Christian Lyons and the Five Foxes

[asakiyume]

Last night, late, I heard this story on the CBC: the tale of Christian Lyons, a lawyer in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, who noticed, as he took a shortcut home through the woods behind the local high school, that there were a number of foxes about. He saw five. And then...

Lyons waited for them to cross the path and carry on through the woods. They did, and he carried on his way.

"Lo and behold, as I came over a ridge, I saw that these, at least five foxes, had circled back and were back on the trail."

He began to feel disconcerted. The foxes weren't fleeing or trying to avoid him.

"It's almost like they looped back to come in front of me so I took stock of the situation. I'm not afraid of foxes. Who would be?"

The animals began to approach as a pack, loping towards him from about 10 metres away.

"I just kind of jogged backwards in retreat. Not in full-panic flight at this point."

Another five metres down the road, Lyons turned back.

"They were then closing the gap toward me with some intent," says Lyons.

At this point, he says, "it was unequivocal flight response. I just started to sprint away from these things."

Source: "Pack of Foxes Chase Yellowknife Man in Residential Area."

Some kept up the chase even after he crossed a road, and one pursued him to the door of his house.

Christian Lyons


Was it because he himself has a ruddy, foxlike look? (Perhaps he has fox blood and doesn't know it?)

Your mission, should you choose to accept it¹, is to spin a brief tale explaining the foxes' pursuit of Mr. Lyons.

An alternate mission is to mention other town names that are as cool as Yellowknife. I would love to be able to say I came from a place called Yellowknife.

¹Coincidentally, Mr. Lyons had been returning from seeing Mission Impossible with friends.

Comments

half assed, off the cuff, and totally inexcusable

[shellynoir.livejournal.com]

Remember the wacky bear-feeding old lady who was eventually killed by her beloved bears? They need to do a wellness check on the elderly population. I have always loved Nunavut, for its poetry and its low-level, alcohol fueled crime stories.

[cmcmck.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I'd like to be able to say that I come from Queen Camel!

Seriously, it is a genuine place name in Somerset! :o)

[yamamanama.livejournal.com]

He looks a bit like someone I knew in college.

[marycatelli]

We're tough, I tell you, tough. We don't take any guff. There was this big hulking human, and we ran him off.

[marycatelli]

"Red-haired," said the first fox.

"Yes," said the second, "but he looks like he can run."

"Maybe he'll trip. Maybe he'll get his hair caught when he does. Then we can -- or do you want to stay a fox forever?"

The other three shook their heads emphatically. Transformation was one thing, but never to go back?

[marycatelli]

The majestic old fox stalked to the front of the gathering.

"We can't have it," she said. "It is too dangerous, to live among humans, revealing that we can take human form." Her head shifting, she took in every fox there with her glittering black eyes. "Why, this one has even learned to hide every sign of his origin! You can't even tell he was a fox."

Murmurs of consternation rose.

"which fox was he?" said one youngster.

"Don't be so insolent," snapped the matriarch. "I will send five to warn him."

[amaebi.livejournal.com]

"I think he's forgotten," the smallest fox whispered.

"No!" barked her sister. "Impossible!"

The eldest, a cautious dog-fox, offered, "I don't think he's forgotten. Look how he trots."

"I wonder," said the dreamy one."Does someone have his skin shut in a chest? It's happened before."

"I hear that some humans like our smell," said his brother.

"It doesn't matter," his mate said fiercely. "Naked or furred, he is mine." And she leapt after him.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

"Do you think he's really a lion?"

"I guess not. Lions don't scare that easy."

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Yellowknife!

[khiemtran.livejournal.com]

Yellowknife is a cool name, but Christian Lyons is an even cooler one...

[oiktirmos.livejournal.com]

I have been watching the sci-fi series Zoo, where the animals, even animals one would not fear, turn on human beings and hunt them.
I wonder …