Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 "Please don't eat us, sir!" Bob the Eastern gray squirrel pleaded. He was backed up against a tree trunk with his wife, Mary, and their friend Larry. Mr. Nemesis crouched on a branch in front of the trio, ready to pounce. "If we make a run for it, he can't catch us all!" Mary suggested nervously.

"Just the slowest one," Mr. Nemesis purred. The squirrels all looked at each other, wondering who might be the least speedy. "If you let us go, I'll give you some nuts. I got extra," Larry bargained. "Cats don't eat nuts, silly squirrel." Mr. Nemesis sharpened his claws on the branch, making the squirrels tremble. "But do you know what we do eat?" "Umm... cat food?" Larry guessed. "Oh yes, all kinds of cat food." Mr. Nemesis grinned. "Birds, mice... squirrels." GULP. The three squirrels swallowed in unison. Mr. Nemesis reached out with his paw and pulled Larry closer to him. "And squirrels are especially delicious." He opened his mouth wide, showing pointy white fangs. "Larry!" Bob and Mary shouted in horror.

"It's okay, guys," Larry cried, covering his eyes with his paws. "I was probably the slowest anyway." Mr. Nemesis paused right before his teeth reached Larry. "You know, it doesn't have to go this way," he offered. "You want to eat Bob instead?" Larry asked matter-of- factly. "Larry!" Bob shouted, this time in annoyance.

"No, I don't need to eat any of you... if you cooperate," Mr. Nemesis said with a villainous grin. "We love cooperating!" Mary blurted out. "Yes!" Larry added. "Eastern gray squirrels are probably the cooperative-ist squirrels around." "Most cooperative," Mr. Nemesis corrected. "Yep! That's us!" Larry said. "That's good to hear," Mr. Nemesis said. "So this is what's going to happen: you'll invite Merle and Pearl to your tree for dinner tonight, where I'll be waiting. Little will they know that they'll be the dinner!" "Wait," Larry interrupted, a confused look on his face. "Why don't you just eat us? We're already caught." Bob and Mary slapped their paws to their foreheads. "Oh, it's not about dinner," Mr. Nemesis replied. Bob and Mary sighed with relief.

"It's about revenge!"