“And how do I find them?”
“And how do I find them?” you ask. You are wary, certainly, and yet, you are still somewhat hopeful at the prospect. You doubt this sort of thing will ever happen again.
“You must want to find them,” the fox replies with a methodical nod. “And they must want to be found.”
Your lips purse. You aren’t entirely sure what that means.
The fox brings one paw to its mouth and licks it. “Remember what I said - this room is yours. It is what your mind wanted it to be when you set foot through that door. The same goes for every other person like you. Now imagine, then, multiple realms all hovering near each other, touching without touching.” It lowered its paw and cocked its head to the side. “Do you understand?”
You squint, thinking hard. This sort of thing isn’t really a line of thought you’re used to. And yet, while you do find the fox’s words to be vague - probably on purpose, you muse - you start to piece together some sort of meaning.
“So all these… worlds…” You feel a bit strange using the word, but, you shrug it off and continue working through this madness. “They’re all connected, but, we can’t see them or one another unless we… both want to?”
The fox smiles and nods.
“How would I know if there’s someone around me, though?” you ask. “How would any of them know about me? Or about each other?”
“Is it not obvious?” the fox replies. “Look at your new body. Really look at it, at the gifts you now possess. You’ve used the wings, yes, but you have more than just wings now. Think of what you have become - you are no mere creature, dear. You are a griffin. A beast of legends. Think. Act. Learn. Let your mind unchain itself from the prison of humanity - here, you are more than human. Live a little.”
With that, the fox hops off the stump and starts to walk away.
“W-wait!” you call out.
The fox chortles. “I’ll be around if you need extra guidance. But you shouldn’t need me too much. Your brain is still functioning, is it not?”
“Well, yes, but…” you trail off.
The fox gives you a sympathetic look. “If you truly wish, you may follow me. I can show you more, and perhaps help you better understand the gifts you currently possess. Do know that you are also welcome to experiment for yourself. The choice to do so is yours.”
You eye it for a long moment, nodding. “Alright.”
“I shall be beyond the misty thicket,” the fox says, nodding its head forward. “The path is hidden, but, it is not hard to find. Locate it and follow it, and you will come to my den. There, we may continue. Remember that if you decide at any point to need me. Until then, dear. Fly safe!”
Then it dashes off, running into a misty-looking thicket in the distance before it vanishes completely. You stare after it, feeling a bit unsure now. Granted, you consider the whole ‘you just listened to a fox talk at you for who knew how long and tell you about some weird magical room and yadda yadda yadda,’ but, you just shrug this off.
Instead, you now begin to mull over what to do with yourself next.
You figure you could follow the talking fox and take it up on its offer. Or, you could follow the path and just see what’s beyond the misty veil hovering before you - it said you could find it at any point, after all. Or, you could do neither of those things and instead venture toward one of the three directions you’d considered going before. So, you start pondering what feels right, while also wondering if you’ll run into anyone else like you along the way.
Written by Hollowpages on 24 December 2019
The end (for now)