Fox In The Woods Series Part 4

By Ahura Werewolf

I sat down in a wicker chair in front of a wood stove, my uncle opposite me lit his pipe and began to smoke it. The smoke wreathed around his head, the walls of the cabin were covered in depictions of Native Americans. Over the wood stove hung a dream catcher, next to it in a bin was a bundle of sweet grass. As I looked around the room Arctos sneezed saying, “that stuff stinks” my uncle looks at me saying “so what do you have to say” I told him all about meeting Arctos in the woods and how I could talk to him. I also told him that my parents knew nothing about it.

My uncle did nothing but listen in silence then after I was done talking he stood up and paced about thinking about what he had just heard. He turns to me and while he sits back down he replies, “I remember when I was younger I heard some of the elders at the local meeting house talking about some of the young ones being able to do this. I to could talk to animals but I lost the ability when I grew older” I reply, “what do you want me to do” he says, “don’t tell your parents or anyone they might think your crazy, this will be our secret” Arctos walks up to my uncle and hops into his arms saying, “I like him” I told him what he had said and my uncle petted him saying, “so do I” I asked him why he never comes to visit us. My uncle looked somberly at me replying,“your mother and I had a fight a long time ago and at the end of it she told me she never wanted to see me again. So I obeyed what she had said and I haven’t see her since then” I didn’t press into the matter any farther.

Soon it was getting dark out, I said good bye to my uncle and rode for home. As soon as I arrived I bundle Arctos in my hoodie and snuck him passed my parents. I went to bed with him curled at the foot of my bed. The next day I went to school and pondered over what I had discussed with my uncle. My English teacher kept yelling at me to pay attention but I ignored her and got a detention for it. When I arrived at home from school I found my mother looking around the lawn as soon as she saw me she says, “I saw a fox in the house today when I went into your bedroom” I replied, “a fox you must be crazy” she says “I believe I am going crazy but the thing hissed at me and ran out here” I ran into the house and dropped off my backpack and then walked through the woods calling for Arctos. I heard a rustling in the bushes behind me when I turned I found Arctos standing there panting.

Once he caught his breath he replies, “Who was that women she dang near ended me?” I said, “that was my mother” he looks up at me and hops into my arms. I can feel his heart pounding within him he says, “I am not going anywhere near her again” I chuckle and say, “good idea.” A few days had passed after my mothers run in with Arctos and she had completely forgotten about him. Arctos had gotten bigger and a lot heavier, I made regular trips to my uncles who just seemed happy to have company.

One day while I was talking to him Arctos slipped out and started to look for a mouse he heard sneaking through the grass. I watched as he disappeared into a grassy ditch then I turned back to my uncle saying, "So why haven't you ever come to visit us Uncle?" My uncles face twisted as he thought about his response as he opened his mouth I heard the screeching of tires on the road and my Uncle and I looked out the door to see what had happened. I small prone form was laying in the road, my heart stopped as I thought, "Please don't let it be Arctos?"  Getting up off the sofa I ran up the driveway and into the road. As I ran into the road looking at the broken form of Arctos I failed to see the oncoming pick up truck then everything went black.

I hear the beeping of a machine as I open my eyes I am surrounded by my parents and my uncle. My mom looks down at me saying, “I thought we lost you” she kisses me on the forehead my father stood by holding back his tears. My uncle hugs me saying, “At least your ok” I reply, “What happened to me?” my mother says, “you were hit by a car” I try to remember but I cannot, I say “There is someone important I feel I have to remember” my mother says, “Who?” I reply “I dunno, I just feel something is missing. Like a piece of my heart has a hole in it.” John says, “Denise may I speak to you privately?" she looks at him saying, “Ok” they leave the room and go out into the hallway. She looks at him saying, “Ok what the hell happened at your house the doctors say he was covered in fox blood. Why would he be covered in fox blood?” John looks at his sister and replies “Your son can talk to animals” she replies, “No he cannot” he says, “Denise yes he can when I was his age I could too, that fox blood is from a fox pup he found in the woods and befriended. The foxes name as Arctos, I saw them talking to one another just like they were long lost pals.” She looks from her brother to her son who is sitting up in bed talking to his father.

She says “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” he replies, “Because I thought you might think he was crazy.” She is taken aback by this and says, “I would never think my son was crazy. I care about him that’s all.” She begins to cry. John wraps his arms around her saying, “I think it is best we don’t remind him of Arctos now it might be to painful for him to realize he is gone.” She nods her head saying, “Yes that would be for the best.”

A week later Jim and his family left Vermont and headed to Idaho where his father had got a new job opportunity but really it was to get away from everything that might remind Jim of Arctos. As for Arctos he was buried at Jim’s uncles house in a small grove of trees with a wooden grave marker with his name carved into it.

The End

All characters in this are mine please don’t use them

St. Albans VT and Bellows Free Academy are real places.