Roxy blinked, rubbing her head. She was in a large clearing, blanketed by a thick sheet of pine needles. She didn’t know why, but she was unusually hot, though the clearing was shaded by trees. It seems she had passed out in the portal, because Roxy had no clue where she was.

“Where am I?” Roxy looked down at her hands. Well, her paws; Roxy was a fox again. That was why she was so hot. She thought she was dreaming again, but sadly for her, she was actually in the lands of Aldadia.

“Great.” she mumbled to herself. “I’m a fox. Again.” Roxy sat straight up and looked over at Charlie. She noticed he was a mouse, like in her dream, and that at some point he had lost his glasses. Hopefully he could see better as a mouse, because he was blind as a bat without them when he was human.

When Charlie saw she was awake, he crossed his arms. “Roxy, what have you done?”

Roxy smiled sheepishly. “Well, at least you’re not a rat.”

“I don’t care what kind of weird animal your stupid portal changed me into!” he growled. “How are we supposed to get home? What are we gonna do?”

“I don’t know. You’re the smart one here. I just find fun things to do.” she said indignantly, crossing her arms.

“Fun? You think this is fun? You always get me into trouble. I don’t even know why I hang out with you!” Charlie retorted.

“Because you don’t have any other friends!” She shot back.

“I have lots of friends!”

“Yeah? Like who?” Roxy rolled her eyes. “And, by the way, your mom doesn’t count.”

Charlie opened his mouth angrily to respond, but a loud rustling noise from behind interrupted him.

Roxy jerked her head towards the noise. “What was that?”

“I don’t know, but anyway-”

“No, seriously, shut up for a moment.”

Charlie was taken aback for a moment, but, seeing that Roxy was serious, took her advice and shut up.

They heard more rustling. “What do you think it is?” Charlie asked nervously, the argument forgotten for the moment.

“Maybe it’s just a bunny?” Roxy suggested.

A loud screeching noise filled the air. Roxy and Charlie heard the flapping of wings and shivered.

“I don’t think that’s a bunny…” Charlie said.

They heard another loud screech and both scrambled to their paws.

“Run!” Roxy screamed as she saw an oversized foot step out of the brush. She grabbed Charlie’s paw and made a dash for the edge of the clearing.