A gorgeous short story from our talented regular Blue... a wintry story with a twist!
I didn't dare breathe as I inched towards this strange but beautiful creature. I didn't want to frighten him. I'd heard they were jumpy creatures, prone to scampering off if we got too close. My family had warned me away too. 'Don't go near those nasty things,' they'd said 'They're vermin. Horrible creatures! They probably have all sorts of diseases!'
I wasn't so sure though. I wanted to listen to my parents, trust their advice... but this one seemed different. His eyes were anxious but bright as he sat in the snow, lost in thought, his nose was pointed and twitched occasionally (mine did too, someone nearby must have been cooking a roast dinner and it smelled heavenly). His fur was silky and speckled with snowflakes, ruffled by the slight wind. He didn't look diseased. He looked intriguing.
I wondered if I'd be able to touch him. I stepped closer and he noticed me, his wide eyes darting towards me. We froze simultaneously, stock still on the icy ground. I thought he might run away, but he didn't move. I didn't either. It felt like hours that we both stood there, staring at each other, waiting for one of us to make the first move.
He broke our game of statues, rising and venturing cautiously towards me. I flinched, my parents' words ringing in my ears. 'Vermin.' 'Horrible.' 'Diseases.' Yes, I thought he was cute but what if they were right, what if, despite his long dark fur and shining intelligent eyes, he was riddled with fleas, ticks, diseases, even something fatal? Part of me wanted to run back home and hide... but part of me was curious. I took a step forward.
The human produced a piece of gingerbread from his pocket and I wandered closer, sniffing cautiously. He smiled encouragingly and I closed the distance between us, my paws crunching on the ice hidden beneath the powdery snow. I twitched my whiskers back, out of the way, as I reached for the gingerbread in his outstretched hand. I tentatively took a bite. It was spicy and still warm. The human grinned and gently squatted down so we were at the same level. I reached for the rest of the gingerbread as he scratched my neck, the anxiety in his eyes fading.
'Good foxy' he murmured, his voice quiet and low. I liked this human. My parents said that humans were monsters, plagues who were ruining the earth and destroying our homes. But here in his garden, sharing gingerbread, calm together... I thought this one could be different.
I thought we could be friends.
Cathy says:
What a fantastic, unexpected twist! Brilliant stuff, Blue! If YOU love to write, why not give a 'like' to the CC Facebook Fan Page and join in with the regular story challenges? And feel free to COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
I didn't dare breathe as I inched towards this strange but beautiful creature. I didn't want to frighten him. I'd heard they were jumpy creatures, prone to scampering off if we got too close. My family had warned me away too. 'Don't go near those nasty things,' they'd said 'They're vermin. Horrible creatures! They probably have all sorts of diseases!'I wasn't so sure though. I wanted to listen to my parents, trust their advice... but this one seemed different. His eyes were anxious but bright as he sat in the snow, lost in thought, his nose was pointed and twitched occasionally (mine did too, someone nearby must have been cooking a roast dinner and it smelled heavenly). His fur was silky and speckled with snowflakes, ruffled by the slight wind. He didn't look diseased. He looked intriguing.
I wondered if I'd be able to touch him. I stepped closer and he noticed me, his wide eyes darting towards me. We froze simultaneously, stock still on the icy ground. I thought he might run away, but he didn't move. I didn't either. It felt like hours that we both stood there, staring at each other, waiting for one of us to make the first move.
He broke our game of statues, rising and venturing cautiously towards me. I flinched, my parents' words ringing in my ears. 'Vermin.' 'Horrible.' 'Diseases.' Yes, I thought he was cute but what if they were right, what if, despite his long dark fur and shining intelligent eyes, he was riddled with fleas, ticks, diseases, even something fatal? Part of me wanted to run back home and hide... but part of me was curious. I took a step forward.
The human produced a piece of gingerbread from his pocket and I wandered closer, sniffing cautiously. He smiled encouragingly and I closed the distance between us, my paws crunching on the ice hidden beneath the powdery snow. I twitched my whiskers back, out of the way, as I reached for the gingerbread in his outstretched hand. I tentatively took a bite. It was spicy and still warm. The human grinned and gently squatted down so we were at the same level. I reached for the rest of the gingerbread as he scratched my neck, the anxiety in his eyes fading.
'Good foxy' he murmured, his voice quiet and low. I liked this human. My parents said that humans were monsters, plagues who were ruining the earth and destroying our homes. But here in his garden, sharing gingerbread, calm together... I thought this one could be different.
I thought we could be friends.
Cathy says:
What a fantastic, unexpected twist! Brilliant stuff, Blue! If YOU love to write, why not give a 'like' to the CC Facebook Fan Page and join in with the regular story challenges? And feel free to COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
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