Campfire Horror Stories (Vol. 1)

The Tale of the Silver Fox

Deidra and Mikayla are out in the woods, walking along a clean path, and having fun, relaxing with each other's company. They joked around about their crazy class schedules in college. Neither one cared where the path lead them in this deep forest. 

"You know Deidra, I wish I had smaller feet," Mikayla said, glancing down at her size twelve shoes. "It sucks that my body is perfectly proportionate."

Deidra had a puzzled look on her face. "What are you talking about? You're extremely hot. So many guys and girls wanted to ask you out middle school, as well as high school. You're gorgeous Mikayla, inside and out," she said to reassure her friend's self-confidence.

Deidra spoke the truth, Mikayla really was beautiful on the outside. She had nice curves, a pretty face, vibrant black skin, and gorgeously long, black hair. She took great care of her teeth, and gums, as well as her organs. Not only that but, aside from her great looks she loved to help other people, and made sure to keep a good 3.5 grade point average. 

Mikayla let out a deep sigh. "Guess you're right. I just wish my feet were smaller, that's all," she said in an unsatisfied tone. "It sucks having bigger feet than guys that are six feet tall. And I'm only five foot nine."

Deidra shook her head. "Your feet aren't that big. Plus, why should a great person such as yourself care about such a minute detail," she said in a strong voice to convince her friend.

"Yeaaah...alright, alright. But my feet are pretty big. We are the same height yet, my feet are four sizes bigger than yours. Not only that, but my feet are a full size bigger than your boyfriend's, and he is a couple inches taller than me," Mikayla said, chuckling.

"Well, nobody can perfect. Just be satisfied with the way you are now," Deidra said, nudging her friend gently. "Plus, you are very awesome, just like me!" She started to laugh along with Mikayla.

"You could be perfect," said a mysterious voice. 

Both friends turned around in circles, trying to see where the voice was coming from. After a few seconds of looking like fools, a grey fox came out of a tree, and landed in right of them. The silver fox pranced about in a nonchalant manner around their legs.

"Interesting. You both seem to be excellent humans. You're both in tip-top shape," the silver fox said, as he checked them out.

Mikayla let out a shocked gasp. Deidra's mouth immediately dropped.

"A talking fox?!" Mikayla shouted out, not believing what she was seeing.

"His fur is all silver and shiny too!" Deidra exclaimed.

"Yes, I can indeed talk," the fox answered patiently. "My name is Roary. Roary, the magical fox." He sat up proudly as he announced himself to his audience of two people.

"I can make your feet smaller, Mikayla. All you have to do is drink this," Roary said, holding out a vial that contained a strange blue liquid.

Mikayla thought for a moment before giving her answer to the mysterious fox. "No."

"What?!" Roary was absolutely baffled by her answer.

"I can't possibly drink something from a stranger that I met in a forest. Especially not a magical fox. You could be a demon trying to trick me for all I know," Mikayla said, staring intensely into Roary's brown eyes.

"Hmmm... That's too bad. No hard feelings then," said Roary.

Before allowing the fox to disappear forever, Mikayla shouted, "Stop! There's something I want to ask of you before you go."

"Do you have a vial that makes people smarter?" she asked sternly.

"Sure."

Mikayla stayed silent.

The fox nodded then, resumed back to trotting away into the middle of the forest. Mikayla and Deidra left the forest in a rush. But, later on that night, Deidra left her dorm room, and went straight back to the middle of the forest. She wanted to meet the fox again. 

"Roary? Are you still here, Roary?" Deidra shouted out into the pitch-black darkness of the forest. Deidra swung her flashlight around, hoping to find the fox to just randomly appear out of a bush or from behind a tree. "Roary, I need your help! I want knowledge!"

In that moment of desperation, Roary pounced down a top of a large boulder. The light shined brightly against his charming, silver fur.

"Knowledge? What kind of knowledge?" Roary asked from atop the boulder.

Deidra caught her breath. "To cure cancer. Every single type of cancer," she answered strongly.

"Cancer took my aunt, my girlfriend, and my grandpa. It has claimed too many innocent lives. I want to eradicate it," said Deidra fiercely.

Roary nodded, understanding the situation quite well. "I see. Well lucky for you, I have a potion that can give you the knowledge to defeat cancer. I also have a piece of parchment with a list of ingredients that'll you need to replicate the potion. If you try to give it to anyone, it'll burn up immediately," he told Deidra.

Roary handed Deidra the potion, and the list without asking for anything in return.

Deidra ran quickly out of the forest. She had to get started on her experiments. There was a bright new future awaiting for her arrival.

A few months went by, and Deidra finally managed to successfully prove that her various cures could help stop every kind of cancer. The thing is though, once the first patient started to feel better, she immediately started to age. It felt as if a whole year went by. Next thing she knew, her body was already thirty-five years old after just a week.

A couple weeks after Deidra's recent success in Oncology, Roary decided to pay her a random visit.

The silver-furred fox leaped through an open window, and landed on a nearby desk. "Hello Deidra. There was something I forgot to mention about our deal. You see, for every life you save from cancer, your body ages by one year," said Roary.

Deidra was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the mischievous fox that granted her success. "It's good to meet you, Roary. I had a feeling this rapid aging process I am going through had to do with the deal I made with you. But I don't care! I will save as many lives as I possibly can," she told him. Her skin was already becoming wrinkly, her hair was turning gray, and her bones were aching. 

"I hope it was worth it. That's what happens when you make a deal with me, I steal your youth. Thanks for the deal, pal." Before he left, he gave Deidra a cocky, little wink.