We all tell stories. As kids we create friends to keep us company and to feel safe. Todd was no different. He had many imaginary friends in his childhood though as an adult he says he cannot remember them. The only reason he knows he once did was from stories his parents told him. He says he is past such childish ideas now-a-days, but that for some reason he did create the idea of Gray Fox.
He said that it was just his imagination. When he was board he would daydream about a mysterious warrior who lived in the shadows, was the most cunning of fighters, and whose sole purpose was to protect others. Todd says that the Gray Fox was never a clear picture in his mind. Based on the specific daydream the Fox would look different. But there seemed to be certain aspects that always stayed the same. He could never picture its face. Either it was in too much shadow or had a hood or something coving it. Todd couldn’t really tell if it was a man or woman but says he thinks of Gray Fox as a man. And more often than not Todd would see Gray fox carrying a giant sward that gleamed faintly in the dark.
He doesn’t talk about this imaginary character a lot though he says he thinks about him all the time. He images that it is the alter ego of himself that he ends up using to make him feel safe when he feels edgy or scared. “I always feel better when I think about him being around, kicking ass” he said once.
With time though it seemed that Gray Fox became more than just a daydream, it grew a life of its own. Todd would sometimes talk about Gray Fox like it was a real person. Or that he could become it or was it. He ended up making an e-mail account and other accounts to websites under the name Gray Fox and would post cryptic ideas and warnings. Most people didn’t think too much of this since there’s plenty of people who did stupid shit like this on the internet. It can be kind of entertaining at times. Plus he didn’t do it that often. Mostly when he wanted to say something but didn’t want to be known by using his main account.
But something weird began to happen. Todd would say that someone was hacking his Gray Fox account and would post things. He didn’t notice until he was reading some posts and saw that there was a post from “Gray Fox” that he knew that he didn’t post himself. He looked at his account and saw that the history showed someone had made the post with his account. But that post was not made by him. He thought about taking the Gray Fox account down, but he really didn’t want to get rid of the account. So, he decided to just change the password and tried to beef up the protection of both the Gray Fox account and his main one. He said he thought that would be enough. Given that there was no important information on the Gray Fox account the hacking was more of an annoyance that anything else.
But the hacking wouldn’t stop. If fact he said it just got worse. There would be more posts and he would take more action only for it to happen again. He couldn’t seem to figure out what to do. And what was even weirder was that whoever was hacking was just doing what he had planned to do with the account. Sending useful information, warnings, and links to more information when someone was desperate for help. BUT it wasn’t coming from Todd. It was driving him nuts. It finally came to a head when Todd started to harass the hacker by trying to discredit and adding stupid comments whenever ‘Gray Fox’ made a post. He would also try to stay on his Gray Fox account so that whoever was hacking wouldn’t have access. But still Gray Fox was posting.
Finally as a last ditch attempt to stop the hacker he sent an e-mail stating that if the random posting didn’t stop, if this person didn’t leave his account alone he would close it. The following was that discussion:
“You have no right to my account Todd. It is mine. It always was." -Gray Fox”
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!! I MADE THE ACCOUNT, IT IS MINE! AND STOP SAYING YOUR GRAY FOX YOUR NOT! JUST STOP!"
“You gave me this account. You made it for me. I am just doing as you expect of me. Don’t stand in my way. -Gray Fox”
“What? Are you trying to act like the real Gray Fox? I’m sorry to tell you but that person doesn’t even exist. So stop acting like it! If I see you on my account one more time I swear I will close the account for good and will find a way to report you!! -Todd”
“fine. If you want it that way Todd I’ll stop helping you. I WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE. Good luck…”
Todd says that after reading that e-mail he felt really weird. The last e-mail sent was weirdly worded. ‘leave you alone’? way say it like that? Todd felt a chill go through him as he thought about it. His Cat Grim at that moment freaked out, crying and ran from the room to hide under the bed. No matter what Todd did the cat wouldn’t move.
As the days passed Todd kept feeling worse and worse. The chill wouldn’t leave; he would get headaches; he would always have a feeling of fear when he was in the dark; he felt like he was being watched but by something he never felt before, something evil; he would sometimes catch in the corner of his eye something dark and not right; and the nightmares, he said they were the worst.
He didn’t really know what was going on but he couldn’t take it anymore. He also knew it had something to do with Gray Fox. Did it really leave him? Was it protecting him all along? He felt all alone and as stupid of an idea as it sounds he just wanted Gray Fox back. So one night when he was no doubt at his lowest he called for help. He called out for Gray Fox to come back.