The Fairy Lantern and the Fox Doll

The White Elephant

Deep within the Summer of the Midnight Forest, Sam and Kirla chased each other through the dark trees, giggling and barking in turn, making the trees flash in their wake. Ashley and Alderhart were forgotten in the hedonistic moment. The two companions ran with naive abandon until they came across a river. On the Midnight forest's side of the river, the clear water moved slowly, flowing at a gentle speed, barely nudging the bank; its sides rich and earthy. Sam could see small yellow fish swimming just below the light blue surface. On the far side however, thick rushes lined the sandy edge. The brown weeds bobbed constantly as they were pushed by a swift current. The greenish waters blended into white from tiny rapids. With a magic of its own, the waters ran in the opposite direction to each other. The middle of the river was still, clear water. It reflected the moon high above.

Just beyond Sam's focus stood a bridge. It spanned the river, rising high into the air with a wide arc. The bridge was made of gold, with green enamel on the filigree leaf design and red gold roses hiding in the gem-coloured foliage. The bridge appeared too delicate to hold up a person but when Sam tested it, it felt strong. The slats on the walkway looked like pale timber. Even the smooth, cold gold handrails had whorls of grain. As Sam stepped over the boundary, the bright moon's reflection under her feet, heat enveloped the young man in its all-consuming embrace.

The air was, everywhere, thick and heavy. The humidity was higher than in any place Sam had ever been. To the inexperienced boy, it was almost like drowning while standing. In moments, his clothes were saturated with sweat, his mouth was gummy with saliva and his nose was full of the heady decay of a jungle. Sweat trickled down places it shouldn't, making Sam extremely aware of every inch of his male body, a body that remembered hot days and worse nights.

Thick blue vines hung from lanky trees with smooth royal purple trunks. Mauve roots snaked out in all directions in hardy waves from the base. Orange plants like palm trees hid amongst the purple and blue. The canopy was a riot of colour. The jungle floor a dim kaleidoscope. Although Sam couldn't see the moon above, every surface of the jungle reflected its light, brightening the world. It was near painful after the soft dim of the Midnight forest. The jungle was an impossible contrast of strong light and deep shadow.

A sharp cry from the jungle's shadowy depths brought his attention to the distinct hum of life. It was insidious and multilayered. The insects' and birds' noises ricocheted off his ears until he were nearly vibrating: his own thoughts were hard to hear.

Stepping off the bridge, each moment more effort than the one before, Sam couldn't help but wipe his hand on his clothes. The bridge had been moist. To his dismay, his own clothes were just as soggy.

When had they gotten like that?

It took the young man more than a few minutes to adapt to the overload of information offered by the jungle; sound, sight, heat. Kirla bounced beside him. With a quick flash, the fox spirit shook himself clean, showering Sam in droplets. Sam laughed and yelled with a throaty voice.

From the corner of his eye, the teenager saw white flash through the foliage. He turned to see it better, catching only a trunk and a flat behind. It vanished.

"Kirla!" Sam shouted with urgency, "that's an elephant!"

The fox jumped on the spot, already caught up in the excitement. Without any words, they ran into the jungle. The rainbow leaf litter made a path through the trees, muddy streaks marring the glorious colours. The heavy air moved slowly through Sam's lungs, weighing him down. Sam lumbered behind Kirla. In the strange night, Kirla was near invisible. Light glinted from every angle, confusing the human's blunt sense of direction. The dark blues and purples of the jungle shone richly with the moonbeams. Sound carried through the water giving Sam special hearing until the din of the insects threatened to send him insane. The oppressive heat of the canopy-covered path was cut short as they moved suddenly into the light.