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Emma’s phone rang repeatedly on the coffee table and Jake picked it up. “Beloved, someone is calling you.”
“What?” she yelled from the bedroom.
“Your phone. Some strange number keeps calling it.” He yelled back looking at the strange number until it stopped. Then a voicemail appeared on the screen.
“I will be out soon! My password is my favorite color.”
With a few taps on the phone’s keyboard, Jake opened it and played the voicemail.
“Emma! What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you block my number? Have you lost your mind? And what was that sh!t about him taking you to that restaurant? Thanks to you, I had to cancel my reservations there and pay a huge bill! Besides, how much money does that asshole make to take you there? I understand that you are trying to make me jealous but embarrassing me with that stunt is enough!”
“Whatever! If you don’t want me to make you pay me for canceling the reservation I had made at that restaurant, make things right between us and meet me at ‘Masturbates Hotel’ on the Eastside of town. Don’t keep me waiting and make sure you have my Christmas present with you. I promise to wear it this time.”
Jake tightened his grip on Emma’s phone as anger seethed through his veins. ‘How dare she? The little b!tch! Who is she to talk to my darling like that?'
“Okay, I am all set,” Emma announced but stopped when she noticed him glaring at her phone. “Who called?”
He looked back at her with a frown. “A stranger. I told ‘him’ he had the wrong number.” then he placed the electronic device into his pocket. “You don’t need to look at it.”
Confused, she studied him for a while and looked at her overnight bag. “Are you sure this is all need for the trip?”
He nodded and led her out of the apartment. Julia heard a door close and tripped over her shoes trying in an attempt to go to the door. However, when she tried opening the door it was locked.
“What the…Hey! Emma!” she struggled but failed to open it. “Emma wait! Where are you going? Emma!”
Outside the door, Emma noticed the bolt locks screwed outside Julia’s door and looked back at Jake who shrugged in response.
“Aren’t you going to get into trouble because of this?” she asked.
He shushed her. “They won’t know it was me.”
Once they were on the street, Jake helped her strap her overnight bag firmly to her then took a step back, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, a bright light appeared forcing her to close her eyes. Then she felt someone grab her and the wind on her face but when she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the sun and fluffy clouds which caused her to panic.
“Beloved it's okay,” Jake whispered.
Upon hearing his voice, she calmed down, wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked at him. Then she noticed the pair of huge black angel-like wings flapping behind him.
“Wow!” she gasped.
He chuckled, flapping his wings faster, and started flying towards the south. As they flew, he took a glance at her who was still in awe at the breathtaking view below them until they locked eyes. Red-faced, she looked away and he looked towards the horizon.
“Where are we going?” she asked again.
“You will see,” he replied.
As they drew closer to the beautiful mountain, a village appeared underneath it. Emma marveled at the scenic forest surrounding the village coated in a blanket of snow creating an enchanting landscape and when they landed at the entrance, a few foxes bolted away in the snow.
“Welcome to the Fox Village,” Jake gestured to their surroundings. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
She looked around the buildings and the open-air enclosures in amazement until she spotted three red foxes staring at them from the horizon. Excited, she crouched down and the foxes trotted towards her. One of them and flopped to the ground exposing its belly and she proceeded to rub its belly causing the rest to beg her for it. As they played with the foxes, one of the park workers noticed and approached them.
“It seems like they liked you already.” She said.
Emma recognized that voice and looked up from the foxes. “Ying?”
The brunette-haired lady with brown eyes, pale skinned with a freckled face wearing a red kimono smiled back at her. “Hello, Emma. Oh are you guys dating now?”
The grin on Jake's face gave her mixed feelings as she looked at him.
“Ah, I knew it. I knew you guys would end up together,” she said pointing at them. “I knew it!”
“You did?” Emma asked.
Ying chuckled and gave a nod. “Yep. He used to come by the Daycare during the weekend to help out. At first, I thought he was some creep until I discovered he was a pretty nice guy. Not to mention he was really good with kids. Husband material right here.”
Emma’s POV
Despite feeling warm and cozy in the winter jacket he bought for me I felt a chill up my spine. However, I pushed it away and warp my arms around his arm, and placed my head on his shoulder.
“Yep. Husband material.” I replied with a wry smile.
The foxes playful giggles drew our attention and we chuckled at them.
“Why don’t you come in?” Ying asked thumbing toward the building. “I can help you guys book a room in our inn.”
Jake nodded and we followed her into the village. The buildings inside the village were Japanese-styled buildings with a few modern facilities. Ying led us to one of the inns and after speaking with the owner she took us to one of the rooms.
“Here,” she announced opening the door. “This is one of our best rooms. I hope you like it.”
The room was similar to the room at the Hot Spring Hotel but it looked less expensive and had a cozy speak to it.
“I love it. I really love it.” I said with a warm smile.
At this, Ying clapped her hands together which was a usual habit of hers and grinned. “Well, I will leave you guys to settle in. If you need me, I will be waiting for you in the inn’s lobby.”
“Okay,” Jake reolied as I dropped the overnight bag on the floor. As I folded our things and placed them in the cupboard, my mind wandered to the incident that took place in the kindergarten I worked in some times back, and found myself sighing at the memories.
‘I would never do such a thing. Never.’
“Beloved?” a pair of arms snaked around my shoulders. “Are you alright?”
I looked at him and forced a smile. “I am fine. Do you want to see the foxes?”
He nodded and we left the room to see Ying who took us to one of the open-air enclosures. Despite the thick blanket of snow, red, grey, and white foxes appeared, and couldn’t help but laugh along with them as we pet them and rubbed their bellies.
“Aww! They are so cute!” I squealed as one licked my face.
Ying chuckled and turned to Jake who was surrounded by grey foxes. "They seem to like him very much. The grey ones are usually the really shy ones.”
As I pry one away from me, I notice a pair of blue eyes staring in my direction. Squinting my eyes to get a better look, I realize it was a silver fox which blinked back and bounded away into the snow.
“Ying, do you have silver foxes here?”
She shook her head. “No, we don’t. White foxes are very rare here.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” we heard Jake yell and we turned to see him surrounded by a pack of foxes trying to jump on him while he was holding a bag of food from their reach. “Hey! Stop!”
The foxes refused to give up. One circled behind his legs and laid down while the rest pounced on him, knocking him to the ground. A fox quickly snatched the bag and bounded to the hills with the rest trailing behind it.
“Jake?” I run over to him. “Are you alright?”
He spluttered a bit and shook the snow from his hair. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
“I am so sorry,” Ying apologized as I helped him up. “They can be quite cheeky sometimes.”
“I am not surprised. They are one of the most intelligent creatures in the world after all.” He replied while dusting the snow from his winter coat.
“Come. I will show you the other facilities we have.” She turned and led the way to a beautiful garden styled in ancient architecture. There were no cherry blossom trees but the Japanese maples made up for it with their twisty branch structures, colorful twigs, and seed pods.
“Wow! I didn’t know these trees could still look beautiful in the winter,” Jake marveled.
“Yep. They still look beautiful in the winter but they are gorgeous during the spring season.” Ying replied as we walked on the bridge built over the crystal icy river. “But there are some trees that still keep their green leaves during the winter.”
“Like that one?” I ask pointing at one of the trees whose green foliage was covered in snow.
Ying nodded and we crossed the bridge to the other part of the garden where the smell of warm food filled the air. There were people sitting on the silver chairs and tables eating or drinking and some were sitting down on a huge swing. The smell of food was coming from the two shacks surrounded by people.
“Here is our Relaxation Area,” she said. “We normally release the foxes to the patrons here but it was deemed unsanitary so we stopped.”
‘She didn’t need to tell us that,’ I thought silently salivating at the smell of barbecue meat.
“And up ahead, is the bamboo forest.” She said pointing to the path which was surrounded by bamboo. “It’s a shame you didn’t come during the spring or summer time. They look so beautiful.”
I looked at the path and smirked silently because it looked like a nice place to hide and a good place to get lost in. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the thought aside and we continued our tour around the place. There were different kinds of fox enclosures, huge fish ponds, and gardens. Unlike the Japanese Hotspring which was basically a huge meadow with bridges, cherry blossom trees, ponds filled with lotus flowers, and huge koi fish this garden was decorated with maple trees, stone pathways, pavilions, tea shops, and little foxes statures.
“What is that?” Jake asked.
“These are the kitsune statues,” Ying explained. “Legend has it that before humanity, Kitsune once ruled this land until a great war happened forcing them to leave their home. However, some stayed behind to fight for their homeland.”
The story sounded interesting. “What happened after that?”
“They lost.” Ying sighed in dismay. “When the survivors returned, they put up these statues to honor them.”
‘The great Kitsune war.’
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’
“But other stories suggest that the kitsune statues were placed here to ward off evil spirits or bring peace to wandering souls and what collaborates the story is the fact patrons see floating light orbs surrounding the statues.” Then she shrugged again. “I have been here for half a year and haven’t seen anything like that.”
I raise an eyebrow and look back at the statues that stared back at me with stone eyes.
“But you are sure you don’t have silver foxes here,” I ask again.
She shook her head and immediately left us to enjoy the facilities. It was cold so we walked straight to the pavilion where we were served green tea which warmed us up and explored the garden. Like I said it wasn’t much but I still marveled at the winter scene which offered a serene and minimalistic beauty blending in nature and man-made facilities. Unfortunately, we couldn’t explore more because it was getting cold. So we went back to the inn, took a shower, and settled down to sleep. That is until I opened my eyes to the blast of cold air and watched Jake shutting our room door with a slam.
The next day, we decided to take a look around the village apart from its main attraction. Most of the buildings still looked like that of the ancient times and most of the villagers were dressed in kimonos or kamishimonos complete with getas which made loud sounds as they made contact with the stone path. There were no modern vehicles and the horses dragging the carts indicate the village was still holding on to the ancient times.
“This place is very beautiful,” I said as we walked around.
He smiled. “I am glad you like it, Beloved.”
I smiled back hiding and we continued to walk until we reached the middle of the village where a huge statue of a huge fox spirit with six tails was placed. Underneath the statue was an inscription which read;
‘TO THE ONE WHO SAVED OUR LAND.141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyiyOe86zi
YOUR SACRIFICE WILL NEVER BE IN141Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjONM2mlJc
VAIN.’
‘Yes. It will never be in vain.’
‘I have a feeling you are more than my inner voice.’
‘You have no idea.’
As if on cue Jake patted me on the back and led me towards the market. Despite the fact it was winter, there was little sunlight and vendors called out to customers to buy their wares.
“Fresh fruits for the winter!”
“Medicinal herbs to cure the common cold.”
“I have the best fabrics for the most beautiful dresses!”
“Charms to attract you to your soul mate! Buy them before New Year's Eve!”
“Umm, Jake?”
“Yes, Beloved?” He answered looking directly at me.
I bat my eyes at him. “Do you mind if I go and buy something for you?”
An excited smile appeared on his face. “What do you want to buy for me? Is it a surprise?”
I narrowed my eyes at him and bopped his nose. “Nope!”
He laughed and tipped my chin up. “Don’t worry. I also have a surprise waiting for you too.”
Despite the dubious tone in his voice, I forced a smile and nod. “Great! Let’s meet at the statue when we are done okay?”
He nodded back and I watched him walk away before disappearing into the crowd of patrons. My wandering eyes caught sight of a stall selling strange liquids and objects.
“Welcome! Welcome child!” the vendor who was a toothy old lady wearing ragged clothing greeted. “Do you want to buy a potion?”
‘Potions?’ I look at the objects and recall that they look eerily similar to the bottles Regina was selling back at home. Picking up a bottle holding a yellow liquid, I put it down and picked up a purple bottle.
“What is this?” I ask.
The lady smiled and started describing her wares. “The one in your hand increases your life span and quickly heals you. The pink bottle can help anyone you like fall in love but with disastrous consequences. The blue one unlocks your hidden power and the rest are just charms.”
“Don’t listen to her!” a vendor yelled. “She is crazy!”
“You are the one to talk you stupid idiot!” the old woman spat before turning to me. “So what will it be young lady?”
“What do the charms do?” I ask curiously.
“Oh. They are just protective charms, charms that help increase your spirit power and charms to bring you back to life if you die.” Then she laced her hands together while flashing her toothy grin. “Not like you believe in that stuff do you child?”
I wasn’t sure if this lady was lying to me but I picked up one of the necklaces and noticed a surge of power go through my body. However, this caused me some sort of pain in my lower back.
“I know what is going on.”
I stop wincing, look back at the woman, and jump out of my skin. The old woman had turned into a red kitsune with short auburn hair and eyes wearing a red kimono. Her mysterious sexual aura only increased with her realistic predatory golden eyes and a mysterious tattoo stretching from her neck to her face.
“I know you are cursed by someone.” She continued while standing up and parting away a curtain. “Do you want to meet me now or later?”
Still shocked, I look around for a while and nod. “Do you mind if I see you later?”
The creature nodded before reaching out to grab my hand and place an object in it. “This will help you reach me wherever you are. Okay?”
I nod again and quickly place the object in my pocket before walking away. I get to a stall selling shoes and clothes and after buying him some outfits for the winter, summer, and spring, I head to the blacksmiths to see what they have.
“Hi!” I chirp holding out the bags to him. “I bought you something. I hope you like it.”
Seeing the smile on his face created a sense of guilt in me but I ignored it and handed him the bags. Then we walked back to the inn to see what we bought for each other.
“This is like Christmas morning when my family and I wake up and exchange gifts.” I took off my shoes but when I turned to look at him there was sadness in his eyes. “Jake?”
A smile slowly evolved on his face as tears flowed down his eyes. “Actually, this is the first time I am celebrating Christmas.” He sniffed. “It warms my heart to think this is actually happening. A perfect holiday where no one is fighting or arguing.”
His words pricked my heart and I suddenly felt guilty for meeting that creature. Still reeling with mixed emotions, I closed the distance between us and hugged him.
“It's okay,” I say. “You don’t have to feel this way.”
I feel his arms wrap around my waist. “Is it because you are here?”
I nod and he hugs me tighter.
“Thank you.” He released me. “Thank you so much, Beloved.”
Now my feeling of guilt increased and it was harder to shove it at the back of my mind but I managed to do that.
“So, do you want to exchange gifts before the big day?” I ask.
Jake grinned. “No. Let’s exchange it during the big day!”
I nod again. “Alright!”
Third POV
Over the next few days, Emma and Jake enjoyed themselves in the magic the Village provided to them. They had their meals at the star restaurants and food stalls and took long walks around the garden while dressed in dazzling kimonos, playing with foxes and taking pictures of themselves in the most scenic areas. Jake showed his artistic skills by painting her with watercolors and Emma demonstrated her skills by playing the violin and doing the fan dance which got a round of applause from passersby.
Then Christmas Day arrived and dressed in festive outfits, the couple bore witness to the beautiful scene the village gave them. It was transformed into a magical wonderland with buildings decorated with festive ornaments and hand-crafted origami cranes. Their star creatures; the foxes were honored by handcrafted designs made of paper or glass or kites which the children flew. Colorful lanterns swayed gently casting a warm glow on the snow-covered ground and gentle melodies filled the air.
The couple indulged themselves in the festivities by learning origami and calligraphy, flying their kites, and sharing a huge meal with the villagers listening to them exchange heartfelt stories about their lives and laughing. At dusk, everyone gathered at the makeshift stage to watch the talent show. There, drama and music were performed by both children and adults but the couple stole the show by performing a martial arts dance using swords and fans earning a standing ovation from the villagers.
This went on until the evening and soaking in the hot waters of the secluded hot springs, Emma and Jake marveled at the breathtaking view of the fireworks display that illuminated the night sky.
“Wow!” she gasped in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
Jake wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her neck. “I know.”
Surprisingly, she turned to face him and with a beautiful smile on her face, she kissed him. “Merry Christmas Jake.”
Blushing madly, he hugged her tight. “Merry Christmas Beloved.”
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