Within Kyro, a tornado of negative emotions roared. He wanted to lash out at someone, but there was nobody around. By the time he got through the people standing around the sign pointing to the exit, he had lost sight of the fox. He ran ahead, trying to catch a glimpse of its sandy coat somewhere behind the bushes, but there was nothing there.
Worry mounted in his heart, but he pushed it down, telling himself it was going to be fine, he was going to find the little runaway. Backtracking, he called the fox's name but only the wind answered him. No little sandy creature jumped out at him with joy.
While calling its name again and again, he couldn't help cursing himself for his carelessness. The fox had been agitated since the morning—it had never run away from him like that—and then he let that stupid bitch take it out and scare it.
The whole sequence of events was stupid beyond belief in retrospect. He should have never gotten the fox out of the car, let alone allowed the woman to take it out right away.
Yet at the time it had seemed so logical. Once the woman came close, he could see if the fox showed any reaction. It would be better than any documents or words in revealing whether the two had met before or no.
'And look where it got you now!' He cursed himself again and began running faster. It would be fine if he was the one to suffer for his own stupidity, but now the little fox might be in danger. There would be nothing for it to eat here, and what if it met up with some of the larger dogs people brought here for a walk.
Those dogs would be on their leashes, but the fox wouldn't. With its innate inquisitiveness, it might come over to check them out, and that might be the last thing it would do. And this was just one of the hundred scenarios running in his head simultaneously, all of them ending the same way.
How could he have been so careless?
His phone rang, and he froze, then picked it up right away. "Did you find it?"
"No," Ted said. "But I questioned the wo—"
"I don't have time for this, need to find the fox. Damn, where could it be?"
He was tempted to start running again, but now that he'd lost sight of the fox, there was no point to rush about blindly. Maybe if he didn't speed through the paths, he might see its sandy tail or a corner of its ear sticking out from somewhere. There was no reason for it to have run far.
But as he thought that, he knew was being obstinate. A frightened animal would run as fast as it could for as long as it could. By now, the fox could be anywhere in this park. Or maybe even out in the streets, dodging cars and bikes.
"I'll help, just sent those twats away. Where you now?"
"To the west of you. I lost it near the sign to the exit."
"Right, I'll take this side then. It answers to Iris, yes?"
Kyro nodded, then said, "Yes, but it was frightened and didn't listen to me just now."
"Noticed, and don't lose hope. We'll find it."
The words were encouraging, but they didn't last for long. Three hours later, Ted had to return to his family, and they had found not trace of the fox. Kyro resorted to asking every passer-by about seeing a big-eared sandy fox, but no one could tell him anything. It was as if the little thing had disappeared from the face of the earth.
A couple times he had left the park and looked through the streets, but he couldn't find anything, and he put his hopes into the fox being too frightened to leave. Outside was full of noise from the thousands of passing cars and people, while the inside was calmer and should have less oppressing smells.
But where was it then? Another hour passed, but there was still no sign of it. He increased his search range again and again, all to no avail. No one had even glimpsed the fox since that group at the sign.
He called out for the fox, ignoring the laughter of a group of teenagers sitting around a table nearby. He'd passed by here an hour or so ago, and now they were having fun at his expense. It was somehow humorous to them that he was searching so desperately for a pet.
After another half an hour, he came across a young girl who ran over to him with a sad expression. "I tried to look for it as well," she told him seriously, "but I couldn't find it anywhere. I want to look more, but mom says we need to leave."
Kyro smiled and crouched down to the girl's level. "Thank you," he said with genuine feeling. It was a lovely surprise to him that a number of people actually volunteered to help, this girl being one of them. "You've been a great help."
"Mom, can we stay? I want to see the little fox!" the girl begged her mother, but the middle-aged woman just smiled and shook her head. "We need to go, dear." She looked over with a question at Kyro, and he just shook his head.
"I'm gonna keep looking. It's my fault it got scared and ran away, so I can't just leave it here alone."
"Good luck."
"Thanks."
The two left, and he returned to his wanderings around the park. Every time he turned a corner, he hoped to see a little sandy-haired head popping up, looking up at him with those large shining eyes, but every time he got disappointed. No matter where he went, there were just people and their happy pets or nothing at all.
And it was going to get dark in time. It was past late afternoon so sun was still high up, but it wouldn't stay up there forever. If he didn't find the fox, it would have to stay here the night, alone and in the dark. Hungry.
His heart clenched, and he quickened his pace. He couldn't let this happen; he had to find it before nightfall.