The One Behind It All

The New Place

It began with a snapping sound. Like the harsh crack of a dry bone snapping in two. The barrier of darkness surrounding me split, and in the new light was a calm, friendly face. A human. An old one with a bushy moustache.

He tore away the barrier, a wooden crate, and gently pulled me out. I saw a picture of myself on the box. A tall white fox on two legs with a pink underbelly, tail tip, and muzzle. I had a bow tied around my neck. And despite all the mysterious cracks in me allowing me to move, I loved how I looked.

After being carefully moved to a small room with toys scattered everywhere and streamers and art on the wall, I was left alone. I saw the man carrying other things similar to me down the hall on a dolly like I was. I couldn't get a good look.

After a while the man didn't return. I studied the drawings on the walls. It wasn't hard to tell young hands made them.

Though I was new to this, I knew a lot. I was programmed to.

In the drawings was a red creature, difficult to make out. So I combined the alike features in each picture to assume it was like me, bit had an eyepatch and a hook. And it was red.

Then, before I could make more conclusions, everything went dark.

Being alone in a strange dark place unable to move was not uncommon to me. I let my mind wander, growing more and more excited to see what was going to happen. And soon, my questions were answered.

In the dim glow from a broken light, I made out a head, and two eyes shone at me. Then, out stepped the red one, eyes full of curiosity.