Luminescence

No Tree is Safe

The squirrel, or more formally known as Squeak-squeak-trillllll-spit, had successfully found his nut and taken care of business there. At the current moment he was traveling to his sister's hallow—for sisters, you see, are far more useful to a squirrel than brothers. Brothers are very territorial and often don't know when to keep their noses to themselves. Such gossipers! And if you ever should get a prettier mate than them or have bigger nuts—titch titch. Sisters on the other hand were generally more giving and tend to stay in one place with their children.

Therefore, Squeak-squeak-trillllll-spit was replaying just how he was going to explain the crazy explosions of the day before when the branch he had just landed on gave a huge heave. Next thing he knew he was holding on for dear life as the branch shook back and forth, squealing at the top of his lungs. In that moment he saw a familiar flash of white and became so enthralled by the recognition that he stupidly let go of the branch.

And for a second, he became what his brother always wanted to be: a flying squirrel. He must never know of this, for squirrel brothers' envious natures went beyond nuts and mates. But Squeak-squeak-trillllll-spit was not born a flying squirrel. So thus, he began to fall. He was so surprised to see the earth rushing up to greet him that he forgot to scream.

Pale hands appeared out of nowhere, plucking him from the air. Once more, he had become a flying squirrel. He was so shocked that he again forgot to scream when the hands lifted him up to the face of their owner: a human. A female human, to be exact. Oh nuts, he was so screwed. He'd heard horror stories of these creatures. They killed and skinned animals to cover their own ugly nakedness. His own grandmother (for squirrels got along with their grandfathers just about as well as their brothers), had called the humans 'skin thieves'. The name ran through his head even as the human's eyebrows puckered and her mouth made an 'o' of concern.

And then he was back in his tree. He had been so scared for his life he could hardly remember being set back onto the branch he just fell off of. What had just happened? And as he stood there, blinking stupidly, he watched as the white, winged human flew up and up into the sky and across the canopy.

Wait a second...humans didn't have wings.

On my nuts, thought the squirrel, the humans have learned to fly. No tree is safe now.

They were all going to die.