The Story Spark was Harvest Moon. The writing prompt I chose are the first two sentences of this piece. We had 25 minutes to write.
The Choice
The moonlit forest was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures. She ventured deeper, guided by a silver fox that seemed to know her destiny. She wasn’t scared, as one might be in the forest alone, guided by a single creature—one of those magical ones that often portend danger and destruction.
She had seen this silver fox before. It had been watching her for weeks outside her cabin as she did her daily chores.
In folk myth, it should have transformed into human form and tried to lure her to some destination where it would have her killed. However, this one did not bother to change its appearance. It just watched.
When it finally chose to speak, she heard its words in her head. “I seek your help.”
She looked deep into the silver fox’s eyes, deep into its soul. He was speaking the truth.
“What is it that I can help you with?”
Again, its words were heard: “I can only share that with you if you follow me into the forest.”
Should she go or not? She was a kind-hearted woman. She felt the fox’s desperate need. So she said, “Lead on.”
As they ventured deeper, the sounds of the other animals began to diminish. Soon they came to a small circle of rocks. Within that circle lay a silver fox kit. Its eyes were closed. Shallow breaths came from it.
The silver fox said, “My child shall die without sustenance. It needs to be fed.”
“What kind of food is necessary?” she said.
“That which only a human can provide,” it replied.
She thought about that. Does that mean I must give up my life to save this kit, or is there something else humans have that this kit needs? It didn’t make sense that she would have to give up her life. The aura surrounding that silver fox did not bode evil. What was needed? So that is what she asked, “What do I have that can save your kit? Is there a danger to me?”
“Danger is relative,” the fox replied. “Will you be eaten and die? That is a question I cannot answer. You have to decide how to save this kit. What it needs is love. More so than I can give it. But for you to give that of yourself, you need commitment. And that is what I ask for”
She thought about that for a while. Taking care of a silver fox kit requires time. Taking care of a silver fox kit means putting up with ridicule and avoidance from those who fear it, maybe even violence from non-believers.
As she looked upon this forlorn creature, its eyes slowly opened and gazed at her. This time, it was her soul being looked at.
She felt the kit’s emotions: the longing for love, the will to survive, its trust, and its commitment to her.
There was no need to think about it anymore. She stepped into the circle of rocks, picked up the kit, and hugged it to her chest. Her answer to the silver fox was yes.
