November 16,1451

The morning rose across the sky shining its glorious beauty among the young people of this district and as the sun rose I could feel the painful winter winds blow across my body.

“Achoo!” I sneezed before waking up. I lay next to Tama feeling the dreaded winds try to tear open my chest making it unbearable. I’ve always hated winter; it is too cold that’s all that needs to be said. I hate everything about it: The freezing nights, the cold food you have to eat unless you want to die, and the skin cracks just makes it even worse. Why my lord must there be a season that is this dreadful. Even if it is just once a year it’s still eighty plus days my savior. Wait who was my savior again? I remember it was someone important, but who exactly was it? Ever since yesterday I had begun to find it hard to recall events and people. Like I remember names like Alden and Jake, but somehow the face I didn’t recall.

“You sick if not warmth.” She groggily awoke beside me. We were both under the blanket now fully heated by each others body heat. I didn’t want to move considering the situation I was in, but I managed to slip out of Tama’s grip only to be pulled down by the weight of the cold. My body felt was colder than ice and I was desperately trying to find warmth. Tama was asleep without a care in the world and to me that was enough to warm me up, so I ran to search for the lady to ask if I could do her share of the work today. Normally she was in her office speaking with some random idiot from town, but today is was different. As I neared her office I heard a man yell at her saying something about being unhappy.

“I’ve already told you that the girl has already taken by another.” The woman said.

“I don’t care if they emperor himself has chosen her. I paid for that girl and I intend to get my way or shall I report you to the officials.”

“Wait what were they talking about? Paying for a girl? Isn’t that like what that man did?” I stood silently trying to hear the rest of the conversation.

“Sir I apologies for the inconvenience; however I won’t be spoken to in such a tone.” This lady meant business when it came to talking to her. Even though the man was bickering over some girl the lady kept her cool. “Now then which girl was it that you wanted?” The man calmed down as he let out a deep sigh.

“I told she’s that girl that doesn’t work in the rooms, but cleans them.” The man slammed the table angry at the woman’s answer.

“You mean the servant? What could a man like you do with a girl that young?” The woman seemed to shock by his choice, but maintained her composure.

“This is a secret between you and me, but I like them young.” The man whispered.

“Well now I understand why you are so stubborn about her, but unless I’m suborned into allowing such acts, I have no reason to listen to your request.”

“They were talking about Tama?” I whispered unconsciously. I wasn’t surprised that something like this was going to happen so I had prepared myself to leave this place. I slowly backed away from the door and ran down the steps as quiet as I could.

“Boy!” The lady yelled. “Get that girl ready for me.”

“Oh she’ll be ready; ready to leave that is.” I thought. I ran to our room where I saw Tama groggily woke up. “Tama you and I have to…” She knocked me over and laid on top of me and as she shook her head scratching her nose with my cheek; my face burned an image of embarrassment as Tama continued to lay on me. I could feel her heart racing and it was in sync with mine’s which I found odd. My body was tempted to try to run amok with perverted intent; however my mind wouldn’t let me. “I have to get out of this situation before that lady comes.” Tama moved her leg over my hips before breathing heavily onto me.

“Hey Franchais?” She asked “Can I eat you because I’m hungry.” That is when I realized that I haven’t seen Tama eat since I was here.

“No time for jokes we need to…” Tama licked my cheek before kissing my lips softly making so I couldn’t speak . Her lips were soft and as she held me on the ground I could see the sensation in her eyes. Tama lips delicately pressing against mine forcing the world to slowly disappear as I begun to be engulfed by Tama. My heart was racing as Tama placed her arms around my neck embracing it softly with her thin arms. I’ve always noticed how pretty Tama was, but to be this close was bringing me to my limit. I managed to calm myself long enough to think about the situation, but all my senses were trapped in an endless cycle of Tama. I felt like I was floating cause all I could feel, smell and taste was her. “I am ready to eat.” When she said those words my heart began to feel a slight pain in my chest. At first it was barely noticeable, but slowly like a punch to the chest I felt it all at once. I tried to push her off me, but somehow all my strength was gone. My heart was beginning to beat faster and faster and she continues to drain me.

“Let go…of me.” I managed to say for the second she let go of my face. I could taste my blood coming out of my mouth. It was bitter, but not as unpleasant as the choking feeling in my neck. I turned to my surprise an older woman sitting in the corner looking absolutely terrified. Without even hearing what she was saying I could tell what she was saying.

“I’m sorry.” That woman looked like a Twenty-year old version of Tama with a fox ears and tail, but my mind was hazy so I couldn’t really be certain if it was. As the girl ran out the door I tried to chase however every part of me felt hollow.

“Come on move damn it. Chase that girl or bad things will come to be Francais Godwin.” A voice taunted me from the window.

“Don’t tell me that your outta juice young man because I won’t believe it coming from someone so lively.”

“Who are you?” I asked in my raspy voice. My neck burned and my body refused to listen to me. I managed to twist my head to take a quick look at the window, but all I could see were sandals that were similar to my mother’s. They were white laced and were the type made for dancing. “Where are you from!?” Those shoes were without a doubt from my era. How did a woman managed to get a pair like those during this period? “Don’t tell you’re…” The woman kicked down the wooden bars and slid through the window.

“Settle down lad. No need to be such a pain.” She opened a jug from her satchel and drank half of it before the rest into my mouth. The drink was not like anything that I have ever drunk before. It was sweet like honey, but its texture was smooth like milk. The drink refreshed my body, and I felt more energetic than ever; however my mind was in a miasma slowly eating away my consciousness. “Look at this picture.” It was a small painting showing a picture of a woman, fox and a man.

“What about it?” I managed to say while being in a trance by the image. I was mesmerized by the image before it took life and surrounded itself around me. I stood looking at the events unfold in front of me. The woman ran with the fox in her hands as the man chased her down. He was trying to grab her and tell her that everything was fine; not realizing the angry mob behind him.

“There is a mob chasing you!” I yelled, but to no avail. He continued to chase the woman and the fox through the night without rest. He chased for what seemed like ages before she finally stopped and turned around looking him in the eyes. The fox seemed tired, but it appeared that it wanted to still run.

“My love, why do you run from me?” The man asked. The woman stood silent with the now whimpering fox hiding her face from him.

“I wish not to say.” Tears slid down the woman’s cheek as the man embraced the woman gently.

In the corner of my eye I saw the mob getting closer and closer by the second. “Run! Your lives are in trouble! Run!” I yelled, but once again to no affect. They merely embraced each other unfazed by the mob. A slew of arrows soared through the sky filling it with gray. The more I watched the more time appeared to have slowed. I desperately ran to them each step heavier than the last. The man, woman and fox were now staring at me with content eyes and whispered.

“Keep going.” So I kept running until I was able to reach them. I ran and ran and before I knew it I was already past them. I turned around and to my surprise they weren’t there anymore, but ahead I noticed a girl with fox ears running away from me. I was no longer in the town, but rather the outskirts near the forest.

“Was it Akimitsu? I didn’t know, but whoever it was I could chase it to tell me where Tama is.” I sprinted as fast as I could to try and catch up to the girl, but she was too fast. I forced my body to move faster, but to no success as she casually ran faster. I ran through the dark forest bumping into trees and tripping by the branches on the floor. My heart seemed to never change its pace my breathing felt normal, but my body was running beyond my limit. My body ached all over as I stopped to think about the situation. I can’t out run this person, but this girl doesn’t seem to want to out run me. She seems to want to keep her distance from me, so I decided to play a trick. I lay near a tree with one eye slightly open watching her as she slowly came closer to observe me and just as I thought she wanted me to chase, but stay within her sight.

The girl stood on top watching to see if I was actually asleep or not. Like a small animal she held her face near mine smelling it. I could feel her breath as she held her fox ears against my chest. I slowed my breathing enough so that she can feel safe enough to get closer and as she reached the point which she could not jump back I readied myself to capture her. “Come on just a couple of inches and I got her.” I said to myself. The girl began to lick my neck to try to soften it before taking a bite out of it. The weird thing was that I didn’t even feel her bite and after a second the girl instantly jumped away holding her neck. She hissed trying to relieve her neck of the pain, but it was pointless. “Was it that medicine that the lady gave me?” She fell to her knees trying to grab my ankle as smoke started to fill the air. The smoke stung me in the eyes like it was filled with lemons trying to blind me. The smoke didn’t give off a smell so I ignored it; even so I could barely see the girl or even my hands. I looked around to try to search for that girl, but nothing was there. “Where are you?” I yelled before noticing that my body had fallen to the ground and I was paralyzed. My heart felt empty as I tried to regain my movement but it was of no use. My mind became blank and my eyes finally closed as I finally fell unconscious.