Chapter 5

Whitebrook castle

Amelia Saumoux

The next day after yesterday's break-in, Grandfather got the security cameras and he began to install them when I left this morning. Today, my class and I are taking a field trip to Whitebrook castle and thank the gods that it's during the day this time and not at night. I sat next to Sarah as we headed to the castle on the coach and I still can't shake the feeling that I'm still being watched.

"Sarah, is there anyone around here that looks suspicious to you?"

Sarah looked around and she said to me.

"No, why?"

"Ever since that little trip we took the last time to the castle, I can't shake the feeling that someone is stalking me."

"Ooh~" Sarah teased while I smacked her shoulder. "Ow!"

"It's not funny, I'm being serious. It's starting to freak me out, this has never happened to me before."

"All right, all right, sorry. Do you know who it could be?"

"No idea, that's why I need you to stick me with like glue at all times. Understand?"

"Understood."

Sarah spoke with a smile on her face. We got to the castle and once we got to the castle, the tour guide let us in the castle and I was thankful it looks less spooky than the last time we came here.

"Now pay attention class, for this lesson we're going to look around the castle and you're all going to find different spots to sketch the castle. You choose to draw inside the castle or outside of it but, remember? stay away from the danger zones, they're off-limits and you are forbidden to go anywhere near them. We don't want none of you to have an accident while we're here, isn't that right, Ryan?"

Ryan jumped in fright when the teacher called him and he chuckled nervously while the rest of us laughed at him. Sarah and I stuck together while we wandered through the castle to find a spot to start our drawings and we eventually found a spot. We were in the castle gardens. We sat down on the bench and we started drawing.

I kept taking glances at the garden and I sketched my version of the castle garden since it looked ruined with the weeds and dead flowers.

"It's sad isn't it?" I spoke up.

"What is?" Sarah asked me while we continued to draw.

"This place was once a beautiful castle filled with life and they had a king to rule it all. But, when he vanished, it fell into ruin and as for the people who lived here, they didn't know what to do. They abandoned this place and it fell into ruin."

"Well, that's how the legend goes, Amelia. Sometimes we can't stay in one place that we call home and when the time comes, we have to move on."

I looked at Sarah surprised and she looked sad for some reason. I stopped sketching and I asked her.

"Sarah, is there something you're not telling me?"

Sarah knew that I was able to read her emotions like a book and then she sighed sadly. She puts down on her sketch pad and she looked at me straight in the eye.

"Amelia...I'm moving to another city."

My eyes widen in shock and I asked her.

"What?! why?!"

"Remember when I told you that I applied to the art school in Canada? well, I received their letter today and I got in. After I graduate from college, I'll be moving to Ontario."

I didn't know what to say to her. A part of me was sad that my best and childhood friend was moving away from me and I'll never see her again but, the other part of me was happy for her.

"Sarah, I honestly don't know what to say, that's great news."

"I know it is but, I don't want to leave you alone. We've been like sisters since we were kids."

"I'm not alone though, I've got my grandparents and as my grandmother once told me. Someday I will find that special someone who will love me."

Sarah smiled at me and then she pulls me into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you so much."

"Me too."

We pulled away from each other and we both smiled sadly. Just then, I heard someone kicking a stone on the ground. I stood up from the bench and I shouted.

"Who's there?!"

Sarah looked around and she said to me.

"I don't see anyone, maybe you were hearing things."

"I wasn't, I heard something."

"You're being paranoid."

Sarah commented until we heard the bushes rustling.

"Who's there?!" I called out to them.

Sarah also heard the bushes rustling and then she told me.

"Relax, it's probably a fox or a bird."

I watched Sarah approach the bushes and then she squealed when something jumped on top of her and caused her to fall onto the floor.

"What is it, Sarah?!" I shouted at her.

The little creature that had pounced on her was a fox. It has white fur with a gold crescent moon on its forehead and for some reason, it has twin tails.

"Is that...a fox?" I asked with a shocked tone.

The little fox looked at me and then the fox ran over to me before leaping into my arms. I caught the little fox in time and then it climbed onto my shoulder and started to rub it's head against my cheek making me giggle.

"Well, you're a friendly one, aren't you little guy."

Sarah stood up and she wiped the dirt off her clothes and she said to me.

"He wasn't friendly when he pounced on me but still, I've never seen a baby fox with two tails before. Where do you think he came from?"

Sarah asked me as she gently ran her fingers over the fox's head.

"I don't know, but, he is kinda cute though."

"What are you gonna do with him? he's attached to you."

"Hmm...I don't know. I guess I'll have to take him home and show him to Grandfather, maybe he can tell me more about this twin-tailed fox. He might be one of those mythical creatures that used to exist before the Whitebrook King turned into a dragon."

"Sounds like a plan, but, you better hide him before anyone else sees him."

I nodded my head and then we got our stuff together. I opened my bag and I told the little fox.

"Come on, little guy, in you go."

The twin-tailed fox looked at me confused and then I smiled at him.

"Don't worry, it's only until we get home after the trip is over. We can't let anyone else see you and take you away from me."

The little fox understood this and then he hopped into my bag. I zipped up my bag but, I left it open a little so the little fox can breathe and he can poke his head out so he can see.

"Come on, let's get going."

Sarah told me before we left the gardens to find our teacher and our classmates. After field trip was over and done with, I headed home with my new friend.

I got back to the house without having to fear about my stalker and then the little fox poked his head out of my bag.

"Like what you see?" I asked him before he climbed out of my bag and sitting on my shoulder.

Just then, Grandfather came down the stairs and he looked at my new friend.

"Hello, Amelia, who's your new friend?"

"Believe it or not, this little guy is a twin-tailed fox and I found him in the castle. I didn't know where his mother or his siblings are and he's clearly attached to me."

The fox purred a little as he rubbed his head against my cheek. I smiled at the little fox and then Grandfather petted him too.

"A Twin-tailed fox huh? I remember reading seeing a picture of this somewhere before, hang on."

Grandfather walked away from me and then he approached the bookcase before he got a book. It was a red book and the title said 'Encyclopedia of Orion's historic creatures'. Grandfather opened it and he flipped a few pages and then he smiled a little.

"Ah-ha! found it," Grandfather showed me the page and I read it out loud.

The twin-tailed Foxes are a special breed that originated from Japan. Some of them are known to have nine tails instead of two but the twin tails are a special breed. The twin-tailed foxes are small but, they were used to make great pets for the royal families and they were very loyal to them. They're known to have a certain colour on their fur.

The most common fur colours are usually golden-blonde and they have a black full moon on their foreheads but the rare colours are the black twin-tailed foxes who have a golden half-moon on their foreheads and the white twin-tailed foxes are white and they have a blue crescent moon on their foreheads.

"So that's what you are?" I asked the fox and it licked my face.

I laughed a little and then I held the fox in my arms.

"I don't get it though, if these guys existed during the cursed King's time, then how is it this little guy is still around? Now that think about..." I took a closer look at the twin-tailed fox and I realised something.

"I feel like I've seen this guy somewhere before."

"I think I know where," Grandfather told me as he showed the picture of the King and he has the same white twin-tailed fox in his arms.

"Oh, so the Whitebrook King did have a twin-tailed fox, you guys are loyal to them aren't you?" I spoke with a smile.

The twin-tailed fox purred at me before he climbed onto my shoulder and sitting on top of my head.

"Hahaha!! he likes you. Where did you say you found him?"

"I found him in the castle gardens, why?"

"Well, if you found the little guy there, then there's a chance there could be more of them, how about we head back to the castle tomorrow? it is the weekend after all."

"Sounds great to me, Grandfather. Now as for you little guy..." I picked him up off my head and I looked at those cute blue eyes. "I'll need to come up with a name for you until we find your family, how about...Aoi?"

Aoi seemed to like that name when he perked up his ears and wagging his twin tails.

"I think he likes that name, how did you come up with it?"

"Simple, the Japanese language gave me inspiration and Aoi means blue and since this little guy has a blue crescent moon and shiny blue eyes, it makes sense to call him that."

"Excellent observation but, keep him out of your Grandmother's sight. You know what her allergies are like when it comes to pets."

I nodded my head in agreement before heading back upstairs with Aoi in my arms. Once I got back to my room, I got changed into my PJs and I got under the covers.

"Night Aoi, see you in the morning."

I switched off the lamp on the bedside table and I fell asleep with Aoi curled up next to me.