HE sealed the door, cutting off the outside from his round, silver house. His ears perked at the sound of the door, louder than before, but dismissed it as the clank of the lock reverberated through the wall. He moved to his small bedroom and closed the curtains to block out the dull glow. With a short click the lights came on and glared down into the room. His eyes danced around one last time, just to make sure.

His soft paws touched his chest and clutched the zip down his torso. The sound of the zip reverberated through the room in the silence. Pulling on the upper half he took off the suit and threw it under a table. He clutched the white fabric behind his neck and pulled off the white mask covering him. After placing it under the mirror, he stared at himself.

He pursed his lips; each time he saw them they felt new. He followed the line of his mouth, across his cheek and to his big black eyes, reflecting his reflection. His head was smooth and pink with tall ears jutting out the top, as pink as the rest of his body.

His gaze shifted down. He took in his long legs that formed into thin paws that were dirty from the night’s business. His ear twitched and he met his own stare. A quiet fumble had alerted him to the intruder.

The Matoki moved slowly in the direction of the noise and into the front room. A growl filled his ears and his face slammed into the cold floor. A strong hand pushed hard against his face while another gripped his hand behind his back. He felt a knee press hard into the small of his back. He could only see the red mask in his peripheral.

“Why’d you follow me Keke?” The words came out as a grunt.

“Why do you think?” He spat back and another growl shot through the red mask.

“They have no reason!” Shishi’s breath stung his nose.

“They have every reason!” Another growl followed by a long pause.

“Follow me again and the same will happen to you.” His head filled with images; of the flames, the ash, the embers, the charred fur and skin against the blackened earth.

“Okay! Okay!” The pressure left Keke’s face and back, his hands soon after. He sat up and his head swayed as he adjusted himself, only the soft padding in another room telling him Shishi had not left. He saw a blur and white fabric slapped his face. After the mask was refastened Keke heard the quiet whoosh of the door. Sighing, he moved back to his room.