Chapter 1 INSTINCTS
The start of a new story... hope you like it
** CHAPTER 1 - MY NAME IS ETHAN**
My name is Ethan... just Ethan we don't have any other names it's just what I call myself, we all name our self or get our names. When I say we I'm referring to "us" we are different from humans in just about every way. First of all I'm... a fox, well mostly I'm not exactly a fox I'm anthropomorphic we call our self's anthro for short. I have long orange ears with white in the center and a long red-orange bushy tail with a white tip. I'm about 6 foot 1 and athletic (at least I think I am). Lately I've been having gaps in my memory usually only a few hours or minutes but when I wake from these moments when I'm not "there" I find myself doing something I never thought I would do. Us anthros all have a problem most of us its anger, hatred or fear of something. Then again I've only met around 10 anthros. 2 of them are my best friends Zoe and Carlie. Zoe is a cat and has pink strips of fur here and there and she has a long tail that isn't at bushy as mind but still is bushy. Carlie is a black bat and we found her hiding in the forest, I never have got to know Carlie that well but Zoe spends a lot of time with her. I spend most of my time in the forest hunting, we always are needing food but luckily Zoe started a small farm close to our house that supplies us in the summer. We get anthros every once and a while that need shelter or food for a few days then leave, some attempt to steal for their own needs others give back to us because of our help. Humans never come to our house but we have seen them in the forest most of the time hunting or running. We found a way to defend our self's from them, even though we have never gotten close to one, we still want to be prepared. We need to hide our self's from the humans they are too different and violent they all are killing for fun and leaving the dead corpse behind. In searches for food we have found dead anthros in our search and bury them. Most have arrows penetrated into their bodies and a white, lifeless look in their eyes. I've never seen another fox anthro I have seen several wolfs and coyote anthros. I feel lonely as a fox never seeing my own kind but we anthros have understood that all anthros are one in the same. We have seen cross breeds in the forest but not many. We have the struggle of staying alive we are lucky that we have lasted this far.
My eyes blast open realizing I'm in a cold sweat. I try to remember what my dream was about unable to recall it. In fact I'm unable to remember when I went to bed. I stand up smoothing my fur so it's not all messed up and flattened. I move to my dresser and get out my usual clothes a pair a jeans and a tee shirt. I undress my sleeping clothes and dress into my usual clothes after doing that I begin to walk towards the bathroom to do my regular morning routine. Downstairs I find Zoe doing her normal work cleaning the house (she never stops) and combing her fur. It's the middle of spring so we have begun to eat vegetables along with meat. I quickly grab an apple and wave good bye to Zoe. On the way out I grab my bow and quiver to prepare to hunt. Swiftly I head out the door with bow in hand and quiver on my back. I draw an arrow and slide it into the slot on my bow. I begin to wander around the forest sniffing for a deer or squirrel. Looking around I think I caught a scent and begin to walk in that direction. I see a small male deer in the distance and draw my bow, I look down my string line up the shot and release. My target falls down with a lifeless collapse I quickly run over there and investigate the body. The deer shows no sign of life, I bend over smelling the beast with my long snout knowing that it will be a good eat. I grab the legs and begin to drag the animal towards the house. I put the animal into our freezer back at the house knowing today was a good kill. The rest of the day in now to myself I normally only kill one per day. I walk into the house knowing I have blood stains in my fur I see Zoe on the couch sleeping. I never thought I would be attracted to her but her laying there somehow makes me very... aroused. I guess I'm having some sort of a craving for her. I think I'm just going to ignore my want for her.
The last few months have been very quiet, the same routine every day except for the cold. It has come to our attention that winter is right around the corner and we should stock up food for winter. During winter we normally only hunt but this past few winters have had very few animals for food. So far we have only 3 deer which will only last us one month if we save food. Every day so far I can tell that is has been getting colder but too cold its only September and it's around 40 degrees. I can tell that this will be a bad winter. Lately I haven't been sleeping well, constantly I've been thinking and stressing on the winter to come. Carlie hasn't been out of her room for a few days she doesn't eat much and I don't think she likes me at all. Zoe has also been acting different she never seems to be happy and I don't think I'm happy either. This upcoming winter is effecting us all and I don't like it at all.
I think today I should that try to hunt for the last time the year hoping for a good kill. I grab my bow and quiver one last time. Zoe stops me by grabbing my tail I uncontrollably yelp. She leans towards my ear she whispers in her kind caring voice, "When you get back I'll have something special for you." I walk out the door not knowing what she meant so I just continue. I continue to walk out the door ignoring what she said. I never had a real interest to her except for my craving for sexual reproduction but I don't think I have any control of that. I shake my head to refocus myself. "I have to kill something or we won't survive the winter" I tell myself.
I've walked for as far as I know a few hours and still nothing. The hope that I'll find anything slowly fades away. The cold harsh winter cold blows on my fur, I shiver uncontrollably. I'm pretty far from home but I do know the way back I usually use the sun to find my way and I only travel in one direction. The more I walk the more my hope fades and my doubt gains. Continuing I promise myself that I won't go home unless I bring something with me.