Story © James Oryx
A Story Inspired By Anthrocon
By James Oryx
A thick fog rolled across the forest floor. Like a great sea, it moved in waves; growing steadily, only to crash upon the surface of a trunk or rock, and then dissipate back into the body from which it
rose. Off over the horizon, the moon shone brightly; dappling the forest floor in shades of silvery light, making the fog seem alive as it danced in the moonlit night. The night was silent; the night was
calm; the night was peaceful…until…
She came.
She came running, her motion fluent and her stride unbroken. Sprinting across the forest floor, kicking up the fog as she moved, her breaths came in quick succession, and her eyes darted around her quickly, vigilantly searching for something of which she didn't even know. Her heavy cloak flew behind her as she ran, unsure of where she was traveling, or where she wanted to go, she kept running.
Still running, still searching, she kept moving. Her breaths drew closer together as her stamina lowered, however she would not allow herself to stop until she had found what she was looking for. Guided
by forces unknown, she followed them to wherever they were leading her.
Suddenly she stopped, and drew a sharp breath. Whatever had been guiding her, had led her to stand before a great oak. She stood in awe of the magnificent tree, whose trunk bore witness to its great
age, seeming to be ten feet in diameter. However, it was not the trunk that had caught her attention, nor was it the fog swirling ominously around its base, and nor was it the fog that was beginning to rise up around her form. She had been trapped in amazement, by the tree's glowing boughs.
The tree's magnificent boughs, were swarming with hundreds upon thousands of glowing, moving little orbs of light. Some of which flew around and orbited the tree, while others merely remained on the
branches and danced. The lights, were fireflies. As she stood in awe, one single insect found its way over to her. It circled her head a few times, and then landed on the tip of her nose. Illuminated by the
firefly's light, her face became visible.
Her long snout and wolfish face were covered in a deep ocean blue colored fur, and her jade eyes sparkled as she continued to behold the sight in front of her. A moment later she noticed the firefly had
found it's way over to her, and she smiled warmly. She raised a paw to her nose, and seeming as though she were trying to feel a dream, she brushed the firefly gently away, and her face was swallowed once
again in shadows.
The light had entranced her as it moved, asking her, urging her to move closer. And so she did. Slowly at first, a couple of steps, and then her awe overtook her senses and she lost control She ran to the tree and embraced it, holding it's cold bark close to her. Quickly she regained her senses, and looked up into the lowing boughs of the tree. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to be anywhere but here. Smiling to herself, she laid herself down at the three's base, and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.