Foxfire: Veil of the Nine Phantoms

28: Stormcloud II - Discovery

January 27 - Hoshiko

Just after midnight, Hoshiko sat on a bench in Phin Park surrounded by a large gathering of red foxes. Nearly a hundred foxes surrounded the kitsune, each staring at her with eager eyes. To the vixen's right side was a large bag of dog food. Hoshiko scooped up the dry dog kibble with her hand and temptingly showed the food to all the foxes.

In the fox language of chitters and yaps, Hoshiko said, "If you have any useful information, speak up, and I shall reward you." She shook her hand of kibble, emphasizing her point. The crowd of foxes erupted into excited giggling.

Hoshiko smiled. They were like children to her, and she found them cute.

A fox ran up to her and tried to steal the kibble, but Hoshiko reacted quickly and moved her hand out of the way of the fox's lunge.

"Bad! Very bad! No!"

"Give me food!" said the thieving fox.

"Only if you tell me something useful."

Another fox stepped forward. "I found a body."

"What did it look like?"

"It wasn't human."

This piqued Hoshiko's interest. She let the informative fox eat kibble from her hand. "Show me where you found it."

The red fox led her out of the Pocket and toward the Beaches. They walked past the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, nicknamed The Palace of Purification, one of Toronto's Art Deco landmarks. A winding road directed Hoshiko to the shore of Lake Ontario, where there was a small sandy beach from which she could see the water treatment plant up the slope, its buff-coloured brick forming geometric lines, the massive structure stretching wide behind her.

Lake Ontario's waters were black like oil, stretching beyond the horizon almost like an ocean. Hoshiko followed the fox to the rocky groyne that extended from the beach into the lake. At the end of the groyne, half submerged in the water, was a body lying face down.

"Unbelievable..."

The kitsune walked closer, squatting next to the body of the Cabbagetown Tunnel Monster. Its wounds were severe, evidence of days of cruel torture. Waves of water made the body bob up and down. She smelled the air and looked around in a full circle.

"When did you find this?" Hoshiko asked the fox.

"Earlier this night."

"The body wasn't deposited here. It must have floated here until the groyne stopped it."

She looked at the soft dusting of snow on the beach. It was undisturbed, save for her own footprints and the tracks of a fox.

"Come here little one," she said with a beckoning sign.

The two walked up the path toward the water treatment plant. With a snap of her fingers, Hoshiko cast a small snow spell, covering their tracks with freshly fallen snow as if nobody had ever walked toward the beach.

***

January 27 - Melanie

"Damn it..." I whispered to my reflection in the washroom mirror, a frown tugging the corners of my mouth. My injured eye was still red, but thanks to Grandma's help my sight had been restored somewhat. I grabbed my sunglasses and put them on, hiding my injured eye with the shades.

A chill had settled inside my chest. I didn't want to show the others, but I was thoroughly spooked by the news. It felt surreal; only a few weeks ago I had seen the tunnel monster alive and happy. Now he was gone. We were dealing with killers, I knew that, but this was the first time a victim was someone I had met. Breathing deeply, I relaxed my expression and walked out of the washroom.