FRIENDS FOREVER- A short story

 FRIENDS FOREVER

            In a dark eerie forest, there once lived a lone fox. The forest was wide, dense and well... DARK! And the little grey fox was living there ever since he was a pup. Every corner of the forest was damp, misty and smelled of decay. There was no other animal (or bird) in the forest other than the little fox. He grew up feeding on insects, critters and mushrooms. In the silent black forest, he grew up listening to his own voice. At night, when a little moonlight filters through the dense woods, he would wish for a companion, a friend. 

Image Credit: Generated using AI via Google Assistant 

        One day, while walking through the damp forest bed, he heard someone... "Hello, is there anyone here?"

        Excited, the grey fox raced towards the source of sound and there he found a cute little bunny. Seeing the fox, the rabbit was terrified and she pleaded, "Oh! Mr. Fox, please spare me!"

        But the fox was overjoyed at the sight of another living animal, that he didn't recognize the look of terror on the rabbit's face. "What are you? Who are you? Are you here to be my friend?" He asked excitedly.

        The rabbit was dumbfounded after hearing the word "friend". She had known about the dark mysterious forest, where no animal thrived, from the legendary tales of the forest. It was a surprise to see a fox of all animals in the forsaken place. 

        "Mr. Fox, do you want to be my friend?"

        "Yes! Yes! Are you here to stay with me forever? You're the first friend I'm having in my whole life.."

        Even though suspicious of the fox's intention, the rabbit agreed to stay with the fox, afraid of being eaten, if she rejected the friendship proposal.

Image Credit: Generated using AI via Google Assistant 

        Days went by. The days of the fox was filled with joy and happiness, because he was no longer alone. As he was completely immersed in this new emotion, he failed to notice the uneasiness of his companion. It was difficult for the rabbit, to adjust her life in the unfamiliar forest, alongside with her mortal enemy. She passed her days in constant fear, cautious of shadows jumping at her from the dark, fearful of being engulfed by the darkness and most of all afraid of being eaten by the so called friend. But she carefully hid her emotions under a smile and accompanied the fox all day and stayed with him all night. 

        She fed on mushrooms and drank ice cold water from the stream. Even though she tried to entertain the fox, she was constantly thinking of ways to get out of the forest, out of reach from the fox; because, deep down she was afraid of the primal instincts of the fox. 

        And on one day, while playing hide and seek, she discovered a small burrow and on exploring she found that it leads outside the forest. That night, she asked the fox," Have you ever thought of leaving this forest, my friend?"

        "I think, some time in the past, I wanted to leave... but now that I think again, I had never really wanted to leave this forest.. It may be dark and lonely, but it's the only home I've ever known. Now that you're here, I never want to leave my home.. I want to stay here with you forever and ever.." The fox said, while his eyes were gleaming in the moonlight.

        Hiding a shudder of fear the rabbit asked again, "What if.... What if you find a way to go outside the forest?"

        "As I told you, I would never leave, nor will you." The fox answered.

        The bunny realized that, she cannot go out with the fox's permission and she can't sneak out, as the fox was sensitive to even a tiny sound in the silent forest.

        The rabbit had often seen glowing mushrooms in the forest and she knew that those were poisonous. Even though they taste bad usually, at one time of the year, those mushrooms would become extremely tasty- that is when they glow like a deep blue flame.

        Next day she collected the shining blue mushrooms and gifted them to the fox. The elated fox, ate them without a second thought. After a few seconds, he was lying on the cold forest floor, unconscious and paralyzed. 

        The rejoiced rabbit ran towards the hidden burrow, imagining her days of freedom, only to find it covered by a boulder, which was not budging at all with her efforts. 

        "What are you doing little friend?" A low growl from behind, jerked her away from her thoughts of despair. There stood the grey fox, with his red eye full of malice and his bared fangs the very definition of danger.

        "Did you think that I would die by eating that mushroom? Ha! I grew up here, eating all sorts of poison and I'm not gonna be affected by a little poisonous mushroom. And, you, my friend... You are a betrayer... But don't worry... As I said, you're going to stay here with me FOREVER and EVER.."

        And the fox pounced on the petrified rabbit.

        "Dead or alive, you are going to stay here till the end of the times, dear Friend."

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