Twilight painted the stones the deep turquoise-blue of solitude and remembering. A white fox sat in the middle of the road, waiting, just as it had in my childhood dreams. The white-haired witch had said it would come again to show me the way.

I'd trekked across mountains and traversed the narrow sea, to avoid it. But still, it had found me. So far, it had cropped up in five different towns.

With the moon rising and the street lamps rouging the street, I rounded on it. "Well? Out with it. What is the way?"

The fox gave a lazy yawn, stretched, and headed down the street in the opposite direction.

"You're leaving?" My annoyance delayed my realization. "Wait! Is that the way?"

Its glowing white tail disappeared past a stone building, and I sprinted to catch up.

"I thought the way would be more in the form of a prophecy, not an actual curve in a road. Seems rather anti-climatic."

When I rounded the building, the white tail had become the trailing hem of a gauzy dress worn by the white-haired witch. She continued down the lane, her hand held out to me. I hesitated, and her form began to blur and fade. Alarmed, I leapt to grab the outstretched hand before she disappeared.

The witch gave a sly smile. "You're a cunning little pup but not as clever as an old fox like me."

"So about the way?" I asked just before the world winked out around us.  

Composit Image by Julia V. Ashley
Town Photo by Daniele Colucci
Fox Photo by Jonatan Pie