The Squirrel War

Zora

Ah. I thought. I could grow used to this life. Thanks to Seeker F, I had been successful in all of my attacks. I had been living on a full stomach for a week.

I had not hunted yesterday, so I would today. I stretched and yawned. I slowly trotted outside, and sat down on the soft green grass.

"I'll rest a bit before I hunt," I murmured to no one in particular. Gradually, a soothing, chanting voice reached my triangle ears.

"Perrito, perrito, perrito." the voice chimed. Who had called me Perrito before? I decided Ruth's Aunt Cecelia had called me that, before I walked into the forest in a daze, lulled by the chanting.

As I walked, the chanting guiding me, leading me, a little voice in the back of my head told me, No. Something is wrong. Look! Remember that boulder! You have been here before! But I was in too much of a trance to give the boulder a glance, or even register it was there.

I arrived in a small clearing. I stopped walking outside of it, still in the trees.

I glided into it.

All of a sudden, my mind started working a bit. Wait, a second, how did I reach here? Something smells funny. I should run out of here. But before I could even lift a paw, ropes were thrown over me.

"Heave! Pull!" a voice I recognized hollered.

McNutty.

It was an ambush! I had to get out of this mess! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? Later, I would've banged my head against a tree for being so stupid. But that was not now. Uh, uh, uh. The ropes were getting tighter. Well I'm a predator so I should do some predator stuff. I was being pulled down. I should probably follow my instincts and uh... uh... I was lying flat on my back now. MOVE! ZORA! MOVE! YOU GOTTA MOVE! I thrashed about, and kicked a squirrel away. I was stabbed in the paw many times. I was on my stomach now. I kept moving. I was almost to the edge of the forest. But then I stopped.

What? Why can't I move?

"PULL!" McNutty yelled. "SHE'S GETTING AWAY! PULL LIKE YOUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES! IF WE DO NOT SUCCEED WE WILL BE WIPED OUT! WE WILL LOSE!

"WE CAN'T DO IT, CAPTAIN!" another voice yelled back. "SHE'S TOO STRONG!"

"SAVE YOUR BREATH, XAVIER. YOU'LL NEED IT TO KEEP PULLING! WE ARE NOT GOING TO SURRENDER! DO YOU NOT WANT TO AVENGE THE LIVES WE LOST?! KEEP PULLING!

Slowly, surely, I was dragged back, my injured paw throbbing. As we arrived at their treehouse, I heard McNutty order me to be taken to the high security cell in the leafy treetops. The whole way there, I struggled against them. Didn't they know climbing stairs was bad for my hip joints? I came close to eating a squirrel out of frustration.

"Grrr." I snarled in a low undertone at a squirrel who had trodden on my hurt paw.

"Gah!" he squeaked, then straightened up. "You don't scare me." he gulped in a high, frightened voice, quivering in fear. How pathetic. I thought. They can't even assume a strong voice around me.

I growled again, to scare him. It worked. He yelped and backed up into a corner. I smirked with satisfaction.

"Come on!" a squirrel screamed down at me. She attempted to pull me up dozens stairs, the rope around my neck nearly choking me. Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I tried not to show the rope hurt, but she must have noticed because she had a smug look on her face when she remarked, "Can't have it too loose. Doesn't matter if it's too tight though. It'd do us good for you to choke to death." I stared at her, shocked. No one dared talk to me like that! "You aren't used to being spoken to like that, huh? Well ya better get used to it." She snickered.

"Well...I...uh...I'm..." For once I was speechless.

She smirked.

I pouted.

"Jayce?" she called to the squirrel who had coiled at the sight of me.

"Yes, Apryl?"

"Pull the rope tighter."

"Yes ma'am."

For the remainder of the trudge to upstairs, I brainstormed plans to escape. I can handle a couple of tiny squirrels, right? My first immediate plan was to bulldoze out and fight them off. Yeah! Let's do that! Then I started looking at common sense. If I barged out, they would surely poke me with those little spear thingys they had. Those are sharp! I had already gotten jabbed by them many, many times. I couldn't endure many more, even if I was the predator, and not the prey.

We reached a platform with a cage sort of thing on it. It seemed to be made of bark.

"Go into it." Apryl snarled at me. I went in. I didn't want to admit it, but she scared me. She had a scar that went from under her eye to the back of her neck.

Apryl locked the door, (which had five locks) and commanded the rest of the squirrels, "Keep guard here. Don't fall asleep. There will be a switch of guards at midnight. Until then, keep your post." Perfect, I thought. I'll sneak out at midnight.

"Yes, Apryl." All of the guards nodded.

~

Finally. Midnight was here. I heard some of the guards talking about leaving early in low voices. Perfect. I thought. Until Apryl ruined my plans.

"I heard you." she bellowed. The guards groaned. I inwardly groaned. "You will not leave until the next patrol comes." she continued. "Understand?"

"Yes Apryl." they all said.

"Give Zora some food and water. Capt. Acornia orders it." None of them made a move towards my cage. "Did you hear me? Get a move on it!" she barked. Still, no one moved. "Alright! This has earned all of you no lunch for a week. Jayce, go do it." The rest of the guards looked at her with sincere displeasure. As Jayce neared my door, I thought, Ok, Zora. Once he opens the door pounce on him and eat him. Got that?

He's taking out the keys.

He's looking for the right one.

He's inserting it into the keyhole.

He's turning the key.

He's taking it out.

He's putting his hand on the knob

He's twisting the knob

He's opening the door.

Plan time.

I quickly jumped on top of him, and before he could utter anything besides a choked cry of alarm, I slit his throat. I'll eat him later.

The rest of the guards, including Apryl, who had heard Jayce, turned around and came to me.

"Stupid. Giant. Dog!" Apryl yelled at me, as she jabbed me again and again with her spear. It felt like thousands of needles pricking my skin.

I yowled in pain.

Growling at a guard, I watched him cower. I then crushed his skull with my jaws. The same process repeated itself until only Apryl was left fighting me. When she saw no one was left, she kept fighting, but soon stopped and ran downstairs. I should have been thinking, Get out of here before they capture you again! 

But all I could think was,

I am free.

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