The Departure of Uncle Thomas

I roll over in my bed getting a bit too close to the wall. I smack my knee against it hard enough to wake me up. It doesn't hurt, just enough to startle me awake. Rolling over to my back, I stare at the dark ceiling with a little light coming through the window. It's snowed over now. That light dusting sure turned into a full-on snowstorm. Uncle Thomas still better be leaving. I'll drag him through the snow if needed. Now my mind is active.

Sitting up I feel the cold floor under me. The whole place feels chilly actually. The fire went out a long while ago to where it's not just ash and a few orange spots. I don't want to get up but it looks like I'll have to. Anne doesn't seem to be anywhere around. She better be asleep in her bed for once. I'm tired of her spending her time here when she could be sleeping comfortably. Not that I mind her helping me. Just doesn't have to dedicate her entire time to me.

A few new logs were thrown on the fire and a quick puff of flame to get them going sheds a little more light in the room as well. A nice glow that relaxes the heart and eases the mind. That should provide some heat until morning. Makes me wonder just how much it has snowed. To check now would ruin the surprise come sunrise though. Oh what to do?

I stand up once I know the fire took to the fuel nudging into something behind and beside me. "Oh hell!" I reach out grabbing my chair to steady myself. Except I had to stretch out fully to reach the chair. What did I bump into?

My first instinct is to look. Yet I feel that may not be the wisest decision. A small range ping goes through the cabin and there's a full-sized body behind me. Who though? And how did they get in without me hearing them? I can't stall now that I know. I stand turning around to look at the familiar face looking back at me. He's got that stupid smile and those wide eyes just locked on. Something is very off about him. "Uncle Thomas, please leave my cabin."

He doesn't move. He doesn't shake. He just stands there in the flickering light looking at me, "But Red, I just want to see how you are doing. I!"

"Leave! Now! Get your things and walk if you have to!"

He's crossed a line now. His face is washed with disappointment. "Don't you like me Red? We're family! With my mind and your power we could… We could do anything!" There it is again. He keeps letting his desire loose. It's no longer just a want anymore though. It's an obsession. He reaches out getting his smile back, "I just want to help you Red!"

"No! No, you do not!"

"Then let me try at least! We can have…"

"We have nothing! You have a problem! You need to leave! Now!"

He stutters out some random syllables as he goes through a range of emotions on his face. "I just wanted to have power. I just wanted to feel important."

"Then go home, be a good father and husband. You are not welcome here anymore."

"Red! You don't understand! The power of the nine-tailed fox is the desire of our entire family! There isn't anyone who wouldn't want their son or daughter to have that ability."

I know for a fact that's not true. "I watched my dad try not to cry. He knew the burden of this and I've already gotten to see what it brings. And now there's you who thinks they can have it for themselves. If I could, Reed would have this! But as it stands I can't do that." That seemed to break through to him a bit. I have to shatter this broken grasp on reality for him to see that what he's trying to do is asinine. "I just… I just want…"

"We don't always get what we want. I want to be home right now but here I am a thousand miles away. I shouldn't be the one to tell you that you need to grow up."

I walk by him avoiding all physical contact to get to the door. With a paw on the knob, I look over at the shell of a man I created. He just mutters to himself until I get his attention again. "Thomas! Leave! Now!" It seems to hit him this time that he is not welcome. Him walking into my cabin was bad enough as it was. His paws shuffle along the floor as he keeps his head down and arms behind him. He looks like a child that's been scolded. He's been acting like a child so it seems fitting that this is where he's sunk to.

He takes his sweet time getting to the door. I open it as he gets closer letting in the blast of cold air. That soft autumn breeze turned to a winter chill quickly. I see heavy flakes blow in with the gust. He's still muttering as he passes but this time I can hear it. "It's supposed to be mine to use. Why him?" His arms come out from behind his back quickly swinging over his head down to my shoulders. I grab them both but a sharp pain comes to my left side.

With his face inches from mine, I see him baring his teeth as he yells in my face. "I just want the tails! Why can't I have them?!" As I push back I see the sharp pain came from what is now a lightly blood-coated kitchen knife. The warm sensation starts to run down over my fur and skin to my chest. I can't look because he jumps at me again. He misses as I move under and around him trying to get to the doorway.

I step out into the snow slamming the door behind me. I have to get to the house. Two steps though and I'm waist-deep in snow. The immediate cold hits my body as all I have on is the boxers I sleep in. I trudge through the snow in the direction of the house. You can't see more than a few feet in front of you from the flakes. I yell out but the air is still quiet. But one voice comes back from behind me. "Where did you go?! Come back here!" It's Thomas. He's still trying to get to me through the snow. I push as hard as I can but the deep snow, blistering cold, and fresh wound are slowing me down. Quickly my body turns numb solving one of those problems.

His yelling is still muffled yet it still carries through the air into my ears. I try shouting out myself but I get no response. I can't focus enough to use any magic. I can only press on to the door to try to get to the house. For a house, that massive, the snow hides it well.

The silhouette finally comes into view giving me enough of a push to get there. The stairs are covered in snow and ice. I slip once but crawl the rest of the way. The doors won't budge though. They're locked! They've never been locked! I pound on them as hard as I can yelling against them for someone to answer. I can't hear anything on the other side. I can't focus through the cold to see if anyone is near to help. I just keep banging on the door screaming for help until my foot gives up on the ice I'm standing on. My nails dig in trying to grip but they can't. I land on my knees as the cold starts to hit me.

"Someone! Anyone!" I fall again to the ice below me. This time because something grabbed me yanking me down. I look back to see that now deranged face covered in snow. His voice is the only one I can hear. "I just want the tails!" I see the shimmer of the blade as it passes a light. My numb body can't feel what just happened but I see him pull back holding a fox tail in his grasp. "I've got one! I've got one!"

I bury my face in the frigid snow trying not to look. I know it's mine. I know he took it from my body. I'm just glad I can't feel it but I know if he comes back he's going for the other or worse, my life. I reach for the handles that won't move in a vain attempt they may. As they don't I fall back to the snow looking behind me. A good portion of the snow is melted and red turning brown. The tears well in my eyes as I refuse to see the damage he's done.

He looks so gleefully happy with the tail in his hand for a while. It drops to the snow as his eyes go back to me. "But there are more aren't there? Give me them!" He pushes back through the snow to come for me again. I can't let him! I can't! I don't think! Just act! Well up any form of magic I can and hope for the best!

I feel sick to my stomach before I let everything go. There's a heavy back blast of air that rattles me to the bone. I wait for the hit from Thomas to come but it doesn't. I look up to see him stunned. His eyes look off, almost concerned. He coughs uncomfortably before leaning over and throwing up into the snow. His body shakes before he falls to the snow. I stand up looking over at him. The snow begins to shift color to a familiar tint. What did I do? Is… Is he dead?

I bang on the door again yelling once more giving all that I have. I hear a cracking noise before something shatters. The doors open allowing me to collapse onto the marble and rugged floor. The heat hits me bringing some feeling back to my face. Someone grabs me by my arm and shoulder. I fight thinking it's Thomas but a soft voice calms me down, "Red! Red! It's ok!"

I let myself go further into the house I get. They let me rest on the floor as I curl up and shiver. I see the doors close behind them. There's a loud clamoring around me as I hear echoing voices. I can't make them out as they all run together. I start to feel sick to my stomach again as I get more feeling back in some of my body. I try to move into a smaller ball as I shake. I close my eyes letting the tears that had welled run off of me as I wished for this to be over. Everything started to hurt from the injuries to the strain on my muscles trying to get to the house.

Through the whole mess, there was one voice that stuck out as she barked orders leaning over me. Madam Odette. I could barely feel her but I knew she was there. Her warm paw on my back was the only good sensation in this ordeal. It was the only thing that brought me any comfort. She moved to let someone pick me up. The warm feeling disappeared but the sight of her face was enough to comfort me before it all went black. The sounds stayed, if only for a while longer.