Sleepy Fox Hollow an eerie feeling

Will close on Dec 29th if no one replies.

The hollow smelled strongly of foxes—though the scents were stale. They had probably all found places to hide away for the winter. Amsu smiled. So, he’d found a mountain overrun by goats, and now a hollow overrun by foxes. His smile did not last long, however, as this place was a bit creepy. The trees were all bare and the ground was covered in snow. The wind howled around him. That, and the fact that it was very cloudy today, gave this place an eerie feeling. He had no doubt that all the trees would be lovely in the springtime, but he wasn’t about to stick around here in the winter. He needed somewhere… brighter. With a sigh, he continued moving through the dead trees, intent on finding his way out.

Epic was drawn to strange places, eerie areas and spooky territories. Whenever there was an air of enigma surrounding a place, he found adventures -- often times combined with danger -- all in one. The flames of dull moments would be quenched by a thirst of the unknown, to go where not a lot of lone wolves went. Moments became stories, engraved in the heart and the mind. But eerie territories could not always bring moments of adventure for as he explored Sleepy Fox Hollow he heard a ghoulish sound; it was the wind blowing through the hollow and dead trees, creating a twilight-zone atmosphere. It was at a place like this that his adventurous heart kept booming; faster and faster and faster while adrenaline shot through his body. Epic could even be spooked by his own shadow. 

When Epic discovered he wasn't the only one scurrying out there, he decided to put on a brave voice and find out just exactly who or what lingered in the limbo. Who are you? Reveal yourself!

’Who are you? Reveal yourself!’

Amsu’s blood ran cold for a moment, his heart pounding. He froze in his tracks. Then he took a few slow, deep breaths. Light protect me, he thought, as he scanned the area for the source of the noise. “It is only Amsu,” he called, keeping his voice light as he began moving again, turning in the direction of where he thought the voice had come from. 

Soon, another wolf came into view and he promptly stopped. “Ah. Hello there,” he said, with a smile and a wag of his tail. “Did this one frighten you? Amsu apologizes.” He bowed his head for a moment in contrition. “This place is spooky, no?”

Epic puffed his chest forward, wanting to look brave and proud, like a knight who feared nothing. Instead his own shadow portrayed a lanky, large wolf with a friendly face and oversized paws; hardly a wolf to be afraid of. Luckily Amsu -- as the other wolf introduced himself to be -- showed signs of friendliness. Good, it was good to know that not every wolf posed a threat, especially not in such an eerie place such as this. 

Amsu? Your name is Amsu? Epic repeated to check-double-check. My name is Epic! With a gentle smile, Epic showed the outlines of a friendly approach to the situation; but still he was a little careful. After all, he knew not everything that was out there. I'm NOT scared!!! He said bravely, trying to convince Amsu -- and even moreso himself -- that he indeed was not scared. At the same time the wind began to blow past the trees again, making a spooky whistle sound that almost caused Epic to lose his shining knight face. W-what was that?

Epic. What a strange name. Hmmm. Well, it didn’t matter to Amsu. The group he’d been a part of before they’d all split had been a sanctuary for all sorts, with all kinds of backgrounds and names. Amsu smiled at the boy. “It is nice to meet you, Epic,” he said, bowing his head in greeting. He chuckled at the boy’s loud declaration that he was not scared. “No, of course not,” Amsu said, playing along good-naturedly. “A big, strong wolf like you wouldn’t get scared! You are very brave, no?”

And then, of course, the wind began to howl creepily through the dead trees, and the boy became a boy once more, fearfully asking about the noise. Amsu stepped closer to offer his comfort. “It is only the wind,” he said, looking around as said wind shook the bare branches and twigs of the trees. A bit worriedly, he asked the boy, “What are you doing out here alone?”

Being brave and appearing confident meant a lot to the yearling. Because confidence was something he was often lacking; today he was trying to act confident but he felt a sting of disappointment in his heart when Amsu double-checked whether or not he truly was that big, brave wolf. O-ofcourse! Epic said, hesitant at first, but puffing his chest forward to underline his confidence a second later. I laugh in the face of danger, HA HA HA. Although, not really. In reality he was a scaredy cat, sadly. However, he was trying not to be one. It had to count for something.

When Amsu said it was only the wind, Epic's young brain rattled for a second with an almost buzzing "hmm" sound. Was that true? Was it only the wind? How can you be so certain? He questioningly pondered. I mean I don't believe in hilly billy boo and all that could be out there. B-but you never know for certain, right? Right-o? Maybe Amsu had all the answers he was looking for. At that last question he answered honestly while shifting his weight from one paw to the other. I've got a heart for adventure and I like to explore the unknown. 

Amsu could feel his heart melting the more the boy spoke. Had he and his family group been together, he would have taken the boy under his wing in a heartbeat. As it were, he was alone out here as much as the boy was and was not entirely sure where he was going. It wouldn’t be fair to string the boy along for potentially nothing. Amsu sighed internally, wishing his group would catch up to him, if that’s what they were doing. He hoped they were well, and not stuck in a blizzard or something. He would feel guilt for years if he found out any of them had died because they had lost him.

The boy wanted to be sure it was just the wind making that noise. “Oh, yes,” Amsu said, trying to assure him. “Look up at the trees.” He, himself, looked up at the trees, to demonstrate. “When you hear that howling noise, watch the branches and twigs. See how they dance when the noise comes? That is how you know it is the wind.” He turned and smiled at Epic, tail wagging. 

That’s when the boy told him that he ‘had a heart for adventure and liked to explore the unknown.’

Amsu laughed, but not to make fun of Epic. It was a laugh of joy. “Indeed? Perhaps you would have enjoyed the desert I grew up in. There was much adventure to be had there.” Adventure… and bloodshed. But there was no reason to frighten the boy with tales of war.

It was something new for the boy to take in as he only knew a little of the way the world worked. Although every day a new learning opportunity presented itself. Carefully he frowned as he took a moment or two to absorb everything that Amsu said. Hmm. "So if the dead trees are dancing and making this spooky sounds, it's the wind?" Could Epic see the logic in something that sounded so reasonable and sound, he wasn't entirely sure; then again, maybe his mind missed a button for logic or two. "I-I don't know, Amsu, I don't think that when something is dead -- it's supposed to dance. Like ..zombie trees?" Maybe it was all too much for the young but eager boy to take in at the moment.

Soon his thoughts already rolled over to the next topic. "Desert? That's like this huge, bigg sand box, right?" He had never crossed a desert before but somewhere faintly he heard of its meaning. "What was it like living in a desert?" Curiously he glanced at Amsu, waiting for tales of bravery, fairytales and adventure. Although perhaps his question was painted with too much innocence, after all, it appeared to be a rather sad and bloody tale.

The boy seemed skeptical that the dancing trees were only due to the wind. He called them zombie trees. Amsu got a kick out of that, grinning at such a thought. He shook his head, not willing to argue with a boy about the wind. He could think what he wanted to. Amsu was pretty pacifistic and did not like thrusting his ideas or modes of living onto others. He lived by the phrase: live and let live.

Epic had already moved on and was now asking about deserts. ’That’s like this huge, big sand box, right?’ he asked.

Amsu laughed. “Yes, that is right. Although deserts can be far more than just sand! They can be full of rocky canyons and large dunes that look like red hills. There are places with water, too, if you know where to look, and the places with lots of water are called oases. These places are full of life. They are bright and beautiful. They have trees and fish in the water and greenery.” Amsu smiled happily as he described his old home, though there was sadness in his eyes, sadness from being forced to leave. It was this kind of place—a new oasis—that he hoped to find here in this new land.

Voices drew Cyclone toward the presence of two wolves, and she eyeballed them for a moment, eavesdropping with no shame. She had a notion that she might take this little hollow for herself (and whoever wanted to join her), so she was extra curious about anybody who was lingering around these parts. Still, she wasn't territorial just yet. Curious, interested, and intrigued... but not territorial.

As she drew closer, she could hear that they were talking about deserts and sand, neither of which Cyclone knew much about. She knew that deserts were nowhere around here, but that was about it. There was sand on the coast, but being next to a big body of water meant that nothing was too terribly dry. The browner wolf went on to talk about places with trees and water which were... pretty much everywhere Cyclone had ever known.

Deciding to make her presence known (she'd only been around for half a minute or so at this point), Cyclone slipped out from behind some bushes and butted right in. Sounds like everywhere around here is an oases, wouldn't you say?

Anyone and everyone had a story of their own, and when the history of another wolf was filled with exotic stories and adventures of faraway places he turned into a little boy who could listen for eons. Amsu spoke of deserts, sand and big hills ..made of sand. His imagination was running wild and free as he tried to envision what a desert was actually like. Maybe it was good that Amsu left out an important detail about the hot temperatures of deserts because that was not something Epic would like. Right now a desert sounded alluring, colourful and extraordinary. A place to put on his bucket list for sure. 

When another wolf joined in on the conversation, Epic scolded underneath his breath that he left the situation unguarded. He had been so absorbed by Amsu's stories that he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings. Nonetheless, he nodded gently to welcome Cyclone. Quickly he glanced at her silhouette and she had quite a striking grey, black and white appearance. He had never seen a wolf with such a remarkable stripe from the head, back all the way to the tail. "Hey" He greeted her then pitched in his own to cents about the oases. "Maybe. I'm not sure; I haven't seen a lot of the area up here. But do we have a big sand box here as well?"

Amsu looked up at the sudden new voice. A dark female emerged from seemingly nowhere, but she appeared harmless enough. Had she wanted to attack him or the boy, she probably would have done so by now. He smiled at her words, unable to be riled. “Oases is plural. The singular is oasis. And no, not everywhere can be an oasis.” He looked around, gesturing to their general surroundings. “Where we are now, were it not winter, this little vale would be full of greenery. The trees would be bursting with leaves, flowers would cover the ground. And many other places here would be full of the same green life and abundance of animals. Oases are special because in deserts, such bursts of green and life are rare. Few and far between. They are easily distinguishable from the rest of the desert. You look one way and all you see is red dirt and gravel and rocks. You look another, and suddenly, on the horizon, is a splash of color and the smell of fertile soil and animals. That is the difference.”

Epic wanted to know if there were any deserts in the Teekon Wilds and Amsu shook his head and shrugged. “Amsu is not sure. Perhaps our new acquaintance knows more about the surroundings than we do.” He turned to her expectantly, bowing his head in deference. He knew about deserts, sure, but such a place as this was unknown to him and Amsu was not above acknowledging when he did not know something.

The mottled wolf said he wasn't sure, then the other one spent what felt like half an hour giving them a lecture about a single word. Then he echoed that the other wolf wasn't sure. Yeah, Amsu already said he wasn't sure, she said, giving them both an odd look. Was she the new acquaintance? Probably. There's a bunch of sand by the ocean, she replied, motioning north. No deserts though. I've only heard about those being way south. Too cold up here or something like that.

Why would you want to find a place like that, anyway? Seems like it wouldn't be very fun. From what she had heard, the desert was something to be avoided, not sought out.

Thanks for the thread :)! Best wishes for 2019!

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For ages the twiddlesticks boy could listen to the stories about distant adventures and faraway places. He wondered why Amsu moved out of the desert since he spoke about it on such a captivating manner. Every second he sat on the edge of his seat, listening to every word that was said and anticipating what was next to come. The words and sentences about the desert were painted like a beautiful painting in his mind. "Can you tell me more about the desert next time? Like what kind of adventures you had there?" His voice betrayed a boyish, youthful enthousiasm.

Cycone said there was something that looked like a desert, although technically it wasn't one. It did have a lot of sand. The beaches were placed on his bucket list to visit soon. "Thanks!" He genuinely said while already feeling an itch in his paws to get moving. "Because of the adventures and new sights of faraway exotic places." To travel sounded romantic and ideal -- at least that is how he pictured it. Luckily not everyone was liek Epic, at least Cyclone head a more sensible and logic-based approach to his travel plans. Oh well, some wolves had to learn it the hard way. Without waisting another moment he dipped his head in a fond farewell to them both before moving off and disappearing into the distance.

“Amsu has never seen the ocean,” the golden wolf admitted, looking north at the woman’s motioning head nod. “Coming from a desert, perhaps that much water would frighten him, no?” He chuckled. He was a bit sad that apparently it was too cold here for deserts, and wondered where on earth he would end up finding a proper home. She wanted to know why he would want to live in a desert and Amsu brightened a bit at that. “Imagine a place where the sun is always shining and one gets to sleep in the sun all day and play in the creek if it gets too hot.”

The boy asked if Amsu would tell him more about deserts next time, and Amsu nodded and asked, “Are you leaving, then? Amsu hopes we will meet again.” He dipped his head, smiling when the boy thanked him before taking off into the distance. Amsu watched the boy go for a moment and then turned to the woman. “Is this one searching for anything, then? She does not like deserts, but perhaps… a forest? The ocean?” He raised his eyebrows at her curiously.

The constant mention of his friend was beginning to wear on Cyclone. Amsu this and Amsu that. Besides, why did he keep talking about Amsu like he wasn't even there? It really was odd, and Neasa didn't like things that she couldn't understand. In the blink of an eye, Amsu excused himself, and Cyclone felt even more baffled by the situation. Had she said something to offend him? She watched after him, then turned her attention back to the other wolf, still bewildered.

Me? she asked, Looking for someplace inhabitable. Sand isn't really my thing. She didn't like the way it felt between her toes, nor did she like how it clung to her coat. The beach was cold, too. And it had seemed crowded up there last time she'd visited. Nah, she'd be sticking to her grassy plains and wooded forests.

Amsu chuckled at the woman. Sand wasn’t really her thing, huh? “This one would have hated the desert, then,” he told her. “Sand everywhere. But it made anywhere else look even more exciting than normal.” He gave her a smile and said, “Amsu wishes you luck finding somewhere to live. He hopes you will find somewhere sand-free… and leave all the sand for him, yes?” He gave her a wink and then stood, showing that he was ready to leave. “Perhaps we will meet again one day.” He bowed his head and then trotted off, wondering where he would end up next.

[Exit unless stopped. I would love it if Cyclone is like “why the hell do you keep talking about Amsu?” but you don’t have to indulge me.]

I'll wrap up here!

This wolf sure did like to talk about his friend(?) an awful lot. And he seemed to like to talk about his opinions, too. Cyclone gave him another weird look, blinking and wondering if somebody had knocked him upside the head and left him that way. Whatever the reason, he was certainly off his rocker. He wanted to live in a hot, sandy, dry place because it made everywhere else look better?! Cyclone could not even begin to unpack the many ways he was wrong.

She nodded as politely as possible when he excused himself, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't meet again. She didn't want to have to deal with somebody that crazy ever again.