by Author Name Withheld 40

Created on: September 12, 2009

The fox cry was sharp, yet distant. To hear her shout this time of year was rare. This was not a mating call, this was a warning. The moon was a lamp and the only one at that because a million stars would not light my way tonight. I was lost. I can't tell you how I ended up in the middle of nowhere, shivering with cold, my tee shirt ripped and damp, my knees bloodied, but I was miles from any other living thing. No not living thing, human thing. There were no streetlights, no car headlights, no welcoming house lights, all I had was the harvest moon, I prayed that the clouds would not take its beacon away from me too.

I stumbled through brush and ditch for what seemed like hours, always growing colder and more nervous. The fox-cry became more insistent, was she trying to tell me something? Should I go to her, follow her call? Did I have a choice?

Suddenly there was a cracking in the bushes ahead of me, it made me shout aloud. I hardly recognised my own voice, was that me? I stumbled on, unsure now of my footing, hoping I wouldn't fall again.

My knees were stinging from my last trip, it was at the beginning of my journey, I was stronger then and I thought I could clear that ditch in one big jump but I was wrong, I only managed to get one foot on the soft ground and then I tumbled grazing my knees on the only patch of hard ground for miles.

I reached the bushes but whatever made the sound was gone, although I could smell it. A pungent acrid smell that almost stung my nostrils, it took my breath away. I had to follow it, I had to.

I kept walking.

Then I saw it, in a clearing just ahead, the unmistakable outline of a large fox, his tail curling high behind him. He turned his head as if to nod at me. He wanted me to follow, I knew it.

I started walking faster now, my heart was thumping, I was getting closer. The male fox disappeared into the border of a large forest, his scent was still in the air, I could taste it in my mouth, he was marking a path for me to follow.

Then the fox-cry cut the silence once more. This was no warning, this was a cry of pain. I started to run, almost tripping up again, but regaining my balance, I sprinted forward. Then there in the centre of the forest I saw them. The male fox was circling, the female fox was lying prostrate, she was trapped.

I had to tiptoe now, to be gentle.

"Shushyoung thingshush" I cooed.

She was caught alright, caught in the vicious teeth of a metal trap, I carefully undid the coil and released the screw holding the teeth together, in one slap the trap opened and released her. She jumped up, more sprightly than I could've imagined. She was free, she limped towards her partner, they both looked back at me before they disappeared into the deepest part of the forest.

One down, I thought, now how do I find the others. Farmer Jack Booth's land was an alien place to me and his vile traps had been devastating the wildlife long enough, not anymore.

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