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After that encounter with those animals you frequented the temple often, now more since several years had passed and you were not a child who needed to be accompanied by her parents. You managed to go every two weeks to offer them their favorite food, it had become your little ritual, plus it made you feel good to go to forget everything mundane and go into your thoughts.
Your steps were light, barely audible, you looked both ways checking that there was no one, with a smile you entered the forest, mentally apologizing to your mother for the millionth time, despite the fact that you promised not to enter your curiosity and admiration for those who one day saved you it was stronger, besides they always received you, you didn't know how but they always came to you as soon as you set foot on that sacred ground.
You sat in the shade of a large tree, closing your eyes and sighing heavily, letting go of everything you had been holding for a while. Sensing the recognized presence of the animals, you opened your eyes with a smile, those three were there again, the twin foxes always approached you looking for food while the third one just lay on your lap enjoying your caresses.
"How are you?"
If someone saw you they would think you were crazy trying to talk to those animals, but it was customary to tell them about your life in the city or your grades, it amused you to think that they really understood you because they seemed to perk up their attentive ears when you spoke.
You noticed that one of them had a small cut on the back leg, you clicked your tongue with slight annoyance at the wound, gently removing him from your lap in order to check the state of the cut, you passed your index finger through the opening, stained with his blood. You immediately grabbed a tissue to wipe the blood off, noticing now that it seemed to have an infection or was in the process of becoming infected, you frowned as you were followed by the three foxes.
"I'll be back in a bit." they looked at you with sad eyes "I promise and I'll bring more tofu."
Two of them stuck out their tongues, rubbing their body against your legs, you caressed them for the last time to go on your bicycle to the town, specifically the nearest veterinarian, on your way back you found them in the same place as always, you left the food for the other two while carrying the wounded one.
Given your growing interest in animals, being able to be close to these foxes only made you even more interested in the animal world, that's why you knew how to treat their wounds or curious facts about other species.
"There you go, much better"
You murmured leaving him on the ground, sitting back on that trunk, smiling when you saw how the other two were still fighting over the tofu that you always carried.
During all the visits you began to feel a bond with those beings, as if they could really understand you perfectly, on more than one occasion you felt as if they really wanted to answer you or talk to you, as if they were human. What nonsense isn't it? Foxes cannot speak, much less understand complex sentences, it was just your imagination or perhaps your admiration for those animals.
You sighed, petting the dark-furred fox one last time, moving your hand gently toward the fidgeting duo. The gentle breeze that made way for the night hit your face as you pedaled briskly, never letting go of those silly thoughts. You coughed sharply as you swallowed your saliva on the wrong side, almost falling off the bike, you decided to get out of the way, opening your eyes wide, mentally beating yourself up for not having thought of that option.
As unlikely as it was, you couldn't affirm or deny anything, but what if those animals weren't ordinary? And if they really turned out kitsunes? You denied grabbing the handlebars with more force, erasing those stupid thoughts and returning to resume the march. The spirits were not real, they were just invented stories for the culture of the people. Right?
