FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

1

Redwater was beautiful at night. It was what Jacob loved about it.

It was a small town at the foot of a mountain, and it looked like it was untouched for decades. Like a town that thrived, but away from the rest of the world. The architecture was old; the air was cold and fresh, and there were plants everywhere. Redwater was in the middle of nowhere, so it was hard to find. It wasn't on most maps yet, and it only spread on word of mouth or finding it on the internet by chance. It was also a good few days' ride from the nearest city, so most people didn't put in the effort to go there. The people who did put in the effort, however, only had nice things to say about the town.

Jacob was glad he chose to live here.

He watched the town from the distance, through the bus window. The warm orange lights from the buildings contrasted with the cool blue of the night, and it all looked so cozy. It was so small now that he was up in the mountains. Jacob had been in town long enough for him to know who the lights belonged to and what they were doing that night. Ned's son Rob was having his 18th birthday, so he was probably egging him to have a drink in his bar. Kylie and Nick and the others were probably there as well. They were probably wondering where he was at the moment. Most likely not. But even then, they weren't the only people who would be looking for him. Jenna and the band were having band practice, and he was filling in for their lead guitarist, Rudy. They were probably looking for him too, but Jacob figured they could live without one guitarist for a night or two.

Jacob sighed. As much as he tried to remain in the background, he knew people would be looking for him. But it wasn't the first time he disappeared for a night, so it shouldn't be a surprise to them.

Redwater surprised Jacob. Compared to other towns he's been to, this was smaller. There were fewer people than most, and most of the time, those towns were dying. Redwater was thriving when he got there, and it won't die out any time soon. Even then, there weren't that many people in town, and he was glad about it.

His experiences with small towns were mostly the same. There were a few friendly faces here and there, but for the most part, most people kept to themselves since he was a new face in a town. His going there proved him wrong. As soon as he got the boxes out in the front yard, a retriever came up to him and helped him with the boxes, making small talk along the way. It was Kylie. He was surprised how they got along and how she got him to be more open with others. In hindsight, no one else was going to do it but her. No one could have but her, and he wasn't even sure if it was because she was just that kind of person or if it was because Kylie reminded him of himself back then.

The bus slowed down to a stop and Jacob didn't have to be told. He stood up and tossed his bag around his shoulders as he walked to the front of the bus. The only people there were him and the driver, Earl, a white fox who was probably in his eighties--Jacob never asked. He helped him out every now and then, and they made small talk when they could, and that was good enough for the both of them. Now that he thought about it, Earl was the only bus driver he'd ever seen and maybe the whole town, too. He'd worked for people well over fifty and they all said how Earl was their bus driver to school when they were in middle school. There was a certain charm to that, though Jacob wondered if Alpenglow wasn't secretly running short on bus drivers.

Earl smiled at him when he got to the front of the bus and Jacob stopped to greet him. The fox greeted him in kind.

"Not a lot of folks go here this time of year," Earl said.

"Yeah." Jacob looked at the empty bus. "I can see that."

"Forgive me for prying, but it's quite a lonely place for us folk who live here."

Jacob knew the look on his face and he shook his head. "My house is being fumigated right now, so I needed somewhere to stay."

"Your friends won't take you in?"

"I don't wanna be a bother."

Earl gave him a knowing look. "Bad friends?"

Jacob shook his head. "Quite the opposite, actually. Couldn't be farther from the truth."

"Then I'm sure they'd understand, son."

"Yeah, well." Jacob turned to the back of the bus, where they came from. "It's kinda too late to go back now, huh?"

"We could always go back."

"It's a waste of money and your energy. And time too."

Earl shook his head. "You always have time to go back. You might learn it when you're my age, but we all learn it, eventually."

"Boy, I can't wait."

That got a laugh out of the old fox. "It will come before you know it."

With a smile and a nod, Jacob got out of the bus, and he watched it go. As soon as it was gone, Jacob turned around and walked down the forest path. He was alone again, as usual. Only this time, there was no one next door, so he was truly alone here.

It was quieter in Redwater than anywhere else in the world. Even when he was downtown, in the busiest hours of the day, it was peaceful. It was one perk of living in a small town. But sometimes he missed the noise. Back in college, there was so much of it, so many people doing their thing, so many things happening. He missed those, too. Jacob had a great time there, and he made some good friends along the way. There were a lot of things there that ended up becoming good memories. But if he had the chance, he would never go back. He was far away from all of them, and hopefully, they would never see him again, and that was for the best.

But he never really got rid of his problems--he just ran away from them. The moment he saw the red fur, brown ears, and the bright green eyes, it all came crashing down. He almost felt like laughing when he saw him again and he didn't know why, and saying the name Danny again felt strange. But he composed himself and greeted the fox with as much warmth as the winter morning outside.

He'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't enjoy his time with the fox. Danny had been Jacob's friend ever since he was a little kid that could barely even look the other kids in the eye. The way he did it was following him around and pestering him until Jacob accepted. They became fast friends after that, to his surprise. The fox woke something in him as they grew older. The extroverted, outgoing guy he became known for in college was something he can credit the fox for and he was thankful for him about that.

But it seemed like he woke something in Danny as well. One day, Danny told him he had feelings for him. He was pretty flattered by it, all things considered, and it felt a little good that someone felt that way for him. Things were pretty good for a little while, but it didn't last. Jacob and Danny can get physical than most friends and they were fine with that, but now that he knew what Danny felt for him, he seemed to be feeling him out as much as he could, touching him to his heart's content as long as Jacob clearly consented to it. That would be fine, too, if Danny weren't pushing past where he was comfortable. He felt like he had no choice but to relent.

It kept on and on and he wanted it to stop, but when he suggested taking things slower, the look on Danny's face stuck with him. He knew it didn't mean anything; he knew Danny wasn't mad at him. But he couldn't help feel that Danny was disappointed in him. He didn't know why, but that was too much for him. So he was back at square one again.

Time passed, and Danny changed. The time he spent with the fox changed a bit. Whenever they talked, Danny almost always seemed to want something from him, and he'd always find out that it was him he wanted. And when he got what he wanted for the day, the conversations would peter off. That was bad on its own, but the more he looked into it, the more he saw that pattern with his friends. All of them seemed to want something from him every time they talked to him, whether it be needing help with some papers, filling in for a guitarist, or being a wingman. And when they were satisfied, they would leave. As it sunk in, he couldn't help but see it happen with everyone he saw.

Then he woke up one day with a fierce hungover. When it went away was when he learned Danny kissed him. He eventually learned that Danny was tipsy at the time, but apparently he was sober enough to make conscious decisions. He was a different story. All he could remember that night was him telling Danny no, half-heartedly, admittedly, but it got the point across. That was too far, and he decided that enough was enough.

When he was talking to Danny again, he felt glad, relieved. It brought him memories of high school when they were just hanging out because they wanted to hang out. But when things got serious, and Danny said why he went back, he felt like he was back in college again. Where most of them just talked to him if they wanted something. He wasn't so much a thought as he was a nuisance to his happiness, and he hated that.

Jacob regretted burning bridges with him. He missed Danny. The fox was the one friend that stuck with him throughout childhood, and the one who was always by his side. Even when he was trying to get what he wanted out of the hyena, he still looked out for him. Sure, he came back to see him for himself, but he still came to see him. He still remembered him and cared about him, which was more than he could say about the other people he befriended. Though, he couldn't fault them, either. But when he finally got over himself and went out to see Danny, he was long gone. Maybe that was for the best. He'd rather Danny think of him as what he used to be than what he had become.

Either way, that was all in the past now. He was in Redwater, with new friends, and a new life. Before Jacob could think about anything else, he was in Alpenglow. Why it was a minute's trek from the road, he will never know, but he couldn't say it was all for nothing. Alpenglow was a hotel on the foot of the mountain Redwater was located. It was purely made of wood--at least, that's what it was made to look like. It was clear they were trying to make it look like a cabin, and it worked. It was small enough to look like a cabin, but large enough to function as a hotel.

Clutching his only backpack and guitar bag, he walked to the hotel. The inside was warmer and cozier, like a hearth at the height of winter. They were really going for the cabin look once he got inside. Though on second thought, that's the theme Redwater was trying to sell about itself. They styled themselves after a bunch of cabins in the mountains. The town was at its best tourism wise during the winter, and Danny visited them at the best time of the year.

Shaking his head, he went and checked in for the night, then he went to his room. It took a moment for him to find it, since the hotel was bigger than what the outside made it look like. The hotel room was also made of wood--at least, that was what it looked like. For the most part, it was a hotel room that looked the same as the rest of the hotel. The only thing that really caught his attention was the window outside. It had a view of Redwater. It was beautiful, and it took up most of the window. Jacob unpacked his bags, and once that was done, he went toward the window. He admired the scenery for a bit before looking around the town. There was nothing beyond it but the dark and the trees and the mountains. And just like that, he reminded how hidden he really was from the rest of the world.

He turned around and went for the door, going for something to eat. They said the hotel had great food, and he wasn't going to pass that up. As he got out the door, someone else was leaving as well, two doors away from him. He was about to keep to himself when he recognized her, and when he did, his eyes widened.

"Kylie?"

Kylie looked up at him and looked surprised, too. "Jacob! Fancy seeing you here."

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. First time I saw you here. What gives?"

Jacob wanted to insist that he asked first, but he sighed and relented. "My house is being fumigated right now. So I'm staying here for the time being."

"Ah."

Kylie started walking, and Jacob followed her. He didn't know where she was going, but she figured they were going the same way.

"You know, you could've stayed the night anywhere else."

"I have my reasons." Jacob looked around. "Now, what are you doing here?"

"Let's just say I have my reasons, too."

Jacob wanted to ask about, but decided not to pry. Not that Kylie wasn't the sharing type--she very much was--but if he asked, then she would ask about him in return, and he didn't feel like it at the moment.

"Say, are you gonna do something?" Kylie asked.

"None for tonight," Jacob said. "I made sure of it."

"Well, wanna grab something to eat, then? Or drink? Something edible."

Jacob looked around at the hotel again. There wasn't much to do in this hotel, and he wasn't planning to do anything at all. There was a friendly face in the hotel and that helped to stop him from feeling so lonely.

"Sure," Jacob said.

2

Despite going to the hotel many times all her life, Kylie only went to Alpenglow for two reasons.

The first was for celebrations. It had been happening ever since she was little. Since the nearest town was too far from them, and Alpenglow was the closest thing they have to something exotic and out of town, that was where they celebrated. And most, if not all, celebrations were held in the hotel.

The first celebration she remembered in the hotel was when she was six. There was a kid in town named Mike. He might've been the richest kid she ever knew. He always had all the toys and the consoles none of the other kids could ever afford, which was why he had a lot of friends. Whenever he had birthday parties, he would hold them in the hotel, complete with catering and whatever theme he wanted that year. The kids would also get expensive toys none of their parents could buy, too, so all the kids went home happy.

She grew up and other celebrations were held there. Prom, receptions, debuts. She was there, she'd seen most of it, and she was getting tired of going there again and again in dresses and gowns. At this point, the hotel might as well be the back of her hand, with how she was familiar with the hotel.

The second reason only came up recently. As much as she liked the town, it overwhelmed her at times. Her friends knew her for being the extroverted friend, the one who brought people to one another, and the reason the friend groups were how they were. But even through all of that, she preferred when she was alone. She loved talking to people, but she'd rather when it was small, but because she was the one that made new friends, there were times where there were just too many people. Not that she minded it, but sometimes it was just too much for her. Sometimes, when she was hanging out with her ever-growing friend group, and when they were in a very busy place, she would do her best to tell them to go somewhere else, but of course, they never really did. Those were the times where she needed to have some alone time, much to the dismay of her friends.

She wished she could explain it to them, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. She couldn't bring herself to say how she liked crowds, but hated when they got a little too chaotic. How she was waiting any for second to someone scream that there was a fire and everyone would panic. It didn't have to be a fire. It could be anything, but whatever it was, people would panic, and everything would go wrong. She hated that feeling.

That was when Kylie started going to Alpenglow, and when she did, she wished she had done it sooner. It was higher up in the mountains, so there were fewer people there. There weren't that many people there most of the year, mostly because Redwater was more attractive during the winter, and she took advantage of that. But even if there were a lot of people, they were mostly strangers, so she could have the time to herself. She could be alone while not having to be alone, and she was thankful for that.

So that was what she did that night. She was supposed to be at Ned's bar since it was Rob's 18th birthday, and they were all wondering if Rob could really hold his weight as he kept bragging about. And because she was the most well-known person there, everyone was expecting she'd be there. Well, she would've, but that feeling overwhelmed her again, so she packed up and went to Alpenglow for the night. She felt bad for skipping out Rob's 18th birthday, but she'd rather not take any chances, so she hoped Rob would understand. When she was settling into the fact that she was going to be alone for the rest of the night, Jacob showed up. That lifted her spirits. A friend in Alpenglow was a new feeling, but it was something she needed that night. That, and she found someone else who skipped out on Rob's birthday party, so she could project her guilt onto someone else. All in all, everything was good.

They ate at the farthest end of the room, next to the window wall where the town was in sight. Kylie had a margarita and ordered some food. Jacob only ordered beer. Kylie urged him to eat something so there would be something along with his bottle of beer, and he acted pissed at first, but he eventually dug in, so that was the end of that. As she watched Jacob down his first glass of beer, she wondered if Rob was downing his first bottle or third.

"So," Kylie said. "How does it feel not being to Rob's birthday party for various reasons?"

Jacob drank from his beer mug and shrugged. "Honestly? It sucks, because I really like the guy. But if I went there with my various reasons, it would've been a shitshow, so I'd rather skip out on his very special day than get my ass handed to me."

"Never knew you were a violent guy."

"I'm not, but... there's gonna be a lot of people there. Jimmy's gonna be there too, and I don't wanna get drunk."

Jimmy was one of Ned's friends, and he was a notorious drinker. Everyone around him was a lightweight in comparison. If he was friendly with you, and you were near him, he will get you to drink with him. There was no escape. You either leave before he got to the counter or you maintain your distance the whole time. All of his friends always ended up passed out around midnight. This went beyond Jimmy and Ned's circle of friends. If he was friendly with someone, they're already in the crossfire, and Jimmy and Jacob already had a few conversations with him. With Jacob's general demeanor and Jimmy's loud voice and friendly, take-charge attitude, Kylie knew how that would go.

"Fair," Kylie said.

"And there's you," Jacob said. "Why are you here? We all get why I wouldn't go there, but you?"

"If I'm gonna say my reasons, then you're gonna have to say you reasons, too. So, do we have a deal?"

Jacob sighed. "Point taken."

"Thank you."

Kylie watched as Jacob took another long drink of his beer after that. Kylie wanted to say something about it, but she didn't know how to say it. Jacob was acting differently that night. He was far from a lightweight, but he was responsible with his drinking, almost to a point where it's like he's scared of getting drunk. But it seemed like he was trying to get drunk with how fast he was downing the bottle. That, and he wasn't as lively as he usual--as lively as he could be, anyway. He had been like this lately, and it was subtle enough for her and their friends not to notice until lately. There was something Jacob's not telling her, but he comes around in his own time, so she shouldn't pry.

"I see why you go here when you wanted to have some alone time," Jacob said. "It's pretty peaceful."

Kylie nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad you saw it, too. But, still, you didn't have to go all the way here. You know you could stay over at Nick's, or with Mikey's, right?"

Jacob sighed. "I know, but... it doesn't feel right, you know? It's not that serious, and it's gonna be for one night. Besides, I wanna be alone for tonight, and the next if I'm gonna have to stay here a little while longer. You guys are great, but I just need some time to think."

Kylie nodded. "I see." Funnily enough, those were her reasons as well, and hearing them from Jacob was pretty strange. But it was a nice feeling, and there was a kinship in there. As much as she didn't want to admit it, there was a nagging feeling in her chest when she saw Jacob in Alpenglow. The hotel was a happy place for her, the way a kid's tree house or the fort they made in the woods was special to them, and having someone she know be there when she needed some time alone was like someone intruding into that metaphorical tree house or fort in the woods. But at the same time, she was getting quite lonely in the hotel, so the company was welcome.

"Are you okay with me asking why you're staying the night here or would you rather me talk about something else?" Jacob asked.

"Is this you proving a point?"

"I'm just wondering. You have the choice, though."

As gallant as always, she thought, smiling. She took a sip from her margarita. "Let's talk about something else."

"All right." Jacob nodded. He leaned on his chair a bit and took another gulp of the beer. Then he sighed and looked out the window. "Are there any myths here in Redwater? Any urban legends or something?"

Kylie gave Jacob a look. "I mean, yeah. Most places do. Why?"

"I'm curious. I like this town. It's small, charming, has a personality. People here do a lot of things that I can understand as a Redwater thing and that kinda shit. But I never really checked into the history of it all, or the stories in this town, and I wanna know more about it."

Where did this come from? Kylie thought. For the few years that she knew Jacob, she knew him to be a lot of things, but he had never been curious about this stuff. Stories, myths, and histories weren't something he wasn't invested in. But maybe he was just trying new things, and based on how antisocial he was, she wasn't opposed to that.

"Well, there are some myths and urban legends here," Kylie said. "I can't really tell you all of them, or some of them accurately. The older people here know them by heart because this town was as tight-knit as it can get and they're kinda isolated from the rest of the world. But people around my age don't really know them that much because, you know, the internet. It petered off until Samuel Cliffs came around and based his stuff on some of the myths here, and now the whole world knows about them."

Jacob looked at her. "Samuel Cliffs? The writer? The German Shepherd living in the cabin?"

"Yeah, the bestselling author. He was the one who wrote the movie with the creepy monster thing in the forest. That guy."

"Ah." Jacob nodded, drinking to process all of it.

"Anyway, yeah. There are a lot of myths here. The people who actually dug into this stuff thought that we have most of them because we have a very noticeable and high rate of disappearances and unexplained deaths."

"Like the possum who disappeared back in New Year's, or the bat that died. It's a wonder how this town gets so much tourists."

Kylie shrugged. "It's part of the charm, really. Pretty town surrounded by thick forests and mountains with mysterious disappearances and more mysterious deaths. So far, none of the tourists have died or disappeared, so it's not considered that much of a threat."

Jacob gave a dry, sardonic laugh. "Only the townspeople die and go missing. How convenient."

"Again, it helps the business, so..." Kylie shrugged.

"Gotta get that money."

"Okay, we're going off topic. All right, so, I don't know much about all the myths or urban legends, but there was something that's quite well known, probably because our grandparents told this to us to keep us from going out late at night. They said that there was this monster... creature... cryptid, whatever you call it. It doesn't have a name; I don't think it does. People describe it as something that's tall and thin, that looks kinda like a tree if it stood still. It was a person, they said, but they never saw the face. Not properly, anyway. Our stories about it changes depending on who you ask, but all of them say that it lured little children, or sometimes adults, if it was 'hungry enough.'" Kylie did air quotes. "How it lured people also varies. Some people say that it grabs hold of the person and makes them walk to the woods. Others say it mimics the voices of its victims. Either way, whenever someone disappears without a trace, they blame it on this thing."

"Like the possum at New Year's?"

Kylie nodded. "Yeah, it became one of the more popular ones. Other ones were the boar back in 2012 or the fox back in 2009."

Jacob nodded, his gaze drifting to the window. "Weird how I never knew about it."

"You're still new here, and people don't really go around talking about it."

"I can see that." Jacob filled his glass again and drank. "Are there any other myths or urban legends you know about?"

"Well, I'm not the arbiter on the Redwater mythos, Jacob."

"I'm gonna have to start somewhere, right?" Jacob smiled. "But it's all right. It's a start, at least."

Kylie stared at Jacob, brows furrowed. Then she shook her head and looked away. The town was in the distance. "Oh yeah, there's also one about this place."

That was enough to get Jacob to lift his head. "Oh?"

"Yeah. There was said that there was this monster, cryptid--whatever--thing in Redwater. Just like every other cryptid thing in this town, it's deep in the woods, and barely comes out. But when it does, someone dies. A lot of people said they saw it, but they never agreed on what it looked like. Some people saw a fox, some saw a rat, others saw something else, like this thing with long legs and no fur. At first, people thought it was just people seeing things, and it probably is, but whenever people saw it, someone died. And as the deaths started piling up, it became an urban legend."

"That would be a lot of deaths for the good of this hotel," Jacob said.

"You'd be surprised to know how many people die in hotels. Alpenglow just got the short end of the stick. But since the deaths were very vague, and the there was an urban legend around it... well, you know where this is going."

Jacob laughed. "I see."

The laugh slowly disappeared from his face, and his gaze fell to the floor. This time, Kylie knew something was wrong. Jacob really wasn't acting like himself. "Why'd you ask, by the way?"

The hyena turned to the window again, like he was looking for courage from it. Kylie turned to the window, but all she saw was grass and trees and little lights.

"Nothing, really," Jacob said. "Just curious."

"Curious? Now that something I didn't expect from you."

"You and the rest of the town wouldn't." He smiled, and it made him look so tired. "What the hell happened to me?"

There was a silence that dragged on for a little too long. Jacob took another glance at the window and his gaze fell down on the floor. Kylie cleared her throat. "So, what are you gonna do now with the knowledge I just gave you?"

There was another silence. It was short, but weird. Then Jacob shrugged. "Scratch the itch off my back, I guess. It scratched it real well."

"Glad I could help."

He smiled. "Cheers to that."

Kylie smiled, raising her glass. Jacob raised his as well. "To getting you more knowledgeable about Redwater's history," Kylie said.

"And to bailing on Rob's 18th birthday."

They both laughed at that and drank. Kylie placed her drink on the table, playing with the rim. "No, but seriously. Turning 18 is a big deal and all, but there's also him turning 21, and Rob is a guy, so we have a chance to redeem ourselves."

"That is, if the guilt doesn't kill us first."

Kylie stifled a laugh at that. "Yeah. Here's hoping."

Jacob's gaze slowly slid down to the table again, at the beer, staring at it. His smile never left, but it faltered ever so slightly. Then he took his phone from the table. "All right," Jacob said. "I'm gonna go to my room now. I feel like I'm gonna pass out."

Kylie got up. "You want me to help you get to your room, just in case?"

"No, no. It's fine. I'm still sober."

She nodded. "Well, do you want me to stay with you for a little, just in case?"

Jacob looked at her. "Just in case of what?"

"You know... stuff."

Jacob chuckled. "Kylie. It's fine. I'm gonna be fine."

She looked at him, then at the window Jacob looking at. She wanted to insist, but Jacob looked so damn tired, and she knew when to draw the line.

"Okay," she said. "Good night, Jacob."

"Good night, Kylie." Jacob smiled, then got up to leave. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Kylie watched Jacob left the bar. Kylie sat around a little longer, finished her drink, and went to her room. She made sure she never looked outside the window on the way out.

3

Jacob woke up in a cold sweat.

The dread was fading the moment he sat up, but it was there, and it was strong. He couldn't remember what it was about, but he remembered how bizarre it was, with things like him walking in a forest, but he was on an empty plane with the forest below the ground he was walking on. But even if it was strange, there was a sense of fear of things that he couldn't remember. But it was a dream, and it was over. Jacob took a deep breath, lied down, but he couldn't go back to sleep.

Sighing, he took off the covers and got up. Despite the weather, it felt a little stuffy. He was hot too, even though he was in his boxers, so he dragged himself to the window and opened it. The cold wind made him shiver, but it was a relief at that moment. Jacob's room faced Redwater. The town was pretty, but he wished he was on the other side. The sight was comforting enough to compensate, though, so he didn't complain. It was half past midnight, but he wasn't the only guy in town who stayed up late, so there were lights all around. Rob probably was still awake, and probably drunk while everyone around him was laughing because he was probably a lightweight. Jenna was probably writing something for that EP that had been in the works for three years now. Nick was doing whatever it was he was doing late at night. If he wasn't in Alpenglow right now, he might've been in either of those three places, but he was here, and that stuck with him.

"Goddammit," Jacob muttered under his breath. He went back to the bed and sat down, but the town was still in sight. Sighing, he buried his face in his hands and rubbed it hard. The reason he went here in the first place was so he could get away from it all for a little while. It worked, but not long enough. He completely forgot it when he was with Kylie. That was only two hours ago, but it felt like it had happened on an entirely different night. He actually felt happy, and now he wished he took Kylie's offer and spent a few more hours with her.

Hopefully, she's still up, Jacob thought

With that thought in mind, Jacob got dressed and went toward the door. As he did, he felt a cold wind blow behind him. He wouldn't have payed it any mind if it didn't feel so dry. He turned around, went to the window, and shut it. Then he went to the door and opened him. In front of him was a fox. He was dressed snugly in thick clothes with a green scarf that wrapped around his neck and covered most of his torso. All it took was a look in his eyes to know who it was.

The surprise went away as soon as it came, and Jacob deflated. He turned around and walked away. "Why are you here?"

"Hi, Jacob," Danny said. "May I come in?"

He sighed. "Go ahead."

The fox closed the door behind him. Jacob went for the bed, hesitated, then went to the window, and hesitated again. Whatever he wanted to do went away when Danny showed up. That thought almost made the hyena laugh. It's been a while, but it turned out some things stay the same. Gotta love it. Jacob sat on the chair on the vanity table next to the window. Danny looked around before gingerly grabbing a different chair and sitting down. The way he tried to make himself smaller in his chair made Jacob regret not being a little warmer to him.

The fox sat there, looking at anywhere else but at him. When he knew Jacob was never going to speak up, he did it first. "So, I know this is really sudden, but I don't have much time, and I wanna set things straight." He chuckled softly to himself. "Yeah, I never thought I'd be back here again, too."

"Well, you never seem to learn that no means no, so I shouldn't be surprised now, should I?"

"Well, you never said no."

"And you never said you wanted to patch things up. If that's what you even wanted."

Danny scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Sorry."

There was another silence again, and Jacob looked away. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. The room wasn't this cold before; if it was, it wasn't enough for him to notice. It was cold enough to make his throat breathing it all in, but not unbearable enough. Jacob moved to close the window, but it was already shut. The town outside was dark.

"Remember when we were sixteen?" Danny said. "That sleepover where we tried jumping out of your window? We told each other of the town we wanted to live in and, well..." He chuckled. "Looks like you're living in my dream town."

He sighed. "Sorry I stole your dream town," he said flatly. "Now get out of here."

"I knew you were awake that night."

"Figured you knew that." He closed his eyes, shook his head, and sighed. "Danny, why did you even come back? This isn't gonna go anywhere, and you just wasted your time coming here. There's nothing left for you here."

There was a dejected look on his face that Jacob hadn't seen in a while, and he hoped he never seen it again. The hopelessness in his eyes was what made him let Danny push his limits all so many times before. He fought so hard not to give in the last time he saw Danny, and now he was doing it all over again. He looked away.

"I couldn't stop it," Danny said. "I couldn't stop thinking about how things ended last November. The whole things just keeps popping up in my mind now and then, and whenever it comes up, I..." Danny shook his head. "I don't want things to end things like this. We've been friends ever since we were little. You've been a huge part of my life. I don't want us to end up like this. So I'm sorry." The fox shook his head. "Why do you keep running away, Jacob?"

"I--" Jacob's voice got caught up in his throat. "I don't run away."

Danny looked at him, then his gaze fell to the floor. In a moment, Jacob caught a glimpse of guilt in his eyes. "I went to your house, and you weren't there. So I searched around and ended up in a bar. There was a party there, I think. I asked for you and they said they were looking for you, too. They told me you got your house fumigated, and they were waiting for you."

"Well, where I go is my business, all right?"

"Your house smelled perfectly fine. I waited for hours there, and no one showed up to fumigate it. And the guys at the bar, especially the guy they were hosting for it for, kept staring at the door, waiting for you."

Jacob opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. He wanted to yell at Danny, to tell him to get out and not come back again, but what good would that do? In fact, he should have seen this coming. It was a terrible lie, and anyone could visit the house and it would've given it away. Danny must've seen the look on his face because his face was guilty again as he looked away. Now Jacob didn't know what to feel.

Danny sighed. "Remember when your mom and dad found about what you and Bailey did? You went to my house with three heavy bags like you were ready to leave town."

"I was ready to leave town." Jacob turned to the window. "Something just knocked some sense in my head."

"Yeah, but sometimes I wish what would've happened if we did run away in a van or something and did some gigs on the side. Maybe we would've been happier."

"We would've been killed or died broke or OD'd or worse," Jacob said. "We were seventeen and we wouldn't have survived long. Besides, I wouldn't have stayed long in a van alone with you and you would know that." Jacob leaned forward, and he mimicked Danny's nostalgic tone with icy venom in his voice. "Remember what you did with the lube you always kept in your drawer?"

Danny seemed to shrink into the chair, but Jacob didn't stop. Just like that day in November, he couldn't stop.

"And maybe I do run away, I don't know. Where else am I gonna go? I can't go to Mom and Dad when they knew what I did with Bailey, even if we all patched things up. Also, I didn't exactly finish college now, did I? After that, I don't know if I could ever look them in the eye again. We didn't have enough money, and my parents did everything they could so I could go to college, so they wanted something that would get me a stable job. They told me again and again, 'Jacob, music isn't a stable income. You need something to fall back on.' But I begged them so I could study music until they caved in. I got what I wanted, and I fucked it up. I can't feed myself when I do what I love, and I can't even get into a job that pays well because I don't know how to do anything else. There is nowhere else for me but here because I never would've made it.

"And then there's you. I always come back to you whenever I had a rough time because I knew I could count on you, and look how well that turned out." Jacob sank into his chair, sighing. "Ever since I turned fifteen, I felt like there's no one I could rely on. I felt like I had to find some place or with someone I could be comfortable with. Someone I could trust. And so far, I lost that feeling with our friends back in college. I lost that with my parents, and I lost that with you. So don't get fucking mad at me for running away, because that's the only thing I could ever do in my life."

Tears welled up in Jacob's eyes and he turned away so Danny couldn't see them wiping it off. Danny remained silent for a long time before asking. "Did you find it here?"

Jacob thought of Kylie, then Ned and Rob, then Earl, Jenna, Salim, Nick, and the other people he's made friends with. "Yes."

Danny nodded. "I see. I'm sorry Jacob."

"I know."

The silence that followed made the ringing in his ears deafening. Jacob kept his gaze on the window, shivering in the cold. There were a lot of things going inside him and he didn't know what to do with it or even think about it. He crossed his arms, his grip so tight it looked like it hurt. His eyes was closed to stop himself form crying.

Then he stood up. "I... I guess I'm gonna go. I'm sorry, Jacob." The hyena took a glance at Danny to find that the fox wasn't even looking at him. His gaze was fixated on the floor as he turned around. Jacob watched as he walked toward the door.

"Danny, wait."

Danny stopped, then slowly turned around. Jacob sighed and did everything he could to look at Danny in the eye. "I should've let you in. Last November," he said. "I shouldn't have locked you out."

The fox stood there at first, as if any move he made would've changed Jacob's mind. It took a moment for him to relax and walk away from the door. There was a smile on his face, and it looked so tired. So relieved.

"It's all right," Danny said. "I understand."

Jacob sighed. Part of him didn't want to let things resolve just yet. There was so much he wanted to say, things he had practiced in his head over and over again. But all of those just went away when Danny was there, like it always had. Hell, it didn't feel like it was serious anymore when he had the chance to say it. So he never did, but that didn't stop it from resurfacing. It didn't stop it from clawing at him. But what else could he do?

I'm so fucking tired, Jacob thought. I just want this to be over.

"What... what would you have said if I let you in?" Jacob asked.

Danny sat back down again, then shifted in his seat. "I... I forgot most of it."

"Then what do you remember?"

"Well," Danny turned to face him. "I would've said that I'm sorry. That I never should've the things I did because of how I made you feel. I know it's not the only reason you left, but it was a reason. I would've said that you're your own person, and you always had the option to say no, and I'm sorry I ignored that, because I just saw you as a means to an end." He chuckled bitterly to himself. "If I had the chance, I'd be a better friend, but I can't do it anymore. So I'm sorry, and I understand if you don't wanna see me again."

Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but only a whimper came out. "I..." was all he could say before he broke in to tears. All at once, the hurt, the grief, and the guilt came pouring out, and he sobbed. He curled into a little ball and let it all out. The highest point came and went and when he could think clearer, he said, "I'm sorry, Danny. I never... I really wanted to talk to you again. I missed you, but it was too much and I couldn't see you again." His breath caught up in his throat again. "I should've let you in. I should've let you talk with me one last time before you go. I miss you, Danny."

He then felt a body wrap around him. He looked up to see Danny hugging him, the fox's green eyes closer to him than before. Danny looked at him with a sweet, understanding look on his face. The comfort he gave made Jacob nostalgic, and he missed it. He wrapped his arm around him and held him closer, crying into his shirt. Danny was a little cold, and his fur smelled like dirt and earth, but mixed with it was the familiar scent of fox Jacob used to smell all the time when he was a kid. He missed it so bad.

So he didn't mind when it pressed its lips against his, and its lips were cold as ice.

4

Kylie woke up to a strange coldness in the room.

She slept in warm clothes, and the blanket was thick. Her usual sleeping position was in a fetal position with the covers wrapped around her and it reached up to her eyes, because it was that comfortable. It was never too warm for her and it kept her from the cold, but tonight the cold seeped through the blankets and her clothes.

Kylie sat up, hugging the covers so it wouldn't fall off. It had never been this cold here, at this time of year, even through freezing winters. She looked around her, but the window was cold and the air was still. It was like the time she buried herself in the snow. Breathing felt that way, too. It was dry, and when she breathed in, she could feel it going to her lungs and freezing up all the moisture in there. It hurt to breathe.

Kylie got off the bed and got dressed. She chose thicker, warmer clothes, and put them over the clothes she wore when she slept. It was warmer, but not much. As much as she lived her whole life in places, she never could handle harsher weathers. There was a terrible winter when she was nine and she was bedridden for a week. It was at the time that she discovered that there were certain areas that were surprisingly warm. She never found any in Alpenglow, but there was a fireplace, so she hoped it was still lit.

It grew even colder when she got out. The cold pierced through her clothes as well, and she shivered. The hallways were filled with a warm yellow light, but she was sure the bulbs were cold too. She stepped out of the room, arms crossed. She made a beeline for the hallway, then she stopped. Jacob was in the hotel. He wasn't as bad with cold weather as Kylie was, but he got cold ever now and then. He was probably asleep now, but it wouldn't hurt to check in on him. Besides, just like him, she could use the company.

The air got colder the closer she got to Jacob's door. The air was dry, too, and it was like the moisture in her throat froze. It wasn't unbearable, but it was the coldest when she got to the door, and the cold made her feel stiff. She ignored it and knocked on the door.

"Jacob?" she called out. She waited, but nothing happened. Kylie knocked again. "Jacob, you awake?" Kylie knocked one more time. "Jacob?"

Jacob was probably still asleep. She was about to leave when a feeling clutched her gut. There was an intense need to open the door. She couldn't explain it, but the feeling overwhelmed her, like she needed to open it, or else. So she grabbed the knob and opened the door.

Jacob was there, sure enough. He was sitting on the chair beside the table. Kylie got lightheaded and stumbled inside. Only when the door clicked shut was when she saw the rest of the picture. There was something else in the room with them. She couldn't see it properly, because the side of the room it was in was blurry to her, like she was looking at a blurred out photo. She could still make out the figure, though, and there was no way someone was that bone thin and tall that they had to be down on their knees.

Whatever it was, it was all over Jacob. One hand was wrapped around him. It was long and bone thin, with black fur. The other was on his knee, as if holding Jacob in place. Jacob simply faced the thing with his eyes closed. He looked so relaxed, too. Like he was letting what was happening with no problem. The thing crawled over closer and closer to Jacob. Kylie took a step forward to stop it, but then more and more appendages emerged from its body. As its head was inches away from Jacob, the blur cleared a little, and Kylie saw eyes. So many eyes. They were wide open, and each one moved in a different direction, and just below it were a pair of fangs. It was a tarantula, and she could only watch as it pressed its fangs against Jacob's muzzle in a mockery of a kiss.

Kylie didn't know what to do, but even if she did, she was too frozen in place to do anything about it. The spider thing began wrapping its arms around Jacob, pulling him closer. Jacob still had his eyes closed, looking rather peaceful. It was as if he was kissing someone who was doing it for the first time. But the spider was smashing its fangs against Jacob's muzzle, which shouldn't seem to work because it looked like the spider's mouth was too big, but it did. The way spider caressed the Jacob's head was what made Kylie move. She moved to the side, and she had no idea why. Her eyes were focused on them the whole time that she bumped into a vanity table and the things fell to the floor. There was a glass of water there, and it shattered into a million pieces, breaking the silence.

The spider jerked its head to face her, so fast and so smooth, there was no way it was natural. It was still too blurry, but Kylie could tell that all of its eyes were focused on her. They were a person's eyes, but they were wide-eyed, and there was a feral rage and hunger in them. Kylie froze in place again, though her every instinct was telling her to run for the door. Slowly, she gathered enough courage to take small steps toward the door. The spider's eyes followed her. She took another small step, then another. Then she couldn't take anymore and made a dash for the door. That was when the spider lifted its legs. Kylie froze in place again and shielded her face. The spider didn't come for her, though. Instead, it went for the window, grabbing Jacob by the legs. Jacob was went limp, lifeless. There was no sound as the spider went out the window and dragged Jacob out of it.

Kylie rushed over to the window. The wind was freezing as if, winter came. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she looked around. Redwater had no lights on, which was something that never happened. There was always at least a few lights on, but no. Nothing was there. There were no stars in the sky as well. Something was off. She shook her head and looked around. There were no lights, no stars, but she could see just fine. At first, she only saw was dirt and trees, then she saw something right between the trees. It was dark there, but there was a pitch black figure moving around, like some sort of negative space of a picture. It was dragging something, and that was all she needed to know.

She turned around and ran as fast as she could. She rushed down the stairs and across the hallway to the double doors. It was colder, if that was even possible, and it was getting to her skin. The hotel was dark and, she didn't see anyone there. If there were, she didn't notice. Stopping to ask for help wasn't worth it, so she pushed forward.

She stepped outside, and the temperature dropped even more, then she ran straight for where she last saw Jacob. The wood under her feet turned to gravel, then to dirt, then to untouched grass, and before she knew it, she was running toward the forest. She didn't know where she was running, but she had the feeling that it was leading her closer to it, so she took that chance. Then she stopped to take her breath.

"Jacob?" she called out. "Jacob!"

She was met with silence. Absolute silence. There was no sound in the woods. Despite the leaves and the grass were moving, there was no sound. In fact, her ears were ringing from the silence.

Something's not right, Kylie thought.

That was when she stopped and looked around. The trees were all around her, enveloping her. It was almost monolithic in a way, the way they stood there. She turned around and turned some more, and they all looked the same. She didn't know where she came from now. It was enough to scare her when she noticed that the leaves were moving to the wind. But there was no wind.

And something was staring back at her.

Kylie ran away again. She didn't care if she didn't know where she was. All she knew was that it was in front of her, so she turned around and sprinted. She couldn't be as fast as she could because the rocks and the bushes and the unearthed roots got in the way, but she did her best. But she wasn't fast enough because it was right behind her.

"You always wanted to be alone."

The voice was right beside her, like they were sitting and it was right beside her. She ignored it and kept running.

"But why do you keep running? You can just end it all right here right now."

Kylie tripped on a root and she stumbled a bit. The voice was familiar, but it might as well be anyone, the way it sounded like everyone and no one at the same time.

"I know it's scary. Dying and all that. But it's not nothing."

Something grabbed her leg and Kylie fell face first into the dirt. Everything went black and her head was stuck on the ground. She could taste the dirt and the grass and other things she couldn't place. She couldn't see, hear, or smell. Just the feeling and the taste. It spoke again. This time, it sounded like Jacob.

"It's this," it said. "It's darkness and the dirt and the maggots. You can taste them, you can feel them, you can hear things, too. Sometimes it's the trees, sometimes it's the dirt, sometimes it's the worms. In ways you can never could. You hear people, too, but they're dead so they don't talk much."

Kylie struggled, but whatever was holding her down wouldn't budge. As she did, she tasted, felt, and heard everything the voice was telling her. The dirt was different. She tasted and felt it in a way, as if it was a part of her, like she was a part of it. And it was a part of everything. She was one with it, and she wanted out.

Then she heard it. The screaming.

"But sometimes, you can hear other things as well," it said. "Voices that can't be from people at all. They tell me worse things than the dead. Then you see things. Memories. It goes on and on and it feels like you're drowning. Sometimes... you wish it was only darkness, instead. But I was finally alone." The voice laughed, and this time, it was unmistakably Jacob's. "I'm glad I did it sooner."

Finally, Kylie got the strength to pull herself out of it. She sucked in air like she was out of breath. The relief she felt was a welcome one, but it stopped when she saw what was in front of her. It was Jacob, but there was something wrong. He looked skinnier, and the way he slouched made him look more fragile. His fur was disheveled and was probably missing in some areas. His mouth was open, and the tongue and gums were pale. The worst thing is the eyes, and there were only black holes where it should be.

"Come on, show her what it's like," the voice said. And with that, Jacob opened his mouth further, and out of it came the most harrowing scream Kylie heard.

Kylie pressed her hands against her ears. Jacob screamed as if his skin was peeled off. Kylie scrambled away and pressed her hands against her ears, but the scream was still there. She curled into a little ball and buried her head between her legs, but it was still there. She tried and tried until she couldn't take it anymore. The thing wrapped itself around her, and she joined Jacob and screamed.

5

Kylie woke up to the sound of someone calling her name.

She woke up to the stiffness in her body and grass on face. She stirred, feeling as if she had the best sleep in a long while, with the sluggishness that came after. But there were pains in her body she couldn't explain. Bruises, most likely, though she never knew why she would ever have them.

Someone called out to her again, and this time, she was fully awake. Kylie turned her head and saw trees and leaves and a light blue sky. All around her was dirt and leaves.

"What the hell?" Kylie muttered under her breath as she got up. Her arms were pretty weak as well and shook as she pushed herself up. She had never been this weak when she woke up. It was as if she was tired herself too much, just without the aching. She looked around again at the surrounding forest. To her left was a path she recognized as the path she used to walk to get to this forest and think for a bit. The sight made her laugh, and she didn't know why.

"Kylie?"

The voice came from the path. It was familiar, though she didn't know who it was. But it sounded tired and urgent, so she got up to her feet despite her wobbly legs and she shouted back.

"I'm here!"

"Oh, shit!" the voice said. Then, "Hey! We found her." A second after that, she heard footsteps. She counted two, and then she heard another one as well. Kylie walked in the direction she heard the voice, and soon enough, two figures emerged from the bushes. It was an otter and a wolf, both wearing Alpenglow's staff uniforms. Their tired eyes and disheveled fur said it all, and Kylie smiled sheepishly at the two. Before she could say anything more, someone else emerged from the woods. At the sight of him, Kylie's eyes widened and last night came flooding back to her.

"Jacob?"

"Kylie," Jacob said, and he sounded just as tired as the two looked. He was wearing a thick coat that covered most of his body, but he looked healthy enough. His fur was still as thick and vibrant as it should be, and his eyes were still there. Kylie could still see the rotting corpse that was him last night and how it seemed like it was walking against its own will. Jacob looked nothing like that. In fact, it was as if last night didn't happen at all.

"Where have you been?" Jacob grabbed her shoulder. "You scared the shit out of me."

You scared the shit out of me, too, Kylie thought. "I... I was looking for you."

Jacob gave her a look. "What are you talking about? I went to your room last night, and you weren't there."

"What?" What happened last night fully sunk in. How that spider, or whatever it was, was all over Jacob. There was no way he couldn't have remembered that. "I went to your room, Jacob. I saw you..."

"You never came to my room, Kylie. I went to yours. I looked for you, but you weren't there. Where did you go?"

"I..." she looked at Jacob, then at the otter and the wolf. They were now looking at her weirdly now. She clearly remembered what happened last night--it was the damn reason she ran into the woods in the first place. But now she wasn't so sure. She knew what she saw, but everything Jacob said was the opposite of that. And judging by the look of the other two, they weren't going to help her case, either.

Jacob sighed. "All right. Whatever it was, it's done. You're here, and that's what we want. Now come on, let's go back."

They walked back to the hotel, with the staff leading the way. She looked at the trees and how familiar they were now instead of last night. She crossed her arms. "Is, uh, is there anything I need to do?" Kylie asked. "Because of all of this?"

"We were going to contact the authorities," the wolf said. "But he said not to just yet."

Jacob shrugged. "You do this all the time, so I told them not to. It's when the sun was up that I started panicking."

That got a smile out of her. A tired, relieved smile. "I'm glad you know me so well."

"I was considering calling the police, mind you."

"Well, glad it didn't come to that."

Jacob nodded, a smile on his face. "Yeah."

Since the police weren't involved, everything went back to normal aside from a few kinks she and Jacob needed to work out. After that, Kylie decided she had enough of Alpenglow for a while. As soon as she was done, she went straight to her room and packed her things. She was glad that she was too lazy to unpack that night, for once. Jacob greeted her when she got outside, bags in hand. The fact that he left the door open was enough to give her the answer.

"You're leaving too?" Kylie asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I kinda had my fill of the place. I'm guessing this is the same for you, too."

"You wake up in the middle of the woods and you don't remember why you get there. I'd be stupid or crazy to stay here longer."

"Well, you're not stupid. But crazy..."

Kylie gave a one-note laugh. "I'm not that crazy."

"Whatever you say, boss."

They were down the hallway now. As they passed by the cafeteria, Kylie turned to look at it. There were a few people there, scattered along the many tables, eating breakfast. The nearest people to the entrance were a snow leopard with a lion and an old golden retriever. The three of them turned to look at her when she passed by. It was the look people give when someone near passes by. She never thought the day would come where she would be comforted by the awkward looks people give out of impulse.

The mountain air was freezing, as it usually was in the morning. Though it made her cross her arms again, it wasn't as cold as it was last night. It was the cold of the end of winter, and that brought her comfort as well. She relished it because she wouldn't be here for a while.

The bus didn't keep them waiting for long. It arrived around five minutes after they got there and before they knew it, they were going down the mountain. Kylie watched the town from the window as she and Jacob talked about things that came to mind. Jacob was rather cheerful, and even if that was something she and their friends wanted that, it came a little too fast. Jacob went from being rather gloomy last night to being strangely happy. And with what happened last night, she wasn't so sure anymore.

They got down at the first stop, which was the bus stop tourists arrive at when visiting town. As the bus drove away, Kylie and Jacob walked down the road. People were already around, mostly the older folk, since waking up early was a tradition for them. Some of them greeted Kylie, Jacob, or both, and they both greeted them in kind. It was the usual early morning in Redwater, and Kylie felt relieved at the mundanity of the town.

"Want me to walk you home?" Jacob offered.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna go somewhere else," Kylie said. "Besides, you seem like you need some rest."

He smiled at that. The dry, snarky smile he did sometimes. "How'd you know?"

"They say I can read people pretty well."

"Well, you got that right. Thanks for understanding."

"No problem."

They reached a corner, and Jacob turned to walk back to his house. Kylie waited for Jacob to disappear from her sight before she turned in the opposite direction and walked as fast as she could. She turned to look at him one more time before going on her own way.

6

The house was too quiet for the Jacob's liking, but it was home.

Jacob closed the door behind him, and it was completely silent this time. The ringing in his ears felt like home, too. He was so used to it, but he had never grown to fully appreciated it until he went to Alpenglow, with all the people and the music. It was a nice palette cleanser, but palette cleansers could only go on for so long until and you need another palette cleanser for that, too. The last time Jacob felt this appreciative over the quiet was back when he first moved here, and it was nice to feel that again.

Well, he would've embraced the feeling if he wasn't so tired. He barely got any sleep last night and he was moving around on pure willpower the whole ride down. It would've been understandable, but when he was fifteen, he'd set an alarm for five and he'd get up no matter how late he slept. Sometimes, he slept at three in the morning and woke up at the alarm like he usually did. It was a feat he wished he had back. Jacob wished he were fifteen again. He was happier then.

The hyena dragged himself to his room and tossed his bags on the bed. He left them open in case he needs to get something for the time being before he'd take a nap. Then he went to the shower. It was still pretty quiet for his liking, but this time the ringing was gone now, so he couldn't complain.

Spending the night in Alpenglow lifted his spirits. Being around that many people in such a public place made him nostalgic. Sure, the town gatherings were public places as well, but it felt more like family gatherings since everyone knew one another. It was mostly tourists in Alpenglow, and he felt like he was back when he was having the time of his life. Thinking about it now made it seemed like he peaked in college, and he laughed at the thought.

Did I, though? Jacob thought.

He figured a warm bath would do well before going to bed. Jacob grabbed a towel along the way, went inside, and took his clothes off. Once he did, he looked at himself in the mirror. What stared back was a hyena, slouching as if he was sagging to the floor, fur unkempt and disheveled, and eyes that looked like they couldn't cry anymore.

How the hell did I get here? Jacob thought.

Something caught the corner of his eye. He looked slightly to the left, and he saw a bone thin person crawling from the ceiling head turned to face the mirror in a way that would've cut someone's head clean off. It looked like a lot of things, but to Jacob, it was a fox, then it was a hyena. It looked at him through the mirror.

"Ah," Jacob muttered. "That's why."

Jacob stared at the fox, then he went in the bathtub and closed the curtain so he wouldn't have to see it. But like before, it never went away.