A Blood Red Top Hat

Chapter Thirty-Two: A Major

I swallowed...and blink repeatedly, the muffled sound of the piano still contiuned after a while, the rhythm contiuned as I cowardly step back. I am not use to being on four legs and definitely have problem balancing, I wobble and new sensation shock through my limbs, also the tail, the tail is the one that causes most problems. Tails of animals are supposed to help their balance and sometimes send a message to other animals, like dogs wag their tail to show affection.

"Wretched?! Swimming?!" I yell within my head, in reality I've probably just make a random animal sound. I waited for response, they didn't hear.

I yelled again, but cold shivers run through my back bones, my ears curls down, and my legs started shaking. A bad feeling raise in my chest. The piano has stopped.

"Wretched?" This time I said much more quiet, footsteps rings down the stairs...

"Hello little guy."

I froze, literally. I wanted myself freeze into this huge ice block. The familiar sound send the same shivers as Zarfy and Skorm.

I break out to a sudden sprint, quickly dodge the books that are on the floor.

"Come back I meant no harm." The male voice followed my footsteps, bookshelves after bookshelves. Until a dead end stop me, by then, fire has started in my lungs, unpleasantly caressing throat with slowly setting on fire with it.

I close my eyes, summon my courage and turned around to see the male in his eyes. I was shocked.

It was no monster or inhumane creature behind me, it was just...Julian. No scary scars or powers to be seen, the same soft gaze and the same smile. The same shiny brown hair, and the same kind smile.

I shiver a bit, not too much as the first time I here his voice, this is Julian2, not some random monster.

"Are you lost?" He asked, kneeling down to my height. His blue dress shirt falls down to his knees as he kneels. He is still wearing the same clothing as he would go to school in. But this time his tie losen and settles softly around his neck.

"Come here, I can help you." He opened his arms with a warming smile. But why? Didn't he know that I am a person not an Arctic fox?

I shook back, but he didn't seen annoyed in one bit, his smile is still hanging on his face as he whispers calming things.

I let out a random fox noise to see if he reacts, he raise an eyebrow and came closer. My fur(which think) tenses up, he is getting closer. Maybe it's a trap.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you." He cooed, I stop moving back, very awkwardly I must say.

I stopped, body tensed. Yet he is there smiling, trying to help. "I'm going to pick you up, okay?" He asked, I let out a small and delicate noise, he believed that it's a yes. With a few warning signs, he lift me up into his arms.

I 'imaginary' gasp since animals can't as he pull me into a hug, I struggled, kick my paws around and thrash.

"Come on little guys, I'm gonna take you to where I stay and I could maybe find out where you came from." He laughs a little bit as he slowly carry me back down the hallway and up the dusty stairs.

The road on the stairs was slow, it fades darker. But with another few steps, a warm light shine through the end of the stairway. Soon the stairway meets an end, the room above the stairs wasn't huge like I imagine it to be.

A small room with dim candle lights, and some small beams of light shine through the tinted glass. It was very serene and quiet.

"Here you go little buddy." He leveled down and release me down to a pile of cushions, I fumbled and fall, embarrassed yet a small laugh from Julian.

"Your cute." He patted my tiny head stand up and walk towards the piano once again.

"I've got another friend, Beanz is his name(I don't know if Beanz is a duder or a grill). He's nice, problem is that..." Julian paused.

"He is born blind."

I lift my head to stare at Julian, "Music is one of the ways of telling what the world looks like." Julian paused again, during that pause, he puts his hands on the bright white keys of the grand piano sitting in the corner of the room.

I make a random noise which hopefully sounds convincing and not to be sounding like a human which is here to kill you.

"Beanz?" Julian asked, looking for that  Beanz dude.

With one ting slithering sound, a shadow arrived in front of me.

It was a human...ish shadow. Beanz...his body was covered in moss and vines, and his eyes...just a socket left of him with vines crawling out.

I fall back, twisting my body and break out once again into a fast sprint.

"No little guy!" I heard Julian's voice behind me as a pair of strong hands around my mid section. And without any preparation, I been lift up and back into Julian warm hug.

"Don't worry." He stroke my fur. My self right now? Extremely creeped out. I shift to somewhere which I hope he well stop touching me.

Which failed.

I let out a small groan as he place me back down.

"Now now, don't run off again." Julian sat back down the stool near the piano and start playing.

The rhythm was smoothing, soft and comforting. I felt the beautiful and smooth silk-like music flow into my ears.

And that my eyes droop down.

And went into a dream-less sleep.