Magdhina gripped the Post-It note in her hand. Its smooth white surface overlaid with silvery pencil marks promised her of adventure. It proclaimed that, in the woods, her life could change. That there, tucked in the trees, was something in need of her aid. But for now, the thirteen-year-old girl stood at her locker clutching the note. There were other thoughts in her mind, too. She read the message over again. Magdhina, please meet me out in the woods. There's something I need your help with. -EG Who could have gotten into her locker? Someone who knew her name and locker combination. There were very few people who knew the latter piece of information and those who did were her most trusted friends. But what if this was all a trick? The Buchtton public school system had its fair share of pranksters and bullies. Still, something about the note's scrawling handwriting struck her as familiar and she trusted its words. Also, Magdhina rarely ever turned down an adventure. So, foolishly, Magdhina slipped the note into her jean pocket and closed her locker door. She had decided to leave. ~~~ The afternoon sun glowed in the January sky and the bare trees of the woods waved their rich brown arms at her. Grateful for her thick red coat, Magdhina continued her way down the street. She was near the forest and she could make out a boy in a black jacket standing at the edge. It was her close friend Ezra Gold. Relief shot through Magdhina's body and she scampered over to the boy. Ezra's naturally tan face broke into a grin. "Thank you for coming, Magdhina. Sorry about being so cryptic, but I just wanted to be safe." Magdhina frowned at him. "What's going on?" Ezra's gaze shifted to the frosty ground. "It's hard to explain and I understand if you don't trust me... it's just that my parents were doing this experimental testing on these animals, and, uh, my sister and I released the animals and have been aiding them ever since. My family is going away for February Break and we need your help." Magdhina's heart thudded inside of her body and her muscles tightened. "What type of animals?" Just then movement stirred from behind the trees. Bushy red tails, black paws, and white underbellies popped into Magdhina's view. The pack of creatures slinked toward her, their feet barely making a sound against the silt and snow. Their dark eyes peered at her with an intensity that made her want to flee. Even though they were only slightly larger than a small dog, Magdhina knew that she would never mess around with these animals. "They're foxes," Magdhina murmured. "You want me to take care of foxes." Ezra nodded at her. "They're special though. You should talk to Crystal." "Crystal?" One of the foxes stepped forward. Her fur was slightly more orange than the others and her eyes were a deep brown. Magdhina shivered. Foxes? Ezra's parents had been experimenting on them? None of this was making any sense. For a moment, Magdhina yearned to be back at her locker with only anticipation accompanying her. Not this confusing mess. The fox opened its mouth and words, English words, streamed from its lips. "We need your assistance, Miss..." "Magdhina," Ezra finished for the creature. "Her name is Magdhina." Magdhina gaped at Ezra. She leaned forward and gripped his hand, which was cold from the wind. "You need to do some talking." Ezra grinned at her. "Crystal can do the explaining. Trust her." With that, her friend yanked his hand from her grasp and scurried off down the sidewalk edging the woods. Magdhina watched as his black jacket disappeared from her vision. "I'm not going to help foxes," Magdhina said, still keeping her head turned away from the animals. "You are wild creatures. You can take care of yourselves." Crystal, the fox, did not speak. Only a low rumble came from her mouth. Magdhina realized that the fox was mocking her. Laughing. She glared at the fox. The creature smirked at her and sat down on her haunches. Meanwhile, the other foxes slipped back into the forest as quietly as they had arrived. The only evidence they left behind of their existence were small white footprints in the snow. "We don't need help with food or shelter. We are clever and know how to stay away from humans who wish to harm us. No, we need something more important." Magdhina was surprised by how articulate the fox was. If Magdhina was one of Ezra's parents, she would be distraught to lose such a valuable specimen. But another part of Magdhina felt some sympathy for the foxes. What surgeries and tests would Ezra's parents have had to perform in order to give these animals the ability to speak? "What's more important than food and shelter?" Magdhina said at last. She crossed her arms. Maybe she did feel a little bad for these foxes, but that didn't mean she had to help them. They already had their basic needs met. Crystal's eyes glimmered in the light of the sun. "Something that encourages us to keep going. It is lonely out here, Magdhina. We have one another, but at times we need something... less tangible. Something universal that is built by experience and patience." Magdhina groaned. "Please speak more directly." "We need stories." "Stories?" Magdhina raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I don't think I'll be much help with that. I'm not the bedtime story type of person. That's more my mom. She claims telling stories is part of her Cuban genes. Can't say I'm really into storytelling though." Crystal bowed her head. "No one can exist without a story. I trust you will return once you find one." The fox stood and lumbered back into the woods. Her tail bent low to the ground and the trees' shadows caressed her orange fur. Soon, her small figure was gone from Magdhina's sight. ~~~ Throughout the next day, Magdhina could barely concentrate. From class to class, she fumbled to remember specifics about her normal routine. She walked into her math class when she needed to be in history. She took her English book out in science. At lunch, she almost forgot to pay for her pizza. She knew she wanted to talk to Ezra, but there never seemed to be a good enough time. Too many of their other friends were around. Finally, after her last class, French, she headed to her locker to retrieve her red jacket. Sighing she tucked the cool lock in her hand and spun the dial. With a little clink, the lock opened and she reached inside her cubby. As her hand brushed against her sleek coat, she noticed a white Post-it note attached to the door. Yet, no matter how much she squinted at it, she could not see any words written on the sticky note's surface. That's helpful, Ezra, she thought. A blank note is totally going to help me tell a story. Then a realization struck Magdhina and she pulled on her jacket. Her heart twirled in her body and her feet pattered against the ground. She raced down the hallway to the main lobby, barely noticing any of the other students milling around her. As she scampered outside, the wind blasted her face, but Magdhina's thoughts centered only on her story. Once there was a girl who found a Post-it note in her locker. It promised her a great journey, but she had to go through a secret door in her French classroom's closet... Words jumped in her mind and Magdhina almost laughed at how simple this all had become. Crystal had been right. Stories were all around her. She had just needed to be patient enough to find one. Soon, she was at the edge of the forest. Her shoes buried into the icy snow and she shivered. "Crystal," she called. "I have a story." And so, Magdhina waited to begin her adventure. The sun shone down at her through the clouds and if she was quiet enough, Magdhina could just hear the soft tip-toeing of foxes. Thank you for reading! If you like my story, please don't be afraid to give it a share. Comments are always welcome and I love hearing your thoughts. Question: What story would you tell the foxes?
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AuthorI'm Darcy Ridge, creating stories that all revolve around family and identity in a myriad of ways. In the past, I have shared multiple stories and published a novella online. You can find me on Wattpad and many other social media websites. They/them [Image Description: black background with the words "Social Justice and Mental Health Resources" in white in the center /end ID]
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