Adventures with Friends Fanmade (HALLOWEEN! 44-48)

Chapter 15: Attack of the Angry Squirrels

It was supposed to be a calm day. The gang decided they deserved a break after dealing with haunted spirits, vengeful dolphins, and everything in between. They were relaxing at Oakside Park, enjoying some snacks and chatting about their recent adventures. But Oakside had other plans for them—again.

Riland was the first to notice something odd. "Uh... is it just me, or are the squirrels staring at us?"

Sure enough, dozens of squirrels were perched on the branches, eyes locked on the group. Normally, the park squirrels were skittish and more interested in stealing crumbs, but these were different. Their eyes gleamed with a strange, unsettling intensity, and they didn't move a muscle.

Cristena shuddered. "Creepy. I don't like this."

James tried to brush it off. "Maybe they're just curious. We probably smell like snacks."

But then, one of the squirrels let out an ear-piercing screech. It was quickly followed by another, and then another. Soon, the entire park echoed with the shrill cries of angry squirrels.

Jack looked up and gasped. "Guys, they're getting closer!"

The squirrels started swarming down from the trees, leaping from branch to branch like tiny furry ninjas. What made it worse was that they weren't just charging randomly—they were organized, like a mini-army closing in on the group.

"What do we do?" Cristena yelled as the squirrels surrounded them. "We can't fight squirrels!"

But the squirrels weren't just being aggressive—they were strategic. They started gnawing on the edges of their picnic blanket, trying to steal their snacks, but this wasn't just about food. The squirrels seemed to be communicating with each other, moving with purpose and coordination. One of them even wore a tiny acorn helmet.

Riland, who was usually the jokester, was too panicked to crack wise this time. "This is nuts—literally! We need to get out of here before they launch a full-on squirrel assault!"

They grabbed their stuff and made a break for it, but the squirrels were relentless. They swarmed around the group, chattering furiously, blocking their path and even hurling acorns at them like tiny projectiles.

As they ran, Jack tripped over a root, and suddenly the squirrels were on him, tugging at his backpack straps. Cristena and Riland quickly pulled him up while James swung a stick, trying to fend off the furry attackers.

"Why are they so mad? What did we do to upset them?" Jack panted as they sprinted toward a nearby shed for cover.

They burst into the shed and slammed the door shut, the sound of angry chittering echoing from outside. Cristena peeked through a crack in the wall and saw that the squirrels had completely surrounded the shed, chattering amongst themselves in what looked like... a battle formation?

"This is insane!" Cristena said, her eyes wide. "They're actually planning something!"

James was thinking hard, trying to figure out what had triggered this bizarre situation. "It's like they're working together—like they're... organized."

Riland snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute. Remember last year when Old Man Withers got kicked out of the park for feeding the squirrels those weird energy bars he invented? What if this is his revenge?"

Jack's eyes went wide. "You think he's controlling them somehow?"

"Or maybe those energy bars made them super smart," Cristena suggested. "They could've mutated into some kind of genius squirrel hive mind!"

Whatever the reason, it was clear they had to come up with a plan—and fast. The squirrels weren't going to wait around forever.

"Okay," James said, taking charge. "Here's the deal. We need to break their coordination. If they're acting like an army, then taking out their leader could make them scatter."

"And who's their leader?" Jack asked.

Riland pointed outside, where the squirrel with the acorn helmet was perched on a rock, screeching orders like a tiny general. "That guy. We take him out, and the rest might go back to being regular squirrels."

"But how do we get past all those squirrels without getting swarmed?" Cristena wondered.

"I've got it," James said, a grin forming on his face. "We're going to need some bait. Something they can't resist."

Riland raised his hand. "I volunteer as bait!"

Everyone looked at him in surprise. "Riland, are you serious?" Cristena asked.

"I've been waiting for my moment to shine!" Riland said proudly. "Plus, I have a plan. I'll lure them away with this." He pulled out a candy bar from his pocket and waved it around. "Squirrels love sugar, right?"

They didn't have any better ideas, so they agreed. The plan was simple: Riland would run out with the candy bar and lead as many squirrels away as possible while James, Cristena, and Jack focused on taking down the leader.

"Alright, on three," James said, holding the door. "One, two... three!"

Riland burst out of the shed, waving the candy bar and shouting, "Come and get it, you fuzzy little acorn addicts!" Sure enough, a good chunk of the squirrel army peeled off and chased him down the path.

With most of the squirrels distracted, the others dashed out and zeroed in on the acorn-helmeted leader. The little tyrant was barking orders, unaware of the ambush until it was too late. Jack grabbed a nearby bucket, flipped it upside down, and trapped the leader inside.

The rest of the squirrels froze in confusion, their carefully coordinated attack falling apart. Without their leader, they began running in circles, some even forgetting what they were doing and going back to their usual squirrel activities—like gathering nuts and chasing each other up trees.

Riland reappeared, panting heavily. "Did we win? Are the squirrels finally chill?"

James lifted the bucket just enough to let the leader peek out. "Listen here, Squeaky. We don't want any more trouble. Call off your troops, and we'll let you go."

The squirrel leader gave a defiant squeak but eventually seemed to get the message. It chattered something to the others, and just like that, the remaining squirrels scattered back into the trees.

The friends sighed in relief as they watched the squirrels return to their normal routines. The squirrel menace had been defeated—for now.

As they walked back to the park entrance, Jack shook his head in disbelief. "This town is officially the weirdest place on Earth."

"Agreed," Cristena said. "I mean, what's next? Evil chipmunks?"

Riland grinned. "If there are, I'm ready for them!"

James laughed. "Well, at least we know one thing: we're always up for a challenge, no matter how ridiculous."

They all laughed, ready to take on whatever strange adventure Oakside threw their way next. But deep down, they knew they'd be keeping a wary eye on the squirrels from now on.