were more intense when he was a bear. His vision and sense of smell was sharp. The officer must be a smoker, he smelled the faint imprint of cigarettes and minty gum. His nose wrinkled at the smell of cleaning materials used in the backseat. He wondered how many people vomited or had done worse to the seat in the past. He tucked the blanket under his butt, trying to limit contact with whatever was left over.
Toby rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling smooth skin instead of tufts of fur. He clung onto the fact that even though it was impossible, he had been a bear the night before. How? Hell if he knew. He smiled, remembering how simple the world had been the night before. He worked on instinct and all of his worries and cares were left in the human world. But now that he was a human, his mind began to sift through what had happened and he needed to put the pieces together.
Toby tugged at the hem of his too-short, once-white tank top. The shorts squeezed his manhood but they were better than the blanket. Especially around the company he had in his cell. Two tattooed Latinos eyed him from the corner and Toby quickly looked away.
Something slapped his leg and he jumped. A man with a scraggly gray beard has his hand on Toby’s leg. “Is this your first time?” he asked in a warbley voice.
Toby scooted away from the man, pushing his hand off his leg. “Yeah.”
The man gave him a checkerboard smile. “It’s nice and cool in here.”
Toby’s heart squeezed. He assumed by the state of the man, he was living on the street. If they met in the real-world, Toby wouldn’t have given him a second glance. Being in the same place together had given them a commonality they would have never had before. “It is,” Toby answered, tearing his eyes away from the sad blue ones sitting next to him.
The man laid on the bench and within minutes was snoring.
Lockup had been segregated to one end of the large open space of the police station. Officers sat at their desks, paying him and the others no mind. The cacophony of electronic locks opening doors, phones ringing, and radios squawking grated on his nerves with each passing minute. He wanted to be in and out of there as quickly as possible, his reputation was taking a blow with each passing minute. He didn’t need to have any of this on his record.
He tried to flag down the officer who booked him, but failed miserably. Everyone else who walked by ignored him. When the two in the corner were snickering and looking in his direction he took a page from the panhandler and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes. Without his sense of sight, the sounds and smells of the place intensified. He smelled the intense body odor from the man next to him and nearly gagged. His eyes shot open. Well that idea went to shit . He tried to hold his breath for as long as he could. He probably looked like a weirdo but it was better than having that smell stuck in his nostrils.
A half-hour later, Toby spotted Stan the other side of the partition from the front desk. He could have kissed his friend. He’d been given one phone call but didn’t expect Stan to come that quickly. He leapt from the bench and stood by the bars. The officer who had locked him up came by the cell with a set of keys.
“Next time, keep your clothes on, son.”
“I’ll remember that,” Toby said. He didn’t care if the guy was mocking him, he was out of there.
Within a few minutes, Toby walked into the lobby, attempting to keep his head high.
That was until Stan burst out laughing at Toby’s outfit. “I knew we drank last night, but did you take something without me? Remind me not to party hard with you anymore.”
Toby rolled his eyes. “Get it out of your system now.”
Stan’s eyes twinkled and he burst out laughing before they reached the doors. “What the hell are you wearing man? Did you rob a trailer home?”
“It was the cleanest thing they had in the lost and found.”
“The cleanest set
Toby rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling smooth skin instead of tufts of fur. He clung onto the fact that even though it was impossible, he had been a bear the night before. How? Hell if he knew. He smiled, remembering how simple the world had been the night before. He worked on instinct and all of his worries and cares were left in the human world. But now that he was a human, his mind began to sift through what had happened and he needed to put the pieces together.
Toby tugged at the hem of his too-short, once-white tank top. The shorts squeezed his manhood but they were better than the blanket. Especially around the company he had in his cell. Two tattooed Latinos eyed him from the corner and Toby quickly looked away.
Something slapped his leg and he jumped. A man with a scraggly gray beard has his hand on Toby’s leg. “Is this your first time?” he asked in a warbley voice.
Toby scooted away from the man, pushing his hand off his leg. “Yeah.”
The man gave him a checkerboard smile. “It’s nice and cool in here.”
Toby’s heart squeezed. He assumed by the state of the man, he was living on the street. If they met in the real-world, Toby wouldn’t have given him a second glance. Being in the same place together had given them a commonality they would have never had before. “It is,” Toby answered, tearing his eyes away from the sad blue ones sitting next to him.
The man laid on the bench and within minutes was snoring.
Lockup had been segregated to one end of the large open space of the police station. Officers sat at their desks, paying him and the others no mind. The cacophony of electronic locks opening doors, phones ringing, and radios squawking grated on his nerves with each passing minute. He wanted to be in and out of there as quickly as possible, his reputation was taking a blow with each passing minute. He didn’t need to have any of this on his record.
He tried to flag down the officer who booked him, but failed miserably. Everyone else who walked by ignored him. When the two in the corner were snickering and looking in his direction he took a page from the panhandler and rested his head against the wall, closing his eyes. Without his sense of sight, the sounds and smells of the place intensified. He smelled the intense body odor from the man next to him and nearly gagged. His eyes shot open. Well that idea went to shit . He tried to hold his breath for as long as he could. He probably looked like a weirdo but it was better than having that smell stuck in his nostrils.
A half-hour later, Toby spotted Stan the other side of the partition from the front desk. He could have kissed his friend. He’d been given one phone call but didn’t expect Stan to come that quickly. He leapt from the bench and stood by the bars. The officer who had locked him up came by the cell with a set of keys.
“Next time, keep your clothes on, son.”
“I’ll remember that,” Toby said. He didn’t care if the guy was mocking him, he was out of there.
Within a few minutes, Toby walked into the lobby, attempting to keep his head high.
That was until Stan burst out laughing at Toby’s outfit. “I knew we drank last night, but did you take something without me? Remind me not to party hard with you anymore.”
Toby rolled his eyes. “Get it out of your system now.”
Stan’s eyes twinkled and he burst out laughing before they reached the doors. “What the hell are you wearing man? Did you rob a trailer home?”
“It was the cleanest thing they had in the lost and found.”
“The cleanest set
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