Short Stories - {for Contests}

If You Love It Let It Go

The small fox lay in the mud beside the pavement. It's orange-brown fur stained grey. Its legs were stretched out in front of it as its tiny chest rose up and down. It was alive. 

Aiden ran over to the poor animal and stood over its body, only slightly illuminated by the moonlight. It kept its head laying on the ground as if it didn't notice him. He didn't touch it. It was just a cub but it could still bite him. He had to save the fox but how?

He decided he had to look for a box to put it in. Or at least a blanket.

He walked over to his green bike leaning against the thick trunk of a tree. He placed both hands on the handlebars. He would have to ride back home. It was not far. He swung his leg over the bike and placed his feet on the pedals and began to ride.

In only a few minutes he rode onto his driveway. He stopped, hopped off and then leant the bike against the garage door. He ran inside the house and opened a closet filled with blankets next to the stairs. He grabbed the grey one and then hopped back on his bike and headed back.

The fox was at the same place he left it. He covered the muddy body with the blanket and picked it up. He cradled the small fox. The mud and dirt started to seep through the blanket, staining his clothes. He carried it to his bike and then rode home with it in his arms.

***

Aiden placed one foot after the other careful to not make a sound. He still held the small fox against his chest as he entered his garage. He placed the animal on the concrete floor in a gentle motion.

He would have to wash off the dirt, give it some food and then somehow treat its wounds. What do foxes eat? he wondered.

He opened the door in the garage that led to the living room, hoping his parents were somewhere else. If he was caught he could just say he decided to come through the garage, which was something he rarely did, but it wouldn't be a bad argument. It was best to just not bring attention to himself because his parents definitely wouldn't be happy with him bringing a baby fox into the house.

It was something they got used to, him bringing in random animals into the house. They weren't necessarily okay with it but it was something he always did, ever since he was six. He always cared about animals he couldn't help but try to help an abandoned cub in the street.

He placed his foot with a careful stride across the hardwood floor. He stopped at a white door and opened it. He grabbed a blanket and some newspaper so that he could make sure the fox would be warm. He then went to the kitchen and opened the fridge to grab some berries in a plastic container at the bottom.

Aiden went back to the door that led to the garage. He opened it and climbed down the stairs. He went over to wear the small animal lay and placed the blanket on top of him. He then lowered his hand so that it could eat the berries in it. When it was done, Aiden climbed back up the stairs and closed the garage door. He hoped the little fox would be okay in the morning.

***

It's dark paws tapped against the grass as the fox ran across Aiden's backyard. It was healthy and happy. It didn't need his care anymore.

"Aiden, you have to release that thing. It has a family." His mother stood at the back door, hands on her hips. "I'm still upset that you brought it in our house without me or your father's permission."

Aiden looked at his mother. He had the fox in his backyard for almost a week and he couldn't let it go. That had always been his biggest problem, letting go a rescued animal.

"It's happy," he replied. He bent down on the grass and called it to him. It didn't come but it continued to run around. He looked up at her and she gave him a shrug. "Okay but that's because it's not domesticated so it won't show affection to humans."

"See that's my point. It is a wild animal, Aiden. It belongs in the wild."

He turned his attention back to the small thing as it ran around the yard, sniffing the plants at the side. He could feel his mom's hands on his shoulders now. "I know you care about it but this is what's best for the fox."

He had to run after the fox to catch it and then he walked to his bike leaning against the brick wall. He walked over to it as it squirmed against him. He hopped on and rode it down the street with one hand on the handle and the other holding the fox. 

It didn't take him long to find the road where he found the injured animal before. He stopped the bike and lowered the fox in his arms to the ground. He hesitated as it tried to wriggle out of his arms. He released the small fox and it ran around not knowing where to go. Aiden watched it, hoping that it would either run into the woods or its mother would come for it.

After a while, he decided to guide it into the woods. He left his bike to lie on the ground and then ran over to the fox making a sweeping motion with his arms. It ran away from him as he guided it to the woods. It sniffed the grass as it entered and then started to run around the trees. It went deeper into the woods without looking back. It was back where it belonged.

A/N

I don't know of this shows up with a lot of mistakes but if it does I think it's some sort of glitch and I don't know how to fix it.