In The Woods

Chapter Three: Fox's Return.

I woke up from my deep slumber by the yells of Molly echoing in the house demanding me to get up. I groaned and looked at the time piece on the bedside table. It was just 7 in the morning. I pouted. "Coming!" I shouted back with all the energy I could muster this early in the morning.

I swept the covers off me and got up. I proceeded to the bathroom then took a nice warm bath and went downstairs. When I was at the top of the stairs I heard loud snoring. Hmm, so Jasper is still asleep but she woke me up, totally not fair. The stairs led me to the living room from where I proceeded to the kitchen.

In the kitchen Aunty Molly was stood with one hand on her hip and the other expertly flipping pancakes in a frying pan. 'Ooo, so it's a pancake day', I thought. I moved my hand to get one for myself from the platter on which she was stacking them only for my hand to be swatted away by her. "Owwee!" I said holding my hand in the other and making pained faces, a total drama queen I was. Aunt Molls turned and gave me a sideway glance, then she grinned.

"You are smiling, so should I take that as a sign that you are allowing me to have that?" I said pointing towards the pancakes.

"Sure, but.." she emphasized on the 'but' and then carried on "You have to go to the central kingdom after breakfast because we are out of some stuff." She said handing me a list of all the 'stuff' she wanted me to bring scribbled on a piece of white paper. Great, she is sweet alright but she is also the master of bribing me with the things I like.

"Yeah, will do. Now just give me that." And with that I took pancakes and starting gobbling them.

"Is this the reason why you woke me up early?" I asked. "Yep!" she sang. I groaned.

***

An hour later after I had properly dressed myself, tamed my hair and eaten those heavenly pancakes I headed out of the house and to the central kingdom. I had the list of things I had to get tucked in the pocket of my cloak, the same one I had worn when I went to the woods yesterday because light blue is one of my favorite colors. Aunt Molls had told me to get on a carriage to town but I was perfectly fine walking.

The way to central kingdom is beautiful. There are daisies lining the pathway that leads there growing on neatly trimmed and lush green grass. The trees are so tall that they are tilted towards the other, on the opposite side, stopping excess sunlight from reaching the creatures that pass from under it. It took about three quarters of an hour to get there by foot but it never seemed enough for me to take in all the beauty of nature around me.

Almost an hour later when I reached the grocery sector in the central kingdom I bought all the things that were written in the list. It was a group of people who had set up their stalls of things in separate sectors according to what things they had. I was hastily putting all the items in a bag while walking out of there when I bumped into someone. "I am really sorry, I-", I started looking up, but stopped when I realized who it was.

"Foxy! Didn't expect to see you here, when did you come back?" I exclaimed, enveloping my best friend in a big bear hug. He hugged back. "Rosy! Didn't expect to see you here too." He mimicked my squeaky voice. I playfully punched him on the shoulder.

Ladies and gentlemen. This is Fox Carter, my best friend. He and I became friends a few days after I had moved here, and it has been almost ten years since we became friends. I remember that the first time I saw him was when I had fallen into and pond full of mud while chasing a butterfly. Fox had been a gentleman and tried to help me but failed miserably as he too fell into the pond. For a moment his mouth kept hanging open while my lips formed a perfect 'O'. But seconds later we both had started laughing hysterically and that was the start of our friendship.