The myths and legends about Faerie are many and diverse, and often contradictory. Only one thing is certain - that nothing is certain. All things are possible in the land of Faerie.
-Brian Froud
The 1998 gold Toyota Camry grumbled up the gravel path to the worn down house kicking up a trail of dust in its wake. There was a thin fog veiling the surrounding area but the house looked clear as day as the Whittier's pulled up.
"Looks like a piece of shit", Ian Whittier spoke, shifting his feet to perch upon the middle console. His green eyes flickered to his twin sister's Rosalie, she quickly looked away her eyes focused on the shabby house they pulled up to.
"It' just needs a little fixing up", Reid Whittier looked at his two children as they gazed upon the house. The house was large, 3 stories , adorning it was a large blue door with bay windows and it was covered in a white paint that seemed to be chipping in multiple areas. Rosalie's attention was fixated on the porch swing. She could taste the sugary sweetness of the homemade lemonade her grandma used to bring out while they sat on the porch discussing life.
"Looks like a piece of shit", Ian repeated throwing open the Toyota door before it was fully stopped, hurling out his suitcase and huffing as he slammed his door. Reid sighed, pulling around the side of the house where there was one dirt mound, the one designated parking spot. He looked longingly at his late mother's home.
"He will get over it. We all will dad, now let's get all our stuff unpacked", Rosalie gave what she hoped was her most reassuring smile. Reid offered a small smile in reply as he pulled out his duffle bag. He sure hoped they would be okay.
● ◐◑◒◓◔◕
It seemed like a good idea getting back to his roots, back to his hometown of Chester where he grew up. He remembered living just down the road from his house. His mother had moved to this house a few years back. He didn't like how secluded it had been, so far away from the town of chester and covered in woods for miles. He didn't understand why she chose to be so far away from the rest of society while her memory slowly slipped. He remembered her memory loss spells where him and the kids would show up for holidays and she'd be trying to hold them off with her iron pots and pans cursing them until they calmly explained who they were. He shook his head remembering when he took her the neurologists and they told them her mind was perfectly intact no alzheimers present; but they had no explanation for the memory loss, paranoia or aggression. He even went to a psych ward wondering if she had been getting the beginnings of schizophrenia but upon evaluating her they provided no schizophrenia was present but high amounts of anxiety. Reid remembered it had been 2 years since that day that he thought of moving back. He thought coming home to care for his mother had seemed like the most reasonable solution.
"Don't worry about me", his mother's voice had cooed over the phone, "I am better now." He didn't believe her but after speaking with her a little more he realized she did sound better, she even noted, "You need to make sure you take care of your children dear. They only have you now after what happened to Elaine. Those two kids need consistency and not to be uprooted at the first sign of trouble. I can take care of myself. It's you and those kids I worry about." She hadn't remembered who Elaine had been for years.
"Dear I told you I am better now, now I need to be off somewhere in a jif so you quit worrying ya hear?" His mother didn't even wait for a reply all he heard was a click and the dial tone.
Reid decided he needed to confirm this for himself and drove into Chester the very next day. Reid pulled up the gravel path and turned off his car in front of her house. She was gardening in the front, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She stood up and turned towards him with a big smile.
"Dear you came to visit", He spotted a small creature by her legs bearing its teeth eyeing him wearily, "Oh Cornelius knock it off", she stroked the small red fox who looked up at her and gave her a quick lick on the nose.
"Cornelius?" Reid had kneeled down on his knees and examined the fox. It watched him back. Reid had a uneasy feeling as the eyes of the fox took him in , "when did you get him?"
Reid had straightened up as his mother handed him a the bundle of roses, "For Rosa?" His mother simply nodded in her own way answering, "Rosa!" He called out to his daughter. Rosalie Whittier appeared from the car and moved towards them her auburn hair shimmering in the sunlight.
"To answer your question. He actually came to my doorstep one day, he was limping out of the woods", she paused dropping below the fox stroking behind the animal's ears, "I just couldn't turn him away." The fox's eyes focused on Rosa and it slowly circled her sniffing as it moved about, "Seems like he's taken a liking to you Rosa", the fox put its paw on her foot and looked up. Rosa looked down at the fox its black beady eyes focusing solely on her. She felt the hair on her arms prick up in alarm she couldn't help but notice how human his eyes appeared.
