When the Lumberjack returns at night, with his ax and without a scrap of lumber, the shack is tidy. The Lumberjack smiles at her with approval and begins to make a simple soup for her with food he has brought home.

She eats with gusto.

LUMBERJACK

You look well.

WHITE FOX

What do you do all day, if you don’t collect lumber?

LUMBERJACK

I cut down trees that are invisible. I replant them afterward. And with their endless lumber, I create my world and my friends.

WHITE FOX (V.O.)

That didn’t make any sense to me, but I had the distinct feeling that mentioning this to the man—or the nature of his figurines, or anything more—would make him angry. And he was right. I was feeling better with every passing moment. The clean air was helping me, and he wasn’t a terrible host.

INT. GRAND OLD HOME — NIGHT

CLIENT 2

I don’t like the sound of this.

WHITE FOX

Hush. You said you would listen.

INT. OLD CABIN — DAY

White Fox tidies the house, little by little, and eats the meal the Lumberjack prepares for her. She is regaining her color.

INT. OLD CABIN — NIGHT

WHITE FOX (V.O.)

Of course, the situation soon soured.

White Fox does not finish her soup, unable to stomach the taste, and cleans out the bowl when the Lumberjack’s back is turned.

Later, she cannot sleep, and she realizes, while pretending to nod off, that the Lumberjack has not slept since she arrived.

He simply watches her while whittling his block of wood into a new creature.

This latest CREATURE is almost done: a woman with the face of a FOX. He seems to be refining little details on it, polishing it.

When he is finished for the night, he pries open a secret compartment in the wall, laying the fox to rest behind it. Then, he just stares at White Fox, inhaling and exhaling.

WHITE FOX (V.O.)

I decided to follow him out to whatever he did on the moor, the next morning.

The polished little fox figurine sits quietly inside the secret compartment.

INT/EXT. OLD CABIN

White Fox watches the Lumberjack leave with his ax.

Though still visibly weak, she clothes herself in a dark hooded garment and follows him.

EXT. FOGGY MOORLANDS

Lumberjack does not notice White Fox—or if he does, he does not make a show of it.

Lumberjack dips into a valley, where there are many stumps and large stones.

He reaches a large stretch where small stones have been rested on flat soil.

WHITE FOX (V.O.)

I recognized them. Grave markers.

Lumberjack sits and continues to work on his figurine. White Fox, stunned, hides behind a large boulder to collect herself.

LUMBERJACK

(calmly)

Come out if you’d like.

White Fox doesn’t move.

LUMBERJACK