Been "dry" on writing for too long! Finally pulled up a story idea that's been wondering around in my head for who knows how long. Not sure how many chapters there will be to this but do know what the last one will look like.

A badly injured fox tod has an "out-of-body" experience.


Fox Inside Chap 1: Reincarnation??


“…n event that my condition is deemed hopeless, I grant permission to use experimental/untried drugs and/or procedures upon myself. Even if they do not help/work, at least that is information gained as a result.”

The medical tech. looked on as the gazelle doc scanned over the paperwork he held for the sixth time.

“Like he’s wanting to be sure the words haven’t changed or moved from the last five times,” the jaguarundi thought.

It was understandable. They were dealing with a highly decorated war veteran, a publicly well known one, at that, in an extreme situation. Living will or not (the JAG mammals had been through it already) things had to be done with care.

“Wish all our vulpines got similar consideration and treatment across the board,” the feline thought.

Still, in the military, things were not as bad for foxes, and some other species, as they were on the ‘Outside’. For all the talk of all mammals being in for equal treatment by the Law and such a lot of that was, just below the surface, more lip service than actuality. He canted his eyes to the room’s bed. With all of the tubes in him and the sensor electrodes attached to him, the red fox tod looked like some kind of nightmare octopus.

“He makes it into the elite forces branch and this happens. Has a serious accident while rock climbing in the mountains on his own time! Makes one wonder if the Higher Being really does have a cruel streak in ‘um.”

The gray furred cat’s eyes narrowed.

“Or just doesn’t care,” he added to himself.

A shake of his head, he returned his attention to the doc. He was looking at the tod.

“Alright. Call research and tell them they’ve got their test subject for the regen treatment,” the antilopini buck said.

With a nod, the feline left. The doctor went on looking at his patient.

“I’d wish you luck, you crazy fox. But you’ve been pretty good at making your own,” the buck said. “Don’t see you stopping now.”


* * * * * * * * * * *


Darkness.

“So, this is it. Death. Just a black nothing. No guiding light, no angel or demon to point the way. Just…nothing,” the disembodied one thought.

His snark covered for the fact that he was in what looked like an utterly hopeless situation.

“I didn’t think I’d done bad enough in my life to rate this!” he thought.

Then, there was a ‘sensation’ of movement. And, it felt like he was accelerating.

“Guess I’m going somewhere after all.”

Suddenly, there was a small spot of light and it grew as he approached. Then, an explosion of light, a feel of something against his face, and the realization that he couldn’t breathe.

* * * * * * * * * * *

“It’ll be over soon,” the buck said aloud to his victim.

His target had reacted just as expected when he slammed down and held the pillow over their face; struggles, hand paws beating and clawing at his leather protected arms, wrists, and hands. Claws at his face were equally ineffective due to the tough leather mask covering it. The only disadvantage of that mask was the limited seeing through the small eye slits. Compared to getting into this isolated manor and its cave complex, doing in his subject was easy. Then, something changed. The hands stopped flailing on him. Instead, they moved quickly along his arms, wrists, and hands as if checking out the armor. Next, they moved to his face and swept over the mask. Alarm bells began clanging in the assassin’s head. This wasn’t right behavior from his victim! Those hands found and grabbed the edges of the mask then yanked on it. It remained in place, held there by the web of strapping that encompassed his head. Hands let go and moved quickly over and around his head…and found where his ears joined it. The ringing of those mental bells intensified.


* * * * * * * * * * *


“There!” the tod thought.

He spread his arms wide and flattened out his hands, then brought them back to his attacker’s head with all the strength he could muster; the palms right over the mammal’s ear openings. Two things happened; there was a scream of pain and whatever covered his face loosened. Arms wide again and another slam over those ear channels. Again, a cry of pain and a little more lessening of that obstruction.

“Grab mask and twist!”

Adrenalin fired strength twisted the assailant’s head and came close to snapping his neck. Trained to take pain, the assassin grimly hung on. Then, a clasped double fist slammed into his chin and his upper body snapped backwards from the force of the unexpected blow. Almost blind from pain and tears, the buck felt his target move under him, getting legs out from beneath him.

“What?!! How can they…”

Feet thumped into his chest and he was launched away from the bed and its occupant.

“NO! This can’t be!!” he thought.


* * * * * * * * * * *


Pillow gone, the vulpine was able to see as well as breathe. Though sent sprawling on the floor, the attacker was rolling forwards to get on their feet. He grabbed that suffocating pillow and threw it over the mammal’s face to distract. A swift scan and he saw a three legged wooden stool by the bed and grabbed it.


* * * * * * * * * * *


Grabbing the pillow, the buck yanked it aside…just in time to see his victim swing a wood stool at him, at his head, at his face. Of all the things that registered, the main one was the fact that his intended kill stood on their feet.

“It can’t be!!” was the last thought he had.


* * * * * * * * * * *


The edge of the stool smashed into the nose slits of the mask and the tod actually heard the sound of the bone and cartilage breaking and shattering. The force of the hit drove a spray of bone splinters into the buck’s brain and oblivion claimed him.


* * * * * * * * * * *


Huffing mightily, he struck twice more on his foe’s face. Then, holding the round top in both paws, fell to his knees onto the prostrate form and brought the edge of his improvised weapon down onto that enemy’s throat. There was another crunch of crushing cartilage and shattering bone beneath the leather that covered that neck. Sure, now, of the kill, the vulpine struggled to his feet once more.

“Lord Maker of All! What is wrong with me? My legs feel as weak as rubber bands!” he stated aloud.

Something clicked in his head.

“Wait a sec! That was MY voice?!” he asked himself.

He looked himself over, and in the room’s dim lighting, he saw his paws; digits shorter then he remembered, with the tips white furred and the rest of the fur was….

“Gray, not dark brown.”

A look down at his feet and he saw that they, too, appeared smaller and had the same style white toe tip and gray fur as his paws.

“What the…” he started, then his eye caught sight of a large mirror close to a wall.

Seeing the image in it, he felt his jaw go slack and the reflection’s mouth dropped open. There was a pink nose pad above the near gaping mouth and he could feel it twitching. The most noticeable feature on that mammal was the pair of long ears set at about “half mast” on its head. The outer edges of the upper quarter of those ears were black furred. He took a step forward and that reflection mimicked it. Now, the tod was close enough to make out the color of the eyes.

“Purple…amethyst, not green,” he thought.

All of it was about to overload his mental capacity when he defaulted to his defense mode. Eyes canted upwards, and head following, to where he looked to the plaster covered ceiling.

"Maker! Great Maker!! What have I done to have you reincarnate me as a bunny?!!”