Idle Thoughts

Silently, you went about your nightly routine, then pretended to go to bed, switching off the lights and sitting in the darkness. From there, you waited, and waited, and waited. It wasn’t until you were absolutely certain that your stalker would believe you were asleep, that you very quietly crept out of the house. Baseball bat in hand, you slowly and carefully made your way around the side, narrowing your eyes at the large old tree that stood there.

You had mostly forgotten about it, but when you were very young and your grandparents were still alive, you would often hide yourself in the abandoned fox den below the grand old tree. When your parents had found out, they had been furious, and forbidden you from playing outside at their house anymore. After all these years, you had practically forgotten about it entirely.

Reaching the old tree, you eyed the large overgrown bushes that hid away the entrance, not sure you were ready for what you would find there. From what you remembered, the abandoned fox den was incredibly large, more than large enough for a full grown adult, or maybe even two.

Deciding you had delayed it enough, you carefully pulled aside the branches, tightening your grip on your makeshift weapon, though nothing prepared you for the truth. Your eyes widened as you took in the sight before you, almost dropping the baseball bat in your shock.

Curled up in the centre of the den, nestled into a pile of your stolen clothes, was what looked like a young child. Though their clothes had seen better days and their skin was dirty, their silver hair seemed completely pristine, as did the fur of the two large pointed ears atop their head, and the long fluffy tail currently curled around them like a blanket. For a moment you wondered if they were dressed up as something, until you saw one furry ear twitch slightly at the distant call of an owl.