A soft buzzing came through the car's stereo, the final sign of the remoteness of the location they were heading to. George flipped through the stations, his feline ears bending back at the numerous warning systems being picked up. George was dressed warmly in a replica ww1 officers winter jacket, with his black jeans getting toasty from the heater and thermal underwear his veteran uncle made him take. He continually shook his head to move the light bangs of his emerald dyed headfur, his paws clenching the steering wheel as he tried to keep the numb feeling from overtaking him. Kit turned one of the faded pages of the book in his lap and gave a yip at a high-pitched radio signal, "Nothing but snow, snow snow, might as well just turn the damn thing off." Kit crossed his legs and tucked his white-tipped tail underneath himself, trying to get comfortable and warm himself up as much as he could in the underheated car and thinning black sweater and jeans he was wearing. Hanan awoke at the shriek given by a weather station's civillian warning system, her over-reactive wolf reflexes making her kicking the glove compartment and sending maps, flashlights and numerous packs of matches, cards and cigarettes to the floor of the car. "Nice one Hanan"
"Shut up Kit." hanan pulled her own vietnam-era surpluss parka closer onto herself, shifting in her seat to get comfortable again.
George turned in his seat and put up his hand to quiet them, "Both of you shut up, your going to wake the others."
" Too late for that Georgie."
Mark Sat up straight in his seat, patting Kit on the shoulder as an appology for sitting on his tail for the longest time. He rubbed at his eyes yawned, a typical coyote whine emerging from him as he relaxed agian. "You guys are loud, well we there yet?"
Kit looked over at Samantha, a quiet 'goth' panther who was known as heavy sleeper, and rolled his eyes when he saw her drooling on her coat's sleeve. He looked back at Imus, Carl and Francine, the oddly similar looking but completely un-related cats who had been friends with the group since jr High.
George pressed the radio's speaker button and shut it off, focussing on the nearly hidden road in front of him, "almost, we just need to clear an old army checkpoint, this place was an officer's housing mansion till about World War two." Hanan peered into the snow before them and pointed, "That it?"
Everyone who was awake leaned forward and saw the metal gate with a faded wooden sign reading, "Brooks Military Housing Grounds" in front of it, as well as the run down brick guard post, sealed off with metal shutters. "Wellp, just about a minute more till we reach the top."
Hanan pulled out her cell and looked for a signal, "This place have internet, cable?"
"Yeah, some cell and internet companies are keeping relay stations on a summit nearby, so this place is almost always connected."
"Apparently not mine."
The car pulled over the steep edge of the mountain road and slowly drove up to the parking shelter constructed for employees and other customers, the interior heated better than the car they were driving. Everyone was shaken awake and made to help remove the many dufflebags and blankets that were packed into the rear of the relatively small SUV. Everyone jogged through the snow to the heavy darkwood doors towering over them at the front entrance, George pounding heavilly for an answer. A tired looking man answered and lit up when he saw them all, "Oh finally, I thought you had gotten lost in the snow, please come in, I'm the last one out."
Everyone entered and followed the elderly human as he chittered away about specific details, "Now, you've been told about the food stores, completely open to you, the finest you could get, plenty of canned food, back up generators in case the power goes, plenty of extra fuel in the old military section of the grounds, snow vehicles for repair and maintenance and of course a radio link to the forrest service."
"Anything else we should know?" George laid his bag out on the floor and waited expectantly.
"Oh yes, and dont take offence to this, but many feral animals, not anthros, make it onto the grounds and cause havoc; destroying heating outlets, breaking windows and so on, there are hunting rifles in the old quarter-master's room near the attic access door, about 4 I think, now the owners themselves are long-time hunters so you may notice the many weapons about the halls, mostly for hunting of course, but they are active, so be careful of them."
Hanan whistled, "Thanks old man."
"Oh no, I'm thanking you, I've been in a panic about going back down the hill, I stay with my son you see and he worries about me far more than he should, but regardless I would like to get to my own home as soon as possible."
Mark, "Oh then go ahead, we got instructions and schematics, we're all set Mr..."
"Yahll, Mr. Yahll will do, now anything else you could need, just call my number, its in the log book in the owner's office, second floor near the Presidential suite."
Mr. Yahll walked briskly to the door and turned to them, "Now, you have full access to all the rooms in this place, and as you know we've updated so there is a physical fitness room as well as a lounge, in almost every room there is a small flat screen and there is a full-facility speaker system, for your enjoyment, have a wonderful winter."
The group stood in disbelief as the old man left, a soft whistling coming in after him.
Carl rubbed his hands together and shrugged, "I call the Presidential suite!" he ran towards the stairs and was chased by almost everyone, save Mark and Hanon. Hanon removed her parka and relaxed her shoulders, kicking her bag with her worn boot, "I'm hungry, let them argue over rooms, I just want some of that gourmet stuff he was talking about." Mark put his arm around Hanon and led her down the hall, following the signs showing the locations of rooms and facilites. George called down the hall, "You know, its only gourmet if the person cooking it knows how to make it."
Mark waved him off and continued down the hall with Hanon.
George checked his cell and noticed his signal was almost gone too, but he ignored it and attributed it to the weather, laughing when Carl came back down the stairs being chased by Imus, armed with a foux sword that was probably on display near the owner's room. He rubbed at his neck and picked up his bag, heading upstairs to pick his own room before everone started going insane.
Mr. Yahll hummed happily in his sedan as he navigated the choked road back into town. There was something in the road up ahead, it looked to be an animal. He wasnt fond of the wildlife, an after effect of being attacked by a mountain lion when he was younger, but he still hated to see a wounded animal. He pulled up slowly and got out to check the wounded animal, curling back in horror when he saw it had been disembowled bt some unknown predator. Mr. Yahll rushed back to his car and began the motor, carefully going around the corpse and putting just a little more speed into the vehicle, trying to get to town as fast as he could.
(The ending was weak, but oh well, at least now you know a few basics, more to come.)
