“Mom can I keep him?” I said holding the hurt little creature in my arms. You could hardly tell he was a fox under all the bruises and mud.

“Hun, it might have rabies or something. Plus it’s a wild animal”

“Mommy it’s hurt can we please take him to a healer?” She looked at the pathetic excuse for a fox and nodded.

“Alright Lu, we’ll take the fox to a healer then it’s going back to the wild.” I smiled ear to ear hugging the fox too tightly that he let out a little squeal of pain. We walked through the busy streets to a nearby healer shop. The chime of a door bell, as it creaked open into a small building with the rhythmic sound of dripping water.

“Hello dears what can I do for you?” An octopus like woman, perhaps a type of siren smiled with cold eyes. Mom looked nervous, she always told me that humans where not meant to be in this world. That they came from a place called Earth, and that the natives of the Table Lands didn’t like us foreigners. But that was all hundreds of years ago. There are no humans that remember earth here, they’ve long past. The floors of the building where flooded and my shoes where soaked. At least I knew where the dripping sound was coming from. The woman came close to us and looked over the fox in my arms.

“Poor thing, abused by its owners” she took the fox from me, it made a little squeak in protest. Mom took my hand and smiled. This was the octasirens job she wouldn’t hurt the critter. While holding my fox she closed her eyes, I had only ever seen a healer use their ability once. When dad was still alive. Slowly but noticeably, my foxes fur grew back and it’s scratched skin healed up leaving only a scar. His hind leg was mended, he looked refreshed as if after a long nap and a bowl of good meat. A small smile crossed my lips as I took my fox back from the lady. Mom paid her, and we left quickly. The cold air hitting our soaking shoes in misery. When we returned home Nathan sat on the living room couch with baby Evie in his arms. Nathan was moms boyfriend, and Evie was their child. I threw my shoes off and quickly ran up the stairs.

“Lu, we’re not keeping that fox, don’t forget!” Mom yelled as I ran off. I rolled my eyes, I didn’t want to get rid of him. I set him on the ground as I drew the bath. Warm water, soapy bubbles and a dry warm towel. I washed away the grime clinging to his furry coat. I laughed when he came out of the water looking like a rat. I dried his shaky body until his fur was nice a fluffy. He made cute squeaky noises and curled up on my lap. I picked him up and took him into my room.

“Stay” I said putting my hand out. The. I crept downstairs. Nathan was the only one downstairs heating up a bowl of soup on the stove.

“Hey Lu” I nodded quietly and took a piece of dried meat from the pantry, then scurried back up to my room. I put the meat on my bed while my fox gobbled it up furiously. I giggled and bet his back. He shook to my touch and I quickly removed my hand, remembering what the healer had said.

“He had been abused” I sighed, poor little fox. A subtle knock on the door, made the fox scurry under my bed.

“Lu, I told you, we are not keeping him”

“Please mom!” I begged.

“Honey I don’t have the money to take care of an animal. Just the price of healing him was too much for a fox, let alone a person”

“Please mom, look at him, he clearly is too small to be on his own. Just for a little bit until he can take care of himself” I pleaded. Mom looked down at the fox poking his face out from under the bed. She sighed, and rubbed her forehead in annoyance. Just then Nathan came from behind.

“What’s up?” He asked in his usual oblivious tone. I looked away, why couldn’t he just stay out of me and my mom’s conversations.

“He wants to keep a fox we found at the park” she said. Nathan looked down at the fox, and he growled lowly at him. I picked him up to calm him down, must not like men… or Nathan.

“If he wants to keep it let him” Nathan said.

“Babe, it costs enough just to feed the four of us.”

“Don’t worry about it honey, it’ll be alright. It’s a small thing, won’t take up to many groceries.” Nathan smiled at me and I grimaced. Mom sighed again.

“Fine, you can keep him, but that means you take care of him too you got it?” I nodded excitedly. The two walked off arguing. I looked over at my new pet, new friend. He looked at me with a smile in his eyes.

“Now, what should I call you? How about… Uriah?” I asked. Uriah made a squeak of approval, and I giggled.

“Alright then Uriah, welcome to your new home”