100 Years Later…

Deep within the forests of North America, a young fox boy silently skipped rocks across a creek. The boy was no older than ten. His hair was a darkish red-orange, the fur covering his arms, legs, and tail matching. His eyes were two different colors, the left a crimson, while the right was an icy blue. He looked saddened and miserable.

Just as he was going to pick up another rock, he heard the sound of one skipping across the water. The boy quickly looked up, finding no one on the other side. He whipped around, stumbling and falling back when he saw a young girl standing behind him. She looked around the same age as the boy. “Hello.” She waved, her voice soft and kind. Her skin was tan, her eyes a striking amber. Her hair was long and puffy, orange with black and white stripes along the ends. Her fur and tail, too, had a few black stripes running along the sides. She was a tiger.

“Uh…he…hello.” The boy greeted meekly. “What’re ya doin’ all the way out here by yourself?” The girl had a weird way of talking. “Wh…What are you?” The boy asked. “Me n’ family are havin’ a campin’ trip.” The boy looked down, even sadder. “Oh…I…I don’t have anywhere…or anyone.” The girl became sad, “What happened?” “My mama and papa…they fought in the war…” There was an ongoing war between clans for land expansion. Many families had lost members. Orphans were a common occurrence. “I’m sorry, that’s terrible.”

The more the boy thought about his lost parents, he began crying. “I was only five,” He sniffled, “And….and….and….” He started sobbing louder, clenching his heart. “Every time I think about them, my heart hurts…and I get so…so angry.” The girl couldn’t stay to see him like this, so she went and hugged him tightly. The boy kept sobbing. The girl looked at the boy with a sincere smile, “What’s yer name?” She asked. The boy was confused for a second, rubbing the tears off his eyes. “K-Kit.” He replied. The girl grinned, “My name’s Terra.” Terra offered, “Hey, why don’t you come join my family and me?” “Huh?” She nodded, “Yeah! My mama and papa are super nice, and I got two baby siblin’s, they’re twins!”

Kit looked away, shaking his head. “I don’t know, I’m too shy around people.” “Oh, c’mon!” She grabbed him by the hand, and then she ran back to her campsite. “My parents will love ya! You can be part of our family!” His eyes widened, a warmth filled his heart. Tears streamed down Kit’s face, and a smile started to grow. He nodded, excitedly, “O-Okay!” The two ran happily together.

A family split for so long, now reunited.