A Prey Among Predators

All Nolan can see is black. He shudders and jerks to the motion of the car. He senses his warm hands against the skin of his forehead and cheeks.

“We’re almost there…,” Carter’s voice sounds through his ears. “...almost there…”

He giggles with anticipation. A force pushes him toward the side as the car makes a turn.

“Coming up closer… Can you smell it?”

Nolan takes a whiff. The warm, savoury aroma of food drifts into his nose. “Smells good.”

The car slows to a halt. The engine’s humming is cut.

“Okay, now open your eyes.”

Nolan lowers his hands and opens his eyes. He straightens his head to gaze ahead.

Right in front of them is a wide building in a strip mall. Its outside is modern with polished wood, glass doors, and a green roof. The glossy sign with the white words, “The Herb Café: A Herbivorous Eatery,” has faux leaves around the restaurant’s name.

“So?”

Nolan turns to him with bright eyes. “I didn’t know there was a herbivorous place here!”

“Yeah, neither did I! Until I looked it up.” He opens the driver’s door. “Come on!”

The two climb off the car and enter the restaurant. Right across the small foyer is a hostess behind a podium. Round, furry black and white ears top her ebony hair.

“Hi!” Carter greets with two fingers in the air. “Table for two!”

The hostess takes two menus from behind the podium and ushers them to the left. They stroll down one of the many aisles of the eating area, passing by prey kemonomimi enjoying their plant-based lunch.

Nolan glances at the various dishes the customers are consuming. A sense of belonging and security flutters through him, making him smile.

The hostess stops by a booth table and places the menus on the table.

Carter grins at her. “Thanks!” He then slides onto the farthest booth.

The hostess whisks away.

Nolan takes the other side of the table to face him.

He reaches out for the menu. “So you’re trying out the herbivore diet now?” He takes a menu, opens it up, and scans through it.

“No, I’m an omnivore, so I can eat this stuff too.” Carter plucks the remaining menu, opens it, and gazes at it. “I...I just wanted to, y’know, take you to a place you’d like to eat at since I, uh…” He lowers the menu with a chuckle; his worried eyes are aimed at him. “...must’ve scared you at the sushi restaurant.”

Nolan tilts his menu down to peek over it. He scoffs uneasily. “Yeah, meat kinda…” His ears flatten a bit. “...frightens me…”

“Sorry.” Carter snaps his eyes back to the menu. “Hope this makes it up.”

A pair of hands set two glasses of iced water on the table.

Carter gazes up and says, “Thanks!” before turning back to his menu.

Nolan holds an inquisitive look at the menu’s inside. He flicks his eyes up at Carter. “Does...Coach always get that mad?”

Carter perks up from the menu with raised eyebrows. “Huh? That scared you too?”

He shifts in seat, looking to aside as he lowers his menu on the table. “Well, uh, I’m just wondering…”

Carter tilts his head from side to side, eyes up. “Well, he’s short-tempered, so he does blow up here and there.” He looks back at him. “Today was when he blew up.”

“Oh.” He raises his menu and looks at it again. “I mean...how can you get so mad…” He peers up at him. “Aren’t you afraid you’d become a feral?”

Carter sucks in a breath and tenses, shoulders up to his ears. “Eh...yeah, but I guess if you’ve been mad so many times, you’re able to control your emotions and not lose your mind, even when you turn into your animal form.”

“But he fought and...and…” He lets out a sigh, casting down his eyes. “He’s lucky to have that self-control.”

“Yup. Usually those who don’t bring out their strong emotions turn feral.” He taps his menu against the table. “Since, y’know, they’ve had no exposure or practice with them, so when that outburst comes and they turn into their animal form, boof!—” He throws his hands in the air, letting the menu drop onto the table. “—they lose control.”

“And to think they don’t know themselves…”

Carter lowers his hands. “Which is something they can care less about as a feral.”

“And you can’t escape from becoming a feral.”

“You can, but it’s difficult. A feral doesn’t know they’re a feral. So if they don’t know they’re a feral, which ties into the knowledge that once upon a time, they were humane—” He shrugs with his hands out in front of him. “—how can they even escape?” He drops his posture. “They wouldn’t know how to escape, let alone figure out that they need to escape from their feral state.”

Nolan rises anxious eyes up at him. “But there is a way for them to get out?”

“Yeah...it’s tricky though, from what I’ve read. It’s some sort of powerful memory trigger loved ones need to bring up in the feral’s mind. Since all of the stuff from their consciousness is there, it’s just dormant, blocked, unused.” He gazes up in deep thought. “But having the feral to pay attention AND getting the right powerful memory triggered makes the cure…” He lowers his eyes and head back to him. “...practically impossible.”

Nolan gapes at him with stunned eyes. “Oh wow… That’s so weird. “

“It is. Crazy stuff.” He takes up his menu again. “But at least we got our heads on our shoulders, eh?” He opens up the menu.

Nolan nods with hesitancy. “Yeah… At least ferals have a place...in society…”

“...as exhibits and food.”

Nolan straightens up, tense. “Yup, I am grateful I’m a herbivore.”

Carter chuckles, looking back at him. “You’re used to it if you grew up with it.”

“Nope.” He gazes back at the menu.

Carter chortles and reverts his eyes to the menu.

Nolan gazes back up at him with confusion. “So you guys eat ferals because there’s no hope in them coming back?”

Carter peeks out from menu. “Practically, yeah. What else are they for, minus terrorizing everyone?”

“Oh…” He aims his eyes to the menu. “Aren’t you afraid...you’ll become a feral…?”

Carter lowers his menu and shrugs. “Eh, not so much. I have a game plan in my head: if I get mad, I just focus on what’s around me.” He gazes and points around. “The scenery. The people. Keep my consciousness in check.”

Nolan perks up at him. “You’ve been close to becoming a feral?”

He whirls to him. “Oh no, not at all! Got mad here and there, but nah. I don’t know how it’s like becoming a feral ‘cause I’m not one myself!” A grin pops up on his face.

“Oh...okay.”

“You scared you might become a feral?” Carter grabs his cup of water and gulps from it.

Nolan’s eyes scream fear from above his menu. “Yeah. It’s creepy. Like...where do you go?”

Carter lowers his cup and gazes up. “Like death?”

“Yeah… Except you’re still alive...but not yourself.”

“At least that’s something you don’t have to worry about if you’re a feral!” With haughtiness from his answer, Carter plunks his cup back on the table.

Nolan lets go of his menu to wrap his arms around himself. “Ugh, I already feel so self-conscious about it!”

He chuckles with sympathy. “Aw, Patty! Maybe food might help.”

“Yeah.” Nolan darts his eyes to the menu laying on the table. He pauses, then gazes back up at him. “How’d you know all this feral stuff?”

“It’s what I read at midnight when I can’t fall asleep.” Carter takes up his menu in his hands. “Interesting stuff.”

Nolan scoffs and grabs his menu again. “Okay, you dork.”

Carter shoots him a large grin before gazing back at his menu.

Notes