《A Gathering of Humans》Chapter 6: Saved by a Squirrel

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Fiddler yawned and scratched his chin lazily. Almost two hours had passed and still they had no signs of a human. The pair were back at the house again, only this time they had chosen to set up camera halfway up a young apple tree in the back garden.

Fiddler watched as Delta played with the zoom on his camera. Idly, he lent forward and pulled an apple towards him, then crunched it thoughtfully causing juice to squirt on the camera lens.

“Delta, Delta!” he cried, suddenly excited. “Delta, Delta, Delta!”

The rat looked up from cleaning his lens and saw what the mouse was pointing to so urgently. A young human girl came out of the house into the garden.

Jumping up and down, Fiddler continued pointing and patting Delta on the shoulder. “Go, go, go, go, go!”

Delta shushed the over-excitable mouse and started filming the girl as she wandered about the garden checking the plants.

Fiddler quickly composed himself, straightened his whiskers and placed himself in between the camera and the girl. “Humans,” he started, wondering what to say, “Here in their natural environment. . .” He swept his paw dramatically watching as Delta followed with the camera. “This young female is tending the plants in her domain, watch as she checks the leaves and flowers to see if they're ready for consumption.”

Fiddler stopped his narrative and stepped behind the camera to watch in wonderment as the girl nursed the plants. He was amazed at how pleasant she seemed and realised that his film could shed a whole new light on the way humans were perceived. Not as the cruel rodent killers all believed, but as gentle intelligent creatures just as themselves.

Fiddler crept forward along the branch. Delta tried to pull him back but he ignored his camera-rat and lent right out over the branch and was so close to the human now that he could almost touch her.

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As the girl stood up, she brushed past the branch that Fiddler was on, causing him to wobble precariously at the edge.

Delta looked up from his camera and held his breath. Suddenly, Fiddler lost his footing and fell.

“Ahhhhhhh, a mouse!” The girl screamed and stamped about hysterically as Fiddler danced about at her feet. “Get away, you nasty little vermin, yaaah!”

Fiddler dodged left and right to avoid being trodden on, panicking and realising his stupid mistake. The girl grabbed a stick and started beating the ground madly, yelling loudly all the time and screaming. It was all Fiddler could do to evade the swipes.

Just as he was giving up hope that he could possibly get out of this little mishap, he noticed a grey squirrel bounding across the branch above his head.

“Grab hold!” yelled the squirrel, hanging upside down from the branch by its tail.

Fiddler gratefully seized the squirrel’s outstretched paws and held on tight as he was hauled up and out of harm's way. At the sight of a squirrel the girl screamed once more and fled into the house.

Delta switched off the camera and quickly went to see if Fiddler was all right. The irrepressible mouse was fine and thanking the squirrel profusely for his rescue. “That was close, eh Delta? Did you get the shot?”

“You two fools are goin’ to get yourselves killed.” The squirrel berated them. “Filming humans is dangerous!”

Delta nodded and looked meaningfully at Fiddler. “I know, try telling him. He’s so intent on winning the National Wildlife Film award that he’ll do anything. Including getting himself killed on film.” Delta sighed and shook his head.

A smile hovered about the squirrel’s lips. “I’m Fyre,” she said. Then laughed. “Because I’m fiery!”

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Fiddler grinned. He instantly liked the squirrel. “I’m Fiddler and this is Delta my camera-rat we’re from--”

“Channel 1.5," Fyre finished for him. “I know, I’ve heard about you.”

Fiddler puffed out his chest importantly. “See, Delta, we’re well known. For our bravery I suppose?”

Fyre laughed. “For your stupidity more like!”

Delta groaned as Fyre continued laughing.

“Have you entered the competition then?” asked Fiddler.

“Indeed I have” said Fyre, grinning. “But I’ve chosen a more amiable subject. Ants! Fascinating little creatures y’ know, a sure ‘Fyre’ hit!” She laughed at her pun. Fiddler and Delta looked at each other and raised their eyebrows.

“Well, Fyre,” said Fiddler, eager to get on, “Thanks for the help, I’m sure we’ll see you again. Come on, Delta.”

Fyre watched as the rat and mouse struggled down the tree, then she laughed to herself again, clutching her sides as tears rolled down her cheeks. “Hee, hee! Filming humans, ha, ha, ha! What has the world come to?”

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