Her dreams had been troubling the past moon or so. Likely because she felt lonely, but Havet didn't want to think about that. She was alive in her stories and dreams when her waking world was dull and listless. So when her dreams stopping being a Sade haven she knew it was time for a change the only trouble was she didn't know what kind of change to suspect. She tried eating before resting, not eating, drinking, staying up until she collapsed from fatigue. Nothing seemed to help and she resolved that there was not a balm out there for the balm of her broken mind. The effects of poor sleep started to affect her waking life long ago as well. She rarely ate, drifting off to nap during hunts made it hard to catch a meal. Irritability reared its ugly head often and she found it hard to concentrate for any length of time. She lost rack of time and things on a near constant basis and there were times when she knew she was awake just she heard or saw things that were not real and could never be. Worried for her slipping sanity yet having no where to turn made her scared to even leave the den. Only the growing hunger devouring her made her leave which is when she learned she could experience a tale to tell rather then just hear of such.

The curled and exhausted form collapsed under the pine tree hoping that running much of the day as consciousness quickly and later never woke when the strange material that brushed her head while her mind had fallen into the trap of a fitful dream.

Her dream began as it often did now where it was impossible to distinguish betwixt reality and fantasy. She woke beneath the pine tree and it’s rich scent tickled her nose the small needle leaves had managed to worm their way between her toes making them itch just a hint. The cool breeze caressed her making her shiver for a moment and the hair on her haunches stand on end welcoming it after having run so much that day. Her glasses were askew and her hair a mess that would take most of the evening to set right. The hair she would ignore as she had for a moon thus deepening the mess and her glasses she considered leaving below the pine for a while but knew she would lose them forever if she was so foolish. Curling tighter she rubbed her head into the dirt wishing to go back asleep and yet not able to do so. She questioned if she was awake or asleep and had no answer as all her sense told her she was awake but they had been faulty so many times before. To pass the time she tried to tell herself a story. She spoke the words aloud just to hear any sort of voice around her.

“Once there was a fox who had traveled far and wide in his travels and came to a desert he was dying of thirst yet could find no stream or river. He tried to get water from a prickly plant having been told in his travels that such plants had sweet juice in them yet to his dismay after battling the nettles outside the plant he was rewarded with a horrible surprise. Inside there was no water to be had but instead there was a vast array of spiders all shapes and sizes. Quickly he took the piece he had torn off the plant back. In his haste one small spider had fallen out. He never noticed until its small voice called up to him begging for him to put it back in the plant out of the heat of the sun. His heart went out to the small creature and he did just that. In thanks the spider called out to him and told him there was water hole in a cave to west and all he had to do was follow the setting sun. It was hard to get to for the watering hole had a secret but the spider was certain such a smart fox would be able to fetch the water.

The fox had no idea what the spider meant by secret but when he asked all he got was silence. Thinking even a chance of water was better than none at all the fox waited in the shade of the plant until the sun began to set and he followed its trail until he came to the cave. It was easy enough to find so he wondered how hard the water could possibly be to obtain? Heading inside he walked in shadow for a time until the gentle slosh of water reached his ears. His mouth seemed to dry out even more begging him to hurry so he did just that. Stumbling in the dark he nearly fell into a hole only chance and quick reflex saved him. The sound of water continued below him unabated and worse unobtainable. His mouth felt like it was crumbling to sand just waiting for a single drop. He sat long and hard with his head stuck down the hole as far as it could go being tortured by the smell of the water alone.”

“What did he do?”

The sudden voice made Havet jump and her heart clutch in fear of the unknown. She couldn't help it the reaction was automatic.

“Sorry I didn’t mean ta interrupt, but I wanted ta know.”

Looking around Havet couldn’t see anyone else around. She was confused and the knot of fear in her stomach grew. This must be a dream, but she’d never had voices in a dream like this before. They always had a form or substance of some kind. Often a monster who was ready to devour her. That meant this was the waking world and her mind was so addled that she could no longer see what should be there. She had heard stories of foxes who did in such delusion due to getting into accidents or even drowning themselves. She looked around again and then curled herself back up to protect herself until she realized that the voice was still waiting for an answer. She resumed her story keeping an eye out for the speaker yet still seeing no one.

“He lay there for a long time until an idea struck him as his tail twitch scrapping some stones on the cave floor. In cool darkness he began to move stones about plunking them into the hole and hearing the splash below. How long he did it he didn’t even know but slowly the splashing got higher and higher and each stone dropped raised the water closer to the thirsty fox. Eventually he managed to take but a sip of the water and it was the sweetest sip of water he had ever tasted in all his life. Others who would come to the cave later would enjoy the fruits of his labor and find nothing unusual about the water, but to that traveling fox he had learned that persistence and patience make the reward priceless at times.”

“Tis a good story and moral for ett. Thank ye for the tale.”

“Who are you?”

“Oh sorry that’s me feather’s in mey brain and chasin my own tail. I’m Merrill, who are you story teller?”

Still seeing no one Havet looked up and all around before announcing her name and asking for the speaker to come out because she was beginning to think she lost her mind.

“Nonsense. Well maybe not nonsense since you could fall pray to dream demons in a dream like are, don’t worry I’m not one. Just a moment.” The air seemed to thicken for a moment and in fact things seemed a bit slow to Havet for a moment before there was suddenly a large armored phim next to her. Sqeaking she drew back close to the base of the pine tree while the phim continued to walk out of what seemed to be thin air.

“Oi now.” The phim seemed worried and looked around before diciding she was the cause of Havet’s grief and that was something she wanted to correct. “Tis just mey. I thought I’d barge in more. I had been just checking to see if ye were alright but you were telling a story so I just stopped to listen and..” The phim seemed a bit frazzled at this point and looked guilty at her paws. “Sorry.”

“You just stopped to listen in on a dream?” Perhaps it was this phim who was crazy and not Havet though she had just walked out thin air so perhaps not. Unless this was all in Havets mind which was likely given how things had been going. Deciding this was all one big delusion she thought she might as well ask her subconscious a few things since it had been so kind to invent this ridiculous looking fox for her to talk to.

“Not nice I know, but I happened ta be huntin’ and saw you all curled up under a tree like you’d lived a storm out and thought I’d check on ye. Ye never woke when I tapped ye and mumbled a bit so I thought I’d check yer dream and make sure ye were alright.”

A short laugh escaped Havet. “This is the nicest dream I have had in forever. Nothing is trying to kill me or harm me. Lately I dread sleeping for the nightmares that come to call.” The phim’s face seemed very troubled to hear all this and the more Havet spoke the more upset the phim seemed to be. It was strange to see a fully armored phim all restless and agitated but since this was clearly her subconcous at work this must be her version of a knight in shining armor and what knight wouldn’t be upset that there was a damsel in distress so to speak? For insanity this really wasn't all that bad.

word count 1,685.