Fennec Fox

The first time he meets her, she's already a fox. It starts on accident, or rather it starts when he finally gets around to asking the little red fox who lives in the trees if he might have some berries that he could trade for food. He's not really sure why he asked, honestly. She just always seemed like an interesting creature. There was something about those dark eyes and those sharp teeth that made him want to learn more about them. So, he asks her.

She seems happy to talk with him; maybe she'd learned humans had never bothered to come this close to her den before. It wasn't often that any humans came this far, at least not until recently. And she is always happy to talk with the young man, so it doesn't seem as though he has anything to worry about.

About how she loves to play chase with the smaller creatures, even though she's much bigger than most of them, how she is fast and agile, how she can fight and defend. She tells him all these things and more. It's clear to see that she loves being around humans. That there' The small animals he sees darting through the forest aren't enough to keep him amused, and he thinks it strange that she has nothing else to do.

He asks her once again about the berries, but she only shakes her head. Then she stops talking to him entirely.

"I'm sorry," She says one day when he's waiting for the rest of his group in front of the hut where they are staying.

"You were nice, and I liked speaking with you, but I have to go home now. Goodbye!"

"Wait." He says to her, but she continues to run away from him.

He runs after her, tries to catch up.

"Please!" he calls out to her, but she doesn't hear him, keeps running.

*

He suddenly wakes up from his dream. He sighs and rubs his eyes, then turns off his lamp. He falls back into sleep.

The next morning, he decides to ask someone else about her. His father is the one who helps him find someone who knows a lot about the forest and what it hides, but not much more. He doesn't understand that foxes are rare, live very isolated and deep in the woods, and are solitary creatures. He also doesn't know the extent of the forest, doesn't realize there's a place called Fennec Fox Forest, which no one has ever been allowed inside.

He gets his laptop from the floor and turns it on. He wanted to know more about them, about what would the dream mean, but also he felt like that happened in real life, but at the same time, it didn't.

The first thing he searches is about the forest. He clicks the first thing he can find. The article he reads tells him what he already knew: the forest is filled with many types of wild creatures. Some are dangerous, some are friendly, some are even extinct. But they don't exist anywhere else. That's the important part, right? Because then he'll be able to tell if his dream was telling him to stay away from the forest. He clicks the second article and finds another article, but the same paragraphs he read before re-appear.

Another 30 minutes go by, and he couldn't get any new information. Ok. Time to learn more about the Fennec Fox. The first thing that comes out is a page full of pictures and articles. He scrolls down and goes further than he expected to go. He learns it's the smallest of foxes with big ears, a tiny face and a pointed snout. It normally lives in sandy deserts and semi-deserts.

He stops. Why did he meet her in a forest then? It makes sense to him, but… It makes no sense. His dreams don't make sense, and he doesn't think this one does either.

He continues. It's a picture of the cub. She's standing up, looking at the camera, with her tail curled behind her. It's a beautiful picture. Her fur is dark red, almost brown, but still light, and it's soft. Soft like… fur? It really makes her stand out from the forest looking background. It still didn't make sense and some of those trees in the background looked really familiar. Like the trees his grandparents used to have close to the pear tree orchard. He finds it strange, but he moves on. He clicks on the next page. A page with facts about them. He reads through the first few ones.

Fennec foxes have amazing hearing, and their large ears help them dissipate excess body heat on hot days. They also have excellent night vision and good night vision for hunting, especially prey. That one makes him wonder.

If they hunt, why do they hide? Where are all those other foxes hiding during the day? How can he not see them? How come none of the other foxes in the forest he's been visiting ever showed themselves? Or did he?

Did he actually see them while he was walking through the forest? Or was that just a dream too? A loud noise startles him. He nearly drops his phone, and he looks over towards the door. He hears a knock on the door.

He blinks rapidly at it, trying to process what just happened. He stands up and goes over to the door, opening it cautiously. When he opens the door, a tall, white-haired man stares at him.

"Are you ok?" He nods quickly, looking up at his father with wide blue eyes.

"Yes," He stammers. "Y…Yes, I am fine." The man smiles at him.

"Good."

"You scared me."

"Sorry," He mumbles. "What are you doing?"

"I was researching more about the fox." he replied. His father looked at him intensely.

"You really don't seem to let this go. I am telling you it was just a dream! I told you everything I knew about the forest close by, but you know, son, sometimes some things are just better left alone."

"Maybe" he replied. Maybe it was just a dream. He did have a tendency of think every single little thing that happens to him, must have a meaning.

And he did learn something new about the Fennec foxes.

*********************************************************************

Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I would appreciate it if you leave a heart or any tip is more than welcomed.

You can also check out any of my other articles on Vocal below by clicking on my profile or find me on Instagram at @anastasia_writes_1!