This one is a little shorter than the last. Please note that it is not necessary to read the first two before this, but I would apprecite it.

So: I give you totems 3!!!!!!!!!!

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Totems 3, Red fox

The ancient and rotting wood creaks as I sit down, sketchbook in hand. All is silent and cool in the little clearing, save for the small sounds of birds and insects. I run my hand over the mossy boards, absorbing the damp yet comforting feeling. The picnic table has already all but melted away into the forest, its top slanted and its supports rotted away. I still like to come out and draw and listen, trying to absorb the aura of peacefulness. Today as I begin to sketch, I do not have a specific subject in mind. Instead, I let the pencil flow over the rough paper, feeling a form start to take shape. Bright eyes, large ears, elegant nose… The animal has a strange wild beauty in its form, which I observe even as I create it.

After several minutes of silent drawing which only the incessant twittering of birds interrupts, I am done with the sketch. But not quite, for I feel it needs color. I reach into my pack for a box of colored pencils, staring down at my fresh piece of artwork. I start with the surrounding landscape, selecting several shades of green and brown. Finishing that, it is time for the animal. Looking down into the box again, I search for the right color. But it is not in the container. The dusty colors resting in the carboard do not come near to matching what I want. Glancing up at the sun, which is shining through the small patches of clear space between the branches, I decide I had better leave. I begin to pack up my supplies, wishing I had more time.

The table nearly flips over when I stand up, emitting loud creaks and groans and disturbing the silence of the clearing. The birds instantly are silent, surprised off their perches by the horrible noise. Through the sudden quiet, I am able to hear a soft step behind me. Whirling around, I see nothing. A large huckleberry bush is rustling, but almost as soon as I look, it stops moving. Taking a few hesitant steps forward, I brush a long blond bang out of my face. Suddenly, there it is. A tiny red fox. It steps forward out of the undergrowth, giving me a wonderful opportunity to admire it. A perfectly angled small white and red face, twitching whiskers, bright mahogany red body and delicate black paws.

Looking down at my half-finished drawing, I grin. The color I had imagined was replicated perfectly in its furry coat, and in fact the fox looked almost exactly like my drawing, all the way down to the way it was sitting, watching me. I was so close I could see it’s whiskers twitching, and see its silky sides move up and down with breath, and see one perfect and dainty little paw raised tentatively, as if it wanted to take a step towards me.

A wave of sudden dizziness washes over me, and suddenly I find myself on my knees, world spinning. My eyes had switched focus for one second, making it seem like I had been looking through the fox’s eyes. I felt almost sick, but looking at the fox's startingly green eyes, the feeling was mixed with an odd kind of elation. Afraid to move, I stare straight into its bright eyes. Again, my eyes make the dizzying switch, and I can see myself, kneeling in the bracken, swaying. The world looks different from it's eyes. I land on my back, unable to keep my balance even on my knees. Wet moss tickles the back of my neck and a damp smell fills my nose. I can no longer see the fox with my own eyes, but somehow I can sense it watching me. When I sit up again, it is still standing half in and half out of the bracken, watching me curiously. I make a mental note to change the color of my drawing's eyes to the right shade of green.

A sharp sound jolts me back to my own consciousness. A footstep in the woods to my left has ended the perfect moment, accompanied by a shouting of my name. Just like that, the fox turns and runs into the woods. The last thing I see is the tip of a white-tipped, bottle-brush tail.

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Erm...... Don't think I like this one as much as the first either. You might notice that the old man does not make an appearance in this one. She'll meet him later. So..... This is the third kid of four. After I finish the fourth one, I think I'll just continue the individual stories.

Thanks for any reviews and/or commets!!!!!!!!!!