A Dangerous Deceit in Faerywood Falls

by Blythe Baker

  The dog on the left took a small step toward us, his neck hunching over in a hunting position, the growl in his chest rumbling louder.

  Athena – I said. We need to go.

  Yes, she said. But will they let us?

  A chill ran up the length of my back, up through my head, setting my limbs trembling.

  Can we – can we talk to them? Tell them we’re not a threat? I asked.

  I’ve already tried, she said. They won’t listen.

  My mouth hung open and I panted.

  Just back away slowly, she said, bowing her head. Slowly, she emphasized.

  I hung my head the same way she did, nervous about taking my eyes from the dogs, but wanting more than anything to be able to escape without injury.

  Slowly, I walked backward.

  The dog nearest to me snapped its jaws, and I shuddered, cowering even closer to the ground.

  What would happen to me if these dogs decided to attack? I was a fox; would they be able to kill me when I was shifted like this?

  I didn’t really like thinking about that.

  I stepped on a twig, which snapped easily beneath my paw. The sound echoed around the forest.

  For a moment, Athena and I stared up at the dogs.

  Run! Athena said, turning tail and dashing off through the trees.

  With a leap of my heart, I took off after her.

  We wove our way through the trees, and I didn’t dare look back. Every second that passed, I feared that they were directly behind me. Every snarl made me think their jaws were about to close around me, and it was as if I could feel their breath on my back.

  Athena wasn’t that far ahead of me, but she knew this forest better than I did. I didn’t want to get separated from her and end up lost.

  One of the dogs barked, and it sent chills down my back.

  Athena took a hard right, and I chased after her. She was clearly trying to lose them among the trees. The trunks were growing closer together this far out into the woods, and everything was starting to look the same to me.

  A horrible yelp of pain ahead of me made my stomach turn over.

  Athena had stopped and was hunched over herself, howling.

  My blood turned cold as I skidded to a halt beside her.

  A menacing, toothy bear trap was closed around her front paw.

  My body went numb. She was trapped. We were trapped. And she was hurt.

  Thoughts raced through my mind as I stared down at her.

  The dogs were coming. Athena was caught and injured. I was helpless.

  But I was only helpless in this form, wasn’t I?

  Sheer will alone must have been what did it, for my body started to contort and shift. Searing pain shot down my spine as it stretched, my tail receding, my limbs lengthening.

  Soon I was a hunched over form of a human again, and I turned to face the dogs.

  They seemed stunned by the sudden appearance of a person, sliding to a stop in front of me.

  I stooped over and scooped up a couple of rocks from the ground, and began banging them together, creating as much noise as I could.

  “Get out of here!” I shouted at the dogs, banging the rocks together as I walked toward them. “Go!”

  The dogs growled, then yipped, and took off back into the forest.

  My heart in my throat, I hurried back over to Athena, who was cowering over the trap.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll – I’ll get you out,” I said, my fingers trembling as I looked down at the trap.

  Her whimpering was making it hard to concentrate. I’d only ever seen traps like this in movies. How in the world was I going to undo it?

  I studied it as quickly as I could, and saw that it was made up of some springs on either side. The way they were built, it looked like the springs were fully extended, which was what closed the trap. If I could press the springs down again, even long enough for her to escape…

  I stood on the side of the spring, and saw that it started to give.

  It wasn’t enough, though.

  I leaned across from Athena, and pressed down on either side of the trap with my full weight.

  The trap started to open, and Athena didn’t waste a moment before leaping out of its jaws.

  I jumped to my feet, releasing the trap, and it snapped shut.

  “Athena, hold on, don’t move,” I said, kneeling down in front of her.

  The front of her paw was cut and bloodied. She was trying to lick it.

  “No, let me bandage it…” I said.

  I reached down and with the help of a sharp rock, I tore off a piece of my t-shirt. As gently as I could, I wound the fabric around Athena’s leg and secured it with a knot.

  “Just hold on, okay?” I said, scooping her up into my arms. “We’ll get you looked at. You’re gonna be okay.”

  Athena didn’t respond, but she didn’t seem bothered like she usually was about being held.

  I walked through the trees, cradling her in my arms, fear keeping my pace quick as we hurried toward home.

  9

  “Well, I must say, you’ve done a great job with her wound,” said Dr. Brian Henson, the vet that I’d called as soon as the sun came up. “The blood was already clotting when I got here, and since you’ve kept it clean, I don’t think there’s any fear of infection, especially with the fresh treatment of antibiotics.”

  I sighed with relief, staring down at Athena who was sprawled out on the floor on a towel.

  Dr. Henson’s office opened at seven in the morning, which was about two hours after Athena and I had finally made our way back home. My feet ached, and my eyelids were heavy. We’d gone miles away from our cabin, and walking back as a human took a lot longer than as a fox.

  The vet had agreed to come and take a look at her, especially when I told him I was nervous about moving her anymore.

  Athena had seemed fine when we returned home. She wasn’t losing a crazy amount of blood, and she wasn’t complaining about being in a lot of pain, either. I couldn’t be sure if she was being completely honest with me about it, and so my levels of worry remained high as we waited for morning.

  I’d set up a nest for her in the living room, and every thirty minutes or so, I gently blotted her wound with antiseptic and wrapped it in a fresh bandage.

  “I had a dog when I was a kid that got bit by a raccoon,” I said. “I just did what my mom did then to help her until you could come look at it.”

  Dr. Henson put his extra bandages into the bag he’d brought with him. “Well, I’m glad you knew what to do. She would’ve likely been fine either way, but you did the right thing.”

  He peered down at Athena, and looked somewhat unsettled.

  “She is a wild animal, though…” Dr. Henson said, giving me a pointed look. “I’m sure you know what I’m going to tell you.”

  “I know,” I said. “But you were the one I called when I found her the first time, all those months ago. I took care of her then, made sure she was alright, but she just…kept coming back. We’ve kind of formed a bond.”

  He nodded. “Well, she seems healthy enough. Just in case, I made sure to give her a shot for rabies, as well as some steroids. Not a lot, though. Just enough to help with any kind of reaction she’d have and to help with the pain.” He smiled. “Foxes can be domesticated, but even still…be aware. She might look like a dog, but she isn’t one.”

  “I know,” I said. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “So what did you say caused this, again?” he asked, picking up his bag. “A bear trap?”

  “Yeah…” I said, rubbing my arms uncomfortably. My stomach twisted into knots every time I thought about those giant metal teeth. “It was near a cabin out in the middle of the woods.”

  Dr. Henson frowned. “Those kinds of traps are illegal around here,” he said. “They’re cruel and dangerous, for both animals and people. If a person managed to step on one of those, there is no doubt they’d sue whoever placed it out in the woods like that.”

/>   “Yeah, I think you’re right…” I said. “I’m certainly not very happy about it. I was just enjoying a nice stroll with my fox when she got hurt.”

  “And I’m sorry about that,” Dr. Henson said earnestly. “Really, I am. So here you are,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small bottle of pills. “Give these to her for the pain, one every eight or ten hours should be fine. Change the bandage once a day, and bring her in to the office a week from today so I can check for any signs of infection. Okay?”

  “Okay, that sounds great,” I said. “Thank you so much for being willing to make a house call.”

  “Not a problem at all,” he said. “I’m glad I could be of help.”

  I walked with him to the door, and waved to him from the steps as he got in his car and drove away.

  I sagged with exhaustion as I wandered back inside, closing the door behind me.

  “You doing okay?” I asked Athena, who lifted her head from her nest on the floor.

  I think so, she said. Whatever that doctor gave me is starting to work. I’m getting tired, and I think I’ll be able to sleep through the pain.

  “I’m so sorry this happened,” I said, sitting down beside her, stroking her head gently.

  She closed her eyes as I stroked her fur. It’s not your fault, she said. I should have been paying better attention.

  “How could you have seen that trap, though?” I asked. “It was hidden on purpose.”

  I suppose…Athena said, half-heartedly.

  “You know, I have half a mind to go over there and tell whoever it is that lives in that cabin to tie up their dogs,” I said. “It’s their fault that you got hurt.”

  I don’t know, Athena said. But it is strange that such a small place out in the middle of the forest had both guard dogs as well as traps.

  “You’re right…” I said. “Which leaves me to wonder, what are they trying to hide?”

  I knew it would probably be wiser to call Sheriff Garland and report to him what had happened. But I was probably the last person he’d want to talk with, after showing up at the crime scene and all. Who knew if he’d be willing to help me in the first place?

  And maybe it would be better just to deal with it on my own. I wouldn’t go over there all angry. I’d definitely just go and tell them what had happened, tell them their dogs chased me and got my own pet’s foot caught in their trap. I planned to tell them I had to call the vet.

  My plan was also to tell them, as kindly as I could, to maybe remove the traps in case something like this happened to someone else’s pet.

  I hoped that by appealing to their sensibilities, I’d be able to have some justice for poor Athena.

  Athena didn’t seem crazy about the idea, but I wasn’t about to let what happened to her go unresolved.

  I wasn’t exactly sure where we’d gone the night before. It took me some time driving around in the forest before I was able to catch a glimpse of a small cabin tucked away in a small clearing. I only saw it because the grey of the stones was bright enough among all the green of the leaves.

  I parked my car on the side of the road, hoping that no one would stop to look at it.

  Now that I was here, I was beginning to get anxious. Was this really the right idea? I wasn’t sure.

  But the thought of Athena’s howl of pain spurred me on. I was going to talk to this person.

  I walked toward the house, and the sound of a growl stopped me in my tracks.

  The Great Danes.

  They appeared around a tree. I noticed blue collars around their necks, and that was all I needed to see to confirm that these dogs belonged to someone, most likely the person who lived in the cabin.

  They stalked toward me, their teeth exposed.

  “No,” I said. “I’m not going to hurt you or your owner. You just need to calm down.”

  Calm down. That gave me an idea.

  I opened my mouth and began to sing the song that I’d heard Ruth Cunningham sing.

  My voice was wavering at first, uncertain as I started, but soon it grew in strength, and I could feel the magic flowing through me. I tried to keep my voice quiet, not wanting to alert the homeowner.

  The dogs seemed to resist at first, still snarling and snapping their jaws. But after a few moments, they stood taller, and one of their tails began to wag.

  I reached out my hand toward one of the dogs, and it leaned forward and sniffed me.

  When they didn’t bite my fingers off, I realized the spell worked.

  I sighed with relief, and slowly started toward the cabin.

  The dogs, sensing where I was going, followed me.

  The door was worn, yet its handle looked high-tech. A digital key pad was inlaid in the metal, and it looked like it belonged at the Pentagon instead of on someone’s personal door.

  I raised a shaky hand, and knocked on the wood.

  It was only a moment that passed before the door was yanked open, and a woman with a shotgun pointed at me answered.

  I threw my hands up in the air, jumping backward. My heart began to race, and cold sweat started to bead on my forehead.

  “Who’re you?” the woman asked. She was elderly, with frizzy grey hair, sagging skin, and a missing tooth.

  “I’m a neighbor,” I said, keeping my hands held high, staring more at the end of the gun than at her. “I wanted to talk to you about the traps that were set out in the woods. My pet got caught in one of them.”

  The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Serves you right, poking around my property. Where are my – oh, you good for nothing mutts. Why didn’t you chase her off?”

  “I have a way with dogs,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I’m sorry, we didn’t know it was your land. We were just out for a walk, and – ”

  “I don’t care what happened, I just want you to leave,” the woman said.

  “I will,” I said. “But I just wanted to ask if you could maybe stop setting those awful traps? I don’t want anyone else’s pets to get hurt – ”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the woman said bitterly. “All I have are the dogs, which I got to stop people from stealing from me.”

  My hands lowered slightly. “Stealing from you?”

  “I’d never had a problem before, living out here. All I want to do is live a quiet life, and for people to leave me in peace. So much for that, though. Heaven forbid I go into town for some necessities. I came home to find my whole place ransacked.”

  “What did they want?” I asked. “Do you know who did it?”

  “No idea,” the woman said. She gave me a narrowed look. “It wasn’t you, was it?”

  My hands hiked back up into the air. “I didn’t know about your cabin until yesterday when my pet and I were walking through here.”

  The woman sighed and lowered her weapon. “I’m sorry to frighten you, kid. You don’t seem like the kind of person to steal something from anyone.” She unloaded the gun and laid it against the wall. “I just don’t understand people. Coming in here and stealing money and a precious family heirloom.”

  “That’s terrible,” I said.

  She turned and walked further into her cabin, picking up some clothing draped over the back of a chair. “A golden brooch that my mother gave me,” the woman said.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.

  “Yes, well, so am I,” she said. “The name’s Margaret, by the way. Margaret Atwell.”

  “Marianne Huffler,” I said, deciding the truth was best when she was being so forthright. “And again, I’m sorry if I startled you by showing up here.”

  “No harm done, kiddo,” Margaret said.

  “So…you don’t have any idea who might’ve done it?” I asked. “I only ask because there’s been a lot of strange things going on in Faerywood Falls lately, and if I’m honest, I live relatively close to you, and the idea of someone sneaking through the forest and stealing from people is a little unsettling.”

  Margaret
shook her head. “I suppose it could be anyone, really. But I…no, never mind. I have no idea.”

  I glanced at her, suspicion growing. I pushed away my curiosity, though. I didn’t know this woman at all, and it wasn’t any of my business.

  The traps, though…

  “So, those bear traps,” I said. “Would you be willing to pick them up so no one else gets hurt?”

  “Traps? What traps?” Margaret asked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I sighed. I didn’t think it was smart to press her.

  “Well, I’m sorry to bother you,” I said. “I should get going. I need to try and find out who it was that did set the traps.”

  “Right,” Margaret said. “Be careful out there. There’s something dangerous prowling the forest. If I were you, I’d stay out of the woods at night.”

  “I’ll do that,” I said.

  I glanced down at her dogs, both of which were staring up at me, one with a wagging tail, the other with his tongue happily lolling out.

  I walked away from the house, my heart troubled. She was clearly the one who’d set the trap, and obviously didn’t want to have to deal with paying any fines or anything like that if I went to the police.

  I felt bad that she’d been stolen from, but did that require such an extreme reaction? The expensive lock on the door, the dogs, the traps?

  Did she have something else to hide? Had she been entirely honest with me about what had been stolen?

  Was she Gifted?

  I had so many questions.

  Questions that I was likely never going to get the answers to.

  Worry for Athena drove my feet toward my car, and I wanted to get home to be with her. I wanted to make sure she was healing. I knew it would be days before I saw real improvement with her, but even still, I wanted to make sure that she was feeling alright.

  I climbed into my SUV and stared back out into the forest. Those dogs would probably be back on patrol, waiting to chase off anyone who might get close again.

  Well, at least the soothing spell had worked. Maybe I should have tried using it on Margaret.

  10