Autumn in Philadelphia Trilogy

Squirrelly Funerals and Nutty Neighbors II

Disclaimer: "Masquerade" is the property of the Really Useful Group and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Morgan arrived home around six o'clock. Amy was busy fixing dinner when the little girl bounded in, chattering on about her day.

Amy listened as best she could while keeping an eye on the food cooking on the stove. Eric breezed through the kitchen on his way to pick up his date. He lifted Morgan above his head, swung her back down towards him, and kissed her forehead. Morgan continued talking throughout her brother's good- bye.

Eric hugged his mother, turning her back to the stove. Still holding onto her, he stuck his finger into the bowl of mash potatoes that she had been preparing.

"Oh, Eric!" Amy cried, swatting his hand away. "Get out of here." She gave him a loving smack with a potholder.

Eric took off out of the back door with mashed potato smeared on his nose.

"Mommy," Morgan said suddenly, forgetting the rest of her story. "How long before dinner?"

"Oh, about half an hour. Why?"

"Can I go outside and play?"

Amy regarded her daughter. "All right, but stay out of Mr. Feeny's yard."

"Kay," she said running for the door.

Outside, Morgan saw Cory's football. She seized the opportunity to play with it as her brother had forbidden her to touch it. With the ball tucked under one arm, Morgan pulled herself up the ladder to the tree house.

She settled herself inside and found a doll that she had been missing buried under a blanket. The football was almost immediately forgotten. Before long, she heard a faint sound at the entrance to the house.

"Cory?" she called thinking her brother might be home, even though he had told her that he wouldn't be back until after dark.

There was no response to her call, only more faint scratching sounds. Morgan shrugged and continued playing with her doll. Before long, she forgot all about the odd noises. She had just put her doll to bed when a little squirrel dropped in for a visit. It was a young squirrel with a narrow reddish tail. It stood unmoving in the doorway. Morgan stared at him, hardly daring to breathe lest he be scared away. The creature's immense black eyes gazed about in a slow manner, not very squirrel-like at all. Finally, it lifted a paw and promptly fell over.

It was Nurse Morgan to the rescue. A vague warning about not going near or touching injured animals came back to her. She ignored it, however- this squirrel needed her. Dumping her doll out of its bed, Morgan wrapped it around the animal and carefully picked it up. The creature did not move. Morgan gently molded the covering into a sort of bed. When she was satisfied with it, she decided to examine her patient.

With her hand sheathed in a corner of the blanket, she stroked the squirrel's head lightly. It didn't respond to her touch in the slightest. After several minutes of trying to awaken it, a dark realization struck Morgan. Understanding that the animal was not sleeping, she let out an eardrum-shattering scream before bursting into heart-broken sobs.

It was nearly ten 'o'clock that night when Cory was dropped off at his house. At first, Jon thought he might have to get Alan to help him carry the boys inside as Audrey had difficulty rousing them from their slumber.

Only half-awake, Cory and Shawn, who was spending the night, stumbled sleepily into the house. Amy and Alan were both up to greet them. They spoke briefly to Jon and Audrey. Cory and Shawn fell asleep on their feet.

The ride over to Audrey's place was quite. Jon realized with surprise that this was the first time they had been alone outside of a school setting. Never before had he had trouble talking to her, but now he didn't know what to say.