Four Paws and A New Tale

Chapter 7:

The walk had taken about 25 minutes, it had gone relatively quickly, not much had happened. Tim just walked, and Pixie slept. Till they arrived at a small cottage, he walked up the rickety veranda and knocked on the old flyscreen.

Footsteps approached from inside. Tim heard a lock click and the door opened, before him stood a boy of his own age, he was skinny and looked weak, he had short black hair but bright blue eyes. Jacob looked surprised.

"Tim?"

"Hey, look who I found."

Tim raised the cage to Jacob's eye-level. A scared Pixie looked at the new human before her, was this really Jacob?

Jacob's confusion grew. "You found a fox cub?"

Tim frowned and placed the cage on the ground.

"No, I found your fox cub."

Jacob frowned now.

"My fox cub?"

"Yeah." Tim nodded his head in an exaggerated and sarcastic manner.

"I don't own a fox, never have."

Tim sighed and fished through his pockets, he pulled out the collar and handed it to his friend. Jacob took the collar and read over it.

"Okay what?"

"32 Cullert street, that's this place."

"Yeah, but... that doesn't make any sense. She's not mine."

Pixie frowned, she rested her head on her paws as she listened to the two boys talking. They both took a seat on two separate rocking chairs and between them rested Pixie's prison, which she was growing increasingly annoyed with.

"Tim, where did you find it?"

"She's a her."

"Fine. Where did you find her?"

"In an alley, lying in a puddle, wearing that collar, she had a bullet wound in her back leg. I took her to the vet and they fixed her up, which reminds me." Tim pulled the bill from his pocket and passed it to his friend with a raised eyebrow.

Jacob took it and examined the envelope.

"A vet bill? This isn't my fox, I've never even heard of a fox being domesticated!"

They stopped arguing and puzzled over their situation. A white ute pulled up in the driveway and a lady got out wearing veterinary scrubs. She walked up the steps but then frowned at Tim.

"You're the boy who was at the clinic earlier with the fox?"

Tim's throat went dry, he swallowed and nodded.

"Hey mum." Jacob said. His mother gave him a confused wave before looking back to Tim.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm returning this fox to her owner."

Jacob threw his hands up. "I don't own that stupid fox!"

Pixie curled into a ball at the back of her cage.

Jacob's mother frowned; "Right we don't own a fox, what makes you think we do?"

Tim took the collar back and handed it to Jacob's mother. "Because it has this address on her collar!"

Jacob's mum turned the collar over in her hands. She thought for a second.

She stepped forward and grabbed the vet bill from her son, she tore it in half and smiled.

"Well then, it looks like we're getting a pet."

Pixie's ears pricked up, she knew none of them could understand her, but she was getting frustrated now, "What's a pet?" she asked.

She was ignored.

Jacob looked incredulous.

"What?" he asked.

"Animals can be therapeutic; this little fox is wounded and needs a good home and she's so cute."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"Aw, please?" The grown woman begged.

His mother gave him big puppy eyes and Tim couldn't tell if Jacob was guilt-tripped or just wanted her to stop, but either way it worked.

"Fine!"

His mother smiled. "Yay."

She looked to Tim and put her hand out.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

He shook her hand, "I'm Tim."

"Well it's nice to meet you Tim. It's getting late would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Ah, no sorry, I should be getting home."

"Well then let me drive you, it's the least I can do."

Tim smiled. "Okay, thanks."

Jacob's mother passed him the collar and got back in the car, Tim opened the passenger side door and jumped in, he called out through the window.

"Bye Jacob! See ya tomorrow pal!" He waved as the car pulled away.

Jacob's mother shouted.

"I'll be home soon, start thinking of names!"

Jacob was left alone with the fox cub. He groaned and rolled his eyes and struggled inside with carrier in hand.