Ember the Ever-Glowing Fox E-Book

Kelly Johnson

• Herausgeber: Kelly Johnson
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 96

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2026

Beschreibung

Ember, a small fox whose fur glows like a flickering ember, lives on the edge of the Whispering Woods, a forest alive with hidden magic and subtle wonders. Unlike other foxes, her constant amber glow connects her to the life of the forest, allowing her to sense the smallest shifts in nature and the faintest pulses of magic. When she notices the woods dimmingflowers wilting, streams silenced, shadows stretching unnaturallyshe realizes a mysterious darkness is spreading, threatening the balance of her home. Guided by instinct and courage, Ember ventures deeper into the heart of the forest, her light a beacon against the encroaching gloom, determined to uncover the source of the shadow and restore the vibrancy of the Whispering Woods. Her journey is not just about survival, but about discovering her unique role as a guardian of the forests hidden life and enduring light.

Leseprobe

IMPRESSUM

Ember the Ever-Glowing Fox

Author: Kelly Johnson

© 2025 Kelly Johnson.

All rights reserved.

Author: Kelly Johnson

Contact: 903 W Woodland Ave, Kokomo, IN 46902

Email: [email protected]

Disclaimer

This eBook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Flicker in the Forest

Chapter 2: The Lost Light

Chapter 3: Friends in the Shadows

Chapter 4: The First Trial

Chapter 5: Whispers of the Willow

Chapter 6: The Bridge of Glow

Chapter 7: The Heart of the Shadows

Chapter 8: Sharing the Glow

Chapter 9: Celebration of Light

Chapter 10: A New Dawn

Ember the Ever-Glowing Fox

By: Kelly Johnson

Chapter 1: The Flicker in the Forest

Ember, a small fox whose fur glowed like a flickering ember, lived on the edge of the Whispering Woods, where sunlight danced through the leaves in warm, dappled patterns and the air carried the rich scent of pine mingled with wildflowers and damp earth. Even among her family, Ember was unusual. While the other foxes’ russet fur gleamed softly in the daylight and faded into shadow at night, Ember’s glow never dimmed. Her fur shimmered like coals warming in a hearth, radiating a soft, amber light that lent her the gentle aura of twilight even when the sun hung high in the sky.

Her glow was subtle, comforting rather than harsh, a soft amber light that painted her fur like the gentle embers of a dying hearth. It had always made her a little different from the other foxes. The young kits often stopped mid-chase, paws frozen on the mossy ground, their wide eyes reflecting hers in a mix of awe and curiosity. They whispered excitedly to one another about the little fox whose fur seemed to hold the warmth of the sunset, as if the last rays of day had taken refuge in her coat. The older foxes spoke in hushed tones of legendary foxes from stories long past—creatures whose light had guided travelers lost in moonless nights, who had brought hope to forests shadowed by storms, or who had even chased away shadows that lingered too long in hidden glades. Yet Ember never thought of herself as special. She simply loved the warmth she could share and the way the forest seemed to respond to her presence, as if the trees leaned closer to feel her glow and the moss beneath her paws softened in anticipation of her steps. Sometimes, a soft breeze would rustle through the leaves, and Ember would pause, sensing the trees themselves leaning in to listen.

Most days, Ember wandered the forest’s edge, delighting in ordinary wonders that felt extraordinary through her eyes. She would watch the squirrels leap gracefully from branch to branch, claws digging into gnarled bark, tails flicking like brushstrokes of motion across the canvas of the sky. She noticed the delicate balance of their leaps—the way they twisted midair, the faint shimmer of sunlight catching the edges of their fur, and the rustle of leaves beneath their tiny paws. The morning chorus of birds thrilled her senses, a complex symphony twisting and spiraling through the branches. Sometimes, the call of a lone owl echoed far above, and Ember would tilt her ears, catching the note as it bounced softly off distant trunks, blending seamlessly into the music of the forest. Occasionally, a deer would step lightly into view, hooves barely whispering against the undergrowth, eyes bright and curious, and Ember felt a quiet thrill in recognizing the subtle signs of life all around her.

Even the stones and streams seemed alive to her. She would trace her paw over the surface of a moss-covered rock, feeling tiny vibrations echo through the earth, like the faint heartbeat of the forest itself. Streams glittered with playful ripples, sunlight catching the water in bright sparks, and Ember often paused to watch the dance of fish beneath, their scales glinting like scattered gemstones. A single drop of dew clinging to a fern could captivate her for moments, refracting light into rainbow sparks that seemed to pulse in rhythm with her own heartbeat. Every leaf quivered with hidden energy; every wind-swept gust carried whispers of life she felt rather than heard. The forest was alive, and she belonged to it in a way that made her chest swell with quiet joy.

Even on ordinary days, Ember noticed subtle shifts in the light, the smallest flickers that most creatures overlooked. She learned the secret language of shadows and sunbeams, how light draped itself across the forest floor, how the faintest glow of dawn could make even the dullest leaves glimmer with life. She practiced sending sparks along her tail to illuminate the path ahead, watching how the glow brushed against ferns, rocks, and roots, coaxing out hidden beauty in places that had long been ignored. To Ember, this was magic—not the kind told in stories or sung by the elders, but the real, tangible kind that whispered through the wind and the soil, waiting for someone willing to notice.

And so, each day, Ember moved through the forest not as an ordinary fox, but as a quiet guardian of its light, attuned to every flutter, every shimmer, every faint pulse of life that others overlooked. Her small glow was more than illumination; it was a presence, a bridge between the creatures of the woods and the heartbeat of the forest itself, a reminder that even the tiniest flame could shape a world.

Ember often paused to trace her pawprints in the soft, springy moss, watching as tiny tendrils of green curled around each impression, holding them for a heartbeat longer than necessary, as if the forest wanted to remember her passage. Sunlight would filter through the canopy in slivers, casting dappled patterns across her fur, making her glow mingle with golden rays and creating halos of light that seemed to dance along with her movements.

Every leaf quivered with hidden energy, responding to the gentle hum of life that Ember felt in her bones. Stones hummed faintly under her touch, resonating with the faint echoes of ancient magic buried deep in the forest floor. Sometimes, she would crouch beside a stream, listening as the water babbled over smooth rocks, and feel the pulse of the forest reflected in the gentle ripple, the subtle vibration synchronizing with her heartbeat.

Ember felt a deep, unshakable connection to everything around her—the towering oaks, the delicate ferns, the tiniest insects scuttling through the underbrush. Every sound, every shift of wind, every shadow seemed infused with life and purpose, and she understood instinctively that she was part of it all. The forest was alive, a breathing, moving tapestry of magic and memory, and she belonged to it in a way that made her chest swell with quiet joy. The ordinary, the unnoticed, the mundane—through Ember’s eyes, all of it was extraordinary, a symphony of light, sound, and life that pulsed in harmony with her very being.

And as she padded softly through the undergrowth, tail flicking gently, Ember felt a whisper of anticipation flutter through her heart, a promise that every day held new wonders, and every step could leave a trace of warmth, a spark of hope, in a world that would always respond to her glow.

Yet tonight, as shadows stretched and the golden sun began to bow toward the horizon, something felt… off. The warmth of the air carried a strange weight, a hint of unease that made Ember’s fur tingle. She paused mid-step, ears twitching, sniffing the breeze with cautious curiosity. The familiar chorus of evening life—the birds settling in the branches, the rustle of deer among the ferns, the croak of frogs by the stream—was muted, as if the forest itself were holding its breath.

It began subtly. Flowers that normally tilted toward the light drooped their petals, their bright colors dimming into muted pastels. The streams that had babbled joyfully all day now ran pale and subdued, their waters reflecting only faint glimmers rather than the sparkle of sunlight. Even the rocks along the banks, which usually shimmered with hidden crystals and mossy patterns, seemed dull and lifeless. Ember padded closer, her soft glow illuminating the subtle decay. She pressed a paw to the earth, feeling its unnatural chill, and her heart thumped with concern.

Shadows behaved strangely, too. Where light should have chased them into fleeting forms, they lingered, stretched far longer than natural, pooling into corners and hollows with a creeping intent. Even familiar nooks of the forest that had always been cozy and safe now seemed ominous, darkened as though something unseen was creeping through the undergrowth. The forest’s usual music—birdsong, wind through leaves, the faint hum of magic in the stones—was subdued, almost muffled, like a tune played underwater.

Ember’s tail twitched nervously. She tilted her head, scanning the edges of the trees where darkness pooled unnaturally. A shiver ran down her spine, not from cold but from the sudden sense that something had shifted. Something ancient and hungry had awakened, reaching its tendrils into the forest she loved so dearly. She felt the glow within her flicker, her instincts sharpening. She had always wandered freely, reveling in the safety of the Whispering Woods, but tonight, the woods themselves seemed to be whispering a warning: Beware. Something comes that even the sunlight cannot chase away.

The fox took a deep, steadying breath, letting her soft light ripple through the air around her. It was warm and small, a flicker of comfort in a world growing colder and dimmer. Ember knew, deep in her heart, that this was only the beginning. The forest had never needed her like this before, and the shadows that now crept at the edges of her vision were not ordinary. They were something different, something that fed on fear, hesitation, and doubt.

Her ears pricked as the evening wind carried a faint rustle, deliberate and measured, unlike the usual whispers of leaves or the playful chatter of squirrels returning to their nests. A shadow flickered unnaturally between the trunks of the ancient trees, stretching longer than it should have in the fading light. Ember froze, the soft glow of her fur trembling as it cast elongated, quivering patterns across the forest floor. Her heart thumped with a mixture of fear and resolve.

A flutter of worry clawed at her chest—but beneath it, a surge of determination flared. Whatever darkness had begun to seep into her beloved woods, she would face it. She might be small, and her glow might seem delicate in comparison to the vast night, but Ember was no ordinary fox. She was a flicker of twilight, a warm ember against the encroaching gloom, and she would not let the heart of the Whispering Woods succumb to shadow.