Please, don't leave me (English)

2. The fairy tale

I run away again as fast as I can. A lynx has smelled my scent and is now after me. My natural enemy.

I dare not run into my den, otherwise the lynx will destroy it just to get me, its prey. Since the lynx is 20km/h faster than me, I have to try to shake it off differently. The exception comes.

I transform into a human and face the lynx. Without clothes it's quite cold with the wind, especially since I'm used to fur, and since I rarely walk on just two legs, I stand a little wobbly.

Nevertheless, as soon as the lynx comes to me, I extend my claws and am ready to fight. The lynx stops in surprise as soon as he sees me. He still smells the fox on me, but I don't look like that anymore.

The lynx growls at me, now sees me as the enemy, and extends its claws. I growl at him too, telling him not to come any closer. The lynx understands that he shouldn't joke with me and slowly retreats. I retract my claws again and want to go to my fox hole, but I quickly realize that it takes me far too long on two human legs, so I turn back into a fox. Already much better.

Flashback:

Dear Diary,

I'm sitting in our cave with my mother. We are in human form, which is rare. Today mother taught me math, reading and English. She says it's long past time for this. Normally children learn these things at the age of 6, but I'm already 10 years old.

I have no idea why I should learn all these things when we live as foxes in the forest anyway. I've never been in a city or talked to a person before.

Mom also taught me how to walk as a human, how to wash myself and how to style my hair. I don't understand why I should style dead tissue, but mother always says:

"A lady always has good hair."

If only I knew what a lady was. I've heard rumors about it, but I've never seen one. The only people I've generally seen so far have mostly been hunters or rarely people walking in the forest. But my fox instinct always tells me not to get too close to people.

"Humans are our enemies. Even though we may look like humans, we are not. Our advantage is being able to hide from hunters by presenting ourselves as one of them. But we will never be able to be one of them."

I was born a fox. Born while my mother was also a fox. So I never saw myself as a human being. I have been suppressing the second side of me my entire life and only comes to light in exceptional cases. For example, when Mom wants to teach me something. Mom is currently reading one of those fairy tales again, from the only book we own. She reads my favorite fairy tale.

"The Girl with the Matchsticks"

I can never get enough of it. The only thing that would make the moment better would be my fox form. I'm literally freezing on the cold ground. Suddenly everything is uncomfortable and I just can't find a comfortable position.

Flashback ending