quickly and as stealthily as he could,
Speaker:Blake jumped inside
Speaker:and closed the door behind him.
Speaker:He looked into the back portion of the cab and saw clothes lying all over the floor and seat.
Speaker:No other option, he dove himself into the pile and began pulling shirts, jackets, and pants over himself until he was fully covered.
Speaker:Blake only had to wait another half-hour before the door to the semi opened once more.
Speaker:He had to keep himself from curling in on himself,
Speaker:afraid any movement
Speaker:would give him away.
Speaker:All he could do was take small breaths between a denim jacket
Speaker:and a well worn wife beater.
Speaker:It wasn't until the engine roared and
Speaker:the truck began to move
Speaker:that be allowed himself to relax.
Speaker:Thankfully, the trucker,
Speaker:a skunk of some sort from the scent,
Speaker:didn't even seem interested in the back half of the cab.
Speaker:He just blasted his country music carelessly,
Speaker:and Blake thought he hated it at first.
Speaker:It wasn't until an hour in the drive that he realized
Speaker:this was the first time he'd heard music that wasn't the same christian rock band they played during every worship.
Speaker:And when he thought of that,
Speaker:he realized that he wasn't in the confines of the school anymore.
Speaker:He hadn't been for hours.
Speaker:And for miles. With the speed at which the truck was going,
Speaker:he figured he was another mile every minute that passed. All of it
Speaker:began to wash over him,
Speaker:and he wanted to break down right there
Speaker:underneath the pile of clothes.
Speaker:"You mind passing me an energy drink?"
Speaker:the truck driver asked as the volume of the music went down.
Speaker:Blake's eyes widened, but he remained still, not making a sound.
Speaker:"There's a cooler back there, probably underneath some underwear or some shit.
Speaker:shit." Blake's brain was working faster than the engine of the semi,
Speaker:probably a mile a second.
Speaker:Part of him was sure he could scramble for the passenger side of the cab and jump out the door.
Speaker:That plan lasted a second,
Speaker:probably a second longer than it should have when he realized he'd probably end up a smear on the side of the road if he did that.
Speaker:Mangled and being forced to go back to Guiding Path Academy
Speaker:didn't seem like a good fit.
Speaker:The trucker waited a little bit longer,
Speaker:Blake not coming to a decisive plan of action yet.
Speaker:He wondered if the man just did that whenever he got back inside his truck,
Speaker:not really expecting an answer.
Speaker:Just some sort of joke he told to himself or a trick to get someone to admit they were hiding underneath the clothes.
Speaker:That was dismissed when the man said,
Speaker:"Saw you hop into the cab through the diner window.
Speaker:You're from that bullshit christian prison camp, right?"
Speaker:Blake flinched at that,
Speaker:and he was sure that the man heard it.
Speaker:Taking a risk, the pine marten slowly reached a paw up,
Speaker:pulling the denim jacket off his muzzle
Speaker:just enough to see the trucker.
Speaker:It was a skunk, a spotted one,
Speaker:with grey along the underside of his muzzle climbing its way to his cheeks.
Speaker:The man didn't turn his head back, but he could see by the direction of his ears that he was listening.
Speaker:Blake couldn't do much more than glare at him.
Speaker:There was an intrinsic sense of being cheated,
Speaker:like he got all this way only to get caught at the last second.
Speaker:He didn't respond.
Speaker:The trucker did however reach an arm back and waved it at him.
Speaker:"Listen, I ain't gonna turn you in,
Speaker:but I don't have to take you all the way west if you're gonna be a shithead.
Speaker:shithead." Blake considered his options,
Speaker:and then reached around for the cooler.
Speaker:He found it under a pile of underwear,
Speaker:rolling his eyes as he had to pick them all off individually before opening it up.
Speaker:There were a couple bags of chips inside,
Speaker:but he found the can and pulled it out before putting it in the skunk's paw.
Speaker:"Thanks," he said. Blake watched as he cracked it open,
Speaker:taking a long sip of it before putting it in a cup holder.
Speaker:The music remained at a low volume, like he expected Blake to say something.
Speaker:"Well?" he asked, the pine marten had to think back at what he was waiting for.
Speaker:"Oh," he whispered to himself.
Speaker:He thought about it for a second, wondering if he should lie.
Speaker:If the skunk knew about the school and hadn't thrown him out yet,
Speaker:then it was worth being honest,
Speaker:if just to satisfy his curiosity.
Speaker:"Yeah, I'm from Guiding Path Academy."
Speaker:"Yeah, figured as much," the skunk said, bouncing his head up and down.
Speaker:"Truth be told, I only take a break at that stop and leave the doors unlocked in hopes to snag someone out of that hellhole.
Speaker:Name's Emmanuel, by the way."
Speaker:Blake folded his ears back,
Speaker:staring intently at the back of the skunk's head.
Speaker:After months of being only able to trust his two closest friends,
Speaker:he wasn't sure if he could trust this random stranger.
Speaker:It felt like Dr. Fitzpatrick forcing him to participate all over again.
Speaker:"Why're you helping me?"
Speaker:he asked, that feeling of jumping out the semi coming back to him.
Speaker:He saw Emmanuel's muzzle pull back in a smile, his eyes flicking back to meet Blake's.
Speaker:His attention was only off the road
Speaker:for a second before his head tilted back.
Speaker:"Shit kid, can't a guy do something nice?" he asked,
Speaker:and the pine marten couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at that.
Speaker:The skunk must've got the feeling, but he kept that wide toothy smile
Speaker:and even added the bark of a laugh to it. "Fuck,
Speaker:you been watching too much TV if you think all truckers are like that.
Speaker:You don't have to come up here if you don't wanna.
Speaker:Actually, it's probably best if you stayed put in case any troopers give us shit.
Speaker:shit." Blake didn't say anything again,
Speaker:but he at least stopped trying to burn holes into the back of Emmanuel's
Speaker:head. He just adjusted himself, only realizing how sore his tail and legs were now that the adrenaline was drained from his body.
Speaker:Getting into a more comfortable position, he turned himself so he could face the skunk,
Speaker:not sure if he wanted to take his eyes off him.
Speaker:"You got contacts on the west coast?"
Speaker:he asked before taking a sip of his energy drink again.
Speaker:Blake kept his muzzle short,
Speaker:partially because he had to think about it,
Speaker:but mostly because he didn't want to say
Speaker:no. Again, Emmanuel seemed to know the words that he wasn't saying and said,
Speaker:"Look, you can be a little asshole to me,
Speaker:but that shit ain't gonna get you far.
Speaker:I've got some friends that might be able to help,
Speaker:but I'm starting to wonder if I wanna introduce ya.
Speaker:ya." Blake's muzzle twisted, fangs exposed even if the skunk couldn't see it, and grumbled,
Speaker:"It's been hard, alright?"
Speaker:The skunk lifted a paw up to his rounded ear, cupping it backwards.
Speaker:"Sorry, what was that?"
Speaker:Tears were already running down the side of his muzzle as he repeated, shouting,
Speaker:"It's been hard!" He expected Emmanuel to stop the semi at that point.
Speaker:Expected him to pull over to the side of the road and kick him out right there.
Speaker:Blake waited for the change in speed,
Speaker:fur bristling almost as if preparing for the cold outside air.
Speaker:It never came, and instead the skunk just bobbed his head up and down.
Speaker:"Sounds like it." Those words hung in the air,
Speaker:and they felt more genuine than anything that ever came out of Dr. Fitzpatrick's muzzle. He gnawed at his lip for a second,
Speaker:thinking about what he wanted to say.
Speaker:Only one thing came to mind.
Speaker:"I'm sorry. I'm really grateful for your help.
Speaker:help." Emmanuel smiled at that, tilting his head to make sure Blake could see it. "Aye,
Speaker:no biggie kid. Hey, I got ya outta there, right?"
Speaker:"Right," he said, and then thought about the only thing Dr. Fitzpatrick said that might've had any truth to it.
Speaker:"Hi, Emmanuel. My name's Blake.
Speaker:Blake." They chatted for a bit,
Speaker:the pine marten opening up about himself,
Speaker:even if it was mostly for Emmanuel.
Speaker:The skunk was chattier than he expected,
Speaker:but he kept up and answered all his questions.
Speaker:He even laughed at some of his jokes, which the skunk never seemed to be short of. Throughout the conversation though, there was a question he put off until his curiosity overcame his reservations.
Speaker:“Emmanuel,” he asked, pausing when he got that stabbing guilt of not wanting to know an answer.
Speaker:The skunk’s ears were raised though,
Speaker:listening like he might know the question already.
Speaker:“How’d you know about Guiding Path?”
Speaker:Emmanuel gave a small sigh through his nostrils.
Speaker:“Been there once. Made a dropoff.”
Speaker:The air in the cab dropped at least ten degrees, even under all the clothes.
Speaker:His fur bristled and he clutched his paws into fists.
Speaker:Before his blood could really begin to boil, Emmanuel added,
Speaker:“That’s where we’re going. To see my son.”
Speaker:There didn’t seem to be a lot of joy in his words.
Speaker:The thought of his parents left a bitter taste in his muzzle.
Speaker:Before he could hold himself back, he asked,
Speaker:“He forgave you?” His question felt more rhetorical than not.
Speaker:It seemed impossible for Blake to imagine forgiving his parents himself.
Speaker:In fact, he was completely content never seeing or hearing from them again.
Speaker:“Him and his have. Didn’t happen overnight, but we got there eventually,”
Speaker:he said, bobbing his head up and down in small nods.
Speaker:Blake could see his muzzle twisting into a snarl though,
Speaker:like there was an ache in his bones.
Speaker:“Me though, I think I gotta whole lotta wrongs to make right before I get there.”
Speaker:Blake wanted to hate Emmanuel for what he admitted,
Speaker:but the remorse in his voice made it hard to hold onto those feelings.
Speaker:As well, if it wasn’t for him,
Speaker:he could have still been stuck back at the gas station.
Speaker:For the first time since they started speaking,
Speaker:the skunk didn’t have anything to say.
Speaker:His muzzle was closed tightly,
Speaker:eyes focused on the road.
Speaker:The pine marten wondered if he was imagining the years of conversations he lost
Speaker:sending his son to that awful school.
Speaker:“Thanks for helping me get this far.
Speaker:It means a lot to me,”
Speaker:Blake said, the slight consolidation for the guilt he so obviously wore.
Speaker:Emmanuel just gave a “Mhmp,”
Speaker:not seeming like he was ready to speak yet.
Speaker:Blake let out a long sigh of relief,
Speaker:not even bothering to cover it up in case the skunk might've mistook it.
Speaker:He didn't care. He was free.
Speaker:Confined to the tiny cab in the back of a semi,
Speaker:but more free than he'd been since the months he'd arrived at Guiding Path Academy.
Speaker:More free than he'd been since hiding his sexuality from his parents.
Speaker:Though he hoped the best for his friends,
Speaker:he knew that one thing was true from this point forward:
Speaker:Blake wouldn't have to run anymore.
Speaker:This was the second and final part of “Run”
Speaker:by Dirt Coyote, read for you by Kergiby,
Speaker:a Full-Time Panther.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Happy Pride, and Thank you for listening
Speaker:to The Voice of Dog.
