Our eyes meet briefly. 

In her colorless eyes, I can clearly see how amused she is by my anxious behavior. 

Grinning diabolically, she opens her mouth. 

A disgusting odor hits me before her multitude of sharp teeth greet me.
So this is what they mean when they say that in the face of death, life passes before you like a movie. 

No! I do not want to die! Not like this and not as the dessert of some beast!
"NO!" I scream, looking at the damned creature, which stares at me in total irritation. 

I guess it wasn't expecting that. I immediately pull myself out of its grip. 

As I turn to stand up, the creature grabs my foot.
"Let me go!" I yell, trying to kick free. 

"You won't get both feet, I promise you."
"Damn it, there's no one here!" I scream, feeling desperation claw at my throat. 

The creature tries to force me to my knees despite my kicks. 

I try to pick up my backpack when something strange blinds me.
Damn it!
Without hesitation, the creature pulls me to the ground and throws itself on me. 

I try to protect myself from its teeth with my backpack.
"Give up," she squeals.
"Never!" I shout back, defiance surging through me.
Unexpectedly, we are hit by a bright light. 

Only when the light fades do I realize that she has let go of me. 

Instead, she is holding her hands protectively over her face.
But where did this light suddenly come from?
The chain?
Completely confused, I look at the chain floating between us.
"Ame onna? Since when do you attack young women? Aren't children enough for you?" a man's voice growls out of nowhere.
No, not from nowhere—from my necklace!
This Ame onna laughs maliciously, never taking her eyes off me. Once again, she licks her fingers in an animal-like manner.
"Since when does a Nogitsune protect a human?" she replies ironically.
I hear a growl, and within seconds, a white-spotted fox appears in front of me.
"Watch your tongue, woman! I haven't been a Nogitsune for ages," he snarls dangerously at her.
She laughs loudly again. 

This time, her laughter is resounding, filling the room. 

I cover my ears, overwhelmed by the sound. 

The fox in front of me remains belligerent.
The rain stops.
"Damn," she hisses. With a big question mark on my face, I watch her reluctantly disperse.
"We'll meet again, miss," she says as she disappears.
I fall to my knees, sobbing. 

My nerves are on edge. 

I look down at the floor in front of me, covering it with my tears. 

I hadn't realized how much energy this had cost me.
But why me?
"My eyes are going black," I mutter to myself.
"Asta?"
Was this a dream or reality?
"Asta, are you OK?"
I was on my way to a little city break with my girlfriend.
"Asta!?"
Right, the trip didn't happen. It was raining, and I would have to wait another two hours for the bus. 

My eyes fall on the ball. 

That's right, it's the little boy's ball!
Wait a minute!
Squealing, I take a few steps back from the fox. 

So it wasn't all a dream after all!
Damn it!
"Asta, don't be afraid of me. I won't hurt you." 

The fox approaches me. He is extraordinary. 

Although he is orange in color, there is a white patch between his ears, like a tuft of hair. 

His eyes look at me with a strange familiarity.
"Stay where you are!" I shout at him.
It works. Immediately, he stops in his tracks.
"Asta, believe me, I am here to protect you," he continues. 

His voice is extremely pleasant, but after what just happened to me, I don't trust any of these paranormal beings.
"Protect me from what? Come on, be realistic. How am I supposed to believe you?" I ask, pinching my arm suspiciously at the same time.
"Ouch," I cry out. Too hard again. 

The fox in front of me shakes his head, but I think he might have giggled somehow.
"Asta, allow me to come to you." 

He looks at me with his colorless eyes. 

A strange feeling of familiarity covers my whole body, triggered by this one look.
I shake my head, trying to break the spell he must be trying to put on me. 

But it could also be that everything... 

How many times do I have to convince myself? 

None of what is happening is a dream. 

It is the hard reality! Whether I want it or not!
"Asta, please."