The Foxes

Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Maple

I opened my eyes to find Brody standing over me.

"Hi." He said, "Did we wake you up?"

"No. I was awake the whole time. By the way, you're a really good lier."

"Thanks. You're a really good actor. And I think you're going to need your brothers to get you out of here."

"No. I'm getting out tonight." I said, frantically.

"What? Why?"

"Werefoxes heal fast. A lot faster than normal people. Only one werefox ever stayed in hospital long enough to heal. And it didn't end well. He...he uh...got experimented on." I looked at my hands as the tears started to well up in my eyes.

"Was it your brother?" He asked. I nodded.

"I was six. I had only been a werefox for one year. But I still have my other brother." I said, quietly.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

+++

Brody found some clean clothes and gave them to me. I changed into them and we walked out of the hospital. We both had fake tears going down our faces. They would think that we were just visiting someone.

We walked to his house, almost like normal people. But we weren't.

"Bye." I said, and started to walk back to my house. But he stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going?" Brody asked.

"Home. Where else?"

"No. You're going home, alone, at night. That's dangerous."

"Yeah. So is being a fox, here. That's never stopped me before. And what am I supposed to do? Sleep in a stranger's house, and in that stranger's house is a murderer." I said, sarcastically.

"Fine. I'll walk you home."

"But I'm not letting you walk home, alone, at night. 'That's dangerous.'" I mocked. "If you have to 'keep me safe' you sleep on the couch at my house."

"Fine. Just let me tell my dad that I'm going to sleep at a friend's house."

He yelled something inside but I wasn't listening. I heard gunshots.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Enough to kill a werefox. I was already sprinting. I couldn't go any faster. All I could see was Delbert's face. I just knew.

I heard Brody running behind me, shouting for me to stop. I ran into the woods and followed the smell of gunpowder. I found a clearing with a fox lying on the ground. His eyes were still open, but he couldn't heal on his own anymore.

I put my hand on him and whispered a werefox incantation. It would save his life.

You need help and shall give it to you. I will heal you.

I felt him heal, and passed out. I was exhausted.