In Fox's Jaws - TICCI TOBY

Chapter One - Predator

The pale moonlight streamed through my open window, enveloping me in a warm white glow. My fragile left hand caressed over my right, feigning the feeling of another. My heart sank as I replicated the feeling of another person touching me, so delicate and light; I missed it so. My partner recently broke up with me, and I was devastated. They were my everything, my lifeblood, my heart and soul. I had nothing to live for anymore, my life seemingly broken in two. My hand ran down my arm, slowly grazing over the healed cuts in my arm, jutting out like caterpillars. My mind began to wander back to when I had gotten them, but I shook the thought away, not wanting to return to that dark place.

Slowly but surely, wrapped in the moonlight, I began to drift to sleep, my thoughts becoming mushy and light. I was about to go to the one place no one could hurt me, that is, before I heard a slight tapping at my window. Reflexively, I shot up like a rabbit under the watchful eye of a predator, my ears perked up awaiting the slightest of sounds. I suppose you could say I'm a bit paranoid, but I guess that's an understatement. My eyes fixed on the window, I scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary, yet, found nothing, just the stars and moon greeting me to my utter relief. I hesitantly laid back down, muttering to myself about how it would be hard to get to sleep after that little episode.

'I just want some sleep, I want to escape from this world for a bit, even if it is in vain.' I thought to myself quietly, the voice in my head slurred and raspy. Things were looking up for my hopes of rest, until I heard the sliding of my window, the cold air instantly hitting my exposed and frail form. I clenched up in response, shivering almost immediately. I quickly turned and looked at my window, the cold air rushing in with vile ferocity.

That's when I first saw him, that masked man at the edge of my bed, hands clenched into fists, seemingly in anger. My heartbeat skyrocketed in terror, mind racing, wondering what I could have done to inherit his wrath. I wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out of my mouth. I was completely and utterly exposed, like a deer in the headlights. I couldn't quite make out what was on his mask, but it obscured his face entirely.

His goggles were tinted yellow, making it impossible to make out his eyes in the faint lighting. The fabric around his mouth had a pattern on it, reminding me of a fox's long and slender teeth, ready to sink in the supple flesh of its prey.

Immediately my mind came up with several options, with the most promising being either flight or fight. He was much too big for me to fight, and I was shaking so violently I doubt it would be hard to catch me. My reflexes, as refined as they may be, leave me spastic and uncontrollable. I decided my best option would be to just... sit and wait until I got an opening to hopefully come up with some distraction.

"Y/N...." He muttered, his deep voice penetrating my ears, sending a shiver down my spine. How did he know my name? I was shaking like a leaf, about to fall. I could hear the thumping of my heart in my ears, blood and adrenaline rushing through my frozen body.

"H-How do you know my name? Who are you?" I stuttered out, like meek prey before my predator, voice shaky and weak. He just looked at me for a while, our eyes locked in somewhat of a staring contest, then he spoke.

"You're much c-cuter close up." He growled, a stutter finding its way up his throat.

"Wh-What?"

"I said," He slammed his hands onto my bed, covers responding in ripples. He bowed his head, twitched his neck to the side, before raising up to look me in the eyes once again, "You're much cuter close up".

Has this freak been watching me? My mind began to race with possibility, but I wasn't allowed much time to dwell before he began approaching me, arms outspread in preparation. He wasn't holding a weapon, but I wasn't about to dismiss his glove-clad fists. I squeaked pathetically, like a rabbit between a fox's jaws, and began to back further into the wall behind me. He didn't seem phased by my response, and wrapped his arms around me in tight embrace. I stood there shocked for a few moments, paralyzed with fear and confusion.

"You smell so good too... I wanna k-keep you." He whispered in my ear, a shiver rolling its way down my spine along with the graze of his gloved fingertips. At this point I wasn't sure if I was shaking in fear or in the cold, but my body didn't seem to care which was more prevalent.

Then, in one swift motion, he scooped me up, hands wrapping around my shoulder and underneath my hips, cradling me like a wounded animal. If it wasn't for the fact I was being kidnapped, such a moment would have been sweet, being held by another, feeling their warmth.

I began to panic, shaking such needy thoughts away, deciding to focus on how I could escape. I opened my mouth to scream, hoping something would come out, but to no avail. All I could muster was another meek fucking squeak.

I hate myself. I'm so pathetic and weak, I'm being kidnapped and I'm just letting it happen. At that moment, I decided I wasn't going to just throw my life away like that, even if I did hate it. He moved his hand to my mouth to cover it as he made his way to the window again, and with all the force in my jaw I could muster, bit down. I tore into his flesh with everything I had. The sickening bitter taste of leather hit my tongue, and I realized in that moment, what a mistake I had made.

"Aw princess, b-biting my hand? I have gloves for a reason, -hgh- you know." He chuckled, another stutter cutting up his sentences, yet not stopping until he reached the window. My body was enveloped in a cold sweat, still shaking heavily.

"If you're going to be this much trouble the whole way there, I suppose I'll have to put you to sleep for a while." He removed his hand from my shoulders, forcing me to cling to his navy-beige striped jacket to avoid dropping on my head. Before I knew it, he covered my mouth again with a rag, and like that, eyes wide and fixed on the moon, everything went black.