Act Their Age
A TBP story
By Christian O'kane

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The five teenagers had been drinking for several hours and were all drunk when they wondered out of the bar. Having just graduated high school the boys were celebrating. The drunks were weaving their way through the parking lot, laughing, drinking, and smashing empty bottles. The sound of a door slamming shut and two voices speaking loudly caught their attention.

"Thanks for helping me with this Billy," one voice said.

"No problem. Say, how are you going to handle it once you get home?" a second voice asked.

The group turned and saw illuminated in a light a teenage boy about their own age and a human shaped feline. The boy was carrying a large box and the feline was walking in front of him with a cane. Both stopped when they saw the group.

"Fucking SCAB," one of the drunken teenagers shouted. "What are you stealing?"

The Feline pointed at the ground with his cane and the boy put the box slowly down on the ground. "We're not stealing, this belongs to Chris. He won it in the raffle tonight," The boy answered.

"Yeah, right," one of the drunks answered sarcastically as the five moved closer.

As the pack of teenagers closed in, they could see that the SCAB was a lynx morph, the tuft of hair on the ears was a dead give away.

"I really did. The club gave it away as a raffle during the model railroad show," the lynx explained.

A drunk threw an empty beer bottle at the feline. "SHUT UP SCAB!"

The lynx dodged the bottle with a nonchalant ease, and it shattered against the wall behind him. He waved his cane at the advancing boys. "You're acting like a bunch of juvenile delinquents. Why don't you all go home before I tell your mommies you've been drinking?" he said in a calm voice.

"I think we need to teach this animal some manners," a tall, brown haired teenager said. Reaching into his pocket he produced a folding knife with a blade five inches long.

Seeing the knife Billy stepped backwards, too frightened to speak.

"Billy, go down stairs," the lynx ordered.

"But Chris,"

"GO!" Chris ordered as the five rushed forwards, but the boy was too frightened to move.

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It had been a good night for the West Island Model Railroad club. The open house had been a great success. The club had been crowded all evening with paying visitors who seemed to love everything in sight. The club hats and T-shirts had sold well, and the white elephant sale table was completely empty. Every last item had sold.

"Well Nick," one club member said, "Still not sure about letting Chris join?"

A large portly man laughed and shook his head. "I take back everything I ever said about that cat. You know of the three hundred and ten people we had in here tonight, one hundred and twenty were SCABs?"

"WOW! A monumental event folks," Another member said to the twenty others gathered in the club lounge. "Nick admitting he's wrong!" The whole room broke up in laughter.

Suddenly a loud scream echoed through the room. "That came from outside," someone said. Food and drinks were hastily put aside as they all made for the door.

They had just reached the outside door when another blood curdling scream split the night. Nick reached the bottom of the steps leading to the parking when he stopped suddenly. There was a loud SMACK and another scream.

"Bloody juvenile delinquent," a voice shouted from above them.

SMACK!

Again a scream loosed into the night.

Carefully the club members made their way up the steps and were greeted by a strange sight. The first thing they saw was Billy, who was standing at the top of the steps staring at something in the parking lot. Curious, they looked in the direction the boy was staring. One of the drunken boys was laying facedown, unconscious on the hood of a jeep. Two others lay sprawled on the pavement next to the same vehicle. Chris was seated on a curb next to the box he had won. The brown haired boy was draped across the feline morphs knees. Nick could see that the boy's pants and underwear had been pulled down around his knees and his bare butt was visible. In the SCAB's left hand was his cane. As they watched Chris brought the cane down against that bare behind with a loud smack. The boy screamed again, even louder than before.

Chris looked up at the last boy, who was slowly backing away from the whole scene. "Don't run little boy, we felines like chasing things."

The boy did as he was ordered and stood there rubbing his bruised face. The feline spanked his prisoner again. "Little boys shouldn't play with knives," he said, and spanked him again.

"What happened?" Someone asked.

Billy just pointed at the knife that lay discarded on the pavement.

The feline pulled his arm back for another smack. "I'M SORRY!!!" The boy shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The hand came down lightly on the boy's back. "Get up boy," Chris said in a soft tone. Slowly and in obvious pain he stood and pulled up his pants.

Chris looked at the cowed, and now very sober boy. He held up his cane, and with a twist the handle came loose revealing a three foot long, razor sharp blade. The boy's eyes grew as wide as saucers as he stared at the sword cane's long blade.

"This time, I treated you like a child," Chris said in a cold tone. "Next time I treat you like an adult."

End

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