The Fox, the Mistletoe, and the Pomegranate

1

The Pomegranate

The girl stood frozen on the threshold of a forest; her small blue jacket blended with the darkening sky. She could almost hear the whisper of the scrutinizing trees, warning her to stay away. A thick white mist settled on the girl’s slick, shivering skin. “Hammond!” the child’s voice carried before her, but the silent fog snuffed it out. “Hammond! You can come out now!” the child called once again. There was no answer. She took a wet, deep breath and stepped forward, swallowed by the mist.

A thorny thicket scratched at her legs as she struggled to see through the fog. She winced at the wailing calls whispering to her from behind the trees. She arrived in a glade where a single dead tree grew low to the ground, covered in scars. A red fruit hung from the wilting branches.

“Kora! Where’ve you been? You were supposed to come in after me. What, were you scared?” A boy dressed in a school uniform called from within the tree.

“No, Hammond, I wasn’t. I’m just not dumb, like you,” Kora lied.

“What’s being dumb got to do with it?” Hammond said, hanging upside down by his legs.

“That’s something only a dumb person would say. I wanna go, my dad’s gonna be worried,” Kora said.

“That’s somethin’ only a scared person would say. We could make a fort here. It’s in a place no one else would know. All the best forts are in secret places.” Hammond jumped down from the tree and scoured the ground for materials, he found nothing.

“Name one,” Kora said.

“I can’t. They’re all a secret,” Hammond said pulling at one of the tree branches to bring the red fruit within his reach.

“You just made that up. You liar. I’m leaving before my dad gets mad at me again for being late.” Kora turned around and walked away, but in her frustration with Hammond, forgot where she came from. No obvious path revealed itself in the dim glow that hung around the trees.

Hammond pulled the fruit from the old tree and jumped up in excitement. “Got it!” A deep rumbling sounded from the ground beneath him. Unperturbed, Hammond tore open the fruit and examined the seeds, before tossing them into his mouth.

“H-how do I get back?” Kora asked, her eyes wide and legs trembling. A soft, sweet scent tickled her nose, but soon vanished within the stench of a dying forest.

“Just go back to the road,” Hammond tore a handful of seeds from the fruit’s innards. Silence loomed over the children, not even the buzzing of insects permeated the mists.

“Let’s go, I’m scared. I don’t want to stay anymore,” Kora said.

“This is normal, it’s always like this. Here have some fruit, it tastes really good,” Hammond said, red juice spilling from his mouth.

“How do you know? You’ve never been here before?”

“I just do. Trust me.”

“Fine, but only if you tell me how to get back.”

“Sure, whatever.”

Kora walked over to Hammond and swiped the fruit from his hand. It radiated in the light of the forest, the sweet smell of the fruit invoked a rumbling in Kora’s stomach. Saliva pooled in her mouth. She plucked out a few seeds and ate them. The seeds burst and filled her mouth with a sweet, delicious liquid. Kora’s tongue tingled with satisfaction until the wailing cry whispering through the wood bloomed into a symphony of screams. Hammond looked unaware of the sounds.

“I’m not staying Hammond, come with me now, or just stay behind!” Kora stomped off in the direction she thought led to the road, grasping the fruit in her hands.

“How many times you gonna say that? Just go, scaredy cat! And that’s the wrong way. It’s that way.” Hammond said, pointing to the other side of the glade.

Kora took Hammond’s advice and left him behind. As she walked deeper into the fog a deafening quiet overtook the wails. Though, as the fog thinned the wails resumed their hellish tune. The song played, as Kora ran between the trees, gasping for breath in the wet air and her legs bleeding from the thorned brush, until it blossomed into a symphony of screeching.

Then Kora stepped out of the mist and onto the calm, quiet road. Crickets chirped, frogs croaked, and the leaves rustled in the wind. Kora looked around, her breathing labored, and then sat down on the cool grass, partly obscured by the haze. The sun sparkled over the trees and greeted Kora with a pleasant warmth. A car drove toward her. It stopped in front of Kora and the passenger door opened.

“Kora, it’s time to go,” the driver said, he was a large man with slick wavy brown hair.

“Okay, dad,” Kora said, climbing into the car. Kora’s father put the car into drive and released the brake.

“Wait!” Kora cried out. “Hammond went into the forest and he was following me out. He’s not here yet. We have to wait for him.”

Kora’s dad sighed and put the car back into park, “I don’t have time to wait around for your friend. If he got himself mixed up in those godforsaken trees, then he can find his own way out.”

“But daddy, we can’t leave him. It’s not safe out here and it’ll be dark soon.” Kora kicked her feet back and forth and crossed her arms over her chest. Her father sighed again.

“Fine, which way did he go? I’ll get him back here.”

“No, you can’t go after him… He’ll be here.” Kora avoided her dad’s eyes and tucked her feet into the bottom of the seat, tightening her arms against her body.

“What happened, Kora?”

“Nothing… I just don’t like those trees.”

“Okay,” her dad relented and leaned back. He placed a hand on Kora’s head and stroked her hair. “How long do we have to wait?”

“5 minutes. He’ll come out,” Kora said. Just then a small boy with bright red hair stumbled out of the mist. His clothes covered in dirt and his chin stained red.

“Hammond!” Kora yelled. “Get in the car, you dummy!” Hammond walked toward Kora, his chest puffed, and head held high.

“See, I told ya it was nothing, you’re such a scaredy cat, Kora,” Hammond said.

“That’s a bold thing to say to my daughter. Perhaps being scared is sometimes better than being an idiot.” Kora’s father glared at Hammond.

“Mr. Bastion! H-hello!” Hammond’s chest deflated.

“Hurry and get in the car, we’ve been waiting for you long enough,” Axel Bastion said, impatient with the boy. Hammond took a wobbly step forward when a high-pitched shriek plowed through the forest mist. The boy stood still, frozen in his steps by a hot wet breeze that oozed from the fog just behind him. Enormous red glowing eyes peered at the boy from the trees. A leathery clawed hand, three speared fingers branched from the palm, emerged from the forest.

“HAMMOND!” Kora screamed. Hammond didn’t move, even as the shrill whine of the creature came upon him. The creature struck. Speared fingers pierced into Hammond’s body and curled back pulling him into the fog and fading through the white veil. Drops of blood wet the grass in Hammond’s place.

Kora sat in shock. Axel reached over her, closed the passenger door, and sped off, away from the devilry of the forest.

“There’s a reason no one goes to the forest. I’m only glad that you were smart enough to recognize that your fear was not weakness. Ignoring your fear is a mistake. That poor boy and his family now have to suffer because of it,” Axel said. The car skirted along the North End to the verge of Westerly Hill, where several communities of enormous homes clustered together among the thin groves of trees and grass.

“I told him to come, daddy. I told him. He wouldn’t listen, he just said I was being scared.” Kora tried to hold in tears and stifled her sobs.

“Don’t hold in your emotions, Kora. It’s okay to feel sorrow for the boy. There was nothing more you could have done, all we can do now is mourn him.” Mr. Bastion stroked Kora’s head with his hand, comforting her. “As soon as we arrive home, we’ll contact the police and they can search for him and inform his family. Is there anything else you’d like to do?”

“I’m tired and scared. I want to sleep,” Kora said. Darkness draped over her thoughts, her innocence feeding it.

“I’ll take you home and stay with you. My work can wait until you feel better.”

“Thank you, daddy,” Kora whispered, tears still streaming from her eyes.

The drive to their home only took five minutes, they lived near the forest in an old Sorrento mansion. It was one of the many houses given to the families that found favor with the Alkamores when Sorrento was established. They were sizeable houses with plenty of land, over time they were passed on to heirs or sold off as the Alkamore family lost influence over the city. Axel Bastion now owned this house, the old house that once belonged to the Grayhame family. A family that served the Alkamores long before they colonized the Sorrento hills. The same family that betrayed them and were instrumental in the overthrow of the Alkamore rule during the Sorrento Civil War.

The home itself was small compared to the other mansions that loomed on the North side of Westerly Hill. Some were massive feats of architecture, grander than the Alkamore mansion. Others were dainty, in comparison, for the families that built them cared little for flaunting their wealth, having it was enough for them. Ivy climbed the sides of the walls, and dark brownish red wood made up the house, blending the home into the surrounding foliage.

Axel stepped inside carrying his now sleeping daughter and laid her on the couch in the living room, pulling a blanket over her. After Axel had made the necessary calls he sat in his black leather chair and rested his feet on the coffee table. Pulling a book from beside the chair cushion and giving a loving glance at his daughter, he read while sipping a cup of coffee he had prepared earlier.

As Axel read, he heard a slight thump as something hit the ground, he looked up from his book to his daughter. A red fruit lay on the carpet next to the couch. Axel stood up from his chair and knelt to pick up the fruit, but he hesitated as a sweet aroma tickled his nostrils and reminded him of Kora’s mother. He shook off the memory and picked up the fruit, staring at it. Axel’s mouth watered. He looked at the sleeping Kora and then pulled a few seeds from the flesh. Axel ate them. The sweet fruit tickled Axel’s throat and soothed the sour taste left over from watching the boy almost kill his daughter. Never had something tasted so delicious. He had never eaten something so powerful.

A soft knock came at the door. Axel broke free from the fruit’s trance and placed it on the coffee table while standing up to answer the door. A man greeted him, “Axel, is everything okay?”

“Yes, Jin, everything is fine,” Axel said, stepping away from the door.

“Thank goodness, when I heard about the kid, I was worried about Kora. I brought her something, is she here?” Jin stepped into the house and hung his jacket next to Axel’s, he wore a thin black suit. He was taller than Axel, but thinner. The man had powerful hands and his bald head sat like a mirror on his shoulders.

“She’s napping on the couch, take care not to wake her. She’ll have enough trouble sleeping in the coming months, until this darkness passes over her,” Axel said sitting back down in his chair.

Jin looked over Kora, “She’s cute while she sleeps, isn’t she? Ferocious when she’s awake, though.”

“Yes, she is. I fear she might become more so as that boy lingers on her mind. The demons of the forest should stay hidden to children.” Axel leaned back and let out a deep breath.

“Poor child, what was it that took the boy?” Jin asked placing a package on the table.

“I don’t know. The creature’s three fingers, like dead tree branches, ended in a point that skewered the boy with little effort. It had red eyes that pierced through the fog. There was quite the power to the beast. I’m almost glad it took that kid. The stupid boy dragged my daughter into that demonic wood, she could’ve been taken by that thing. I’m happy it was him over her.”

“It upset Barry when you didn’t show.”

“Barry is always upset about something.” The memory of Barry’s berating, yelling, and long-winded stories flashed to Axel’s mind. Strange, Axel thought, Barry is such a small man, what are we doing working for him?

“Are you sure everything is okay, Axel?”

“Let Barry fume and bubble. We don’t work on his time anymore; we work on our own and for us, family comes first.”

“You think Barry will let us defy him like that?” Jin stepped back from Axel.

Axel chuckled and said, “Why we ever followed that worm’s orders is beyond me. The world is changing, Jin. I think that boy’s death may have awoken something in me. It’s not enough to run just the ports. I can’t protect my daughter with just that. No, we need more.”

“Whatever you need, sir. What should we tell Barry about sweet meat?”

“Distribution channels are being secured and we’re ready to manufacture within the week. He need not be made aware of any of the hiccups that were encountered during the first phase of production. He’ll prod for them, but don’t allow it.”

“Understood. I’ll get in touch with Barry and let him know.”

“No, don’t go to him, let him come to us. We are no longer at his beck and call and we don’t answer to him. Remember that. Besides, we need full control of sweet meat. It’ll be key in taking control of the city. Go ahead now, get back to whatever you were doing. I need time with my daughter, alone.” Axel waved to Jin and picked his book back up from the coffee table. Jin nodded. When Jin closed the door, Axel tore the seeds from the fruit and devoured them in ravenous glee, only stopping when Kora stirred.

After having slept for a few hours, Kora sat up from the couch and rubbed the soreness from her eyes. She looked around to see Axel fast asleep, only a few handfuls of fruit seeds remained within the husk at his feet. Without making a sound Kora crept away from the couch, grabbing the fruit. Kora left the house from the back door, to avoid waking her father. He wouldn’t understand anyway. He can’t understand. Grownups don’t know what it’s like to have to please them all the time, Kora thought.

The night air felt cool on Kora’s face and the sounds of wind and crickets calmed her mind. She walked for about 20 minutes and came upon her school grounds, where the day before her and Hammond had walked home together. Hammond wanted to take the long way that ran by the end of the forest. Regardless of how Kora felt, she didn’t want to leave Hammond to walk by himself—even though her dad was coming. The boy insisted he would go with or without Kora.

Wandering around the playground and fields of short grass Kora yearned to gorge herself with the ripe, succulent red fruit she held in her hands. She hadn’t yet consumed the fruit she held, but it would soon run out. At the thought of entering the forest Kora turned around and started sprinting home, tucking away the fruit’s temptation. The farther she ran the deeper the fruit tainted her mind. Her steps slowed, her breathing steadied, and then she stopped at the boundary of the schoolyard. Kora took the long way home, the path that led along the edge of the forest.

Kora walked on the opposite side of the road, as far from the forest as she could manage while keeping the road in sight. Though with each step she came closer to the trees. The closer she drew to the site of Hammond’s death the more of the fruit she ate, and the faster she walked. The moment the creature took Hammond played in her mind, over and over, and the more Kora remembered the more she felt the desire to see it again. Kora dropped the empty fruit husk into the dark grass. After all, Hammond was only a dim-witted boy; he let himself get killed. Kora had nothing to do with it, she only watched, why shouldn’t she learn from it? Why shouldn’t she enjoy it?

Kora stood at the brink of the fog. She looked to her feet to see a patch of grass covered in a thick oozing liquid. Kneeling she ran her fingers over the grass, trembling with excitement. She remembered the moment the creature’s claws pierced through Hammond. She remembered the blood spraying over the bright green foliage, now conscious of the dark red hues. She remembered how the blood poured from his body. It fascinated her now. The closer she came to the fog, the deeper that fascination grew. She stepped into the white mist, swallowed by the forest.

Axel awoke in his chair as the sun rose shining through the wide living room windows. He turned his head toward the couch, Kora wasn’t there.

“Kora!” Axel yelled, searching the house for his daughter. “Kora!” he yelled again. The kitchen was empty. Not a living creature skulked in the backyard. Kora’s room breathed no life. Axel stormed out his home through the front door, almost tearing it from the frame, and ran to his car. The car started and coughed in the chilly morning air. Dew settled in the grass and coated the car in a light glaze of condensation. White puffs of water vapor bled through the exhaust. Axel checked the rearview mirror to find Kora standing in the driveway, her clothes drenched. The empty carcass of a red fruit lay at her feet. Her father tore open the car door and ran to his daughter.

“Kora! Where did you go?” Axel said while grasping Kora’s arms and kneeling.

“I went for a walk. It felt nice outside. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to wake you up and make you angry,” Kora said looking down.

“I would never be angry with you, child. Not with you,” Axel said as he stroked her face. “What would you like to do today? We can spend the entire day together doing whatever you want.”

“I just want to go to school,” Kora said.

“You don’t need to go to school, if you’re worried about getting in trouble don’t. I’ll make sure that won’t happen.” Axel grabbed Kora’s hand. The girl’s head only reached just below Axel’s chest and her hair fell to the base of her spine.

“It’s okay, daddy. I want to go. I want to see my friends.” Kora looked up and smiled at her father. Axel noticed a change in Kora’s eyes, they weren’t the eyes of frightened child. So much like your mother. Very well, you can handle this on your own, sweet daughter, Axel thought.

“Then I’ll take you to school,” Axel said as they walked. He waited in the living room for Kora to change. They climbed into the car and Axel dropped Kora off, she ran to a pack of children that gathered at the school entrance. Axel lingered, watching his daughter before driving into the city.

After a 30-minute drive through Down Too, Axel arrived at a warehouse where he parked his car. The enormous old port storage facility took up most of the space on the dock that Axel owned in the Northern ports of Down Too. It provided a lucrative shipping lane for his business efforts.

Standing outside the door to Axel’s office was a lanky man. He stood tall, almost taller than the door, and his limbs hung off him like the thin branches of a tree, his body the trunk. A golden mop of hair adorned the canopy of his head.

“Barry, you’re here early,” Axel said, attempting to hide his irritation.

“Jin refuses to talk to me. The only call I get is from a secretary telling me I have to come down to talk to you myself. How do you find such loyal men? All of mine are bumbling idiots. Two of them kidnapped one of the Alkamore children last night. Could you imagine having people who just don’t follow orders exactly? Honestly, I don’t know how I bear such burdens.” Barry “The Maw,” crossed his arms and stepped aside when Axel approached the door.

“Yet bear it you do.”

“You were the only man I could count on. Every word you said was the truth. Every promise you made, fulfilled. So, you could understand my irritation when the only constant in my life suddenly stops delivering. The first shipment was supposed to be in last week.”

“Shipments come when they come. I control the ports, but not the boats that come into them. You would do well to be patient with them. You need my ports to push this product forward. In fact, Barry the Maw, you need my supply chain for most of your business transactions.” Axel opened the door to his office and sighed at the stack of documents on his desk, What is this mess? He thought to himself.

“Just because you are the captain of the ship, do not think you can defy the owner of that ship. I keep a tight leash on my pets. They’re properly rewarded when they do as they’re told, and they’re properly disciplined when they are disobedient. I don’t like to discipline, please don’t make me do it.” Barry leaned against the door frame, not stepping into Axel’s office.

“You have no need to discipline anyone. Production of sweet meat will be underway. You’ll have your undetectable drug soon enough. You must be patient and understand that contributions to your business will be done on my own terms. Not on yours.” Axel fingered through the papers on his desk and looked away from Barry, who was not fazed by Axel’s attempt at intimidation.

“I’ve confided in you too much. It appears I misunderstood the nature of our relationship. Would you not keep your word? Instead you think to strong arm your way out of the simple deal we share. We operate beyond the law, but we can only do so because we keep our words with each other. When someone doesn’t uphold their word, they can no longer be trusted. You gave me your word, Axel. That’s binding.”

“I am keeping my word. I always fulfill my end of the deal.”

“So you believe. I’m beginning to think you may be confused on the matter. Don’t you worry yourself, Axel. I do have my ears. I heard what happened to your daughter. The business with that boy and the forest has shaken you, clearly. I won’t hold this meeting against you, seeing as tragedy was so narrowly avoided. If I had the power, I would burn that forest down to every last blade of grass. It is a vile place that has no business weighing on the minds of my men, much less our children. We’d all be better off with it gone,” Barry said.

Barry’s word’s brought to Axel’s mind the memory of the red fruit. His mouth watered as the taste of the juice lingered on his tongue. The fruit’s sweet, yet sour flesh tickled his throat as it invigorated him with power. His stomach growled and his throat dried. That forest saved my daughter from that boy's stupidity. It will save her from this city, Axel thought. To challenge Barry now would get me killed, Who then will protect the wood? The image of the forest burning while Barry and hordes of men stood over Kora’s dead body lingered in Axel’s mind. While I live not a single soul will so much as touch that forest. For my daughter’s sake.

“Don’t waste your time on that black wood. Let the people be scared. It distracts them from the true monsters. I’ll get you what’s due, Barry. I mean no disrespect. Our deal is set and you may continue to use my ports as we agreed. But understand that they are my ports and they will be under my control.”

“They always have been. I don’t want to deal with such wet work. It’s not my forte. Keep me informed. I wish to have at least one man I can always count on. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a child to attend to.” Barry turned around and silently left the room. Axel sighed and continued to sift through the papers on his desk until he grew bored. He called in his assistant to assign the work to one of the warehouse managers. Kora remained heavy on Axel’s mind and business items seemed trivial in comparison.

“Come on, faster!” Kora called behind her. The wind flowed through her hair.

“W-wait,” a girl, Kora’s age and height with short blonde hair staggered behind Kora. Stopping and turning on her right foot Kora smiled and held out her hand to the girl.

“You need to keep up, we have to hurry, or we’ll get in trouble,” Kora cooed.

“I can’t keep up; you’re going too fast. Can we take a small break? I can do it. Just one minute,” the girl said.

“Fine, Arya, one minute, then we have to go.” Kora plopped to the ground and crossed her arms.

“Thank you,” Arya mumbled trying to catch her breath. They sat next to the worn asphalt of the road that led to the forest’s edge. Grass ate into the road and wore down the shoulder.

“Alright,” Kora said after a few moments had past, “Let’s get going! We won’t make it back in time if we don’t.”

“Okay, okay, are you sure it’s the only place we can get more?” Arya asked.

“Yes,” Kora said, grabbing Arya’s hand and pulling her into a run toward the forest’s edge. In a few minutes they arrived, Arya yet to catch her breath. The shadow of the forest lay over them, darkening the grass. A thick white haze poured from between the trees, dissipating into the air. Arya gulped and backed away to the side of the road.

“Through here, I know the way just keep going,” Kora said, pushing Arya forward.

“Kora, I don’t want it anymore, it’s scary. Please, can we just go back?”

“We didn’t run out here so you could chicken out. Do you want more fruit or not?” Kora said.

“I don’t anymore.” Arya struggled away from the fog, but Kora’s push overpowered her.

“I’m not going alone. I have to get more,” Kora said, pushing Arya to the ground and then dragging her through the fog. I have to have it. I want to have it, Kora’s thoughts repeated.

“Kora please! Let me go! I want to go back to school! Let me go!” Arya screamed, but the forest imprisoned the sound. The two girls came to a small clearing with a gnarled tree standing old and frail compared to its much larger and stronger brethren. Upon the tree sat a single red fruit and a flower bud growing beside it. The ground surrounding the tree had no plants, only the dirt dared to encroach upon the tree’s abode. Kora left a trail behind her as she dragged Arya to the base of the trunk.

“See, Arya, isn’t it cool? I told you you’d like it. Grab the fruit from the tree, we can split that one,” Kora said, glaring at Arya.

“O-okay,” Arya said, defeated. The girl reached up to the tree and plucked a fruit, but before she could break it open the screeches of a creature pierced into Arya’s ears. Arya froze, her eyes darting to find the source of the cry, but only Kora stood in the clearing. Silence fell over the woods. The two girls stood, one in confidence and the other in terror. Arya felt a warm breeze pass over the glade and the white mist thickened around her.

Three branched fingers, tipped with daggerlike talons, shot out from behind the tree. Kora’s eyes widened and her mouth curled into a smirk. Here it comes! Kora thought. Her mind raced and her legs shook as adrenaline coursed through her body. “Take her! I brought her!” Kora shouted.

Tears streamed down Arya’s face as she stole a glance at the glowing red eyes of the fog obscured creature peering through the branches above the tree’s trunk. She could see the claws of its fingers creep toward her as the beast wailed in a bloodcurdling song. With the creature’s call Arya awoke from her state of shock and she took off running. Arya tripped on the roots of tree that seemed to burst from the ground as she fled.

Kora stood still and silent, watching in horrific glee at the sight of her friend’s struggle. Kora delighted in seeing the whisper of death hang over Arya. She could taste the fruit’s succulent juice as the fog enclosed around Arya, the creature’s eyes and claws the only visible pieces of its body.

Arya’s screams burst throughout the clearing. The red fruit rolled up to Kora’s feet, she bent down to pick it up and broke through its hide to partake of the seeds. She looked up as she crushed a seed between her teeth and saw Arya mutilated by the monster. Its claws curled back into the fog, enveloping Arya’s body. Then the creature let out a soft cry and bolted into the deep white haze among the trees. The old dead fruit tree lay barren in its wake, aside from the budding flower. Kora sat feeling full and satisfied. Her newfound hunger satiated.

Kora took a moment to relax and enjoy her peace then she tucked the fruit under her arm and strolled out of the forest. Behind her the clearing and the old tree remained, silent and foreboding. A second flower bud appeared in place of the fruit that Arya had picked. It’s five petals resembled the gaping maw of a beast, bloodied by its prey. In the time Kora left the forest, the two flowers had grown into plump red pomegranates, ripe and ready to be eaten.

End of excerpt.