The Villain

tamed foxes

Someone sat on top of her and breathing used to be easier. Thoughts ran through her mind, trying to catch an already blurring dream as if they were hunting a ghost. After a while, they became still, conquered by the knowledge that it had already left.

Tessa had to undo a net around her, thick blue strings meant to protect her in her dreams. Now rather an obstacle than a welcome help, that only complicated matters.

An idea, a whisper at first, and a scream in the end, filled her up.

What if she stayed here?

Not waking up, trapped in the sweet illusion of the land between conscious and asleep. In that wonderful void, ever falling.

She had no reason to wake up, so why not stay asleep forever?

But, as life had proven not only dreadful but particularly invested in making sure Tessa just about never got what she wanted, she woke up to Wendy licking her fingers clean.

Or so she thought so until she opened her eyes.

She hadn't seen a fox that close before. In zoos, yes, and on pictures, in videos and photographs, but always from a distance. She had imagined them bigger actually, and stronger.

But the creature sitting in front of her was slim, bony almost, not looking well at all. The sunlight peeked through the leafless trees. But the ice-cold wind was a constant reminder to stay awake and get home.

Tessa didn't move, staring back at the fox that stared at her – its black eyes focusing on her, a curious twinkle in them.

She admired the fire-red fur, the black parts of it reminding her on campfire-ash. The animal sat there as if it owned the place.

The fox cocked its head as if waiting for something, narrowing its eyes. Then it continued to lick the blood from her hands.

"What do you want?" she asked, and the fox took that as an invitation to come closer, sniffing her face.

"Right, I don't think we're at that point in our relationship yet," Tessa sat up.

The sting in her hip made her press her hand onto the wound, as blood dripped from it again.

"Fuck," she whispered under her breath, the fox only inches away when she looked back up at it.

Stopping right in front of her, it sniffed the wound, sitting back as if waiting for her to do something about it.

She stood up, checking her surroundings.

So... where was she? No bloody heroes around, which was already a good thing...

She was alone with the tame fox, that seemed to become nervous too, starting to pace up and down right in front of her.

It looks concerned. Maybe it's lost too?

As if the fox understood her, it looked back up, grimacing as if it wanted to smile.

Tessa took a breath, shaking her head to get rid of that ridiculous thought.

Coming to think of it, her mind was a mess since Loki left and let's not start about what blood loss could do to her brain. Going crazy and thinking some random fox smiled at her... sure, why not? It wasn't like she had enough other things to worry about.

S.H.I.E.L.D. supervised her like a criminal, Ziva was gone and Loki would most likely not return. While Tessa had been stupid enough to believe in new beginnings once.

She grabbed the ring around her neck by habit.

'You need to bring me back, sweetheart.'