To Shoot A Fox

I have found myself in a conundrum.

Well, I am still tied upside-down to a tree, which is obviously a very big problem. But, after being in this state for two days now, I somehow have gotten used to it and it doesn’t bother me much anymore. So, no, I am talking about something else. I am facing a different problem on top of my concurrent problem and that is what is giving me trouble.

I feel like this started yesterday at noontime specifically.

Yesterday, I didn’t know how Aria’s basket worked yet. When I first saw it, it contained sandwiches and a few bottles of water. But, the basket was not exactly that big and the bottles took more space than the sandwiches, plus there was an empty space with a note saying I should place my garbage there. In exact numbers, the food only amounted to four pieces of clubhouse sandwiches and an apple.

That wasn’t really enough for me for the whole day so I thought I would be rationing them. So, for breakfast, I only ate one sandwich in order to save two for lunch and the remaining one for supper. The apple, I thought I’d save it as a snack in the afternoon. As for the water, it looked like enough for the entire day so long as I don’t gulp it down.

However, come lunchtime, I found that the basket had more items than when I left it earlier. Two baguette sandwiches and an equal amount of oranges were added inside! The bottles have also been replenished! As for the trash, well, that was gone hours ago. Apparently, if I place something there, it will disappear after a minute or two.

This was even after the little episode with the blue sparrow where Aria seemed to have become upset with me again, so seeing the basket refilled, especially with fruits to make a balanced meal, makes me think she doesn’t hate me despite our quarrels.

At least, not yet.

Anyway, at that point, I also realized that Aria is probably going to provide all three meals for me through the basket so I felt that I could eat as much as I wanted. However, as I have not been moving around too much since the morning, I found the remaining clubhouse sandwiches and the one baguette sandwich was more than enough for me at the moment. I thought I could finish it all since I knew that I was capable of eating more, but my appetite proved otherwise.

I thought about saving the remaining sandwich for supper, but then I spotted a lone fox observing me intently from a distance. A red fox, to be specific. It was probably hungry. Seeing that I will be having sufficient and free food, I was feeling generous and it gave me the idea to give the sandwich away.

I was not entirely sure if Aria will also provide me food for the night, but I was confident of it happening. Furthermore, I was also sure that it would have been enough to satiate me so there would not have been much of a point in saving a sandwich which will only become cold and stale once the next meal time comes.

So, I decided to throw the sandwich towards the direction of the fox without further thought. Certainly enough, the fox took it. Or, rather, as the sandwich had come undone, it took the meat and left the bread before scurrying away.

Come suppertime, my decision to give away my leftovers from lunch proved to be inconsequential as Aria’s basket had been magically filled with enough food once more. Although, it was sandwiches again. I was wanting for some hot stew since I found myself facing another cold night out in the wilderness.

Today’s meals so far have also been sandwiches. While there is some variety in both bread and the fillings, it can still be tiring.

But, that is not the problem I am facing currently. The food variety could be better, especially now that I’m craving for something meatier than ham or bacon, which has been most of the meats I was given so far, but it is a minor inconvenience.

My biggest adversary right now is larger than any of the items inside Aria’s basket.

It was a fox. Another red fox.

I can’t tell individual foxes apart, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the very same fox I gave a sandwich to the day before. These creatures are smart, after all. It wouldn’t be surprising if it thought it could get food from me again.

This time, however, it didn’t wait for me to offer it some charity.

This time, the darned thing was bold enough to come near and rummage through Aria’s basket!

It was even clever enough to do it while I was asleep. If it had the capacity to unwrap the food quietly, it would probably have eaten everything. Fortunately for me, I was awoken by the noise it was making tearing through the sandwich wrappers so I was able to chase it away and save half of my breakfast.

However, it wasn’t giving up. It only appeared to have run away. In actuality, it hid behind some nearby bushes. I could see it taking a peek at me from time to time, probably waiting for me to lower my guard.

I figured it wouldn’t leave until the food I had was gone so I placed the food that the fox ruined in the garbage corner so it would disappear and quickly ate the rest. Sure enough, after I finished my meal and nothing was left, the fox was nowhere to be found.

But, that was during breakfast.

The current time is - well, I don’t know what exactly, but the sun is high. It isn’t at its peak yet so it’s not precisely noon. What I do know is it’s lunchtime because Aria’s basket has been refilled and my midday meal is served.

The fox is also back sneaking behind some bushes. It was also around noon that I gave it a sandwich so it knew full well I would have food at this time of the day.

It wouldn’t have been a problem if I had been able to do the same thing I did this morning, but breakfast was sandwiches that I could pick and eat with one hand. As I had one hand free, I was able to defend the basket from the little scavenger.

Lunch is - as if Aria had heard my prayers - a hamburger. A tall, meaty one with two large juicy patties, tomatoes, lettuce, the works. I almost cried tears of joy when I opened its wrapper to take a peek at it.

That’s not all; dessert is a small pie. I’m still not sure what filling is inside, but it makes me more excited than the fruits Aria has been sending me. My job is in the wilderness so it’s common for me to pick fruits and berries and snack on them while on the job. I don’t often have something cooked with them as an ingredient.

Now, here’s the dilemma. To eat the hamburger, I would need to hold it with both hands. Otherwise, it would be difficult to eat without letting its contents spill. Even if I keep it partly wrapped, the paper would not be able to keep its shape and hold the weight of whatever it is that happens to be pushed out by my bite unless I was supporting it with two hands.

How can I partake in this gorgeous, delicious meal while still being able to protect the pie?

I’m certain the fox will take the opportunity to grab the pie while I am holding the hamburger. I could eat the pie first, but I am a man with proper decorum. Dessert comes after!

Pulling the basket up is an option I’m exploring. Not to place it on top of the branch I’ve been tied to, though. Foxes can climb trees so it would be no different to giving the food away since I can’t protect the basket from there. My idea is to bring it up to me so I could wrap my arm around the basket, or maybe place it on my lap while I eat. Whichever I find comfortable when I figure it out.

However, it’s not going to be an easy task.

One observation I have made with my being upside-down is that gravity seems to be also inverted for me. My clothes and my hair are kept in place as if I was standing on the ground normally. That’s also likely why I haven’t experienced a rush of blood to the head yet, or worse, the effects of what being upside-down could bring on my well-being.

Not only that, but it seems that whatever I touch will also have the same gravitational orientation as me. I couldn’t tell with the sandwiches, but it was easily observable with the water. The first time I tried drinking, I didn’t know about it so it was lucky that the bottles were made of clear glass that I was able to spot the phenomenon quickly and avoid a spilling.

But, unfortunately, I do not know yet what will happen if I grab the basket, which is the cause of my indecision for my plan of action.

I know for certain that, if I let go of an object, its gravity will return to normal and it will hit the ground instead of going towards the direction of the sky. I’ve been placing my garbage inside Aria’s basket and it has never risen, or rather from my perspective, fell down to the tree branch. Another instance of this phenomenon is the sandwich that I threw to this pesky fox, which also met the ground instead of the sky.

My greatest fear is that, if I hold on to the basket - an open top basket, then all of its contents would fall up to my feet. If glass bottles and food fell to the ground from a height of at least six feet, everything would be ruined. I assume the consequences will be the same if it happens in the opposite direction.

The result could still be different, however. It’s plausible that the contents may simply float in mid-air as it’s stuck between two gravitational fields, but I don’t want to experiment since there are multiple scenarios where I end up not having a meal.

I could try holding on to the contents, but I fear I would not be able to properly hold on to everything. I’m even less confident I could keep it in balance due to the weight of the bottles.

Slicing the hamburger into smaller pieces is another option I can do. I have with me on my belt a short dagger that I always carry even when I’m in town. When Aria dragged me out here to hang me by this tree, I had it with me. However, I have similar concerns with regards to the changing of gravity once I touch something in the basket even indirectly.

Killing the fox with said dagger is probably the easiest solution, but it is the most likely to add more problems for me. As I was stuck hanging upside-down, I would have no means to properly dispose of the resulting carcass. Scavengers are sure to be attracted to the dead fox, which may even endanger me or my lunch depending on which kind of animal comes for it.

I would keep that option open, however, for extreme cases. Like, for example, if the fox resorted into trying to harm me in order to get to my food.

For now, it doesn’t look like it will.

In fact, while I was busy mulling over the things that I could do to protect my meal, the fox made its move. It was trying to be sneaky as it crept up behind me. I didn’t notice it until I saw its paw on the base of the basket’s handle.

“Don’t even think about it!” I angrily shouted at the critter as I tried swatting its grubby paw but completely missing it. The force that I swung my arm with caused me to sway sideways.

It was quick to retreat to the bushes.

Chasing it away once doesn’t solve the problem, however. I was sure it was going to try again, but I did not expect it would be so soon.

On the corner of my eye, I spotted it again. It tried approaching from the opposite direction it retreated to earlier, probably thinking I would be too focused there. It stopped its approach when I looked at it, but I could only shout and shoo it away as it was beyond my reach.

As I watched the fox retreat back to the bushes, I heard some rustling from behind me. It was the fox again!

Or, rather, that was too quick to be the same fox. The only logical explanation is I am now up against two of them!

It would also explain why it, or they were bold enough to come near me while I was awake and alert.

Their numbers doubling doesn’t change what I have to do, however, and that is to protect my food.

I shouted again to shoo away the fox that was creeping up behind me.

As soon as I was done, I again spotted the other fox just slowly coming out of the bush it was hiding in and shooed it away once more.

Minutes pass and neither have shown themselves. However, I can see the leaves in the bushes move even though there is no wind so I know they haven’t left yet.

They’re probably preparing to make their next move.

Moments later, the movements stopped. I anticipated another sneak attack, but this time both foxes made a beeline towards the basket from separate directions, probably going for the classic quick grab and run.

I panicked because it would be difficult to grab both of them at once, especially with their speed. Luckily, my reflexes kicked in which prompted me to grab my food instead.

I held my lunch onto my chest safely. At least, for now.

As I had realized with my encounter with one of these foxes in the morning, I knew they would not leave me alone until all the food was gone. Since the food was already in my hands, I wondered if I could eat while still holding both the hamburger and the pie. The pie maybe, but, again, dessert comes after the meal!

I pondered about it some more, then inspiration hit me. The water is safe as long as it’s inside the bottle and the cap is secured. Since I have already grabbed the food and I can hold them with one hand while they are wrapped, I can empty the basket by simply placing the bottles on the ground temporarily. That way, I would no longer have to worry about its contents spilling once I grab its handle.

However, when I tried pulling the basket towards me, it wouldn’t budge. I pulled and I pulled, but it wouldn’t move an inch. It was glued to the ground.

Thus, my plan was a failure.

I haven’t tried moving the basket yet so I didn’t know, but I probably should have noticed it earlier. Thinking about it, the first fox attempted to topple the basket to spill its contents. Otherwise, it would have stuck its snout inside to grab something. I saw that it made contact, but, even with the bottles inside, it shouldn’t be too heavy for it to get the thing to fall sideways. Except, it didn’t.

This is likely to be Aria’s doing. She knew I was stuck in my position so she probably made sure that something wouldn’t move the basket away from me because I would starve without it. I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but I can’t help but be frustrated due to the situation I’m in.

I had to move on quickly from it, though. Not only has my stomach started grumbling, I also noticed the foxes observing me while I was distracted with the basket. Having no other choice, I resolved to eat while holding on to both the pie and the burger.

First, I placed the pie on my forearms and held it against my chest. I now hold the hamburger with both hands so I am now able to eat it without much problems.

Well, except for the foxes, of course.

With the way I held the pie, it was inevitable that I would hold the burger extended forward as if I was offering it to someone or something in front of me. I don’t know if that’s how the foxes saw it, but the two approached me. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they realize I can no longer do something to them as both my hands were occupied.

They didn’t do anything as I took my first bite of the juicy hamburger. They merely observed. Rather, they stared at me expectantly.

I wonder if they’re used to humans. They didn’t seem to fear me that much. Plus, the way they expect food from me makes me think someone, apart from me yesterday, is feeding them. While there aren’t many who come to the area where I currently am, it still isn’t too far from the village so it’s plausible.

However, they were still wild animals looking for food. After I took a second bite, one of them jumped to take the burger from my hands, but I managed to keep it away.

The second fox followed suit, but I also managed to keep my food away from him. Although, it jumped straight at me and I couldn't avoid it completely so, hitting my head, its momentum pushed me a bit backwards. That gave me an idea.

My feet were tied to the tree’s branch by magic, but it was still acting like a rope. So, if I force it, I will be able to swing.

I had already unintentionally swung a few times during this battle to protect my lunch and I noticed that, when I am swinging, neither my shirt nor my hair is affected by the change in angles. I can’t say for certain, but in order to save my meal, I need to gamble that my gravitational orientation is neither based on the sky nor the branch and instead it’s either on my feet or the magic rope.

So, I started swinging. I swung, not for dear life, but I swung as if I did.

I swung wildly and, proving my theory, the pie never fell from my arms.

I swung wildly as I ate, easily evading the foxes’ attempts to steal the burger from me.

At last, I was able to finish the burger. Next was the pie. It was small enough to be eaten with one hand, so I took it with my left and had my right shoo away the foxes.

Seeing my free hand, they retreated to a safe distance but observed as I gouged down the delicious pie Aria sent me. It was an apple pie, too, which made it worth protecting and saving for last as it was a favorite of mine.

I finished the pie and that’s when the foxes knew they lost. I imagined the both of them, as they walked away, held their heads low in shame.

I watched them disappear into the bushes with a triumphant smile on my face.

However, I was dizzy from all the swinging. Even if my gravity is being manipulated by magic, my vision remains the same. There is no doubt I am experiencing motion sickness.

Thus, the lunch I protected erupted from inside me and turned into vomit.