Mom was at work a lot and Nathan usually got home first so I was left to take care of my sister in the summer. I took her and Uriah out side to get some fresh air. The house was stifling and we had a nice yard with a river behind it. I sat on the bank of the river stroking Uriahs back. It was warm from the sun hitting the soft fur. A brilliant reddish-orange in the sun, he squinted in the bright sun. I swirled the grass letting Evie wonder around. She was starting to walk a lot and wouldn’t stay in one place. The river seemed oddly high today, must have been all the rain the night before. Summer was ending soon and I would be going into the fifth grade this year. I sighed. I hated going to school, the lonely walk past that old church was frightening. Nathan told me it was haunted.

Splash

I spun around franticly, where was Evie? I scanned the river to find her splashing and thrashing. She was screaming. I stood, practically leaping in the cold water. The current was roaring and sent my baby sister farther down street and further under water. Out of the corner of my eye Uriah jumped in the river. The. Something strange happened, he morphed into giant racoon-bat, the size of a bear. Frozen in shock, i thrashed until I was pushed under water by the current. I watched from beneath the surface as Uriah, now no longer a fox grabbed Evie from the river and then me who was also in need of saving. Uriah dragged the both of us to shore. I started loosing my consciousness and fell into a darkness.

Opening my eyes, a rush of nausea came over me as I turned and threw up water. Coughing hard to remove the water from in my lungs.

“Lu! Lu!” Whose voice? I didn’t recognize him. I opened my eyes to see a boy, around my age. Deep black skin like charcoal and white hair. He had white ears and a fluffy white tail. He hovered above me with worried eyes. He was so… pretty. I felt heat come over my flushed cheeks as the color returned.

“W-who?” Memories flashed into my brain, Uriah shifting into another creature. “Uriah?” The boy nodded his head slightly and helped me up. I felt dizzy. “Evie?!” I frantically searched around to find her sitting in the grass dripping wet and shivering slightly. I picked her up and held her to me, trying to keep her warm. Mom and Nathan should be back soon. I started off for the house but stopped when Uriah didn’t follow.

“You coming?” I asked.

“Your not… mad?” He asked shyly. I set Evie down and hugged Uriah tightly.

“It sure was quite the surprise. But your still just my little fox” I said he blushed turning reset than I thought was possible. I giggled and he looked away. “You better turn back into a fox though. If my mom finds out she won’t let me keep you” I said patting his wet white hair. Uriah shifter into a fox quickly and ran by me closely making cute little fox noises. I smiled, I had had a suspicion that he wasn’t a normal fox for a while. He always seemed to understand what I said. I carried Evie home and the three of us dried off before Nathan got home. School was starting soon. I kept Uriahs secret and the two of us walked to and from school together. We would wait until we where out of sight from our house and anyone else and Uriah would turn to his original form. A cute little phantom- terrek hybrid. (Phantom: a humanoid looking wolves that generally have black hair and pale skin. Terrek: a creature with coal black skin and white hair) when ever we got home he would walk away and go up and around the house then shift into a fox to appear as if my friend had left and my fox had returned. We had a system by now. One day walking home from school mom and Nathan met us on the porch.

“Hi hun, whose your friend?” Mom asked holding Evie. It was a nice day in the winter.

“Ur-“

“Yuri” Uriah blurted out quickly. I couldn’t believe I almost said Uriahs name. I silently thanked him.

“It’s nice to meet you Yuri, your welcome her anytime” Nathan said. I frowned, something about the way he said it made me sick.

“Thanks” Uriah said in distaste. “Later Lu” he said then left to do the double around to switch into a fox. Uriah trudged over to me in fox form. I knelt down and pet him, then picked him up running up into the house in my room. I shut the door and he shifted into original form. We laughed quietly.

“No wonder you hate Nathan” Uriah said. I nodded in annoyance. He always had something off about him.

“Uriah… or… hey what is your name?” Uriah tensed up a bit.

“Don’t worry about it, I prefer Uriah anyway” he said looking away.

“Oh, okay” I said. A knock to the door. I glanced at Uriah but it was too late the door swung open. It was Nathan.

“Lucious you mother went to the store… Yuri?” He asked in confusion. It was too late for him to switch into a fox.

“Hi” Uriah said shyly. Nathan walked in the room and closed the door behind him.

“Nathan get out of my room”

“You shouldn’t sneak friends into the house Lu, your mom would be upset” a smile escaped his lips, as if trying to hide it. I stood up in anger.

“Get out” I yelled.

“Don’t yell at me young man!” He said grabbing my arm.

“Let go!” I bit him and he yelled slamming me into my closet. Uriah was frozen in shock.

RanOutOfWords😂