ReynardCity

Chapter 7: The Big Show
“Today’s the day” Sal’s mother smiled “The Swampville Beauty Pageant, the one you’re going to win!”
Sal smiled awkwardly. “I…I’ll do my best Mum. It’s just…I really think I should do the gymnastics routine. I…”
Sal’s mother gave her a serious look. “Sally, you are my daughter and I love you. And that is why I want people to love you and see you in the best possible way. And unfortunately your gymnastics display doesn’t make you look…dignified.”
Sal knew what that meant. She looked across at the white costume. She wanted to wear it as a tribute to her best friend, her little sister.
Years had gone by. Both Vibes and Sal were older. It was then Sal realised…Swampville was where Vibes lived. This was her chance!
“Mum…can we visit Veronica at Mike’s Dojo?”
“I’m afraid we…we won’t have time.” Her

Chapter 6: The Move
“Hello Veronica my name is Sandra.”
SANDRA. Something about that name seemed to set Vibes off. There was also that overly sweet way she spoke. She knew what that kind of tone meant- it meant someone who wanted to say something to her she didn’t want to hear. And if this person knew she was psychic it was also because she was thinking something she didn’t want Vibes to her.
“Please don’t call me that. My name is Vibes.”
“Oh…that’s fine…Vibes. I have good news. We found a place for you, a really special place.”
“Am I being adopted by a movie studio? Or by an eccentric billionaire?”
Sandra’s smile was starting to crack. “Please don’t be silly Ver…Vibes. This is a really special…”
“Please stop saying it’s ‘really special’. Every time you say that I keep imagining it actually smells of poop or I’ll have to clean gutters wit

Chapter 5: Separate Lives
Vibes looked on as she saw people give glowing tributes to her parents. What should have been a source of comfort wasn’t. There was just a terrible, hollow feeling. Her parents were gone and now she was left alone.
“We…we should have her stay with us” Sal practically begged her mother. “I could look after her. Like a big sister. She…she needs a big sister.”
Her mother sighed. “Sally, it’s not as simple as ‘looking after her’. She needs…specialist care.”
Sal realised that this could be the last time she saw her. At the wake she went up to  Vibes, watching as she grabbed food from the buffet and hid under the table. Sal cautiously went under there.
“You know you ought to be careful. You’ll hurt your tummy if you eat all that…and as fast as you’re eating it…”
“Don’t care” pouted Vibes. “I’m surprised Mother still let

Chapter 4: The Night It All Changed
Judy and Howard stood firm, even as the foxes in their sharp suits pointed their guns at them.  “You know this is wrong, deep down you know that if you do this it will haunt you for the rest of your days.” Judy stated defiantly.
There was a moment’s quiet. And then suddenly there was laughter. The nasty, foul laughter of hardened people, who had come to use it as their way of shutting it out.
“You really think your ‘love will keep us together’ bullcrap is going to work?”
Howard eyed them seriously. “We know that you are just as scared of Dante Rodriguez as we are.”
“Then you know why you both have to die.”
Howard and Judy both shut their eyes, both trying to shut out the emotions in their mind. They focused on the guns, using all the energy in their minds to stop the men pulling their triggers. But it was clear Rodriguez had done his homework- there were too many guns to focus on.

Chapter 3- The McAllisters
“She has to play with other children Howard” Judy McAllister looked almost pleadingly at her husband. “ Sooner or later she’ll need to go to school and she’ll need to…”
“Learn to behave?” Howard raised an eyebrow. “She’s a kid, give her a break. And no offence but I’m not sure your… play date is an appropriate one.”
Judy eyed Howard suspiciously. “You don’t like her.”
Howard nodded. “She’s a horrible and judgemental woman who treats her child like a trophy.”
Judy sighs. “She’s also the best agent in town and the thing that’s keeping us and our child safe at the moment.”
Howard groans. “Fine!”
He picked up the phone “Mrs Vixen, we’d like to arrange a playdate for your charming daughter with Veronica….No I promise you we’ve got that thing under control. Yes we had a word with her. Yes

Chapter 2- The Takeover
The Rodriguez clan were part of the dynasty of foxes. Yes there was the cliché about foxes being cunning but in their case it was more than that- they knew how to say the right things, get people on their side. Everyone has their weak points and they knew how to exploit each and every one of them.
A lot of people liked them. If kids were making noise outside, you talked to a Rodriguez and they were soon quiet. If someone on the council wasn’t agreeing with your proposed building work, you talked to a Rodriguez and all of a sudden the people raising objections withdrew them. And because things were working efficiently and because a lot of people were getting what they wanted nobody complained.
And at the heart of this was Dante Rodriguez. He was a handsome looking creature, though his slick black hair suggested that he may have been concealing something, as revealed by the tiny hits of grey. While he smiled there was always the sense that there was som

Chapter 1- Ark 1
It all started on Ark 1. A group of animals sent into space, the first to colonise a distant planet. As with previous voyages the intention was that these animals would make sure that this was safe and that any humans going to the newly colonised and converted planets could breathe, move about and generally frolic in peace and harmony.
But these were no ordinary animals. With the development of speech technology the crew of Ark 1 were exploring whether or not it was possible to give animals the ability to speak and communicate.
It should have been straightforward (well as straightforward as experiments in space can be).
However things did not go to plan- as Ark 1 headed towards its intended target destination a strange purple portal emerged. Ark 1 passed through and the contact with the crew was lost.
As the dust settled, the animals gathered round, trying in vain to wake up the crew.
“Please…wake…up” Mummy Bear begged, but their beloved caretak