As the Sun Burrows no. 7
Vigil No.6
As Rat sat in his little vault waiting for the sun to set, he wondered what Possum might say about his dream, he hoped her words would dispel the dread and fear he had clustered inside him.
Rat, to distract himself got up and went and asked Rabbit, who was busy tidying and decorating, for some tea leaves and he happily obliged.
As Rat returned back to his own vault, he could hear thumping and bumping from within, quickening his steps he rounded the opening and found quite a sight.
His chair had been knocked over, several things he had hung up on the earthen walls now resided on the ground and a lamp that he had bought with badger sat smashed on the edge of his table. There, in the middle of all the mess, with his back to Rat, stood Raccoon, his blindfold of black silk hung down his back and parted at the junction of his tail.
Rat could feel anger and confusion welling up inside him. He could easily tidy the room but the lamp was special to him and now it was ruined.
“What do you think you are you doing!?”
Rat snapped at the Raccoon
Who turned his head towards Rats voice.
“I’ve broken something, and so I awaited your return so that you would know I had done it”
Rat clenched his jaw.
“What brought you into my vault in the first place?”
Raccoon shook his head.
“I came looking for you, I had heard you were going to see Possum this evening, I wanted to go with you”
Rat retorted quickly and bitterly.
“Why didn’t you simply call out? I would have answered you if I were in here.”
Rat began picking up the shattered pieces of the little football shaped lamp.
“I didn’t think of that”
Raccoon said plainly.
“Will you give me a moment Raccoon?” Rat said crossly, you’ve broken something rather special to me and I am angry”
Raccoon nodded and began to leave, but as he did he stepped on a small shard of the lamp that Rat had missed. The ceramic cut into Raccoons Footpaw and he stumbled, grasping, he pulled down the small curtains that served as a door to Rats vault.
Rat watched but did not move.
The Raccoon felt around his foot as he lay on the ground, as he came to the shard still in it he visibly winced in pain.
Rat remained still and silent, as blood dripped from the paw onto his shambled curtains.
Raccoon tried to get the piece out but could not find a hold, he did not ask for help or call out.
Rat stood angrily and strode over to him.
“HOLD YOURSELF STILL”
He said sternly and loudly and grabbed hold of the shard and pulled it from his paw quickly,
tossing it onto the table with the rest of the broken pieces.
He helped clean the spot and put a bandage on it and got Raccoon, who had gone very silent, to his feet.
“Perhaps you should consider removing that blindfold” Rat said in distaste, “things like this might not happen.”
Raccoon did not say anything, he simply began to wonder back down the burrows tunnels.
Rat watched him go a moment and then began hanging the curtains back up after some washing and silent swearing.
He felt little sharp pains in his chest and stomach and worried over them.
He sat down in a slump in the middle of the room, looking around at all of the chaos. And Sighed.
“SIGH” No.7
May your anger pass
May anger not find root in you
May anger be kept at bay
For in anger choice is made rapid
And in haste choice the harvest spoils
May you not be quick to anger
Or mistrust
Or misgivings
Patience and silence
Are better
Than an early reaping
And accusations
Let your decisions be born of ease and finality
That you may go on free of the burdens that anger plants.
Selah for Raccoon.
Raccoon came to the arch of the big burrow where Badger slept.
From inside the sounds of a large animal sleeping came.
Raccoon turned his head and faced down the tunnel, as if to look and see if anyone was there behind him, though he still wore his blindfold.
Facing the entrance to Badgers vault again,
which was little more than a huge arch filled with pitch black shadow, he reached behind his head.
(Now, here in Foxes mirror, what we are allowed to see, let it be known that there is no knowing what was seen save from behind Raccoon.)
Standing there just before the border of the vault, with his back to us, as we watch him do it, Raccoon removed his blindfold, it hung in his left hand there for a moment.
He stood and faced the vaults entrance for some time.
No sound was made, and no movements.
Just the sounds of Badger sleeping.
After a time he deftly tied the blindfold back around his eyes and turned to face us and walked, shambling back from the direction he came.
