Fragments of the Myriad Mind

The Fox, the Wolf, and the Donkey

The World was a peaceful one for the Fox. Yes, the World was big, but Fox was happy on his own little hill. The hill was covered with flowers, you see, so living there was quite pleasant for Fox. He would nap in the grass or play with the bees, maybe just stopping to smell the flora. But no matter what he did, Fox was happy.
At least...
Unless he saw the woods.
The World was a peaceful one for the Fox. Yes, the World was big, but Fox was happy away from the woods. The woods had tall, hulking trees, which felt as if they wanted to step on you. Forest floor was covered in dead and decaying matter, and the insulting scent of detritus was nothing like the flowers of the hills at all.
And yet...
The Fox had been born there.
The World was a peaceful one for the Fox. Yes, the World was big, but the Fox was happy with his new friends. He had the bees, the flowers, the breeze, and occasionally Donkey would stop by. Fox didn't miss his old friends at all. He barely even remembered them. He never had any dreams of them, nor nightmares of when he lost them.
Even so...
The Fox was broken.
The World was a peaceful one for the Fox. Yes, the World was big. Too big.
Like the trees.
In the forest.
With the wolves.

The World was an exciting one for the Donkey. Yes, the World had its perils, but Donkey was happy to travel and explore new places. Even though she loved to travel, Donkey always knew she could come home and rest at the hill of flowers with her good friend Fox. Donkey would tell Fox all about her adventures, and Fox would tell Donkey all about his relaxations. Both felt that their stories were nothing special, but each greatly appreciated hearing of a life they could never know.
That is...
A life they SHOULD never know.
The World was an exciting one for the Donkey. Yes, the World had its perils, but Donkey was happy because she got to see amazing things that most could never imagine. But she still wondered, every night when she closed her eyes, what it would be like to settle down at the flower hill, to simply frolic and flit about, careless as a butterfly.
And so...
Her curiosity grew.
The World was an exciting one for the Donkey. Yes, the World had its perils, but Donkey was happy to spend time with Fox. One day, she asked Fox if he ever wondered what it would be like to travel as much as she did. Fox replied, saying yes, he did. The only thing stopping him, he said, was the evil forest. If only he could conquer his fear of the forest, he said, then he would be free to go anywhere he desired.
Believing was...
A foolish mistake.
The World was an exciting one for the Donkey. Yes, the World had its perils. Many perils.
Like death.
Death hidden with the forest.
With the wolves.

The World was a beautiful one for the Wolf. Yes, the World was harsh, but Wolf was happy because he was still alive. His pack had cast him out, but he didn't regret devouring the kill. It had been many moons since that glorious feast, but he had survived on small game and, disgustingly, by resorting to berries or fungi, at his lowest. But on his lips, the taste of that delicious bounty was forever engraved.
The taste...
Of a fox.
The World was a beautiful one for the Wolf. Yes, the World was harsh, but Wolf was happy that he decided to eat that Fox. Did it ruin his life? Assuredly. Was it worth it? Worth every morsel. That fateful night, he had seen a small pup hidden behind his mother, but it had fled when the Wolf had attacked. That memory of the small pup running away made the flames of desire burn even brighter.
And then...
The Fox and the Donkey visited the forest's edge.
The World was a beautiful one for the Wolf. Yes, the World was harsh, but Wolf was happy because in the distance, he smelled the scent of a fox. And not just any fox, but the same pup who had escaped all that time ago. Wolf lost control of his body as he barreled through the trees, chasing a scent from miles away. The Fox and the Donkey were visiting to help Fox conquer his fear. The Fox felt better after being so close to the forest, so he and Donkey returned to the hill to lounge in the grass.
However, then...
Donkey left to see the world.
The World was a beautiful one for the Wolf. Yes, the World was harsh. Harsh to the weak.
Like to a young pup.
A young pup now plump and sleeping.
A young pup upon which Death descended.

The World was a cold one for the Donkey. Yes, the World had light, but that light was extinguished when she returned to the hill.
She called out to Fox.
And heard a starved growl in place of a friendly bark.
And saw...

........
...

.....
.
..

The Wolf's torn remains lay at irregular intervals across the hill.
Red blood stained white flowers.
The Fox's mangled corpse lay ripped open beside a patch of flowers.
A look of terror stained on his face.
The Donkey's limp body sat upon the crest of the hill.
Hooves stained with gore.

The Fox, the Wolf, and the Donkey.
One achieved his dream.
One started to fulfill his.
One will never get the chance to see her peace.
All have been broken, one way or another.

The World was a broken one for each of them. Yes, the World was good, but that goodness fled with the soul of a friend.

The sun bathed the little hill with red light, and the Fox looked at peace. He would eternally do what he loved the most; relax beside his beloved flowers on his precious hill.

The sun set.