Foxes and chickens

The breeze rustles the thin curtains of a fifteen year old boy’s bedroom. Tom is asleep, slightly snoring and laying flat on his back. The blanket covering him is not of the best or thickest fabric but it is serving its purpose. He stirs slightly as the breeze drops.

The night outside is silent and motionless. Dawn would be several hours away and the chickens were tucked away in their shed. From the age of eight Tom had been given the duty of caring for the chickens. He is a good boy and takes his responsibility seriously.

Slight movement, a flicked tail disappearing behind the wooden shed. Tom sits bolt up right, the blanket clings to his bed clothes. The chickens start to go berserk! Cursing under his breath Tom is up and out grabbing a lantern left by the back door. The chicken shed was around a hundred yards from the back door and Tom covered the distance quickly, wondering how the animal had got pass his defence's.

Tom flings the door wide ready to make as much noise as possible to scare the animal away. As the door hits the wall of the shed and Tom steps in all is quiet. The chickens are settled in their individual nests. The chicken closes to him peaks an eye open not bothered by the clang of the door. Confused and relieved Tom moves further into the shed. Silently stepping he peers around.

The fox is sat at the end of the shed. The light glances across his eyes, Tom stops and stares at the beast. Tom takes in the condition of the animal instinctively, was it going to attack him or run past in a flurry of fur. The fox was not in the best condition, fur was matted about its hind legs and it nose was scarred and dry. There was something else Tom noticed about the fox, was it smiling? It looked like it was waiting? Questions popped into his head, why were the chickens not going crazy? Surely the scent of the fox would set them off; he could smell the animal from here. He was going to take a step closer; he had to get the animal out of his chicken shed.

"Well I thought that would get your attention." Said the fox. He was definitely smiling now as Tom took a large intake of breath.

"Don't just gape at me; I can answer questions on the way. Leave the lantern you will not need it." The fox stood and stretched, he then tottered towards Tom who still stood motionless in a state of shock.

Tom still didn’t move as the fox walked past him and rubbed his body down Tom's calf. The lantern went out and Tom could see. "Come Tom, treat it as a dream and come and see. We have something to ask of you." The fox walked out the shed and started down the path away from the cottage.

Tom placed the lantern on the floor of the shed and followed shutting the shed door behind him.

As fox and boy left the path and walked across the field adjacent to the cottage Tom plucked the courage to speak.

"You can talk?" said Tom uncertainly.
"Definitely" replied the fox grinning up at Tom.
"Can all foxes talk?" Tom said.
"All animals can "talk" its whether the human can hear." The fox stopped to look around. "You are the special one here Tom not me."
Tom stopped now and looked confused at the ground. "Me?"
"Yes you. I know, I was surprised too when they pointed you out." A chuckle escaped the fox’s teeth. Tom scowled at the animal.

They silently moved through the field and were now stood in front of the evergreen wall of trees which has divided the land of Tom's fathers and Mr Pippet's for years. The night was quiet, a few owls hooted and a crunch of falling leaves was all Tom heard. He was surprised with himself then as he thought usually he was very scared of being out late on his own, not that anything had ever happened to him in his life but his imagination would run wild with ghouls and goblin stories normally at a time like this. At a time like this he thought? When had anything like this ever happened, to anybody?

The fox had stopped at the line of trees and sat down wrapping his tail around his feet.

"I don’t care if this is a dream or not fox, but I am not going over to Mr Pippet's land. Neither should you. He has a gun" Tom said matter of factly down to the fox.
The fox didn't look up at Tom as he said "This is my dream Tom, and I decide what is on the other side of the trees. Would you follow me if I said it takes you to the world of beasts, mystical and magical? That there is only one human that resides on the other side of those trees by her own choice."
Tom smiled. "Is she pretty?"
"Oh she is deadly beautiful Tom." whispered the fox disturbingly.