The Flute:
Shortie by Lone Wolf

~Come in out of the darkness...~

	It was a beautiful spring day. The perfect weather to just sit under a
tree and enjoy a picnic lunch. That's exactly what the young fox decided to
do that day. She packed herself a meal and a little extra, just in case she
ran into her friends. The spot for her meal, she chose, was the old apple
tree, whose blossoms were always beautiful. It was the best place to enjoy
herself.

	She polished the meal off quickly, disregarding any and all manners.
Nobody was around, so it didn't matter if she acted like a proper woman or a 
total slob. She set her stuff aside and leaned back on the tree, wrapping
her soft, bushy tail around herself. She took a deep breath. The sweet smell
of the apple blossoms filled her nose, giving her a sense of peace. She 
closed her eyes and listened to the wind.

	But there was something else on the wind. It was a soft music, 
probably that of a flute. What was strange, though, was it seemed like it 
was close. She pulled herself from her comfortable seat and looked around.
She could see nobody else. Curious, as well as a little fearful, she peered
around the tree.

	Sitting there, with a small, wood flute in hand, was another fox. He
wore a simple, blue tunic, whitish canvas pants, and boots. His glasses sat
on the edge of his nose, threatening to fall off at the slightest gust of
wind. She blushed a little as soon as she realized she was checking him out,
but chose not to disturb him as he played. She listened quietly as he 
continued the enchanting melody. And when he finished, she started to clap.
"That was wonderful," she told him.
	He smiled and fixed his glasses. "I suppose you've been listening to
me play all this time."
	"Yes. I didn't know that you were there, however. I only came to enjoy
a small picnic lunch."
	He licked his lips. "Hmm...you wouldn't happen to have a spare 
sandwich or something."
	"I'm not sure..."
	"I'd gladly continue playing if you could give me something to munch
on. I haven't had anything to eat in a while."
	She smiled and, remembering the spare food she kept in case she ran
into friends, pulled a sandwich from her basket and gave it to the stranger.
He smiled and ate it hurridly, not bothering to savor the taste. He took a
few more minutes to let it settle in his stomach before taking the flute up
again. He put it to his lips, put his fingers on the appropriate holes, and
blew out a few random notes. She giggled. "Not bad."
	He smiled. "I'm just warming up. So sue me." He puffed out a few more
notes before readying himself.He took a deep breath and started to play. The
melody was as enchanting as the last one. It wove a soothing blanket over
her. Again, she wrapped herself up in her tail and listened. The song seemed
to tell a tale. It made no sense, but at the same time, was the greatest
story ever told. The song, coupled with the beautiful weather and the scent
of the apple blossoms, lulled her to sleep.

	She woke up again around evening. The sun was just setting. She yawned
and got up. "Thank you for the wonderful afternoon," she said. But there was
no response. The flute player was gone. She sighed and picked up her things,
ready to head home. But, as she lifted her basket, she found a note. 
Figuring the stranger left it, she took it up to read. 
	"I come here whenever the weather is nice," it read. "Thank you for 
the meal. -Renard." 
	She smiled and looked at the sky. The red of the sunset intermingled 
with the clouds, forming a beautiful scene. "I guess that I'll have to come
here more often then." She smiled and left for home, wondering if the 
weather would be nice tomorrow. Perhaps, she hoped, she would get to hear
that wonderful flute again.