A Clever Distraction

My paws ached, each step a little heavier than the last. The woods, which had seemed so exciting just hours ago, now felt like a dark, whispering maze. Mama had told me to stay close, but the flutter of a butterfly, oh, it was just too tempting! And then, the butterfly led me to a patch of flowers I’d never seen before, and the flowers led me to a stream, and the stream… well, the stream led me far from home. Now, the sun had tucked itself away behind the tallest trees, painting the sky in bruised purples and oranges, and a shiver, not entirely from the cooling air, ran down my spine.

A rustle in the undergrowth made me jump. My fur bristled, and I flattened myself against the mossy ground, my heart thumping like a hummingbird’s wings. Out of the shadows slunk a creature with a bushy tail and eyes that glinted like polished amber. It was Reynard, the fox Mama had warned me about. His smile was wide, showing off too many pointy teeth, and his voice was like silken honey.

“Well, hello there, little one,” he purred, his gaze sweeping over me like a warm blanket. “Lost, are we?”