Whiskers. It all started with the simple twitching of a cat's whiskers. The cat sat up and stretched her legs and let out a loud yawn. The cat walked over to a nearby window and looked out at the sunrise. She hopped down from her perch and padded out the door. The cat strode into the kitchen and meowed in hunger. "oh enough Fern i know thats you," the woman standing in front of her said
"oh come on you're no fun!" the cat said then turning into a girl.
"i thought you couldn't do that at will," the woman said not looking up from her cooking
"i can't," Fern replied, starting to sweat.
"ah ha!!! i knew it! you've been out haven't you!" another girl said dashing into the room "nah nah! you'll never catch me!" and she ran from the room again.
"ignore her," the woman sighed "she'll always be a nagger,"
loud footsteps were pounding on the ceiling and Fern assumed that her little sister was having a tiny tantrum because she wouldn't chase her. Fern though did not entirely belong to her current family. After she had left her fox family she was found by this family. though the adoption center could not file any papers for her. So no one knew where she had come from except for her. which had made her new mom nervous.
"Marie please just sell her or something!" Fern joked, but, in a way she meant it.
"i'm sorry i can't she'll have a temper tantrum!" Marie joked back. they laughed.
To Fern it seemed that her new mother Marie was the only person in the world who understood her.
"but is it true? have you been out again? you only become an animal when you need it most!" Marie asked. Fern sighed  "its true.. but it's not what you think i'm not getting into...!!" she was cut off by Marie
"i see.. we have been over this a thousand times! ok maybe not a thousand.. but you get my point! you can't keep sneaking out at night!" she shouted "where do you go anyway?"
Fern really didn't want to talk about it or reveal anything. she preferred to keep to herself. "well?" Marie was tapping her foot impatiently.
"im sorry Marie.. i went to see my mother..." Fern admitted.
"but I'M your mother!! i adopted you! you belong to me!!" Marie protested
"I belong to no one!" Fern yelled. she was starting to get angry.
How could she think that i'm the property of anyone! she thought that, though she didn't say it. Fern preferred to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself.
"i went to see my real mother! the mother that gave me a choice to stay or leave!" Fern said
"yes! and you chose to leave!" Marie spat and turned her back on Fern. Fern didn't feel any better.
she just felt... lonely. Fern had never seen this side of Marie, she was never like this.
"ha ha!! you're in trouble! nah nah!!" the small girl nagged
"cut it out Fanny!" Fern started to feel hot.
"nah! nah!"
"thats it!" Fern thumped down the hall toward her adopted sister. She was on her tail.
"mother! help! Fern is trying to kill me!!" Fanny shrieked at the top of her lungs.
"no im not!" Fern defended herself. Kill her! Ridiculous!
Fern pounded out of the hallway and into her room. She slammed the door shut and locked it.
At last she could get some much needed privacy.
She looked around and opened her window. Fern opened the mesh layer and hopped out onto her roof. There was this aria on the roof right by her room where she could hop out and sit on the roof. she loved to sit there and read. But this time she climbed down off the roof and landed on the hard dirt ground. She felt like a secret agent sneaking around like this. After she landed, Fern made for the forest near their house. Fern climbed through the bracken and shrunk. She shrunk into the form of a fox to disguise herself. soon she arrived at her destination. A small cave with ferns growing in front of the entrance.
"im here!" Fern barked
a shadow walked out of the ferns and sat down in front of her.
"why are you her? you came last night," the shadow said
"yes Nareen i know. but Marie is angry at me for seeing you. i just had to get away!" Fern explained
"i see," the shadow said stepping from the shadows "you come too often,"
"yes mother i know but--"
Nareen cut her off. "enough! you can't risk being caught!"
"no!" Fern snapped "i won't stop coming! cause you're my real mom! i need to see you!"
Nareen growled and walked back into the cave.
Fern just stood there. staring. How could her own mother, her REAL mother leave her on her own?
Fern was horrified. Scared beyond anything she had ever felt right now, fear felt like the ruler of the world. nothing could stop it.
Fern padded off slowly. suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her face.
"ow!" she growled. She had run into a boulder.
Far in the distance a dog howled. She felt like doing the same thing. But that would be embarrassing, Therefore she didn't.
On her way home five stags and three does pranced around in her pathway and she had to threaten them in order to get them out of the way. She also passed three wolves, two cats, one fox, five humans, and seventeen rabbits. along with twenty bluebirds and robins. she counted them all.
By the time she got home Marie, Fanny, her two big brothers Arnold and Fred, and her miniature schnauzer, Starlight, were waiting in the living room for her.
"sit down honey," Marie said with a slight hint of sorrow in her voice. "we have some news,"
Fern sat on her bean-bag chair and listened.
"Fern, sweety, we know this will be hard for you to hear but.. here it is," Marie Began "you know how we have been able to visit your brothers and sisters right?"
"yes i know why? Fern started to feel uncomfortable.
"well the we called your brother Oak tonight and we got some news. your brother has moved,"
Fern wasn't sure what to think.
"what!"
"its true!" Fanny nodded.
"you stay out of this!" Fern snapped
"mother! Fern is going to hurt me again!"
"ah shut yer trap!"
Fanny fell silent.
Starlight barked loudly.
"Marie this can't be true!"
"but it is!" Fanny yelled again.
Fern gave her a threatening glare.
Fanny fell silent again this time for good.
"I... I don't believe it... he would never leave me!" Fern yelled
"but honey its not only that.. he moved very far away. to another village," Marie continued.
"no..."
"i understand how that feels honey, i lost my brother when i was your age,"
"but it's not like that! you dont understand!"
"Fern! you do not raise your voice inside!"
"Fern, are you going to be okay?" Arnold sounded concerned.
"yes i'll be fine. honestly," Fern replied and walked slowly toward the stairs. all she wanted to do now was get to her room as soon as possible, bury her face in her pillow and cry.
But instead she just sat on the roof and drew. She drew a picture of her and her brother. Fern missed her brother. she hadn't seen him since they left their REAL mom. Once Fern finished her drawing, she folded in half and wrote a note saying:
I know it has been such a long time since i have seen you and i hope you are having a good life. Fern sniffed back some tears. I don't currently know where you are or even if you will get this letter but i have faith that you will receive it sooner or later. My life is okay i guess, although it is hard. I have two big brothers named Arnold and Fred. i also have an annoying little sister named Fanny. she tattles on me every second she can get and TRIES to prove me wrong. i went to visit mom today. she doesn't want me going back. i'm nervous Oak and i'm not sure what to do without you. Fern wiped her eyes so that she wouldn't smear her writing. I just hope that you're okay and well. please if possible write back. i haven't heard from you in eleven years and I just can't bear it anymore.

                                                             Love: your sister who misses you, Fern.

After she finished writing her letter, Fern folded the letter into a paper airplane and threw it as hard as she could. Fern watched her letter fly in the wind toward "who knows where". After her letter was out of sight, Fern pulled out a book and read. Soon enough though, she had to go inside anyways. It was getting dark.
"Fern! Come downstairs for dinner!" Marie yelled up to her.
"coming!" Fern replied. She stood up steadily, walked up to her window and climbed inside just in time before Fanny came bursting through her door shrieking "come on! come on! dinner time! dinner time!"
"i know! i'm coming!"
"hurry! hurry!" Fanny ran from the room with delight.
Fern bolted after her sister and down the stairs.
"Hey Fern!" Fred greeted.
they sat down and ate.
After they finished dinner, Fern headed up her stairs and went to the roof. She longed to see her brother or her mom. And after three minutes she just could not bear her urge anymore. Fern silently slid from the roof and onto the ground. This time though, she was prepared for anything. At this time at night Marie liked to check on her and if she found Fern's bed unoccupied she would freak out. So Fern made sure to get out as soon as possible. She had on camouflage shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a long brown braid with a camo bandana on her head. Fern snuck through the undergrowth like a snake slithering on the desert sand. At last she made it far enough that she could become a fox. As soon as she was fully a fox, Fern snuck under bushes and jumped over some logs until finally she reached the cave. Nareen stepped out through the ferns as if she knew that Fern was coming.
"i knew you were coming," Nareen growled deeply.
Figures...
"hey mom.. umm... i know its weird to ask but.. you know before i leave will you umm.. become a human? just once?" Fern asked. she had never seen her REAL mom as a human before. Nareen just stood there and nodded her head slowly.
Fern wasn't sure if that meant yes or no. But before she could ask, Nareen melted into a black puddle.
Fern screamed. Slowly but surely, Nareen reformed in the form of a woman.
Am i dead? Because all i see in front of me is an angel!
Nareen had a hint of amusement in her eyes as she stared at Fern who was gaping.
"yes i know," Nareen giggled "it's surprising"
"it's incredible!" Fern gasped. she had never seen anyone so beautiful.
"but please you must go now,"
"but why? i just got here!"
Nareen melted again and reformed as a fox.
Fern never thought her mother would dump her like this.
"your family will be moving soon. you can not come anymore."
Fern gasped in shock. How did Nareen know if she was moving or not?
Nareen padded away slowly. And Fern turned her back and walked in the opposite direction.
As soon as Fern got home she climbed up her rope ladder that led to the roof, and hopped into her room through the window. It was almost dawn. She had been out all night and yet, it seemed so short. Fern changed her clothes and climbed into bed. Maybe she could get at least an hour of sleep before Fanny would come breaking through the door, literally. Fern lay down and stared up at the ceiling. She was restless. Until she finally drifted off into sleep.