5-13: The Traveler and The Fox

A young man was walking across the high desert plain when suddenly a large, grey fox crossed his path. It fawned and pawed at his leggings. Instead of being merciful, the man kicked it saying "You loathsome trickster. I want nothing to do with you!"

With an almost human scream, the fox ran away across the desert. Its tail was between its legs but the look it shot the young man wasn't one of defeat. Still, youth can be ignorant.

He continued on his way thinking nothing of this encounter. Soon it was nightfall and he had still not seen a single settlement. "Why have I not seen another person this entire time?" the man asked himself.

As twilight fell, he noticed the light of a fire burning up ahead. Eager for some human company, he raced towards it.

The fire was being tended by what appeared to be a beautiful young woman. She looked up at the weary traveler. "Come sit by my fire. You look weary, have you eaten yet? Come stay a while."

The young man hadn't planed to wander so long without coming to a village. His supplies were running low so he gladly accepted the invitation.

The woman was an ideal host. She served him mashed roots and water from the large gourd she kept by the fire. Once he'd eaten his fill the woman brought him a mug of chicory. It was so warm and soothing that the young man soon dozed off.

When he awoke the most macabre sight met his eyes. The remnants of the feast he'd been fed had transformed.

The bowl full of mashed roots had become a human skull with maggots writhing inside. The chicory had turned into blood that now had flies buzzing around it. The man turned and fled from the camp; never noticing the grey fox watching the scene.

Prompt: "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble." – From Shakespeare's Macbeth