The Fox, Red

041 - All Is Well When All Is Quiet

The days following the incident with my Uncle Thomas were less than enjoyable. The storm cleared, letting workers to get the roads cleared. Once they were up it was officer after officer asking the same questions over and over again. It wasn't just me but many people around the house even if they weren't even there.

A lot of it was probing it seemed to see what kind of character I am. I'm by no means deaf so I heard them asking questions out in the open.

"Does he have a history of violence?"

"Does he lash out often?"

"What does he do on a daily basis?"

Then they asked me all kinds of questions that were attempting to lead me to admit to some harsh feelings against my Uncle. Well, the problem with that is since he showed up he was a pest to not just myself but everyone in the house. We all wanted him to leave but he did everything he could to refuse. Then the day before the incident there was a rather loud confrontation where I had to put my paw down and tell him to leave.

Madam Odette is doing her best to reassure me that there was nothing I could do differently in this situation. I'm not sure I believe her on this. Hindsight is 20/20 is what everyone always says. Looking back on what happened there are all kinds of actions I could have taken that could have ended this issue in so many different ways.

Authorities took Uncle Thomas's body away. He still had my tail in his grasp when they found him. He was so hungry for it that even in death he did all he could to hold on to it. Their initial observation turned up that he died from a heavy series of internal injuries. I have no idea what I threw at him but it hit its mark.

The commotion went on all day. I wasn't arrested but was told to not leave the estate. There would be more officers and more questions over the coming days until they seemed to be satisfied. Madam Odette did her best to run interference. She even had one of her legal experts give advice and pull papers. He did everything he could to make sure all the proper information was retained and used. It must have worked though. It's been over a week since the last officer came to talk to me. Since then, only Anne has come to visit me in my cabin by the woods.

It took me a lot longer than I wanted to get it cleaned up. The floors are fine, There's no water damage since it was so cold that nothing melted but it was such a pain to get everything out. A few warmer days helped clear the paths around the estate making it easier to get everything resettled. Once I could get the fireplace going again it was much more enjoyable. A soft light, some warmth, and occasionally Anne's company helped get me together. Even so, one person never did come to check on me during that time.

Fall is gone. Winter is hovering over the area just waiting for its chance to blow in. The fire in my cabin crackles quietly. Anne is asleep on my bed while I rest in my chair close to the glow of the flames. I'm not sure what I'm thinking of. Every little thing that does cross my mind passes over in an instant onto the next thought only to disappear as fast. I can't slow down for some reason. Meditation, sleep, relaxation, and breathing techniques don't help. It's beginning to affect me. Even my pinging spell is coming back blurred and jagged.

Anne rolls over catching my attention. I hear her exhale as she settles back into a comfortable spot. She's been using my bed more than I have recently. Even with the lack of sleep and lack of focus I don't feel worn down. Just a mess.

I watch the fire burn until it's just to embers throwing another couple of logs on. It picks back up providing warmth to the cabin. Eventually, the warm glow of the fire spreads over the cabin as the sun slowly rises to expand the light. I nod off here and there but anything I do can hardly be considered sleep. I know it's time when I hear Anne take a deep breath and begin to stir. "I fell asleep again, didn't I?"