Family of the Fox, #1

by F. M. Isaacs

  “As a gnat. Did you sense me there?”

  I started to cough. “Spying on me again! Shaina knew you were there,” I said, recalling how the young girl had insisted she was being watched.

  “I left when I thought you were going to read the book. I didn't want to hear it. I came back after, when she was sleeping. She reminds me of my mother.” He sighed.

  I should have been incensed that he was eavesdropping on my life. Instead, I drew myself up to my full height. “Allen...Aldous,” I lowered my voice. “Don't you think you should go back to where you belong?”

  His face turned scarlet. “No, I don't. Did your family return Mozart? Or Jonas? I'm afraid not. So why should I?”

  “But they'd already lived their lives. You haven't yet, so you'll change everything. You won't be a...famous...wizard.”

  “I'll be one here instead!”

  “But you can't! Your family, and...”

  “And what? You think I'm your ancestor?”

  I stopped cold. “What?” I whispered, praying he was not about to say what I was expecting.

  He guffawed. “Daniel said there was a tale in your family that you're related to me.”

  “You're not on our family tree.”

  “Your tree only goes back to the 1600s or 1700s, or whenever it was that Jonas managed to travel back to.”

  I promised myself I would help Uncle Jonas go further back to find out Allen's relationship – if I could just solve the current Allen/Aldous problem.

  Tears formed in my eyes. “Allen, I've had so much fun with you, and I thank you. But who knows what’ll happen if you stay? If you're my direct ancestor, and you don't have your children–”

  Hannah flashed into my head, and I knew now: Cousin Hannah truly was the Hannah from my favorite childhood tale. Daniel had even called Andrew “Prince”, and Mom had mentioned that both Andrew and Hannah were rescues. My parents must have saved them from their cruel fates which were recounted and immortalized in the story.

  “You think you won't exist if I stay?” Allen asked me, pulling me back to the present.

  I nodded, desperately trying to hold back the tears. He couldn't do this to me. I wasn't sure exactly how the intricacies of time paradoxes might work, but I couldn't risk his wiping me and portions of my family out of existence because he wanted to have a better life in 2031.

  “We don't know that you're a direct descendant of mine. I had seven siblings,” he noted in an unfeeling voice.

  “Allen, you can't. Let me take you back. Please! I'll visit you. I'll even take you to visit the future when you’re older. I'll do anything!” I lunged at him, and there was a blinding flash of light. Then I was looking up at him from the ground, a hawk once more.

  “You will NOT take me back. I won't have it.” He patted his arm. “Now get up here.”

  I blinked at him in shock. What are you doing to me?

  “As much as I care for you, you've shown yourself to be a danger to me. So I changed your form. If you take me back, or if you escape me, then you're dooming yourself to live your life as a bird.”

  For a moment, I thought he was joking. But the expression on his face was one of determination, not levity.

  “I'm sorry, but I have to take care of myself first. I'm giving you the form you've enjoyed most after being human.”

  But you can't do this to me! This isn't the way to solve anything! It's awful!

  “Awful? Hardly.” He stretched his hand out to me. “Do you know how many people would die to give up all human existence and live out life soaring through the skies? If you miss humanity that much, maybe occasionally I'll give you a few minutes in human form so you can cook and clean for me.” He actually winked, as if making a cute joke.

  “Now come on up here, and do as I say,” he commanded.

  I was so aghast, I simply obeyed, landing on his arm. He stroked my head. “You make such a beautiful bird, Corinne. Truly.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Allen kept a perch for me in his bedroom. I had to learn to sleep on it, which was difficult, so I grew exhausted from lack of rest. At night, he would apologize but then either tie me to the perch or change himself into something indestructible so I couldn't attack him in his sleep. Yet we both knew I wouldn't risk harming him, because he was my only chance at regaining human form.

  I considered time traveling to escape, but I'd still be a bird, so, other than flying over famous battles and exploring cities from the skies, it wouldn't help my situation much.

  True to his word, Allen sometimes changed me back to clean and to cook for him. He kept a sharp eye on me in this state, warning me that any attempt to escape or bring him back would result in far worse than a bird transformation. He also threatened to go after the rest of my family, which successfully kept me in line.

  Of course, my cooking hardly seemed necessary, as most of his meals were acquired by transforming random objects into food. It was fascin-ating, I had to admit, seeing him grab up a pen cap one night and turning it into a piece of pizza. Eating the steaming slice, he gave me a thumbs-up sign. I could only imagine where he'd picked that up.

  “The best thing about the twenty-first century? Pizza! Simply brilliant!”

  I watched him, my mouth watering. He passed the crust to me, and, holding it down with my foot, I pecked at it desperately. I hated his power over me, and how he didn't seem to feel the least bit bad over what he was doing.

  As the days went on, I became used to our routine. I was a bird, and I did...bird things, which wasn't much. Allen was greatly amused by me, and I thought that he felt he was giving me a gift in a sense.

  “You're free of humanity!” he exclaimed one afternoon. “You're free of all your cares! And you're a bird to boot! Don't you love it?”

  I'm stuck here with you.

  He threw the window open. “Oh, no you're not! Fly all you want! But just know that if you escape, you're stuck.”

  You won't change me back anyway.

  “Not necessarily true. Maybe one day I will, when you’re finally convinced I’m no danger.”

  That means never, I thought to myself. I didn’t care if he heard me or not.

  I was about to fly out when something occurred to me. If he was cruel enough to do this to me, had he done something to my brother?

  Where's Daniel? I demanded.

  He laughed. “Ah, my little bird. Go enjoy yourself, and be back for dinner. Maybe if you come back at a decent time, I'll let you be something else of your choice.”

  Of course he had done something to my brother! Daniel probably listened to my parents and attempted to take Allen back!

  I flew off, but there was no freedom now. I was imprisoned in a bird's body, and there was no one to run back to but Allen...Aldous...

  I couldn't believe that Allen turned out to be the hard-hearted, legendary father I had despised in my childhood. And poor Hannah, who had fallen for Prince Andrew, had been forbidden to see her lover – by Allen.

  My mind filled with rage and great bitterness that Allen, who had become such an exciting and important part of my life, had destroyed me by turning on me so quickly and viciously. My despair felt like a crushing weight on my soul, and I would have shed tears of hopelessness had my bird body been capable of crying. At some level I understood his dilemma – his actions came from his perceived need for self-preservation. After all, who would want to return to the 1300s after they'd experienced a future that contained such marvels – especially pizza? But his behavior was still inexcusable and cruel, and I’d have to work hard not to lose all faith and submit to my anguish.

  One avenue I would have to explore was to keep quizzing Allen about Daniel. I was fairly certain that my brother had met a fate similar to mine when trying to return the changer to where he belonged. All that yelling from my parents had to have had some impact on him.

  For at least an hour on this unknown day, I flew aimlessly through the clouds. Was everyone now out looking for me in addition to s
earching for my brother? Even if they chanced upon me, they'd never know the bird before them was really their own child.

  Corinne...

  Hearing my name echo through my mind gave me a start. Had Allen followed me? I was pretty sure I hadn’t imagined the sound, yet there were no other creatures to be seen. I’d also traveled pretty far.

  I was in a newer part of the woods, a bright place jammed with saplings. I had no idea why I’d ended up here, except for some reason, it felt safe. I came down on the top of a smaller oak, shaking my feathers out. As the days had gone on, I had found myself performing more and more birdlike actions. I began to preen myself, listening intently to a slight wind that whispered through the boughs.

  A leaf fell off of a particularly robust young tree before me. The shrub shone in the sun, and its foliage glistened.

  Corinne.

  Another leaf toppled from the sapling.

  I stared for a moment. Was I dreaming? Is someone talking to me? I said in my mind.

  Can you hear me? it replied.

  The voice in my head was Daniel's, and I saw the tree shudder slightly and drop another leaf.

  Daniel! I flapped up to the tree's top branch. Is that really you?

  Oof! I felt you grab onto my branch there...Corinne, is it really you? he imitated me in his sarcastic big-brother voice, and I nearly sobbed.

  Oh, no, Daniel! You tried to take him back and he did this to you! I tapped at a cluster of leaves in horror, trying to accept that this plant was really my brother. It wasn't that I couldn't believe it. I just didn't want to believe it.

  Look what he did to you, Daniel! Look what he did! I was able to generate a wailing sound, which was not as good as human crying, unfortunately.

  Corinne, what happened to you?

  He made me a bird, I pushed myself to answer him. I found out who he was, and I said I'd take him back. Now I'm a prisoner, just like you. I sighed hopelessly. Oh, look at you... I'm so sorry. Are you okay?

  Sure! Absolutely spectacular!

  I don't know how my idiot brother could fool around at a time like this. I couldn't understand it. I'll force him to change you back, or at least, into an animal or something so you're not stuck like that. It must be horrible!

  Horrible? I've never felt better! It's wonderful!

  Now I was confused. He wasn't joking? How could he feel wonderful being rooted to the ground, unable to move?

  Corinne, being a plant is so amazingly relaxing, and calming! He never did it to you?

  God, no. My mind shot back to a happier time, when Allen had mentioned being a vine while waiting for me in the woods...

  You don't know what you're missing! There's nothing to worry about as a plant! You just sit and...exist! The sun provides you with food, you drink up the water with your roots...

  I couldn't listen to any more of this. My brother was happy being held captive – and as a plant, no less! If it wasn't so awful, it would have sounded ridiculously silly. What was it called when the victim of a kidnapping falls in love with the kidnapper? Stockholm Syndrome?

  Daniel, I have to get back to him to help you.

  He won't help. Go to Mom and Julian!

  And then came a new voice.

  “She's not going anywhere. We're done here.”

  A fly that had buzzed past grew into Allen. He placed hands on his hips and looked up at me, intrigued. “Well, I'm impressed you found him, Corinne, although I didn't really hide him. Keep your friends close and, well, you know what they say.” He knocked on Daniel's trunk. “Are you still comfortable like this, my friend?”

  Turn him back, Allen! I demanded.

  He waved his fingers at me. “Get back on my arm, Corinne.”

  I obeyed, sinking my claws into his flesh as I landed. He hardly flinched, and he pretended that I hadn’t hurt him. “I can't turn him back. We'll have the same problem with him that I would have with you. I will not go back to my own time.”

  Can't you make him something mobile, at least? I mean, a tree?

  “He's very happy as a tree, aren't you, Daniel?”

  Daniel must have been back in his own plant world, because a dreamy “Yes” was his only response.

  “Once I kept Daniel as an orchid for a week. He loved it so much that he was upset when I turned him back, but I didn't want him to fail out of school. At least he's on vacation now.”

  Why do you care about him failing or anything?

  “You might be my relatives or even my progeny! I only want the best for you!” he answered, grinning.

  This is the best?

  “Well, I'm afraid that I want the best for me more. Now get back home and let your brother grow.”

  THAT NIGHT AS I SLEPT, I thought I heard ghostly voices calling my name and Daniel's. I figured I must have been dreaming.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I perched on the kitchen table as Allen munched down something that looked like gruel. I guess some of his fourteenth-century tastes still remained. For several minutes I waited silently before I finally insisted, Allen, I'm asking you to change my brother back! I don't care how blissed out he is like that! It's a horrible way to treat him after what he's done for you!

  He studied me with interest. “Putting him into a constant state of elation is horrible?”

  Elation? He's stuck! I cried. He can't move!

  He slurped up another spoonful. “He doesn't want to move! He's a tree!”

  I wished I had a fist to punch him with. He was so frustrating! Allen, don’t you see how awful that is?

  “You don't know that until you try it!”

  I don't want to be a plant! Damn you, Allen!

  Allen lunged for me, grabbing me up and nearly crushing my delicate bones in his grasp. “You'll be what I want to you be!” And then, the weirdest sensation began to seize me. My body was tightening... hardening...I suddenly couldn’t move.

  Help me! Allen, stop...

  “No.”

  Please...

  A bizarre shudder ran through me, and then I was completely still, cold...and solid.

  He placed me on the counter and examined me as if I were a work of art. “Beautiful. You make a lovely bird statue!”

  Statue? Allen, please! I can't move...

  “And soon you'll enjoy it. You'll see! And I get a nice sculpture as well! Solid jade is pretty expensive in your time as well as mine!”

  I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that I was now precious stone. Yet as disconcerting as it was, there was some comfort in this form. I wasn't sure how – perhaps, as Daniel had said, because I didn't have to worry about anything at all – even breathing?

  Allen snatched me off the counter again, running his fingers over me proudly. “See what I can do to you? I can keep you like that, petrified, yet aware of everything. And your mind is completely intact. I can do this to people who make me unhappy.”

  Like who?

  “Well, I know your parents are out to find me. Especially now that you two are missing.”

  Don't do anything to them, Allen. Please. They only mean well. We all do.

  He softened, placing me back on the counter and allowing me to become flesh and blood...well, feathers and blood.

  “No one's taking me back,” he mumbled, and walked out of the room.

  I LOUNGED ON THE FRONT windowsill, staring longingly outside. Through the trees, I could just make out Owen's house and his old, beat-up car beside it on the driveway. I wondered where he had gone without his car.

  Whatever happened to that sports car you had, Allen? I asked, only half-interested. I spoke to him less and less. Whether this was due to my resentment or because of the fact that I was becoming more birdlike, I didn't know. And I didn't care.

  Allen was alternating between typing and speaking into the computer. He still explored our world, sometimes for hours on end. I had no idea how he was getting internet access or electricity, but then again, I'm sure he managed it all fine with his transformation capabilities. H
onestly, it really wasn't fair that he should be so talented, as far as I was concerned. It wasn't like he was doing much good with his abilities. He was definitely ruining lives, including my own.

  “Ah, I'll never learn even half of what's on these devices. So much information!”

  Half of it's garbage.

  “And that's the fun! To sort out what's not!”

  He stood up and held out his arm, and I flew to it as if trained. “Come with me. I'll show you the car.”

  He brought me outside, and we approached Owen's decaying wreck. “There she is!”

  That's Owen's piece of junk. It amazed me that it even worked.

  He placed his hand on the rusty hood, and the car started to glow. The light hurt my raptor-eyes, and I turned away. When I looked back, there sat Allen's red convertible.

  “Voilà!”

  Owen's going to kill you, I grumbled indifferently.

  “Oh, come on. He won't mind. I fixed it up a bit to impress you and the kids at school.” He let the car go back to its former sad shape. I swear, even the car seemed to mope gloomily from seeing itself revert to its previous bad condition.

  Well, I flapped my wings then placed them back at my sides. You're doing a good job of impressing me now.

  Running his finger down my feathers, he responded, “You broke your promise. You said you wouldn't take me back, and now you want to. I can't have that.”

  I had nothing else to reply. It had all been said.

  We went back inside, my hopes plummeting even further. The sight of a cereal box on the kitchen counter reminded my stomach that it was empty. It let out a growl that I’m sure Allen couldn’t help but hear.

  But he gave no indication that he had. “Go back on your perch and take a nap or something. I'm busy,” he said.

  Can you at least feed me?

  He glanced around, spying a plate left over from breakfast. It contained several stale crumbs from a corn muffin. “Here,” he said, placing it in front of me.

  I pecked the plate clean.

  ALLEN PROVIDED ME WITH a meal of cake crumbs that night. I was only vaguely aware of the sweetness, so it wasn't much of a treat, but the quantity satisfied me. To a human, it was merely a handful. To me, it was a mountain, and it would definitely sate my hunger for the time being.