User blog:SaenihpNnylf/Curse This Town! Chapter 3

'''I just realized this was never published! At least the first four chapters take place concurrently and this chapter wasn't necessary to understand chapter 4 or 5 but I feel so embarrassed!'''

'''IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ! This is obviously true for all chapter but especially important to know for this one. This story is set in the 1950s so any for any reference to amounts of money is based on the US inflation rates for that time, not the modern day so it's more than it sounds like.'''

Now that's out of the way, we do not own Happy Tree Friends.

Two green raccoon brothers sat outside the movie theater, watching the patrons go in and out, hoping to catch one unaware to pick their pockets. One was named Lifty and the other, Shifty. Shifty was arguably older and wore a tan fedora, whilst Lifty didn't. So far that day they had picked five bucks and a bent penny, a good haul for them.

"Shifty," Lifty began "Do you think we'll ever be rich enough to live in a mansion? Mama always said that... and I always listened."

Shifty looked at his brother with a small smile, "Of course we will, Lifty. We just need to keep working." Though he himself didn't believe it in the slightest, he just hoped to get enough to not starve to death and maybe even have a place to sleep and he felt even the second was a big stretch but the last thing he wanted to do was crush his twin's dream.

Lifty smiled and looked around, seeing a Tree Friend drop a coin getting money out of their wallet. He nudged Shifty and they went to work. Shifty walked up to the Tree Friend, smiling charismatically whilst Lifty ducked behind and lifted the pocketed wallet from the back pocket. As per usual, another Tree Friend saw this and called them out.

"Thieves!"

"Oh crap, run!" Shifty hissed, darting past the Tree Friend with Lifty in tow.

They dove behind the dumpster and hid, waiting for the small 'mob' to pass. Once they had, they both breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close. Shifty's heart was beating fast while Lifty grinned widely at the stuffed wallet in his paws.

"Just look at this thing, Shifty," Lifty said, even through his excitement, still managing to be quiet to keep from blowing their cover. "How much do you think is in here?"

"I-I'm not sure, but there's only one way to find out!" Shifty said as he grabbed the wallet and opened it, revealing several hundred dollars and a few coins. This has been their best haul ever.

Lifty honestly felt like crying "I can't believe how much is in this thing! We're gonna be rich! We can get a mansion now! I can't believe it Shifty! We're-"

"There they are!" a Tree Friend yelled to the group, turning them towards the dumpster.

"Not again..." Shifty winced, grabbing his brother's arm and running.

The brothers ran through many alleys, trying to lose them, but the group stayed in pursuit, until part of a fire escape above them broke off and came crashing down killing the most small mob and scaring off the rest.

They both looked at each other in astonishment. "What the hell just happened?" Lifty asked, heart beating. The part that had fell was two inches from hitting them, literally TWO inches.

Shifty looked to his brother, sweat beading his forehead "I have no idea, but I think that was our lucky break. We found a wallet stuffed with bills and when we were 'caught', we escaped and they died..." Shifty trailed off, realizing how dark the situation was.

Lifty nodded sadly and held the wallet tightly "So what now?" he asked.

The older twin thought. "Well, this probably isn't exactly enough to get a mansion just yet, so we'd best get an apartment or something like that first, then save up. Sound good?"

Lifty nodded with a smile "Sure, I think an apartment building just opened up a couple of blocks down. Wanna race there?"

"You're on."

Despite all the running from the mob, neither one of them had trouble sprinting to said apartment building. It was Lifty who won though. They both walked in and came to the front desk, paying for the room and walking up with their keys.

When they opened the room, they found out why it had been discounted; blood stained the walls and carpet, a white outline of a body on the floor.

Lifty fought back bile "Oh shit... someone... someone DIED here!" he cried, feeling weak at the knees. The fire-escape slaughter was nothing compared to this.

Shifty was speechless as he stared at the scene. They hadn't asked many questions having figured anything was better than some alley as per their previous arrangement but now he was questioning that.

"Shifty, Shifty, please say something!" Lifty begged, needing something to make this seem at least a bit better.

"I... I..." he muttered "... I can't believe this. I'm marching right down there and demanding a different room. You with me?" Shifty asked, earning a nod from his younger brother.

They 'marched' downstairs and stood by the front desk, clearing their throats to get the attention of the desk woman. "May I help you gentlemen?" she asked casually.

"Do you have any other open rooms? You did NOT mention anything about someone being murdered in that room!" Shifty demanded, not bothering to try to be quiet, if it ruins the place's reputation then good, they deserve it.

The receptionist's cool expression disappeared "Shush! They weren't murdered, it was a freak accident! Security camera footage says so!" she said, turning on the small TV behind her. They watched intently as a Tree Friend walked into the room, put a vase onto a high shelf and walked away only for the shelf to fall and crush them, spattering blood everywhere.

"Oh..." Shifty said "... It was another accident."

"Another?" the receptionist questioned cautiously.

Lifty cursed. His brother just had to mention the fire escape. "Part of a fire exit had broken off and killed a bunch of people just barely missing us," Lifty quickly answered, completely omitting any incriminating information before Shifty had the opportunity to give some.

"That's not the point, though." Shifty cut in. "Murder or freak accident, someone died in there and that's information that we should have been given and we would like a different apartment."

The desk woman sighed and grabbed their room-key off them, exchanging it for another. "Here, this is for the room NEXT to the 'murder' room. It's the only one left..." she said, the phone ringing beside her. They both grumbled as she talked to the obviously angry Tree Friend on the other end of the line.

"Are you sure she's dead?" she whispered into the receiver "Maybe she's just knocked out."

They had been about to head up, but both their ears, intoned to catch the smallest noises, cause what the lady said and it gave Lifty pause, taking his brother's arm. "Let's at least ask this time once she's off the phone. I know it's the only one available but I at least don't want to go into another scene like that blind."

Shifty was about to object, but when he looked at his face, he saw something he hadn't seen in a long time. In the face of the boy who always saw the bright side, the boy who hoped for a mansion when they could almost never afford a loaf of bread, he saw real fear. "Alright, we'll ask her if anyone died in that apartment."

They both nodded and waited until finally the woman put down the phone, grabbing a form. They marched back over "I don't mean to pry, but... about the apartment we were just given… did someone... die?"

The lady shook her head clearly very stressed. "No, the previous owner moved out a few days ago, before all this shit."

Shifty nodded "I know, and thanks anyway for the apartment switch. We're just going to get groceries,"

The woman looked worried "I wouldn't go out on a day like this. You never know what might go wrong."

The older raccoon shrugged "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Well, anything."

"Anything could go wrong here too and we're starving," Shifty said and took Lifty out of the building letting her think he was speaking figuratively.

They walked outside and couldn't believe their eyes. Mangled bodies and car crashes littered the streets. Lifty covered his mouth, fighting back the urge to throw up. Shifty was dazed, but shook it off "C'mon, we gotta get food before we end up roadkill."

Lifty just nodded, not trusting his voice at all and followed him as close as he possibly can as if it could protect him.

They arrived at the supermarket, amazed that it hadn't burnt down or collapsed in on itself. Lifty nervously inched closer, making Shifty roll his eyes "Bro, it's just a supermarket. Let's go in and get what we need ok? Maybe in all this anarchy we can... pinch... a few items..." he grinned widely.

Lifty, however, was very hesitant on the idea looking around. "But, we've only ever pickpocketed before. What if something goes wrong?"

Shifty scoffed "Shoplifting is just like pickpocketing, only most of the items are much bigger and harder to disguise. Besides, we've got enough money to afford an eternity's worth of food anyway. Only nick what we absolutely cannot live without ok?" the older raccoon questioned.

Lifty sighed "Fine, let's go in."

When they headed in, There didn't appear to be anyone else, alive at least. It couldn't be easier. A strange eerie feeling washed over them both as they stepped over the bodies and chunks of rubble and fallen concrete, almost as if the shop was hissing vague warnings at them. Run away it hissed Run before you die. Of course, they didn't listen. Even Lifty, arguably the most sensible of the duo, ignored the warnings.

They came to the deli, seeing most of the produce still edible. "Score!" Shifty fist-pumped, jumping over the desk and filling his hat with the non-spoiled meat.

Lifty just watched for a few seconds before hopping the counter himself. Shifty just looked at him when he did, "I got it here. Go find something else."

Lifty bit his lip, looking out into the wreckage and admitted, "I'm scared to go alone."

Shifty was about to yell when he saw the look in Lifty's eyes, making him cave in "Ugh... fine, wait for me then."

Lifty smiled widely and waited until Shifty had gotten over the desk, walking with him to the snacks, crisps, and candy bars spread everywhere.

Lifty looked at the brightly colored packages curiously, but, despite the temptation, Shifty said to him, "We don't need this stuff. We're only getting what we absolutely can't live without."

The younger raccoon sighed "But... but..."

"No, I'm not repeating myself. Go grab those bread rolls over there by the bakery section, and some butter, just go be useful" Shifty said, grabbing a bottle of water from the broken fridge.

Lifty scowled. "Fine."

Lifty headed towards the bakery as told, but Shifty hadn't followed and it was obvious that the farther he got from his twin, the more anxious he became of ever leering danger playing a million questions on the many different ways he could end up dead. "I don't wanna die yet. I never got my mansion. I have to get my mansion first," he squeaked meekly.

He saw the rolls and reached for them, hearing the roof creak. He swore as he jumped back, shielding his face from the dust and rubble. "Lifty?! Are you ok? What the heck just happened?" he heard Shifty ask as he ran over, several items in his hat all piled up.

Lifty's heart thumped against his ribs "I... I almost... d-d..."

Shifty put the things down and covered Lifty's mouth "No! Don't say it! Just... let's get going. I grabbed the rest of the necessities anyway."

Lifty nodded, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, but knowing in the back of his head that nowhere would be any safer. Shifty took his hand off Lifty's mouth and picking the items back up.

"Come on, we've always been fast. Maybe we can out run death." Shifty encouraged to his still very shaken brother. He moved the items to one hand and took Lifty's. "I promise I won't let go. I'll never leave you behind. We'll make it through this together."

Lifty smiled and for once, he felt hope. "Ok, let's just go back to the apartment then."

"Yeah, let's go."

They ran back to the apartment building, as promised, never losing each other's hand. Narrowly avoiding various disasters on the way.

When they came back they breathed a sigh of relief, as the apartment complex was still standing. They let go of each other's hand the moment they stepped in, not wanting to raise questions, and walking upstairs. Lifty produced the key, letting them in.

"I tell you Lifty, today of all days, a miracle happened. We found a wallet loaded with dough and we didn't even have to use much of it!" Shifty said, putting the food in the pantry and grabbing out the rolls he had managed to snag, tossing one to Lifty.

Lifty caught the roll and despite that he was literally starving, looked it over for anything that might be stuck in it waiting to be accidently be eaten. He certainly could not deny the words, their life had finally started to take a turn for the better, but, at the same time, everything else had rapidly taken a turn for the worst. The emotions were extremely conflicting. Finally decided the roll was safe to eat, he gobbled the roll down.

"I guess so, and I'm glad that we survived at least. Things like this can't be happening out of coincidence... what do you think's causing all this?" the younger raccoon asked.

Shifty shrugged and ate the roll in his hand "Bad mojo I'm guessing, but still... maybe we should just wait this out. Remember that thunderstorm back in the alley? It's just like that... patience bro, patience."

Lifty sighed and felt a bad feeling in his gut "I hope so." Lifty hesitated, leaning against the wall. "What if it's isn't going to stop? It seems to be the end of the world."

"It's not the end of the world Lifty, just a... really bad day, ok? Let's just call it that, and besides, I'm tired. I'm gonna go check out the bedrooms and catch some z's" Shifty said, standing up and stretching.

"Bad day? It's a disaster!" Lifty said, throwing his hands in the air. "Shifty, most of the town is dead out there to never come back and we could easily be next. THIS isn't just going to be all fine and dandy tomorrow morning."

The older twin faced Lifty "I'm trying to make this seem less horrifying ok? I know what's going on, the world's in hell, but I just want to imagine it to be just another day... for my sanity's sake..."

Lifty sighed and folded his arms, turning away "I know... I want it to be another day too..."

Shifty held his hand out to his twin. "See? Come on, I said we'll get through this together and I meant it."

Lifty smiled and put his hand to his brother's shaking it. "C'mon, I'm tired. Let's just try and get through this one day at a time," Shifty said.

Lifty nodded "Yeah I'm tired too..."

"The beds are down that way," Shifty said as he walked down the hall with Lifty in tow.