Jo and the Unstoppable Fox

"I have to kill you."

"No, don't!"

The boy didn't have a knife, but he had the look. The same look that had drawn him out from under the bed; the same look that had made him run from home and jump into the river. He was ready to kill something.

The fox's heart beat so loud it drowned out the sound of their running feet on the forest floor. They couldn't have been more than 30 meters ahead of him. The boy could see the boy's eyes flash angry in the moonlight as they ran through the trees, looking for anywhere to hide. It was a cold night, and getting colder; but they were no longer moving fast enough to keep warm.

They would die if they stopped.

He sped up. The ground beneath his paws was hard and frozen and beginning to cut through his furry pads. His breath steamed out into the air before his mouth in clouds that turned instantly to ice crystals, forming on his whiskers and fur like tiny snowflakes. He pressed on through the forest, looking for somewhere - anywhere - to escape, knowing with every step that he was not going to reach it in time.

He crossed a small clearing and found himself in a dark part of the forest where most of the trees were tall pines with thick boughs that reached up into an enormous sky where stars blazed bright as torches against an obsidian backdrop. There was no moon here - only stars - and he felt suddenly afraid of falling into a hole or running into a tree or getting lost forever in this dark place amongst these dark trees where even his eyesight could not save him from being swallowed by darkness. His heart pounded faster than ever; still not fast enough to give him what he needed: speed enough to outrun death stalking behind them both in hungry pursuit across the frozen ground. He wanted nothing more than to just curl up here beneath some pine needles and let go of this life; but he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from trying one last time as soon as he stopped running, so he forced himself onward instead, praying for a miracle that would save his life when there was nowhere left for him to run or hide anymore from what was chasing them down: Man.

They had been sleeping in hollow tree stumps deep within the heart of this immense forest when they heard them coming: voices talking low and soft between each other while their footsteps crunched softly on snow-covered pine needles on the forest floor nearby, just loud enough for them both to hear them...and then louder...and then right there, past their hiding place standing at the edge of the clearing where they had made camp for the night! They jumped quickly back under cover of darkness and watched through gaps in their makeshift shelter as glowing orange light blossomed above their heads cast by firelight reflecting off of snow-covered branches while cold vapors stirred by human breath rose up around their legs like ghosts from German graves long forgotten until now when sprung from sleep by humans who walked among their sacred places without respect or reverence for anything but their own needs and desires!

Men are always hungry for something...or someone!

They approached carefully at first, like wolves approaching wounded prey too weak to defend themselves: careful not to make any sudden moves that might spook whatever it is they are hunting down long enough for them to get close enough for safety! Then: guns! Four men crept slowly through the blackness towards where they were hiding; four men with guns shining light on all sides with each slow step taking them closer and closer until there was no turning back...and then one man raised his gun high into the air and fired a shot that ripped through silence like thunder shattering rhythm into pieces everywhere across an icy lake...and then they were all gone! They disappeared just as suddenly as they arrived leaving only footprints leading away from where they had stood only moments before leaving everything else covered in snow untouched except for two things: silence...and fear! Fear that raced along beneath frozen pine needles and hid itself beneath rocks waiting patiently there until it could spring up again whenever it needed to next time these men returned carrying more guns than before! Never again will we sleep amongst humans again! They are dangerous! We need another place...a new home! One we can protect ourselves from those who seek our destruction! Oh, how I miss my mother already! She was always so warm! But she can never know where I am now because if she does she will run away from me too scared even to help me find another safe place we can call home together again!! She can't know about this world we live in now because she wouldn't understand what we've become or why we've done it! She can never see us this way because she can never see us at all anymore even if we were together again because she wasn't born yet when I was born; she has no memories at all of me when I was alive so she won't remember me if I'm dead either because I haven't lived yet when she lives after me; I haven't thought yet when she thinks after me; I haven't loved yet when she loves after me; I haven't lived yet when she lives after me!! And neither will anyone else living now if I die here tonight trying to escape these monsters who hunt us down like animals just because we need something vital enough humans don't want us to have anymore!! Humans are monsters!!! Monsters!!! Monsters!!! Monsters!!! So don't stop running little foxie!! Don't stop running forever if you want your life back!! Run fast!! Run far!! Run alone!! Run near people even though people might be scary!! Anywhere is better than dying tonight!! Don't stop running ever again if you hope any day finds you free again!!! Don't stop running forever if you hope any day burns dreamless nightmares out of your soul leaving only love instead!! Don't stop running forever if you hope any day brings you warmth again!! Don't stop running forever if you hope any day makes you proud again!! Don't stop running forever if you hope any day makes you strong again!! Don't stop running forever until you find your home again wherever it may be because I promise it's somewhere out there waiting for us both somewhere beyond these words written here alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an ice lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until they reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air untilthey reach my eyes alone tonight hidden deep within an icy lake beneath frozen winter fingers writing themselves across nothing but thin air until reaching ink-stained fingertips wrapped tightly around tiny pencils gently stroking paper revealing secrets long buried underneath endless words written hurriedly almost desperately between lines scratched through spaces barely visible between unevenly spaced letters carefully carved slowly over months now rushing finally towards midnight pushing forward against gravity pushing forward against wind pushing forward against loneliness pushing forward against pain pushing forward against death pushing forward towards freedom pushing forward towards kinship pushing forward towards love pushing forward towards home pushing forward towards family pushing forward towards safety pushing forward towards warmth pushing forward towards forgiveness pushing forward towards everything stopping never letting yourself forget those things written here alone tonight buried under endless words written hurriedly almost desperately between lines scratching through spaces barely visible between unevenly spaced letters carefully carved slowly over months now rushing finally towards midnight chasing away behind words written hurriedly almost desperately between lines scratching through spaces barely visible between unevenly spaced letters carefully carved slowly over months now rushing finally towards midnight chasing away from words written hurriedly almost desperately between lines scratching through spaces barely visible between unevenly spaced letters carefully carved slowly over months now rushing finally towards midnight chasing away from words written hurriedly almost desperately between lines scratching through spaces barely visible between unevenly spaced letters carefully carved slowly over months now rushing finally towards midnight chasing away from words written hurriedly almost desperate [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [---] [END?]

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