The black fox

4

How had I been so stupid! I should have realized what was happening before.

My feet barely touched the ground as I sprinted past the trees.

I saw a slight yellow glow coming from the trees which was paired with the movement of leaves.

I guess the fox was following me but I didn't care I had I worse thing to worry about.

I finally made it to where the trees opened up and where the sky was the most clouded with smoke. I felt my stomach sink as I pushed past the last tree.

The village was in flames.

I couldn't hear anything over the loud crackling of fire and my eyes hurt from the bright light.

My legs couldn't hold me up anymore and everything hurt as I collapsed to my knees. Everyone I loved was dead. I had no proof but I had a gut feeling, no one could survive that. Not my mom. . . Not my dad. . . Not even my brother.

I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. But I didn't.

I just sat there on that cliff over looking the village and watched as the fire over took everything.

I could just about see our tree house through the smoke and ash but it had clearly been set ablaze quite early on. The truck was chard and thin. The rest of the tree was covered in a think layer of smoke and there wasn't a speck of colour that could be seen.

Not even on the leaves that once were a bright shade of green. Now those very same leaves were nearly unrecognizable as they blew past me.

Everything was gone.

"The world doesn't have room for those who can't change-" a familiar voice said in a somber tone.

I looked back to see the fox it's fur illuminated by the raging flames.

I'm surprise that the fox wasn't specking in some type of riddle, but there tone seemed genuinely remorseful.

The fox carefully sat next to me, wrapping its tail around its self.

"Give a village a fire and they'll be warm for a week, but light them on a fire and they'll be warm for the rest for their lives." It said. The fire flickering in their eyes.

We both sat there for a bit staring into the fire as it burned any remaining pieces of the village.

"Listen- we don't have much time. So I'm going to ask you again. Are you going to join everyone else or are you going to stick with me." The fox said turning towards me.

I took a moment to think glancing between the fire and the fox.

I slowly got to my feat and looked back at the fire again. I could feel the heat on my fave as it roared.

I knew what I had to do.

I stood up and brushed myself off the fox turned its head around.

"Lead the way" I said plainly.

The fox's grin reappeared and they started trotting off into the forest.

I glanced at the flames one more time before turning around.