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‘Just be careful, she’s got a reputation for, well, her unnatural habits.’ Nick grimaced causing Judy to look over at him suspiciously, and clearly unsatisfied with his explanation motioned for him to continue. ‘Maybe it would be best if you see for yourself.’
Frowning, Judy up at her partner. ‘It sounds like you know this mammal.’

‘Soft of.’ Giving a little shrug, Nick avoided her gaze, if she didn’t know better she swore he looked almost uncomfortable with the idea of meeting this, this, squatter. ‘I only heard about her second hand. She’s soft of a local fortune teller, witchdoctor, priest, and cultist. All sort of rolled into one, depending on who you ask. She mostly kept to herself though, and doesn’t have a reputation causing trouble. That is what makes this even more unnerving.’

‘Unnerving?’ Judy elbowed Nick in the ribs playfully. ‘If I didn’t know better I would say you sounded nervous.’

Nick’s eyes narrowed for just a second.

‘You haven’t heard the stories I have about her.’ Muttering, Nick rounded the corner giving Judy her first impression of the neighborhood and why some mammals may have taken to calling their lead a ‘Witchdoctor.’ The surrounding area was run down, not quite a slum by Zootopia standards, but it had defiantly seen better days.

‘Over there.’

Following Nick’s gaze Judy had to scan the area he indicated twice. There, between two sagging joined by a mess of tarps and several heaps of garbage piles a tent flap flittered in the wind. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Judy growled, looking up at her partner again, as to confirm her suspicions. ‘That’s where she lives?’

Eyes fixed on the molding tarps, Nick only nodded, his face had become a careful mask.

‘Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ Judy nudged him again for good measure. ‘Come on Wild, lets find out what our mystery guest has to offer.’

The smell was overpowering, and upon entering the make shift tent Judy felt her stomach churn. It was a repulsive sweet sickness to it of rotting vegetables, scented candles, burnt wood, and half a dozen other smells that made her head spin. Matched with the chaotic smells, the décor was held together in a similar fashion. Ropes hanging from the ceiling bore trinkets of all types. Brass doorknobs, bottle caps, even small bones that Judy made her self look away from. She did not want to have to open an investigation that would require her to come back here.

Worse yet were the strange symbols, charcoal drawings, and busts that surrounded the octangular room. Strange did not begin to describe the almost alien imaginings, works of a clearly demented mind. One in particular drew her attention, a perfectly circular gateway made of tiles, each segment etched with a symbol that looked almost familiar. As she pressed herself closer for a better look, Judy could make out several notes scribbled in tiny handwriting: ‘There are seven, always seven.’ Besides the note was a large ‘V’ inscribed.

‘Fascinating.’ A whisper of a voice came from behind her, causing Judy to jump almost a foot as she whirled around. There, clad in a motley assembly of discarded clothes stood a finick fox. Judy was glad that the finick was, as Nick had warned her, blind. As so she hoped the fox would not see her face twist at the sight of her.

Filthy bandages ran up both arms, and it was clear that some were saturated with what Judy hoped was paint, though it was difficult to tell due to the colors. The bandages were not what made the fox before her so intimidating, though they did add to the ensemble, her true horrors came in the cloth wrapped around her eyes, or where here eyes should have been. Instead, even visible under the fabric Judy could make out the outlines of the hollow sockets sunk into the nightmare of a face.

Several sets of eyes had been painted just above and below the blindfold, and Judy chose instead to focus on the top set instead of the wrapping.

‘Uh..Uh, you must be…’

‘Larandar.’ The finick smiled, her long ears flicking like twin radar dishes towards Judy. Resisting the urge to step back, Judy, tried to keep her calm, Nick was right, there was something very unnerving about this one. ‘And you must be Judy…Hopps. And behind me is Nick Wild?’

Judy’s eye’s flicked over the Larandar’s shoulder, where Nick stood rooted to the spot. Still smiling, Larandar turned without another word and moved deeper into the maze of flapping fabric and hanging trinkets. Exchanging a hesitant look, both Nick and Judy followed. In the adjoining room, Larandar, had taken a seat on a large beanbag that had been patched together with a dozen odds and ends. Even so, the beads still leaked out at ripped seams.

Head lolling as though she were about to fall asleep she addressed them.

‘Judy… Hopps.’ Her voice cracked, straining with effort. ‘I see so many eyes watching you. So many.’

‘Right…’

‘And you Nick, I see Eyes watching you as well!’

Nick did not respond, but stepped closer to Judy.

‘Look, Ms. Laran-‘

‘Lara.’ The finick cut her off. ‘I know why you are here. And the answer is no.’

Growing frustrated rather quickly Judy stepped forwards, despite Nicks grasping paw. ‘But – I haven’t even asked you what we came here for.’

‘I Know.’ Lara’s blind gaze fixed on her. ‘I see things, seeing things that no one else has seen before! I have seen you, and I know, why…you are here.’

Shaking her head, Judy mustered her courage, letting it fill her with defiance. ‘You, you’re crazy as they say!’

‘Crazy.’ The finick twitched. ‘Crazy. Crazy. Crazy! Crazy!’

Hand twitching out to grab a curtain and ripping it down in a single motion.

‘This,’ She drew in her breath. ‘This…is what I see.’

The sight was enough to make even Judy flinch. It was just to alien. To detailed. To complete to be fictional. Covering the walls were hundreds of notes, pictures, dates, notes, charts. Each more vivid than the next, a black figure with a red sword of fire, a great eye made of fire, terrible creatures made of metal, their single eyes glowing red, a terrible creature that looked like an octopus creature hunkering down, its long claws protruding in a menacing crouch. Fascinating, horrifying, mesmerizing, it was enough to hurt her eyes, and Judy found that she had to look away after only a few seconds. There was just too much there.

‘Crazy.’ Lara mumbled, her voice quiet now. Saddened somehow. ‘I see these visions every night. Every night.’

Description
‘Just be careful, she’s got a reputation for, well, her unnatural habits.’ Nick grimaced causing Judy to look over at him suspiciously, and clearly unsatisfied with his explanation motioned for him to continue. ‘Maybe it would be best if you see for yourself.’
Frowning, Judy up at her partner. ‘It sounds like you know this mammal.’

‘Soft of.’ Giving a little shrug, Nick avoided her gaze, if she didn’t know better she swore he looked almost uncomfortable with the idea of meeting this, this, squatter. ‘I only heard about her second hand. She’s soft of a local fortune teller, witchdoctor, priest, and cultist. All sort of rolled into one, depending on who you ask. She mostly kept to herself though, and doesn’t have a reputation causing trouble. That is what makes this even more unnerving.’

‘Unnerving?’ Judy elbowed Nick in the ribs playfully. ‘If I didn’t know better I would say you sounded nervous.’

Nick’s eyes narrowed for just a second.

‘You haven’t heard the stories I have about her.’ Muttering, Nick rounded the corner giving Judy her first impression of the neighborhood and why some mammals may have taken to calling their lead a ‘Witchdoctor.’ The surrounding area was run down, not quite a slum by Zootopia standards, but it had defiantly seen better days.

‘Over there.’

Following Nick’s gaze Judy had to scan the area he indicated twice. There, between two sagging joined by a mess of tarps and several heaps of garbage piles a tent flap flittered in the wind. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me.’ Judy growled, looking up at her partner again, as to confirm her suspicions. ‘That’s where she lives?’

Eyes fixed on the molding tarps, Nick only nodded, his face had become a careful mask.

‘Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.’ Judy nudged him again for good measure. ‘Come on Wild, lets find out what our mystery guest has to offer.’

The smell was overpowering, and upon entering the make shift tent Judy felt her stomach churn. It was a repulsive sweet sickness to it of rotting vegetables, scented candles, burnt wood, and half a dozen other smells that made her head spin. Matched with the chaotic smells, the décor was held together in a similar fashion. Ropes hanging from the ceiling bore trinkets of all types. Brass doorknobs, bottle caps, even small bones that Judy made her self look away from. She did not want to have to open an investigation that would require her to come back here.

Worse yet were the strange symbols, charcoal drawings, and busts that surrounded the octangular room. Strange did not begin to describe the almost alien imaginings, works of a clearly demented mind. One in particular drew her attention, a perfectly circular gateway made of tiles, each segment etched with a symbol that looked almost familiar. As she pressed herself closer for a better look, Judy could make out several notes scribbled in tiny handwriting: ‘There are seven, always seven.’ Besides the note was a large ‘V’ inscribed.

‘Fascinating.’ A whisper of a voice came from behind her, causing Judy to jump almost a foot as she whirled around. There, clad in a motley assembly of discarded clothes stood a finick fox. Judy was glad that the finick was, as Nick had warned her, blind. As so she hoped the fox would not see her face twist at the sight of her.

Filthy bandages ran up both arms, and it was clear that some were saturated with what Judy hoped was paint, though it was difficult to tell due to the colors. The bandages were not what made the fox before her so intimidating, though they did add to the ensemble, her true horrors came in the cloth wrapped around her eyes, or where here eyes should have been. Instead, even visible under the fabric Judy could make out the outlines of the hollow sockets sunk into the nightmare of a face.

Several sets of eyes had been painted just above and below the blindfold, and Judy chose instead to focus on the top set instead of the wrapping.

‘Uh..Uh, you must be…’

‘Larandar.’ The finick smiled, her long ears flicking like twin radar dishes towards Judy. Resisting the urge to step back, Judy, tried to keep her calm, Nick was right, there was something very unnerving about this one. ‘And you must be Judy…Hopps. And behind me is Nick Wild?’

Judy’s eye’s flicked over the Larandar’s shoulder, where Nick stood rooted to the spot. Still smiling, Larandar turned without another word and moved deeper into the maze of flapping fabric and hanging trinkets. Exchanging a hesitant look, both Nick and Judy followed. In the adjoining room, Larandar, had taken a seat on a large beanbag that had been patched together with a dozen odds and ends. Even so, the beads still leaked out at ripped seams.

Head lolling as though she were about to fall asleep she addressed them.

‘Judy… Hopps.’ Her voice cracked, straining with effort. ‘I see so many eyes watching you. So many.’

‘Right…’

‘And you Nick, I see Eyes watching you as well!’

Nick did not respond, but stepped closer to Judy.

‘Look, Ms. Laran-‘

‘Lara.’ The finick cut her off. ‘I know why you are here. And the answer is no.’

Growing frustrated rather quickly Judy stepped forwards, despite Nicks grasping paw. ‘But – I haven’t even asked you what we came here for.’

‘I Know.’ Lara’s blind gaze fixed on her. ‘I see things, seeing things that no one else has seen before! I have seen you, and I know, why…you are here.’

Shaking her head, Judy mustered her courage, letting it fill her with defiance. ‘You, you’re crazy as they say!’

‘Crazy.’ The finick twitched. ‘Crazy. Crazy. Crazy! Crazy!’

Hand twitching out to grab a curtain and ripping it down in a single motion.

‘This,’ She drew in her breath. ‘This…is what I see.’

The sight was enough to make even Judy flinch. It was just to alien. To detailed. To complete to be fictional. Covering the walls were hundreds of notes, pictures, dates, notes, charts. Each more vivid than the next, a black figure with a red sword of fire, a great eye made of fire, terrible creatures made of metal, their single eyes glowing red, a terrible creature that looked like an octopus creature hunkering down, its long claws protruding in a menacing crouch. Fascinating, horrifying, mesmerizing, it was enough to hurt her eyes, and Judy found that she had to look away after only a few seconds. There was just too much there.

‘Crazy.’ Lara mumbled, her voice quiet now. Saddened somehow. ‘I see these visions every night. Every night.’