prompt: Write a story set in a city where the power suddenly goes out, leaving everyone in darkness.
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Curfew had less to do with safety or control of the citizens than an innate fear of the dark. The ruling elite, all grens, instituted the curfew to avoid having to go out in the dark, forcing the working class, including the naturally nocturnal baras, to toil away under the sun. As that sun set, the city was awash in streetlights, floodlights, and the lights from windows where the grens huddled in comfort.
Philbert was, to his mind, quite a dashing gren; not too tall, suitably bulky, with iridescent green and gold fur. He cut a handsome figure in his police uniform, and it was only a matter of time until he’d be promoted to a position where he’d never again have to go on night patrol. Just the thought of it raised his hackles and made his large, round ears twitch.
He settled himself, smoothing his fur with his long fingers and patting his pistol in its holster, imagining her inspecting him. Curfew, and with it his shift, was less than an hour away. Philbert made his way to the station, the crowds in his neighborhood growing as people made their way home. Most of his neighbors were baras, as it wasn’t the best neighborhood. They streamed past him, tall and lithe, slick black fur, pointed ears, and every one of them wearing heavy goggles against the light of the sun.
A group of baras was standing around near the station, four males vying for the attention of the female he saw there most days. Screwing up courage he didn’t possess, Philbert approached the group. “Hey folks, curfew is almost here. You should probably head home. Wouldn’t want to have to arrest any of you.” He laughed a nervous laugh, hoping they’d take it as a joke rather than the spur-of-the-moment bluster it was.
“No sir,” the large female said, “you don’t want to arrest any of us. So scared your eyes are all pupil, can’t hardly see the yellow.” The group laughed, throwing their heads back. The males, smaller than the female, had a bright blue stripe at the base of their neck, while the female had none.
Philbert put his hand on his pistol. “Just trying to be friendly. Don’t push me.”
“Hey little guy,” she said, “you should stay out of female business and leave it to the ladies. Where’s your one and only to protect you, huh?” The group laughed again. “I’m just trying to decide which of my boys I’m going home with tonight, unless you think you have a shot?” The laughter this time was harsh.
“I said, ‘Don’t push me.’” Philbert’s grip on his pistol tightened and the spurs on his wrists extended. A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.
“Move it along, please,” the tall female gren said. Her brown fur with cream spots was immaculate, her eyes the brightest yellow and her ears had magnificent tufts of cream fur. It was her.
The group left, laughing. Philbert let out a sigh. “Thanks, Sergeant Plia.”
“No problem.” Plia patted him on the back. “Rina is out sick, so you can work the desk tonight if you don’t want to patrol solo.”
“I can do a solo patrol,” he said, with the most bravado he could muster. She was out of his league for now, but he was determined to change that. Unlike the baras with their harems, grens mated for life, as it should be, and males like Philbert did everything they could to be an ideal mate for powerful females like Plia. It helped that the male-female ratio of grens was close to even while male baras outnumbered females nearly five to one.
“Clock in and take the down-east foot patrol tonight.” Plia ran a hand along his ear, both calming and exciting him at the same time. “Think you can handle that, Phil?”
He puffed out his chest. “Yes, Plia… uh, Sergeant.”
“Just a suggestion,” she said. “Don’t try to intimidate a female bara when she’s with her harem. Forces her to stand up to you.”
Philbert nodded. His heart, so light a moment ago at her touch now dropped like a lead weight into his belly. “Thank you, Sergeant.”
By not looking at the sky, Philbert was able to walk his rounds without being too spooked. The massive streetlights and floodlights provided almost as much illumination as an overcast day. The little scurrying animals in the alleys gave him the willies, though. Four-footed, scampering animals that didn’t even lay eggs. Their young came right out of them fully formed, with long teeth for gnawing and biting. Some people kept them as pets, but they were just so disgusting.
It was on his third trip around the neighborhood when the lights went out. Every streetlight, floodlight, window, and sign went dark. No moonlight or stars, as the overcast sky hid them. Philbert began to shiver.
His ears swiveled forward and back, alerting on every little sound. The shuffle of the four-footed creatures, the click of beetles, the sounds of grens in the apartments above scrambling to find candles while the baras in their apartments whooped with joy.
One sound, though, he wasn’t expecting. She sounded like the female bara he’d encountered in front of the station. “You okay there, little guy?”
His hackles raised and the spurs on his wrists extended, but he felt himself unable to move. “Wh—who’s there?”
“I’m Lyla, and you’re Phil, right?”
He turned around slowly, unable to see anything. “It’s, uh, Philbert.” His hand found his flashlight and he turned it on. It was the female from earlier, but she wasn’t wearing her goggles. Her large eyes reflected the light back like warning beacons before she held her hand up to block the light.
“Ow! Turn that thing off! Are you trying to blind me?”
He turned it off without a thought to do otherwise. “No, I…, I can’t see anything.”
“Well, now neither can I. Give me a minute to readjust, and I’ll get you home.”
“Is your ha—harem around?”
“No, they’re being good boys and staying home. Maybe. Or they’re off playing with some other female. Either way, they aren’t here.”
“Why are you out?”
“Do you have any idea how rare it is to be able to see the city? I mean really see it?”
“Uh, yeah. I used to work days like a normal person.”
“Imagine trying to navigate the city while having a searchlight pointed in your eyes.” Lyla placed a hand on his shoulder. It was far gentler and more comforting than he would have guessed.
“That would, uh, make me blind.”
“Exactly. Hurts like hell. We don’t have daytime eyes like you, but we don’t make the rules in this part of the country.” She cocked her head. “Now that I can really see you, you’re pretty fancy. I think I’m going to have to call you Fancy from now on.”
Philbert’s eyes strained, but he was beginning to see at least vague outlines. “I can see a little bit,” he said, “but not very well.”
“That’s good. Come on, Fancy, let’s get you back to the station, huh?”
“Are—are you turning yourself in for breaking curfew?”
Her laugh was gentle. “No, silly. I’m just getting the poor male back home before something terrible happens to him.” She rubbed his back, which he found oddly comforting. “I’m a proper female who cares for her males.”
Philbert stiffened. Did she just select me for her harem? She’s not even a gren. And those pointy ears, and those eyes. He turned to face her, and got as close as he dared, trying to see her eyes. They were dark orbs, not the glowing terrors he had imagined.
“Let’s go Fancy,” she brushed his ear as Plia had done earlier. “I want to get you back before I get accused of kidnapping a police officer.”
Philbert accepted her offered hand, their fingers intertwined, and let her lead him. After a few stumbles on curbs and uneven sidewalks, Lyla put her arm around his shoulder and held him close. Instinctively, he put his arm around her waist and let himself be led. She wasn’t the beauty that Plia was, but there was something about her that pulled him in.
“Lyla, what did you mean when you said your males?”
Lyla led him to a park bench and sat with him. She faced him, placing her hands along both sides of his face. “Oh, little Fancy. Want to join my harem?”
“No, I uh…, I mean…,” he wasn’t sure what he meant. “I’m confused.”
“Oh, you poor thing. Lyla will take care of you, until you find your one and only, if that’s what you want.”
“You scared me before,” he said, “but you’re so comforting. Maybe even more than Plia.”
“She’s the female that has all the males in the station strutting about, right?”
He nodded, embarrassed by the transparency of his gender.
“You’ll never win her over.” She stroked his ears. “She’s been making nesting eyes at one of the city council.”
“How—how do you know that?”
“I work in City Hall.” She chuckled. “When you’re just the bara that cleans the toilets and dumps the trash, you see everything.”
The clouds parted and moonlight pierced the sky, brighter than Philbert could have imagined. Stars began to peek out from the breaking clouds. He’d never seen anything like it.
Lyla turned her eyes to the sky, the moonlight reflecting bright purple in her eyes, and making her black fur gleam. “I’ve missed this. It’s beautiful.”
“It is,” he said staring, captivated by her eyes. He found himself thinking unnatural thoughts about her.
Lyla turned back to him and stroked his ears again. “I usually prefer my boys taller and thinner, but I think we could get along quite well.”
“You mean that?”
“I do, little Fancy.”
“Even if it means I pair-bond with you?”
“Does it mean I have to give up my harem?”
He laughed. “I can’t believe I’m saying it, but no, it doesn’t. You just feel right. I know it’s unnatural, but—”
She shushed him and pulled him to a warm embrace. “Does this feel unnatural to you?”
He melted into her strong arms, feeling protected, secure. In that moment, she was the female of his dreams; his one and only. “No, it doesn’t.”
They held each other for another hour, until the city lights began turning back on, and Lyla had to put her goggles back on. Philbert’s heart ached when the bright orbs were hidden from his view.
“Well, I didn’t get you back to the station, but I kept you safe. Feel better, Fancy?”
“I do. But you say that like you’re leaving me.”
“I’m giving you the option to back out.” She rubbed his ears again. “Come see me tomorrow at the same spot you met me. I’ll be alone, and you can give me your decision in the full light of day.”
Philbert nodded. “I’ll see you then. You should, uh, probably get home before another patrol comes around. Hate for you to be arrested.”
“I know how to stay out of trouble,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
At the end of shift, Philbert watched the other unbonded males as they reported to Plia. They puffed up as they spoke to her, putting on their most cheery demeanor. Away from the presence of the only eligible female in the station, however, their moods were much more sullen, the blackout having sapped their spirit.
Corporal Keeri, a pair-bonded female, stopped him on his way to make his report. “You look down, Philbert. If you want to turn the sergeant’s head, you should act more confident. She’s obviously picky, or she’d be bonded by now. Handsome guy like yourself might have a chance if you cheer up.”
“Thanks, Keeri, but I heard she already has eyes for someone else.”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Ly—a friend that works in City Hall.”
“You know, when I bonded, my boy was just like you.” She gave him a pat on the rear before turning her attention to two officers that were fighting with a male bara to get him to look at the camera. “Don’t take his guff! Take those damn goggles off and hit him with the flash until he behaves!”
“Corporal! Do you have any idea how painful that is for them?” Philbert wasn’t sure where this assertiveness to a female, and a superior at that, was coming from. “It’s like being forced to stare at the sun!”
“Got a soft-spot for tall, dark, and skinny, eh?” Keeri shook her head. “Figures. Go see the sergeant and give her your report.”
Philbert walked into the sergeant’s office, his head held high, his fur smooth, his chest resolutely not puffed up. “Philbert reporting. No activity in the down-east on my watch.”
“And during the power outage?”
“Used my flashlight, stayed to the main roads.”
“Good job, Phil.” Plia cocked her head. “I notice you’re not posturing. Did you pair-bond and I didn’t hear about it?”
“Ye—no, not… maybe.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I know you’re interested in someone in City Hall. I’m no competition.”
“As curious as I am how you know about Gillam, I’m more curious about how you answered my question. Did sweet little Phil find himself a one and only, or not?”
“I’m… not sure.”
“Let me know when you figure it out. Now get your cute little self out of my face. See you at sundown.”
“One other thing, Sergeant.” He screwed up his courage and let it out. “Keeri and some of the others are torturing the bara in booking. Purposely flashing the camera in his eyes with his goggles off. I know… baras. This is incredibly painful for them.”
“That took some bones to let me know, Philbert.” She tilted her head and studied him from head to toe. “Thank you. I’ll deal with it.”
She used my full name! And she was checking me out! Do I have a chance? Philbert stopped his runaway thoughts. There was no way he could compare to a city council member.
Philbert tossed and turned for hours before sleep came. He dreamt that Plia came to him with open arms. She embraced him and he felt tense, frightened. When she morphed into Lyla, he relaxed, overwhelmed with a sense of comfort and security.
The alarm jolted him awake, and he felt the bed beside him, but no one was there. He sighed as he realized it had been a dream. He shook himself awake and washed up, grooming his fur carefully. Where he had been imagining Plia the previous morning while doing this, he couldn’t get Lyla out of his mind. I would have to share. Can I?
He arrived at the station early to wait for Lyla. He smoothed his uniform and fur, and stood tall, his chest puffed out. A sharp whistle caught his attention.
“Hey, pretty boy! Wanna ride?” It was a female gren, driving a sports car, her fur grey at the temples. The ring in her ear marked her as a widow, no doubt desperate for a new male to pair-bond with.
Philbert shook his head and turned away from her.
“Tease! Pair-bonded boy out here struttin’ like you’re lookin’ for something. Your female should take you over her knee and….”
He stopped listening to her and she finally drove off in a squeal of tires. He deflated, his head and shoulders drooped. Who am I kidding? Lyla hadn’t been serious; she was just trying to keep him from arresting her. There was no way she was interested.
“Hey, Fancy. You feeling down?”
Philbert jerked to attention and looked up at her. “You came?”
“I said I would.”
He shivered, his hair fluffing out. “You meant it?”
“Of course I did.” She smoothed the fur on his ears. “I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”
Her touch calmed him, and it took everything he had not to melt into her. “What if you get tired of me?”
Lyla lifted his face to hers. “I can only promise that I’ll do everything in my power not to hurt you. Except for monogamy. I can’t do that.”
“But… I’ll be at the bottom of the harem, the last in line for your attention.”
“It’s not like that,” she said. “Sure, there’ll be times when I’m with another boy in the harem, or outside it, even. But I always make time for my males. All of them. I have to be honest with you, though….”
Here it comes. His shoulders dropped in anticipation of the bad news.
“I’m only staying in the city for another year, maybe two, before I move back to my mother’s nut farm.” She stroked his ears. “It’s out in the country, there’s no curfew, and it’s mostly bara, but there’s quite a few gren there too. I’m sure you could get a job in the constable’s office, no problem. Big city police officer and all that.
“I want to start on my brood soon, just not in the city.”
“I—I thought it was going to be something bad.” He stood straight, looked up at her, and puffed out his chest. “Yes, if you’ll have me.”
Philbert fell into her embrace, feeling secure, even as the comments of passing females reached his ears. “Disgusting!” “Unnatural.” “Another gren male ruined.” He looked up to see her focused entirely on him.
She whispered in his ear, “You should get to work now. If you’re down-east again tonight, I’ll see you in the park.”
He nodded and left her, feeling light. Plia stopped him. “Ignore the jealous females. If you’re happy, that’s all that matters. So, that’s who you’re maybe pair-bonded with?”
“Yeah. But no maybe about it.”