Faux fox and the handbag - Bryn Forcella

The fox's snout presses against the plate glass window, steaming it up from the outside despite the warmth of the morning sun, as he stares longingly within. An ear flicks as the door to the shop opens and with a whisk of his tail he is gone done the side alley, before the man can fully emerge from the doorway, making as if to throw something at the fox. "And stay away! " the slightly paunchy figure of man turns, sighs and re-enters the shop.

The red fox grins to himself, slow humans will never catch him, but maybe he shouldn't push his luck, nonetheless he peeps around the corner, hearing the door self-close, his ripped jeans only slightly more filthy than before he entered the alley with its piles of refuse and broken boxes, moving slightly forward he turns his head and can just make out the pink-orange bag that goes with his fur so well, distorted through the angle of the window. He sighs softly and is about to turn and leave when he feels a sudden pain in his neck and his footpaws are lifted from the floor

Scrabbling wildly and twisting, snapping at the air in panic he brings his front paws up to his neck to scratch and tear at whatever has got him only to find himself grasped by the wrists, and a soft voice speaking in his ear. "Calm down little fox you aren't going anywhere, right now." The voice adds matter-of-factly "You smell terrible." The statement takes all fight out of the fox, he knows, as only a fox can, just how he smells, and weeks of sleeping in allies and dumpsters has taken its toll, his fake 501s are begrimed and ripped far more than fashionable, one blue Converse-a-like trainer is laced with string to his left foot and even he can no longer recognize the designer label he sewed on his T shirt a scant month ago.

"What were you doing fox? "she asks the miserable creature, turning him to face her.

"L..looking at the bag.. the orange-pink Gucci" he replies sniffing back tears.

"You really want that bag then fox?" she asks, eyes narrowing. What would you do for it?"

"Anything!" the fox replies without hesitation .

"Anything Miss." the girl corrects softly "You must call me Miss."

The fox nods, having an instinctive desire to please "Anything Miss. " he says a little more quietly. The Miss sets the fox down, and he immediately rubs his neck ruefully, "I''ve never been caught by a human before Miss" he says

She smiles at him - rubbing her hand "I've never caught a fox before, I held on as tight as I could." He catches her eye and grins back laughing, golden yellow eyes catching the light in response to her hazel gaze.

"You can have the bag, I get a fox in return." she takes his hand paw in her larger leather gloved one and pulls him after her towards the shop. "Keep up fox!"

"Yes Miss. " he replies happily.