Blackness.

_I was lost in an ocean of pure, unbroken darkness. I couldn't tell if I was awake or dreaming. _

_The breath in my lungs felt frozen, unbreathing. I couldn't tell if I was alive or dead. _

The sounds of voices from far away reached my ears. I couldn't understand a word they were speaking.

Slowly, deliberately, I opened my eyes, but all I could see was more empty space before me. There was no one around to help me. No stars in the sky to guide me. I had to find help. Someone was out there that could help me, and I had to find them. Everything depended on it.

Kicking and thrashing my legs, I began to swim through the pitch surrounding me. The scent of something familiar entered my nose, but I couldn't remember what it was. It wasn't the scent of someone to help me. I had to leave this place if I was to find help. I swam in circles, treading the water and trying to find any sense of direction.

I called out to the dark, barking out a cry for help, but my voice couldn't form the words. Familiar squeaks and chirps were all I could utter, but there was no meaning behind them.

I started to swim again. Somehow, suddenly, I knew the way. I could feel I was getting close to the way out of the dark.

Stop

A voice rang out clearly this time. Why stop. I was getting close, I knew it. If I swam just a little further, I could find the way out. A wave of black surged up and shoved me off course.

Hold still

_No, I thought to myself. I won't hold still. If I hold still, I'll drown. Frantically, I began to swim harder. I knew I was almost there. _

_A glint of a knife broke the darkness and slashed my arm, causing it to stop swimming and holding it in place. I yelped in pain, and bit angrily at my assailant, fangs sinking deep within them. They didn't want me to leave. They didn't know how close I was to freedom from this place. _

_Another wave crashed into me, throwing me further off course, and loosening my jaws on the assailant. How dare anyone stop me. I barked out, furiously. They had no right to keep me in this dark pit. Again, a large wave hit me, and this time, it shoved me under water. The wave was trying to drown me. _

From beneath the depths, I started to bark and howl. The wave was crushing the air from me, and I

couldn't breathe.

Help

_The darkness and my voice shouted in unison. I struggled, but the darkness held me tight. I lashed out again, sinking my fangs into the wave that was suffocating me. _

Hurry

Yes, hurry. I had to get away. Help was out there, and I had to find it. Someone that could pull me out. Kicking my hind legs, I dug my claws against the firmness that held me. It started to yield.

New sounds came from behind me. The soft hissing patter of rain was approaching, closer and closer. I knew I couldn't let the rain get me. I'd never find my way out of a storm.

I dug my claws deeper, and squeezed my jaws harder on the thing holding me. Just as it released me, the approaching rain enveloped me. Holding me tight like a net, the rain washed over me and spun me around in the darkness. Each spiral I made slowed my arms and legs more and more until I couldn't swim at all. I began to drown as it pulled me down, while I screamed for more air.

Careful

_Careful of what. It was too late for me. I was going to be stuck in the black sea forever. I was paralyzed and couldn't swim for safety anymore. I felt another wave surge up as it prepared to finish me off. I snarled at it, warning it away. There was little else I could do right now. The wave of black slowed its approach, and held just out of range for me to snap at it. It just loomed there, waiting for something. _

I snarled again. Go ahead. Finish me off. It's what it wanted anyway. The darkness didn't surge up to finish me off. Instead, it gently caressed my muzzle. I wanted to bite it. I needed retribution for preventing my escape, but I couldn't quite bring myself to do it. Nothing could be solved with tooth and claw while I was restrained and immobile.

Carefully, lovingly, the darkness started to lap against my black lips. I held my jaw closed and turned my head away, but the dark wave persisted. I tried to back away, but I still couldn't move. Relinquishing my struggle, I let my white muzzle part, and the darkness flowed into my mouth.

_Brilliant golden light pieced the darkness like a spear tearing through fabric. The light flowed from my mouth and down into my chest. Greedily, I started to drink the light, lapping at it with my tongue as it filled by body. But before I could get more than just a taste, the light snuffed out, and the blackness returned. I felt the dark wave pull away from me, leaving me alone and stranded in the sea, still unable to move. _

As the golden light dimmed, a sharp pain seared in my gut, but somehow, I felt comfort in it. The pain had definition. Understanding. It was a compass to get me out of the black. I couldn't move or swim, but I knew, if I just relaxed for a bit, I would wash towards the freedom I was seeking. I closed my eyes again, and focused on the pain as I drifted.

---

The mists of sleep started to lift, and I opened my bleary golden eyes. I was still in the kitchen after last night, but now, I was wrapped in a heavy blanket and it was light outside. Stirring a little, I tried to free my paws from the entangling fabric, but it was bound too tightly, and it was getting hot. My muzzle cracked open, and I began to pant through my fangs, the hot breath passing over my tongue and out my black nose. Inside the wrappings, I could feel my tail behind me, prickling against the bedding.

_Are you back with us?_A voice questioned from behind me.

I tried to turn towards the voice, but the blanket was too tight. Shifting and squirming, I managed to rotate a little, but the motion caused the void to shred my insides a little more.

Yeah,_I swallowed between pants. _Do you... Do you think you can help me out of this? I stammered.

Very well, as long as you don't try running out on us again, replied the fox. He trotted over and grabbed a loose end and began to pull. I wasn't ready for the spinning his help would cause, but I let him loosen the blanket nonetheless. Once the tumbling was done, I stood up and shook myself out, and winced hard as my arm began to sting. Looking down, I saw a large brown bloodstain on the sheet that I recognized as my bed's comforter, and there was a wide, matted dark area of fur above my right paw.

We had to rough you up a bit, kid. You went completely feral.

Around the room, definite signs of a struggle were strewn about. The trash had been cleared before I got home, I remembered that much, but I couldn't account for the deep claw marks in the floor, the tufts of red fur floating about, or, most shockingly, the wide, sticky pool of blood in the middle of the room. Irregular paw prints lead away from it towards the door outside.

What did I do last night? Where's the Vixen?

She'll be fine, thanks for asking, the fox said with a tone of irritation, rather than appreciation. _You should thank your lucky stars she has a thing for you. We don't normally pull those back from the brink when they are stupid enough to get Flamestarved. _

I... I didn't do it on purpose--

No, of course you didn't, he interrupted impatiently. You just got greedy when you found you could do magic, didn't you? Thought you could live among the humans without them noticing, did you? How many did you end up turning? Hm?

My ears flattened with guilt, and my tail began to droop. Just... two.

Just two?! So that vixen that was spotted yesterday was your doing, then. Do you even know who she is? Did you even vet her before you turned her? How do you know there won't be people looking for her now that she's missing? he gekkered.

The fox's constant questions were starting to get a bit tiresome. I could feel the void groaning away, and his berating wasn't making me feel any better. I began to gekker back.

Hey, she came on to me, I didn't ask her to--

_Of course she came on to you, that's what happens when you Flamestarve yourself! I don't know how you managed to use up all your essence in one day, it would take me a month of trying to go through mine! What did you use the Flame for--wait, don't tell me, I don't want to know. _

He closed his mouth and stopped his shrill squealing. I let the silence hang in the air for a few moments.

Can I see the Vixen now, I asked with a flutter of my tail.

She's outside, recovering, the fox said dismissively.

Rising to all fours, I trotted over to the living room, and hopped up onto the couch to look out the window to my yard. The Vixen was sitting in the field with her orange back turned towards the house. Her ears were drooping, her head was hanging low, and her fluffy tail was resting motionless in the grass. Another fox was standing next to her, and I watched as he put his black paw on her shoulder to reassure her, before leaning against her to provide comfort. Behind me, the fox from the kitchen strolled up.

How bad did I hurt her? I asked.

Nothing the Flame couldn't fix, he chirped. Then he added, Very bad though, and in more ways than one. That's not your blood on the floor.

I felt my ears droop, and I watched as the Vixen accepted the affection she was being offered with a nuzzle and a lick back to the other fox. Memories from before I passed out last night started to filter back to me.

Hey, where's Tyler? I queried solemnly.

What? Oh, you mean that fox you were with? We lead him back to the den, the fox replied. He didn't want to go. It seems like he's very loyal to you.

Yeah, I lightly chuckled, he does as he's told. A feeling of unease started to come over me, talking about Tyler like this.

Hm, about that, the fox pondered aloud, what did you do to him? I've never seen one of us end up with amber eyes. He blinked his golden slits thoughtfully. The scent of human on him is unmistakable, but he acts like a normal fox. For the life of me, I can't figure out how you managed that!

Something about his tone struck me as sinister, but it may have been his lingering irritation with me from the rough night we had. Not knowing if it was a good idea speaking to a fox I just met like this, I quickly changed the subject.

Speaking of foxes acting strange, I started, how are you able to speak in complete sentences so well? When the Vixen speaks to me, it's always simple messages.

His expression softened a bit, Because I'm like you, dummy. I was a human too, he yipped jovially. Returning to a more firm tone, he continued, But I never was foolish enough to try to stay a human after they turned me. I can't believe the hubris on you to try as hard as you did. Boarding buses? Are you insane?!

I opened my mouth wide to squeal at him that it worked out fine, but I realized it had not. Both times I returned home, I was 'Flamestarved', as he put it. I closed my mouth before my gekking started.

Now, are you going to tell me what you did to this poor Tyler? If you found a new way to use the Flame, we need to know about it.

Reluctantly, I abated. I was trying to do my job more effectively, I started. My paws wouldn't work on the keyboard--

Job?!_the fox interrupted incredulously, _You got a job from the humans, as a fox?!

Yeah,_I said sheepishly with a flick of my ears. _So, things were going alright throughout the day, and the Vixen warned me to not use the Flame, so I left it only for emergencies. I started to trail off.

Go on, the fox prodded.

So, I got to the end of the day, and my boss wasn't happy with the work I had done. I had tried my hardest, and it wasn't good enough for her. After she left, I tried to use magic to fix my paws so I could use the computer correctly.

I caught the mortified look of horror on the fox's face, and trailed off again. Were your paws injured in some way? he choked out in the silence I had left.

No, I replied silently, but the light from the magic turned red and bounced off my paws and hit Tyler instead. It was an accident! I didn't want to turn him into a fox!

I expected him to bark at me again for being stupid, but the look on his face gave me the chills. His expression was that of someone looking at a doomed man. Excuse me a second, he rumbled from this throat, and trotted out of the room.

I watched from the couch while white tip of his tail disappeared around the corner of the doorway. A dark chill came over me, and the void began to bubble again. I knew I had screwed up when I transformed Tyler, but this was something else. The moral and philosophical implications of what I had done was already a burden on me, but I didn't get a sense that this fox cared about such things like I did. This was something worse, and I knew I wasn't prepared for it.

There was a creak from the door outside, and I turned around to see the fox trotting up to the vixen and her friend. The Vixen rose to her paws, and flicked her tail hopefully as she greeted him. I watched as the fox began to tell her something, using expressions and motions to convey his message. While I couldn't catch every nuance, I could tell he was telling her about me. Slowly, the more the fox communicated to her, the lower her tail started to droop. Once it fell between her legs, her ears drooped too, followed by the rest of her body to the ground, and she laid her white chin in the grass with her paws stretched in front of her. The fox finished his report, having to deliver it at a downward angle to her, but the Vixen didn't move. From behind the Vixen, her friend stepped up and placed his paw on her back to reassure her. With a lick to her fuzzy head, the fox that I had been talking to turned around to come back inside.

Dreading the response, I asked as he returned to the living room, Is everything OK?

The fox looked up at me for a moment, but didn't hold eye contact. No, no it's not, he replied as he turned away thoughtfully.

Hopping down from the couch, I marched up to him, How bad did I screw up? I didn't really want to know, but the look on his face was telling me I had to be told.

He locked his gaze with mine. _Look, I'm going to give it to you straight, kid. You're dying. The Flame isn't meant to be used the way you did. That red light meant you attacked a fox with the Flame, and that isn't allowed. There isn't anything we can do to help you, not without harming one of us at least. I'll be surprised if you see another dawn. _

Stunned, the gravity of the words he just told me had yet to sink in. I wanted to ask how I had attacked myself, but settled for the more pressing question. What do you mean dying? I don't feel like I'm dying. How am I worse now than I was last night?

The fox sighed, Ok, last night was just the start of it, and we pulled you back from the brink, but it's not going to last if what you told me is true. You spent far too much essence. When a fox goes

_Flamestarved, they lose all sense of themselves. By the end, you will wish you were as lucky as your Tyler was. _

My heart fell to the bottom of the void. I didn't like how ominous that sounded. I had acted like a vicious monster, and caused a lot of harm to the Vixen and her companions. If what I did to Tyler was considered the lucky fate, I couldn't hope to accept what was about to happen to me. Is there nothing I can do? I choked out.

The fox hesitated; he didn't look like he wanted to suggest the next thing he was about to say. There is one thing you can do. You can find a human, and mate with them to take their essence. However, the council won't allow that to happen; you've already made two unauthorized foxes, they can't accept a third. The forest won't feed all of us if we allow anyone to make more foxes on a whim.

Even without that last caveat, I didn't like the sound of turning someone else into a fox to save myself. I had done so poorly after my transformation, and I couldn't force yet another innocent to bear the same burden. If only Tyler hadn't barfed on the woman on the bus, I may have been able to shrug that incident aside again. Or not. If what this fox was saying was true, I couldn't disregard my role in changing the woman in her apartment either. That too, was all my fault.

And there are no other options? I asked, grimly.

_None. Not unless you want to count getting lucky with a human after you're Flamestarved. The ones we've lost never return, and they don't have the Flame to help them anymore. Once you're feral, there isn't any hope for you. The humans mistake them for being rabid or riddled with distemper, and have them put down as soon as they approach them. _

Even so, I stated, that means someone is going to have to become a fox if I'm to save myself. Quickly, I

ran through a list in my head of anyone I knew that I thought could want to be a fox. Not a single name came to mind. This really was the end of the line._ I'm not prepared to turn anyone else if that's the only way out of this,_ I finished.

I started to move towards the doorway. I wanted to go lay in my bed and think about my fate. Thank you for your help last night. I'm sorry I was such a bother, I said somberly, before I left the room_._

Hey kid, you want my advice? he called after me. Ignore the rules, you're good at that. Go out and find a human, any human, forget your sexual preferences, and deal with the fallout or exile later. Do it while you still have a bit of the Flame left in you. You don't want what comes next.

No, I yipped back from the kitchen. I've caused too much damage already. It will be only a matter of time before I would have to change someone else. Better to let it end now instead of prolonging it.

The fox poked his head around the corner as I slowly lumbered down the hall. She's going to be heartbroken, you know. She's not giving up so easily. You shouldn't either.

I stopped and turned towards him. _ Not giving up is what got me here. The Vixen can do as she likes, but I'm not turning anyone else into a fox. Now, excuse me._ The fox seemed at a loss for words, so I continued down the hallway and into my bedroom, tail swaying gently behind me.

The naked bed looked a lot less inviting with the comforter stripped off of it, but I squatted down and then launched myself on top of it anyway. Taking position over one of my pillows, I sprawled out over the cottony cushion, and tried to relax. It didn't take long before I could feel the void beginning to eat at the edges of my ribs. In a matter of hours, I would be in the same delirious agony I was in last night. I wasn't looking forward to repeating the experience, but the alternative was to keep committing crimes that I couldn't live with. Maybe I would change my mind once the time came, and the pain would drive me insane, but it would be too late by then. I was making my choice now with a rational mind and not through painful coercion.

I rolled over a bit to get my weight off of my aching stomach, but doing so revealed I was lying on something hard. Rising to my paws, I looked down at the object under me. My phone! The Vixen must have brought it back, just as I asked. Gently, I picked up the glass faced device in my fangs, and placed it on the bedside table. Hopping down from the bed, I began to fish around for the loose charging cable I

had left behind it. With a nip of my fangs, and a pull from my neck, I brought out the cable from its hidden resting spot. Standing up on my hind paws against the bedside table, I dropped the cable, and held it against the surface with my paw, right before the end of the connector. The pressure from my paw allowed the connector to curl upwards a fraction of an inch, enough to be in line with the port on the bottom of the phone. Taking my other paw, I scooped at the phone, and slid the connector and port together. It took a few tries, but eventually, I was able to get the cable inserted, and the phone charging.

After the connector clicked into place, the screen flared up to show its current battery status. The phone looked like it had some moisture damage on it, but I didn't think I was going to be needing it for much longer for it to matter. Hopping back up to the bed, I laid on my side against the pillow, but I had to roll over quickly with an audible squeak from the sting, as I found myself laying on my wounded paw. From down the hall, I could hear the fox trotting towards me, his claws clacking loudly on the flooring.

Is everything OK, kid? He asked from the door as he entered my bedroom. His black ears were perked up and his head slightly cocked to the side.

Yeah, I just rolled over onto my wound, I chirped back. It's fine if I don't lay on it.

You know, normally, I'd just tell you to stop stalling, and just heal it up, he said, sitting down on his haunches. But in your state, I don't know if you can.

I twisted my head to the side as I looked down over the edge of the bed at him, I don't understand. I thought you didn't want me using the magic frivolously. This is just a scratch; it will be fine. Thinking about using magic made the void gurgle a bit.

On the contrary, that's not a frivolous scratch at all! He barked enthusiastically. _ In the wild, that wound could get infected, and you'd lose your whole paw. _

I cocked my head in the other direction. Ok, but if I have to keep turning people into foxes to use the Flame, wouldn't I want to wait for there to be trouble before I spend the magic? I mean, why use it if I

don't have to?

The fox rose to all fours and swayed his tail. _ Ah, now I understand your comment earlier. No, you don't need to keep changing humans to keep using the Flame. If that was the case, we would have wiped ourselves out with overpopulation._ He stepped a few paces closer to the edge of the bed, like he wanted to whisper something. We've been at this for a very, very, long time. There are... ways to manipulate the Flame.

Manipulate? I repeated, perking my ears up and propping myself up on my forepaws. You mean, I could have saved myself from what's happening to me?

Oh, no, not like that, he barked. What you did was insanely stupid. No workaround would have let you get away freely with using the Flame to change yourself, or turn your colleague into a fox. But a healing spell, that's different. The essence you spend on one of those comes back naturally. How do you think I'm standing here before you? I should have been dead decades ago, least of which from the shredding you gave my belly last night. He briefly reared up on his hind paws to give me a look at his flawlessly fluffy white stomach; teetering back and forth before falling back to the floor. See? Not even a scar.

Wait, decades? How long have you been a fox? I questioned. An animal living in the woods rarely lasts more than a few years. I wouldn't have expected such a grandiose answer had I asked.

Hard to say. Calendars are a bit meaningless now. But if it gives you any idea, I was a lumberjack in these woods.

_What?!_I barked. _That was over seventy years ago! _

Oh really? I wouldn't have guessed for it to be that long. That means, I should be celebrating my hundredth birthday sometime soon then, he chortled. His expression became serious as he locked gaze with mine. _ As old as that makes me, I'm still one of the younger ones in the wood. You have a long life ahead of you if you go out now. No one is asking you to die, even if the council will be mad at you. I'd rather see you stick with us, provided you start following the rules._

I heaved a sigh, I don't know. I'm-- You've given me a lot to think about, I faltered.

Don't take too long. However long you have left, the humans won't be outside in the dark. They aren't nocturnal like us. With that final word, he turned around and trotted out of the bedroom and down the hall.

As I watched him leave, disappointment started to settle in. Had I joined the foxes properly last week, I might have learned this all immediately back in the cottage. Now, I was facing a choice between death or fating someone else with the same curse. Was it even a curse though? It sounded like with proper moderation, I could outlive everyone I knew, but I would have to do it as a fox. The last week had shown me that it wasn't all bad, but I had an underlying hope I could escape my condition in some way or another. There really was no hope. I had to live as a fox forever, or die tonight.

Behind me, the phone on the nightstand blared out a cacophony of noise as it powered on and started to receive a week's worth of missed messages. Turning around, I hovered over the bedside table and watched the message notifications come in, each arriving with a loud DING that caused my sensitive ears to twitch. Unlike Tyler, I didn't care much about phone security, so I was able to reach the home screen with a swipe of my paw across its glass.

Compared to the keyboard I used poorly yesterday, the phone was an absolute nightmare. The touch screen would accept any brush or nudge from my pads, especially the pads I wasn't trying to use, or even the tiny strands of fur between my digits. It took five attempts to open the text messaging app, and roughly three failed attempts to press the back button with each mistake. I found myself missing the keyboard and the pencil I had at the office. At least that was functional.

I set the phone aside. It would have to wait until I found a tool or implement to use it with, just like the keyboard. My stomach began to gurgle more, both from the void, and the building hunger from missing breakfast again. Hopping down from my bed, I morosely padded into the kitchen, and began tugging at the door to the refrigerator. The door gave freely this time, and the cool air poured over my damp nose as I looked up at the food I had placed on the top shelf. The boxes of TV dinners still looked and smelled like they had survived the day out of the freezer, but the bag of chicken breasts was damp, as the meat had thawed completely. Selecting the bag, I nipped the corner and pulled it onto the floor with a squelch.

From behind me, in the door to the living room, the fox rumbled his throat gently, I've never seen a fox so determined to keep acting like a human. You know there's plenty of food outside to hunt, right?

Spinning around so fast from surprise, my tail whacked the open fridge door. Look, this will be my last meal. I don't want it to be voles, I squeaked. Also, I went through a lot of work to get this food; it would be a shame to let it all go to waste.

Hm, I guess voles are an acquired taste, he replied thoughtfully. Still, whatever that wet sack of meat you have there doesn't look any more appetizing to me than a fresh vole. Is that really your preference? It's chicken breast, and I was going to cook it, I stated, somewhat defiantly.

Chicken? He stepped forward with one black paw, dipping his head with the question. Chicken comes in bags now? He stopped suddenly. Wait, cook it?! Are you mad, kid? You'll burn your whiskers and fur off! I can't heal you if you catch fire! He pulled his ears back and yipped sharply.

I looked over to the stove. Not only was it a large and intimidating feature of the kitchen for a fox, I had not considered for a moment to use it. Uh, I was going to use the microwave. Do you want me to cook you one too?

Microwave? He stepped forward again curiously, cocking his head the other direction.

I guess they didn't have them back when you were a human, I stated. Here, I'll cook a chicken for you, and you tell me what you think. I promise I won't singe any of my fur.

Very well. It's been ages since I've had a hot meal, said the fox. Slinking over to the comforter balled up on the floor, he laid down on it like a bed, and watched me go to work.

My first step was to figure out how much of a mess I was willing to make of my kitchen. Without hands, I wasn't able to open the resealable bag cleanly, which meant all the pink meat juices were going to leak everywhere once I tore it open with my claws. Additionally, cooking the slimy lumps of poultry without a plate was going to make a mess of the turntable in the microwave. Thankfully, I realized that while my plates were in the overhead cabinets and out of reach, I still had an option to protect the microwave. Trotting purposefully over to the pantry, I dipped my head into the open plastic bag on the floor containing my spare paper plates, hooked my fangs around the top few on the stack, and pulled them out of the bag before returning to the chicken.

I could feel the eyes of the fox watching my every move, and I wanted to put on a good performance for him. There was little reason to preserve the cleanliness of my kitchen while I expected to be dead soon, I admitted to myself, but if I could impress him, then at least someone could understand why I had tried so hard to stay human. To him and the Vixen, I had been acting foolish for a fox, but at least, I could prove I wasn't a fool. On the contrary, I thought I had been quite resourceful when I didn't use the Flame.

Do you mind pulling that chair over here? I asked, gesturing towards the kitchen office counter with my nose.

Sure thing, kid, said the fox, and he rose from the comforter. Dodging the sticky puddle of blood, and trotting over to the chair, he grabbed the leg with his teeth. Instead of properly dragging it across the floor, he yanked hard upwards, like he was trying to trip a large beast, causing the back of the chair to fall forward and slam against the contents of the counter. With a loud crash, the chair, a stack of paperwork, and a mesh cup of pens all fell to the linoleum, making the fox retreat quickly across the room with a squeak and his fluffy tail between his legs.

What the hell, man? I yipped at him as he regained his composure from across the room. Slide, not lift!

I'm sorry, kid. I don't know what I was thinking. I'll clean it up.

Don't worry about it. You know I'm not going to be around here much longer. Let's just get lunch done, I whined softly.

The fox returned to the fallen chair, and with a nudge of his nose and a nip of the seat, he returned it to an upright position so he could push it across the kitchen.

Over there, by that counter, I pointed again.

Muzzle pointing towards the floor, the fox started to push the chair using the top of his head. It slid noisily across the flooring with a loud creak, pushing scattered pens and old bills and other paper documents aside in a wake.

While the fox made his loud journey across the kitchen with the chair, I began to work on the bag containing the chicken. It was very large, and mostly empty, so there was enough slack on one side to hold against the floor with my paw while I gripped the other half with my fangs. The plastic in my mouth began to puncture and stretch, but the resealable strip gave way before the bag ripped apart entirely. Carefully, I dipped my muzzle into the new opening and extracted a chicken breast from the bag. It was cold and slimy in my mouth, but it was a short trip to the small stack of paper plates on the floor next to me. Repeating the process for a second slab of meat, I then looked up at the fox across the room. He had finished positioning the chair by the microwave, and had hopped atop the seat, standing on his hind paws as he sniffed the appliance curiously.

_Is this a radarange?_He whined from the chair after a few more sniffs.

They used to call them that, but not since I've been alive, I replied as I sauntered closer. _ Everyone just calls them microwaves now. Excuse me a minute._

The fox dropped to the floor so there could be space for me on the seat. Both the hunger and the void were making me feel too weak for the precision jump up, so using the leg braces on the chair as sort of a ladder, I climbed to the seat gracelessly before pawing at the door release. I needed the door open before I could bring the chicken over. The door popped open, and the fox on the floor began to wag his fluffy tail against the floor excitedly at the sight of the light turning on inside.

I always wanted one of these, but they were too expensive for my wages. How did you afford one, kid? He yipped happily as I dropped to the floor next to him. No offence, but this doesn't look like high class living you have here.

Everyone has them now, I replied as I trotted back to the plate of meat on the floor. _ Normally, you wouldn't use them to cook a meal like this, but we don't have hands anymore. It will have to do._

Sure thing, kid, he chirped, but I caught him looking at his paws reminiscently, as I pushed the plates around the floor with my nose.

Once I reached the chair, I wrapped as much of my muzzle as possible across the diameter of the plates so I could pick it up. While one plate would have bent and bowed to cause the chicken to fall to the floor, the stack held firmly, and I was able to lift it from the floor without making a mess. However, as I carefully lifted the plate to the seat of the chair, one of the thawed breasts slid against my black nose and whiskers, causing me to lurch backwards unexpectedly. With a sloppy plop, the two breasts hit the floor from the jolt to the plate.

Need some help there, kid? Asked the fox from behind me. You're going through a lot of trouble there. I'd be happy to eat it now, if it's all the same.

Nah, I got this. The trouble is trying to not make a mess.

Truth be told, the issue was my waning strength. Last night, I had hopped up to the counter without much effort, but now I was having issues getting up on top of a chair. Jumping properly with a plate of food in my mouth wasn't going to solve the problems I was having getting the food up to the microwave, but at least I would have felt healthy attempting it. Gently, I trotted back to the pantry and fished out another small stack of plates and placed them on the seat of the chair.

Actually, on second thought, a relay may be the best way to handle this, I said to the fox. Can you hop up on the chair for me?

A look of worry flashed across the fox's face, but he obliged and jumped up next to the new plate. Gingerly, I lifted one of the slimy breasts from the floor and placed it on the plate next to the fox. His paw shifted subtlety, like he was about to reach down and gobble it up as soon as it was next to him, but he resisted the urge, and let me place the second breast next to him.

You're not looking too good there, kid. Your ears and tail are drooping, he remarked. _Can I at least take you back to the den? Maybe we can do something to make you more comfortable. _

I picked up the discarded plate from the floor with my teeth, and handed it to him. Put this in the microwave, and then put the chicken on it, I explained to him. As he followed my instructions, I replied to his question. Thank you for the offer, but I'll be staying here tonight. I'll be more relaxed in a familiar place than your den.

Suit yourself, kid,_he yipped once he finished moving the chicken to the microwave. Cleaning his whiskers with his tongue, he added, _Now tell me, how do I turn this thing on?

_Close the door, and then poke that Add Minute button a few times with your nose. _

How many is a few?_he flicked his tail at me as he closed the door with a swing of his black paw. Dropping back to all fours on the seat, he turned around and cocked his head at me. _Surely, this won't be done in less than ten minutes, he stated flatly.

Actually, now that you mention it, with two breasts in there, you should make it five. I gave him a cheeky smile and a friendly sway of my tail, but I realized what he had said a moment ago was correct. My ears were drooping, and my tail only lightly fluttered instead of a full wag. Maybe the chicken would bring back some strength once I ate. Press five, zero, zero, and then Start. Either way will get it cooked for us.

The fox began nudging the buttons with his nose as suggested; each shrill beep causing a twitch from both our sensitive ears. Returning to the cold bag of breasts and meat juices on the floor, I noticed there were still two left in the bag. As the microwave whirred to life behind me, I turned to the fox and asked, Do you think the Vixen and her friend would like one?

They left a while ago, he said as he dropped from the chair. _ She asked me to take care of you while she pleaded your case to the rest of the council, but I don't think she has much of a chance after everything that's happened. _

No, she doesn't, I agreed sternly. Even if your council asks me to, I'm not turning anyone else into a fox. Not after what I did to Tyler. I picked up the bag of chicken, taking care to not spill the juices while I gripped the plastic in my mouth, and softly padded to the fridge.

He snorted a sigh though his nose. _ Look, kid, there's worse things than being stuck as a fox. You made some seriously big mistakes, but no one is asking you to pay this price for them. The council will be mad, but they are forgiving. You already have the Vixen advocating for you, and will have a lot of time to make it up with them._

Right, I began as the thoughts of the potential longevity of my life came into focus, _but two other people have already paid the price for my mistakes. I can't willingly make it three. _ I pulled the fridge open and put the bag on the bottom shelf, open side up so there wouldn't be a mess.

_Hmm,_he growled out, _Maybe you're right. A fox in the forest needs to place survival of themselves and the clan above all else. There's not much room for this kind of stupid selflessness. If you're not willing to act to save yourself, then how are you going to hunt? _The bitterness and frustration in his expression was unmistakable.

There wasn't any way I wanted to answer his question, so I let the silence hang between us for a few moments. He wasn't wrong; I would have to get used to killing voles and birds to feed myself as a fox of the forest. I recalled the cold brutality that the sweet Vixen had shown the voles yesterday morning.

Killing voles was a lot different than turning a human into a fox, yet, I realized I was prepared for neither.

The microwave continued to whirr, and the smell of chicken started to waft through the air. Turning around, I remembered the mess of paperwork and office supplies strewn about the floor. We've got a few minutes to spare, I said, breaking the silence and changing the subject. _Let's clean up this mess. _ Together, we trotted over to the scattered mess, carefully avoiding the blood. Taking the cup that had held the pens, I stood it upright on the floor, giving it a quick lick to stabilize it as I sat it down. Behind me, the sound of paper shredding came from the fox's claws in his failed attempt to pick up one of the documents.

Hey, careful, someone is going to need those when I'm gone, I chided.

The fox growled in frustration, I don't know what you expect me to do here, kid. I can't pick them up when they are flat on the floor like this.

It's easy, just do it like this, I said, and I began to lick my paw. Just like at the office, I placed one paw on the side of the sheet, and then used my damp paw to bow a space for me to nip in the center of the page. Taking the sheet to the desk counter, I placed it in the empty area the fox had created with his clumsy chair maneuver. There. We can do that for the rest of the stack now.

I began to work on the next stray sheet, but then I realized the fox hadn't returned to helping me, instead, he was sitting there, staring. Lifting my gaze to him with the page still hanging from my fangs, I swayed my tail at him, What's wrong?

For a moment there, I was certain you were going to use the Flame, he said from his sitting position. How did you learn to do that?

I shrugged with a cock of my head, and put the page in my mouth on top of the new stack. I guess I

really wanted to keep my house yesterday.

I don't think you understand the significance of what you just showed me, he said solemnly. We live as foxes in the forest. We don't have much in the way of human amenities, because we can't use them. But this could change everything.

I don't see what's so special about picking up a sheet of paper, I replied, candidly.

It's special because no one thought you could do what you just did, he yipped excitedly. No one bothered to have paper around. We could get books now!

The image of a group of foxes all laying around reading books floated to the front of my mind, and I smiled wide. Just then, the microwave finished its cycle, and began to beep at us from across the kitchen. Are you ready to eat? I asked. Both my stomach and the void gurgled a bit.

The fox began to wag his tail excitedly, and he spun around in a circle on the spot. It smells delicious, he said, sniffing the air. I can't believe it was that easy and quick! His tail slowed its rapid thrashing. Sorry kid, I kind of lost myself there. Both hot food and books, you've made my day!

Together, we left the mess on the floor, and returned to the microwave. The fox voluntarily hopped up on the chair, and began pawing at the door release button. _ Careful, the food will be hot,_ I said when the door sprang open. Don't chow down on it just yet.

How do you want me to handle this? he asked from above me. Paws on the counter, his fluffy whitetipped tail wouldn't stop swishing and swaying in front of me.

If you can get your fangs around the edge of the plates, you can pull the whole thing out. They won't be as hot as the rest of the food.

The fox cocked his head at the open microwave. It looked like he didn't believe me about the paper plates being cooler than the food. Gingerly, he tapped his black nose on the plates to test them. Finding them cool enough, his lips parted and he nipped the edge of the plate with his fangs to pull the stack out. With the grace befitting of a fox, he jumped down from the chair with the plate of chicken in his mouth, barely disturbing the white slabs of meat as his pads landed on the floor with a soft thud. Carefully, he crouched down and set the stack on the floor.

We should give it a minute or two to cool, I yipped. Let's finish cleaning up the mess while we wait.

His tail began to thrash excitedly again, It smells so good, I want to eat it now, but you're right. I almost burned my nose holding the plate. Let me practice your paper trick a bit.

I watched as the fox trotted in a wide circle around the puddle of blood before reaching the stray sheet closest to him. Placing a paw on one side of the sheet, he tried vainly to slide his second paw across the paper. It slid across without bowing the document. Before I could react to correct his technique, he swiped again, this time using his claws, which tore holes through the sheet. He let out a yip of surprise as the paper stuck to his paw, his claws holding fast in the new perforations.

No, no, no, I yapped. You can't use your claws at all. You have to lick your paw first! You'll get more friction.

You made it look so easy, he said while he used his other paw to hold down the paper so he could remove his stuck claws. How long were you practicing?

Just a day, I said casually. _I worked with paper all the time, so I guess it came a little more naturally to me. _

Damn impressive, kid, the fox replied as he attempted the technique again with a licked paw. The bow in the paper was more of a crease, but he was still able to lift the sheet off the floor and add it to the stack.

There, not too bad,_he said after dropping the page on the counter. _Mind if I keep at it?

_Knock yourself out,_I said, and I lowered my neck to pick up a stray pen next to me.

Compared to the paper, picking up pens in my teeth was easy, as it required no special technique, but it wasn't without its challenges. A few of the pencils skittered away at the slightest touch, so I found myself licking the floor a few times, just to try to get a proper grip on them with my fangs. The pens had clips on them that prevented them from rolling too far, so they were easier to catch, however, all of the writing implements were a challenge to get back into the mesh cup. I had to lean in sideways with each pen sticking out the side of my muzzle and try to guide it in without being able to look at the cup directly.

After pausing for a moment to let the fox trot past me with a sheet of paper in his mouth, I realized I had a more inventive way to tackle this. Placing my fuzzy paw on one of the pens to keep it from fleeing, I leaned down and nipped the tip of it, and picked it up like I was going to type with it. Dropping the pen in the cup was far easier when the tip was sticking out of the front of my muzzle.

Do you think the chicken is cool enough now? the fox asked from behind me.

It had already been several minutes while we worked. Yeah, I wagged, and placed my paw on the next pen. I'm almost done here, go ahead and eat up.

I watched as the fox scurried over to the plate on the floor, and began sniffing at the warm slabs of meat. Selecting one, he opened his jaws and wrapped his fangs around the chicken breast, trotted off to the edge of the counter, and laid down, placing the meat between his outstretched paws so he could eat it.

Looks a bit chewy, I chirped from across the kitchen. He was tearing off corners of the slab, and gnashing his teeth on each morsel in his mouth with audible smacks of his lips.

_It's delicious,_he said with a wag of his tail on the floor behind him.

My stomach growled. Reaching down to the next pen, I hurriedly resumed my work cleaning up. The chicken was going to get cold soon, but I wanted the pens cleaned up before I ate. I picked up three more pens while the fox munched his chicken, each dropping with a clank in the metal cup when I dropped them in, but as I placed my paw on the fourth, something felt different. The end of the pen was squishy. For a moment, I thought I had unwittingly left a felt marker uncapped in the cup, but as I removed my paw to see what was different about the pen, my heart leapt. It wasn't a pen at all, it was a stylus for a touch screen! I could use the phone with it! I had forgotten I owned the tool, being that it wasn't all that useful while I was a human, but as a fox, it meant I could use the device without much trouble. With an excited yip, I picked up the pen and darted to my bedroom to drop it off on the nightstand for later; I had a chicken to eat before I got back to the phone.

Trotting merrily back down the hall, the fox looked at me from the corner of the room. What was that about? He asked, with the remaining chicken breast reduced to a white stringy chewed mass between his black paws.

Just something I was needing earlier, I snorted through my nose. Getting into the details of using a modern cell phone with the curious fox wasn't something I wanted to do with my last day of having a life. Apparently, I had already accidentally gifted the foxes the ability to read books. Showing them there were accessible ways to write as a fox wasn't how I wanted to spend my last hours. Especially if it meant showing them how to use electronic technology first.

He eyed me suspiciously before returning to eating his chicken. Come eat before it gets cold, he suggested with a flick of his tail to me. I obliged, and took a similar position on the floor, but I opted to leave the meat on the plate while I ate it between my paws.

As I expected, the microwaved chicken was rubbery and bland, but it was still cooked food, and my sharp fangs made quick work of rending the slab into bite sized pieces. For what would be my last meal, I did a lot better than a dead vole.

I ate in silence, and ignored the other fox as he finished his food; lost in my own thoughts and feelings about the day. The other fox got up from his corner of the kitchen and resumed trying my method of picking up paper on the remaining sheets. He was making good progress, I noticed. Not only had his technique gotten cleaner, but he was getting faster at it as well. I wanted to tell him that I was more or less lying when I told him I needed the documents intact, but his tail was waging like a flag with each page he picked up and delivered to the counter. The truth was, I didn't want to leave a messy house behind. He looked too happy about his success for me to ruin it with honesty.

Slowly, the chicken I was eating diminished to a small chunk as I nipped off one piece after another. I could tell my belly was full, but there was still a little left on the plate, so I kept eating. Feeling some strength return to me, I stood up on all-fours and gobbled down the remains of the meal off the plate on the floor.

All done, barked the fox, triumphantly.

I looked over to confirm to him my food was gone, but the fox had finished picking up the documents and placing them on the counter, and he had also finished returning the few remaining pens to the cup on the floor.

Thanks, I yipped back, once I noticed his accomplishment. _ It looks great in here now, except for that puddle of blood. _

Hm, yeah, unless you have some special trick for cleaning that up, you're on your own, kid, the fox rumbled in his throat.

Nothing that doesn't involve using the Flame, I remarked back.

So, he started to tap his paws anxiously, now that you're fed, and we cleaned up a bit around here, can I take you back to the den? It would be a lot easier to watch over you there.

I was about to go lay down in my room again, I told him. I wanted to use my phone while I had the chance. Time was slipping away, and now that I had the stylus, I could check the messages I had failed to read earlier.

His ears fell back, and he gave me a dour look. _ If you must, but you have heard my warnings_, he cautioned. There is only so much I can do for you when you go feral again, and I will take no pleasure in any of it.

There really was no way to get out of this without impacting someone negatively. Both the fox and the Vixen had tried to help me, and I was rejecting their favors. Yet, if I tried to appease them, some poor person would end up stuck as an animal. No matter what I did, someone loses. You have my permission to do whatever you need to do when I go feral, I replied grimly. Protect yourself first, I'm not worth your trouble.

The fox looked at the floor, pensively, ears still tucked behind his head. With a flash of excitement, they sprang back to their full height. Whatever you say, kid, but you're wrong about one thing. His ears rotated sideways with an expression of determination, _Based on what you've shown me today, you are worth the trouble. The den needs a fox with your kind of innovation. _

_I'm sure if you spent two minutes with the paper--_I started,

That's the thing, kid, no one has, he interrupted with a tapping of his front paws. No one boards busses, no one goes into the city, and no one gets a job.

I opened my maw wide and started to gekker at him, squealing, You said that was insanely stupid!

He placed his black paw on my fluffy white chest and gekkered back, _The point is, no one else even tried. As foolish as you were, you brought back something that will help all of us! There's no telling what ways you could help us in the future. When the Vixen gets back, I'm going to plead your case to the council myself. _

For the last time, I'm not turning anyone into a fox! I screamed.

His paw slid off my chest and to the floor, and he closed his mouth, and cast his gaze to the floor. Not willingly, anyway, he murmured.

Excuse me? I yapped. What do you mean by that?

Just that even once you're feral, there's still a chance, he said with a flutter of his tail. There's always a chance until you get yourself killed.

He was smiling warmly, and it was eerie. A hint of that sinister look glinted in his eyes, and I felt my hackles rise up. Just what are you trying to say? I demanded.

Don't you worry about it, kid, he said smoothly. Go take your nap. I saw you have a bookshelf in the other room. I'm going to go read on your couch, if that's OK.

I nodded, and the fox turned around to go back to the living room. As I watched his fluffy tail turn the corner of the doorway, I tried to think what had changed his demeanor so suddenly. Did he give up trying to convince me to turn someone into a fox, or did he have a new plan? We both knew I was going to become uncontrollable as soon as I went feral, yet he was no longer worried about it. In fact, he had been smiling like he had nothing to worry about, even after expressing his concern for my wellbeing. No longer distracted by the activity in the kitchen, I felt the void stab at my gut. I decided it was time to return to my bedroom to rest. Rising from my haunches, I sauntered back to my room, tail drooping loosely behind me.

---

Laying on my bed hadn't done much to help the pain from the void. As soon as I had left the kitchen, the aching and grinding started wracking my body in full force, and my vision had begun to tunnel a few times while I laid on my mattress. There was a wet spot under my cheek where I had drooled while panting from the pain, but I had done my best to keep silent. I really didn't want to let the fox in the other room know I was having issues staying conscious. His behavior had worried me as we departed from the kitchen fifteen minutes ago, and I was no longer sure I could trust him like I knew I could with the Vixen. Something told me he wasn't a malicious person, but I knew he would work in the best interest of the foxes of the forest. Being friendly with him and showing him the things I learned to do as a fox was a mistake, because now he saw me as a valuable asset, and not some naive kid fumbling around the human city. Perhaps, we could see eye-to-eye if I had spent more time as a fox, but his casual acceptance of turning humans into foxes was not something I could agree with. Not after what I had done to Tyler.

Tyler. He had said they took him back to the den, and I hadn't reason to worry for him until now. Would the foxes accept him as a friendly feral fox, or would he be considered a burden and cast out? I

figured I would have to take care of him like a pet, but now I was facing going feral as well, and I didn't think anyone would step up to take care of me once my mind was gone. It seemed like a fitting punishment, now that I thought about it. I destroyed Tyler's humanity: it only seemed fair that I should suffer the same fate.

The void leapt in my gut, and then fell silent for the moment. If I was going to use my phone, now was the time to do it. Pulling myself up onto four paws, I padded across the soft mattress to the nightstand and reached for the phone and the stylus with my mouth. Turning on the phone was as awkward as before, but after probing around with one of my fangs, I was able to nip a little harder and press the power button again. With the phone on the bed and the stylus between my fuzzy lips, I touched the messaging app.

The screen lit up and filled with countless missed messages. I saw messages from Rebekah, texts sent from old friends and drinking buddies, my parents, unknown numbers, presumably a search and rescue team from the message preview line: All asking where I was, and trying to get me to respond. There even was a missed message from Tyler as well. My heart began to ache as I reviewed the unread texts, and with a huff of frustration, I swiped the phone to the side with my paw and flopped down on my white chin on the mattress.

It had all been a waste of time retrieving and charging my phone. I had expected to see some messages from my mom once she got worried about me, but I didn't expect to see them from so many people. Somehow, despite keeping to myself during my human life, there were a lot of people that were worried about me. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to keep from letting them down and giving up. Yet, if I did that, I would have to turn someone into a fox again. I couldn't allow myself that. I had done enough damage.

Lifting my head up from the bed, I picked up the stylus in my teeth and pawed at the phone to bring it back in front of me. I was done reading the texts; all they would ever do is convince me to turn someone into an animal. Instead, I knew I had to offer some closure. Poking the contact for my mom with the tool in my mouth, I began to type out a farewell message.

I didn't think I would have this chance to say goodbye but I got my phone back today. There is no way to explain everything that has happened. All you need to know is I will be gone after today forever and I love you. Don't look for me. Goodbye

Typing on the phone was slow, but with the text predictions and autocorrect, I was able to get the message into the phone easier than I expected. The hard part was avoiding reading the panicked messages from my mom on the screen while I typed. Blinking back the tears in my eyes, I hit the send button, and started to wait for a reply, before realizing anything my mom could say would just make me feel worse. Quickly, I clasped my jaw over the power button and held it down until it vibrated off. I didn't want her to call me and have to speak to a fox. She didn't need to know what had happened to me, even if she somehow could accept it. It up to her to spread the word that I was gone for good, and eventually, she would have to come to terms with my loss. At least, this way, she had something from me before I went feral and get myself killed.

I opened my mouth wide in a long yawn, curling my tongue and flexing my whiskers in the process. Just like the last few times while on the bus, I was starting to feel a bit anemic from being Flamestarved. Unlike last time, I didn't have to worry any longer about accidentally transforming the other bus patrons. My bed would be safe from that sort of mishap, and as soon as I was feral, I wouldn't be able to enchant anyone ever again. I rested my chin on the mattress again, heaved a long sigh through my nostrils, and let my eyes close while I drifted off to sleep.

---

There was a brief flutter of motion in my room, and I awoke with a start. Eyes snapping open, I could see the purple twilight sky through the blinds in the window. Raising my head from the soft mattress, I looked around the room, my ears perked up atop my head, also scanning and rotating around to locate the source of the sound that disturbed me.

"You're finally awake," said the Vixen from the floor. "We were starting to worry we would miss you."

I tried to focus on her, but my eyes were bleary, and all I could make out was a dark shape. I opened my mouth to speak, but I couldn't get out even a squeak or a yip. My voice was frozen in my throat.

"I know you're still hungry. Starving. Yet, you refuse to feed. Even when I try to help you." _The dark shape of the Vixen began to circle the bed, like a hungry wolf circling its prey. _

My heart began to race. Something was horribly wrong, and I began to sense danger. With a mighty leap, the dark shape hopped onto the bed and stood over me.

"I've been easy on you today," the Vixen said above me, "but my patience has limits. Your time is running out, and all you can do is lie there on your bed. That little snack you had was never going to sustain us. It's time for you to get up and feed, otherwise I will have to take matters into my own hands."

I tried backing away from her as she towered over me; her figure growing gigantic as she spoke, each word blocking more and more of my view with the inky blackness of her form. My paws wouldn't move on the soft padding, and my body was too heavy while they were pinned beneath me. Desperation set in, and although I couldn't move, I managed to squeak out a few words.

"I wish you wouldn't"

The rising shadow stopped in front of me, and the dwindling purple twilight from the windows turned black in an instant. For a moment, nothing happened, but then, slowly, the shadow began to laugh a low, menacing chuckle. Its glowing, luminous eyes blinked open and locked their gaze on me.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha! You think it's that easy to defy us?" the shadow growled. "You do not get a choice in this. You feed, or you die."

Desperation turned into determination. "Then, I chose death," _I barked back triumphantly. _

The shadow shrank suddenly, returning to the form of the Vixen before sweeping in close. "Like I said, you don't get a choice in this," she whispered into my ear.

My composure returned to me, and I rose to my paws, the mattress no longer binding my movements. Towering over the shadowy Vixen, I caught a hint of worry in her glowing yellow eyes. _ "Too late," _I barked at her, "I've already made it."

---

I opened my eyes for real this time, now properly in the waking world. The dream still vivid in my memory, I tried to think why I had said what I did to the shadowy Vixen, but the answers were falling short to explain it all. Whatever was stuck in my subconscious needed defying, and apparently, I had just taken a stand against it, whether or not I meant to. Rising to my paws, I shook my fur out and dropped to the floor with a padded thud, the dream leaking from my memories with each passing second, and leaving me with an emboldened state of mind.

The sun had set, leaving the outdoors in darkness, and as I clacked down the hallway towards the kitchen, I could smell that the house was empty. The fox had left at some point while I was napping, no doubt to plead my case to the fox council. I paused briefly at the bathroom and crawled into the tub to relieve myself. After finishing my business, I found I barely had the strength to pull myself back out. My paws and claws scrabbled and scraped on the porcelain, and only after I stepped back from the tub wall to make a leaping maneuver, was I able to escape the fixture. The nap hadn't done me any favors to regain my vitality. There wasn't much time left at all now.

Unlike last night when I had first become Flamestarved, the void was just a light buzz in my gut. Present and humming, but not stabbing and debilitating. I wandered out to the kitchen and eyed the brown, dried puddle of blood in the center of the floor, and the unkempt comforter from my bed bundled up against the wall. The plate from the cooked chicken still laid on the far side of the kitchen, looking both empty and forgotten. I didn't have the energy to deal with any of it.

The void bubbled and buzzed, and I realized I needed some fresh air. Worrying about the state of my house was pointless. I was going to be gone soon. Slowly sauntering over to the door, I clawed at the edges of the jamb to pull it open. Thankfully, none of the foxes that had visited were concerned about closing doors fully. The evening air was crisp and pleasant, and I drank it in with my dark nose before stepping out of the door. Despite my state, I could feel a little bit more energized from the outdoors. I decided to take a walk while I still could.

I had no direction to go. The smells in the air were a lot more numerous than what I had noticed last time I was outside. The smell of the lawn reached my nose, followed by the scent of the Vixen that had been lying in it earlier. A light breeze carried more smells from around me; smells of the nearby forest, the vole hole, asphalt from the road, roses from the flowerbed around the house, and even the lumberjack fox. It was comforting, as well as overwhelming.

One paw in front of the other, I began to wander down the driveway. It didn't matter where I was going, but I felt I needed to be out of the house for a bit. I passed the vole hole, and wondered what had happened to the remaining rodents. Eating them was still out of the question, even if I was a fox. That would change later, once I went feral, but for now, the chicken I ate would keep my belly filled. I crossed the road and left my property.

The night was silent as I moved along. The only sound I could hear was my claws scraping on the surface of the asphalt. No birds, no breeze, no cars, just the dead silence of the night. Even the streetlights were few and far between, but my vulpine eyes made it easy enough to navigate. I recalled the last time I had been on this road, the Vixen had followed along on the opposite side. She was worried about crossing it, even when there were no cars. To her credit, the scratchy pavement wasn't comfortable on my pads, and if a car did come by, it would be a really quick way to die. Maybe, being a fox her whole life, she knew as much.

Leisurely, I pushed on, just a fox in the night. My bushy tail swayed gently with each step of my paws. Before I realized it, I had arrived back at the bus stop. In the dark of the night, it looked welcoming, familiar. The halogen lamp overhead bathed the bench in a yellow glow, while humming and buzzing faintly to break the silence of the evening. My four legs had already carried me a mile, and they didn't feel like going much further. Briefly, the void bucked as soon as I sat down next to the bench, as if to confirm that this was far enough. I sighed a long sigh through my nose, and laid down fully on the pavement. This was where it all started, and where it would have to end. It seemed fitting, really.

Closing my eyes, I began to reflect on the week. Being human seemed like so long ago now, and the first few days stuck in my house was quite a learning experience, and I had managed it all myself. The lumberjack fox was very helpful today, but with my independence, I had managed things that had impressed him. Had I stayed with the foxes last week, they could have shown me how to be a fox properly, but I was sure I would have fallen into just a normal fox routine if I didn't discover my new form by myself. In the end, it meant I got to have an adventure that broke up the monotony of my life.

I let my golden eyes open, and I stared off to the dark brush across the street. The Vixen had changed all that for me. Had I known what she was about to do for me when we met, I knew I wouldn't have followed her into the deep woods. Yet, even without knowing, I still followed her: an erratic fox guiding me along to places I wouldn't have gone myself. So why did I do it? Was the Flame she used on me that powerful? I thought it was my own curiosity pulling me forward, but maybe I never had a choice in the matter.

Not willingly, anyway.

The words echoed in my mind from the lumberjack fox, and suddenly, everything started to fall into place in my head. As he said, he was planning on pleading my case for me, but not for forgiveness from the council. The Vixen was already doing that, and being a younger member of the clan, he wouldn't have the sway she had. No, he was going to get them to enchant another human, and position them for the feral me to turn them into a fox. It was so obvious, when I thought about it. Whether I agreed to or not, someone else was going to have to be a fox, and it was going to be my fault. I began to whimper with the distress, and I rose to a sitting position, propping my forepaws up in front of me.

Once sitting, the void kicked hard, burning and searing my insides, and my vision began to tunnel. There wasn't much time now, I realized, and I didn't have much strength to leave either. If I went feral here, I certainly would attack the next human getting off of the bus, and all my objections would have been for nothing. Even if I managed to get away, the foxes of the forest would likely track me down and force me to turn someone. I never would be able to hide from another fox's nose, even if I wasn't about to go feral. Grimly, I realized there was only one way out of this, and it came with the next car speeding down the road.

Slowly, I rose to all fours, and started to step into the street. My muscles began to ache and burn, and the void's burning turned into a consuming inferno. One paw in front of the other, I pulled myself across the pavement, and then collapsed in the middle of the oncoming lane, back turned to the direction of traffic.

I never really envisioned my death, but as I laid there, about to become roadkill, I felt at peace. It would be quick, and no one would mourn a fox in the road. No fanfare, no expensive funerals and hospital bills to burden loved ones with, just a solitary death for a solitary person. Breaking the silence of the night, off in the distance, I could hear the sounds of an approaching vehicle.

Not long now, I breathed to myself, the rush of air from my nose scattering some road dust away from my muzzle.

The void pulled at my insides like a trapped animal, causing me to curl up on the pavement from the pain, but I held onto my consciousness. If I let it knock me out now, I knew I would go feral and get out of the road. Flipping my tail over my nose and flattening my ears, I held fast against the agony in my belly. It would be over soon.

Deep tones of a revving engine became audible over the hiss of tires rolling across the road. The car had to be only a minute away now. I could feel the void ease a little, and I began to wonder what the Vixen would think when she found my corpse. Hopefully, she would find someone else to replace me. Someone more willing to live as a fox. I was too stubborn of a subject to just give up my human life as she needed in a mate. She had tried her hardest to help me, but all she got in return was my rude barks and a gushing wound last night. Maybe my bad behavior would make it easier for her to put me behind her once I was gone.

The car rounded the corner, and my orange fur glowed from its headlights shining over me. I let my tail slide off my muzzle and onto the pavement. This was it. The last thing that popped into my head was wondering if I should have told my mom more about being turned into a fox. She deserved more than I gave her. I shut my golden eyes against the loud sounds of the car behind me, ready for the impact.

*HONK*

The vehicle blasted its horn at me, and then with a screech of its tires, swerved into the empty oncoming lane, and sped on past, angry tail lights glowing back at me, like eyes in the dark. Cursing my good fortune and the attentive driver, I scrabbled back to all fours and weakly stepped back to the bench. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, making another suicide attempt feel distasteful. I couldn't just lie down and die like that in this state. Throwing myself in front of the next vehicle would have to be how I finish this.

The void continued its stabbing and burning as I stood next to the bench. So constant was the pain, that I felt like I was becoming numb to it. There was a dull rise in its intensity, but it did nothing to push me over or writhe around the ground. Instead, I felt the darkness at the edges of my vision begin to tunnel while I held fast against the onslaught from within. Still standing on all fours, I leaned against the bench for some stability, just to make sure I didn't fall over as my vision blurred, but I feared it was too late. There wasn't time anymore for another car to come by. I was about to fall unconscious, and I would either die soon after, or wake up after having stolen someone's humanity. The tunnel in my vision closed, bathing everything in darkness, and I thought to myself, at least I tried.

---

Darkness.

Some time passed, I wasn't sure how long I was standing there.

Again, I found myself standing in a sea of flowing black. I had been here before. There was something firm beneath me that kept me from drowning. I knew if I left my spot, I would have to swim, and I wasn't prepared for that. Last time, the darkness had attacked me. I remembered something about it. It wasn't as dangerous as I thought, but it was very unpleasant. If it came back, I didn't know if I would be able to let it overpower me. My fear was too strong. Still, if I couldn't find my way in the dark, I may have to let it take me. I was on a precipice of doom, and any helping hands would be welcome. Help to survive, help to end it all, it didn't matter anymore. I knew my existence had become harmful somehow, but I couldn't remember why. Even as I stood there, the reasons escaped me. Standing in one place, on this solitary rock in this dark sea, I was able to keep my wits about me. Maybe, I could remember why I was here.

As I tried to concentrate on my thoughts, the sea flashed for a moment. For the briefest of moments, the dark water became a road in a forest. It had to be some sort of illusion of hallucination. I felt my stomach stab with pain. It was telling me that the road was forbidden. In the sea, there was no pain, and I should take comfort in the numbness of the dark. Yet, with the numbness, there could be no pleasure either. How could this be better?

Mate

Yes, mating. I needed to mate. The sea before me needed to be crossed if I was to find pleasure to counter the pain, and to end the numbness. I took my paw off the rock I stood on and placed it in the swirling water. There was someone to mate with out there, and I had to find them.

Mate

The word seared my mind like a burning sun. I was already trying. Why was it so demanding? I pulled my paw out of the water and looked around.

Mate

_Clearer than ever, the word became a voice in the distant darkness. I tried to focus on who was out there. I had to know who was calling to me. As I looked over the swirling ocean, the water began to solidify. _ Fluid became rock, and ocean became a road. The starry night sky looked down on me, and the shadows of trees from the forest etched out their shapes across it. In front of me, on the opposite side of the road, was the Vixen.

Mate! She yipped again.

I stood next to the bench in stunned silence. She shouldn't be here. If I was to jump in front of the next passing vehicle, I didn't want to do it with an audience. My sense of reality fully regained, I felt the void burning and stabbing in my gut, threatening to consume me entirely. With a grunt, I doubled over in pain, and fell to my side on the pavement.

No! She squeaked from across the road, and she rushed up to the edge of the street, forepaw hanging in the air in trepidation. Hesitating for only a moment, she tucked her ears back and bolted across the street as fast as her legs could carry her. Reaching the bench and standing over me, she poked her damp nose into my ear, trying to rouse me.

My tail betrayed my feelings, and began to wag weakly against the ground. Regrets welled up as she nuzzled my face, and I began to whimper and sob. I'm sorry, Vixen. I'm sorry I wasn't a very good fox. You. Not bad fox. Sick. Need help, she chittered back. Find you help.

No, Vixen, I can't. The fox you left me with told me what I had to do. I can't turn another person into a fox. Please don't make me do it.

She put a paw on the side of my muzzle, practically pressing my face into the ground. Hush. Silly. Find you help!

If I had the strength to stand up and bark at her, I would have, but I was too weak to fight. All I could do was quietly growl, Take your paw off my face.

She wasn't looking at me, I stared up at the underside of her white muzzle while her attention was across the street. Come!_She howled back to the woods. _Help us! She barked commandingly.

From out of the darkness of the wood, a cream-colored cat emerged, tail raised high in the air. Behind the cat was another vixen. Both the cat and the fox crossed the road with far less urgency than the Vixen had moments before. _Is this the one you wanted me to help?_The new fox said gruffly.

Yes!_The Vixen yipped. _Must hurry. Not much time.

And if I help him, I can stay, that was the deal? The fox continued.

Yes! Help him. Now mate.

Wait, what? The new fox took a step back, and I wriggled from under the Vixen's paw in shock as well. You didn't say anything about mating.

I registered my complaints from the ground with a huff through my nose. I don't think I'm mating with anyone tonight, either.

You have essence. Too much essence. Mate best way, the Vixen replied to our complaints.

Whatever, the new vixen grumbled. _ I need to get this stuff out of me, I haven't slept in two days._ She took a few steps forward and placed her paw on the ground in next to my muzzle. Can't I do mouth-tomouth? she said as she peered down at me. It's how I got this--hey! I know you! You're the bastard that did this to me! Her hackles began to rise on her neck as she snarled.

Stop! The Vixen stood over me, placing herself between me and the apartment vixen. No fight. Please help.

From underneath the Vixen's furry belly, I whimpered, For what it's worth, I'm very sorry. I didn't want to turn you into a fox. I came out here to... I trailed off for a moment, waiting for a better word came to mind. ...To atone.

Her expression softened, and her hackles smoothed while she cast her gaze to the side, lost in thought for a moment. After her brief pause, she barked, Fine. Roll over so I can do this properly.

The Vixen cleared out of the way and I rolled onto my back, and the cat that had been moseying around the bus stop pavement, leapt up onto the bench to get a higher vantage point. Closing her eyes in a grimace, the apartment vixen brought her muzzle up to mine, and started to lick me between my black lips. Kissing like this, as a fox, felt entirely strange and unnatural, but I obliged, and parted my fangs to start to lick back. The moment our warm tongues met, a spark of golden energy flowed between us. The warm golden feeling flowed across my tongue and down my throat, like sweet honey. I lifted my head an inch from the ground to lick back with vigor, needing more of this sweet, lifegiving essence. We locked muzzles together, and the golden energy flowed between us freely, filling me up inside, and quelling the fire of the void. There was no light, or indication that anything had changed as we licked each other, but very suddenly, my vision filled with a purple glow, and the void was gone, now brimming with golden essence. I released the kiss, and slumped back to the pavement, filled with relief.

The Vixen broke her silence, rushed in, and started sniffing me all over, anxiously. _ You good now?_ She wagged with her tail. Behind her, the apartment vixen staggered a bit as she pulled away, the drain of essence weakening her substantially.

I rolled back to my stomach and rose to my paws, doing my best to dodge the Vixen's excited prodding with her snout. My strength had returned completely, and I felt more alive than I had in what seemed like forever. With a burst of energy, I dashed in circles around the bus stop, scaring the cat from the bench and stunning both of the other vixens with my sudden movement. Barking and yapping excitedly, I rushed up to the apartment vixen, and threw my paws around her neck while she sat there, and gave her the best hug my fox arms could give. Thank you! I squealed. Thank you.

Hey, hey, hey, easy there, she growled, barely able to hold both her weight and mine. _ I'm not forgiving you for what you did to me_. She shrugged me off with a few steps backwards, and then turned to address the Vixen. So, a deal's a deal, right? I can stay in the woods?

The Vixen chirped back. Yes. Stay in woods. Safe place for foxes.

And no one is going to eat my cat?

No eat. Cat not good food. Can help hunt, she promised with a whine.

Good. With a wide yawn, the female fox started to saunter across the street, her fluffy tail swishing behind her. Come, Toby, she yipped, and the cat removed itself from its hiding spot under the bench to follow her back into the woods.

I turned to the Vixen once the fox and her cat melted into the darkness of the forest._ I suppose you're wanting answers_, I panted at her.

No. Not want. Fox tell her story. Guard fox tell more. We understand. Accident. Mistake. I make mistake too. Not tell you how use Flame. Not stop you going to humans. Her ears drooped low and she hunched over at her admission of guilt.

Hey, don't beat yourself up too hard over it. I'm not sure you could have stopped me, I'm pretty stubborn, you know. I raised my paw and put it on her orange back to console her.

She perked up a bit from my reassurance, Yes. Stubborn. Her dilated eyes met mine as they caught a green glow from the light overhead. Come to den now?

Fine, I grumbled. Let's go. It was time I took being a fox a little more seriously. Together, we crossed the road and trotted into the safe darkness of the woods.

---

With a jangle of keys, and light knock of metal brushing wood, Miles unlocked the dark blue painted door to his apartment. Oddly, the key turned loosely in the knob, as if the door wasn't locked.

"Christ," Miles swore under his breath. If he had left the door unlocked while he was gone at work, there was no telling who could have gone inside while it was not secured. Quickly, he withdrew the key from the lock and inserted it into the deadbolt to unlock it. To his horror, the key turned freely as well.

Slowly, Miles turned the knob to the door, unsure if he should go inside, or call someone for safety. It was late in the evening, and anyone he knew would be sleeping. Carefully, he pulled the door open and peered inside, taking a moment to reach over to the light switch on the wall.

Shock and frustration flickered across his face. The suite was in complete shambles. Whomever had broken in had upturned the entire living area. Hands shaking with rage, Miles reached into his pocket to pull out his phone to file a police report, only to be stopped by a strong smell of dog entering his nostrils. Taking a quick inventory of the disaster in front of him, he noticed something peculiar with the mess: nothing was missing at all. He hadn't been robbed.

"This must be the from the foxes upstairs," he growled under his breath. Continuing to pull out his phone, he decided to dial the property manager instead. It didn't matter if he had to wake them or not, this violation of his properly couldn't be ignored.

Phone to his ear, Miles walked into the apartment to further survey the damage. The kitchen was in disarray as well. A warm glow came from the light in the open refrigerator, and all of its remaining food was spilled out onto the floor. Cabinets hung open, and broken mugs and plates littered the room. The cupboard of the non-perishable food was reduced to chewed cans and dried grains were scattered about. Confirming his suspicions, a clean paw print of a fox was nestled in the spilled oats. In his ear, the phone stopped ringing and clicked over to voicemail.

"Of course," Miles scoffed aloud, taking the phone from his ear to disconnect the call. "They never answer when I need them." Not willing to let management slide so easily tonight, he pressed redial, and returned the phone to his ear. This time, it was his business to get involved.

While the phone continued to ring, he walked over to his closet and pulled out the broom. Turning on the speaker phone, he tossed the device onto the island counter and began sweeping up the mess, only to pause every few moments to hang up and redial when the voicemail would pick up. After the fifth redial, and Miles having successfully cleared a pathway through the debris, someone answered his call.

However, the line remained silent.

"Hello?" Miles called out to the phone on the counter, quickly rushing over to pick it up and put it to his ear.

There still was no answer.

He decided to continue filing his complaint to the silent line. "Hello? This is Miles from apartment 315.

I'm calling because an animal got into my home while I was at work and made a huge mess of things--" He was cut off by the sound of rapid breathing in the phone's receiver, followed by a rubbing and rustling sound, and then the line went dead.

"What the hell is with them tonight?" Miles said aloud. The property management always failed to meet expectations, even when those expectations were already bottomed out. Promptly, Miles hit the redial button again, and waited for them to answer. This time, the phone went straight to voicemail.

"God damnit," he spat with disgust, and tossed the phone back onto the counter. Picking up the broom, he returned to his sweeping and cleaning. After he got his house back into acceptable shape, he was going to have to vent online about this situation, and look for some advice on how to proceed. Hopefully, there would be some recourse for the property management if this is what his rent and dues were going to.

Once a proper pathway to the fridge was clear, Miles knelt down in front of the open door, and started picking up all the chewed and picked-through foods on the floor. It didn't look like there was anything left in the fridge that was still edible. All of it had been contaminated, or been warm for hours from the door hanging open. Closing the door, he hoped the compressor hadn't burned out from being open for hours. Getting a new fridge to the 3rd floor was not an easy task, and he likely would have to take off of work to get the appliance delivered, which meant lost wages.

A quarter hour later, the kitchen had been returned to an acceptable condition. Turning towards the living area, Miles decided to handwave the cleanup there. He was getting hungry for dinner, and he hadn't seen what his bedroom looked like yet. Taking only a moment to prop up the coffee table and straighten some couch cushions, he crossed his now clean kitchen floor and entered the back of his suite, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

The room reeked of wet dog, much stronger than the rest of the apartment, and the blankets had been pulled from his bed and bundled into a lumpy pile in the middle of the floor, like it was some sort of cocoon nest. Peering into the attached bathroom, Miles discovered the room was sopping wet from the ceiling to the floor, further confirming his home had been used by the foxes while he was out. The wet puddles on the floor and the droplets on the mirror looked like the animal had shaken out its fur in the bathroom before rubbing itself all over his bedding.

"At least it had the courtesy to turn the water off," he mused aloud, but the more he thought about it, the less that made sense. Certainly, if a fox wanted to take a bath in his apartment, it would need help from a person. It was one thing for an animal to find its way into his apartment and cause chaos, it was another to have it use his amenities unassisted. Realization struck him like lightning; this had to be the work of the occupant in Suite 428. Storming out of the bathroom and past the bundle of sheets on the floor, Miles marched back to the kitchen and pulled his phone from the cluttered counter.

He was livid. As bad as it was to come home to the vandalized apartment, the mere fact that it was from a random act of a wild animal meant there wasn't much to be mad at other than his misfortune, and he had been able to suppress his rage. If someone intentionally let the animal in and gave it a bath, then pressing charges on them would be the last of their worries once he was done with them. Swiping his way to the dialer, he started to call the police, but before he could press the Send button, there was a scratching at his front door.

There wasn't a moment of doubt in his mind: it had to be the fox coming back to cause more of a mess, and with any luck, the person that let it in would be with it. Dropping the phone to the counter and marching over to the door, Miles flung the door wide open to confront the intruder. Before him, stood a small red fox, caught in the middle of sniffing the corner of the door. With a yelp, the fox jumped backwards from the door, and tucked its black ears and fluffy tail back in fear.

"Come back to ruin my apartment, have ya?" Miles bellowed at the fox, not caring that it was late at night, and people would be sleeping around him.

The fox looked up at Miles, timidly, making eye contact with wide golden eyes. Softly, it squeaked, and started to slink off towards the stairs at the end of the breezeway, tail still tucked between its legs. Miles wanted to shout at it some more, but if it was returning to whomever had been bringing these foxes into the complex, now was the time to follow it and get some answers. Swiftly, he closed and latched the door behind him so he could follow the fox towards the stairs. Before they made it half way, the fox stopped abruptly, and spun around to face Miles, and started barking angrily. It didn't like being followed.

Miles stopped where he stood. "Easy there fella, I just want to have... words with the person that let you into my apartment."

The fox cocked its head to the side, and then twisted it the opposite direction. With a brief yip, it spun around and darted to the stairs as fast as it could run, before stopping at the stairwell, looking back to Miles to see if he was following. Its sudden change in demeanor was bizarre, but Miles slowly walked through the breezeway after the fox, only to see it excitedly prance down the stairs as he approached it.

Miles had been expecting to follow it upstairs to Suite 428, where he had first discovered the foxes infesting the complex, but as he descended the stairs to the second floor, the sounds of a lot of highpitched barks and yips reached his ears. The fox leading him stood at the bottom of the flight, looking up and waiting for his descent before anxiously scrambling down the next flight to the first floor.

Reaching the final landing, the fox ran around the corner towards the parking lot, and the source of the sounds of the animals Miles had been hearing for the last few moments. Once Miles reached the parking lot as well, he couldn't believe his eyes. Bathed in the glow of the overhead lamps, was an entire swarm of foxes, the mass of their orange furred bodies flowing and darting around each other. Around thirty of them, they had formed a perimeter around three foxes, two of which looked very large, and the third had a scraggly and malnourished appearance.

Miles watched in awe as the two large foxes slow crept around in circles while the scraggly fox slunk backwards, his ears pulled back and tail between its legs. A loud yip sounded from one of the foxes on the perimeter, and the two large foxes lunged at the smaller one. In response, the small scraggly fox lunged forward as well, and clasped his jaws on the throat of one of the incoming foxes. The large fox screamed in pain, and the second large fox tackled the small one to the ground, causing his clasped jaws to rip fur and flesh from the throat of his assailant. Red blood gushed down the fox's white chest, and it collapsed to the pavement. Now pinned by the second large fox, the smaller fox bit at the ear of the fox pining it, tearing it off completely before then digging its rear claws into the belly of the fox on top of him. The large fox shrieked in pain, while the pinned fox slowly disemboweled him. A fourth fox broke ranks from the perimeter and dashed up to the grappled pair, intent on helping the larger fox, but before it could reach them, the larger fox relented, and rolled off on to its side, freeing the scraggly fox, his flesh dripping red blood from its stomach.

The display was gruesome, but Miles couldn't tear his eyes from it. If only he hadn't left his phone back in his apartment, he could have recorded the whole spectacle. Watching the battle unfold, the fourth fox had stopped suddenly once the scraggly one was free, now unwilling to take him on alone. The perimeter of foxes barked and screamed at the fourth fox, while the scraggly one advanced on it. As Miles stared at the carnage, he saw something incredible happen. Both of the fallen foxes started glowing with a blue light. Slowly, the gushing blood stemmed its flow from the neck of the first fox, and the second fox's ear began to regrow. Both of the foxes rose back to all fours, and started advancing on the scraggly fox again.

The scraggly fox turned around to face the returning threat, forgetting the fourth fox as it melted back into the perimeter around them. Setting a firm stance, the scraggly fox bowed his head and shot red light from his eyes. The light flew into the approaching foxes and bounced off of them, zipping and arcing around the parking lot, before finally colliding with the lamp post of the overhead lights. Sparks of electricity flew out from the pillar of metal, and the lights winked out, but not before Miles saw that the post had been cleaved in half, like a knife through butter. With a metalic groan, the post fell over onto a nearby parked car, throwing shattered glass everywhere and caving in the roof of the vehicle.

At the sight of the car being pulverized, a fifth fox screamed in dismay and leapt into the fray. Without the light in the area, Miles could no longer see what was happening. All the foxes were now gray shadows in the night. Between the growls and yelps and the occasional flashes of blue and red, it looked like the entire congregation had descended onto the scraggly fox. The screams quieted, and before long, there was nothing but a whimper coming from the darkness in front of him. Then silence.

Realizing he had been holding his breath, Miles let out a long sigh. In the dim light from the adjacent lamp on the other side of the parking lot, he could see the green glow of thirty pairs of eyes turn towards him in the night. Having just witnessed such savagery, he was no longer concerned about the mess in his apartment. The last thing he wanted was to get all these foxes riled up against him. Still, they seemed to be waiting for something, a reply, or anything. Only one question came to his lips in the moment.

"What are all you foxes doing in the city? Shouldn't you be out in the woods or something?"

Thirty pairs of eyes blinked, and then turned toward each other. A cacophony of chirps, bow-wows, and even a few loud shrieking squeals came from the dimness in front of him. Just as suddenly as the noise had started, it stopped, and all thirty pairs of eyes were looking back at him. One of the foxes gave a cheerful yip, and one by one, the pairs of eyes turned towards the street, each pausing slightly in the streetlamp at the corner, looking back at the apartment complex before leaving entirely.