Scared in One’s Own Nest
Open season on all
“This is terrible! When’s the shooting going to end?”
The hunters have been at it since the beginning of the month. We the one-year olds are scared witless; the old geezers remain philosophical. “Imagine if we were rats — those filthy rodents can be shot any day under so-called pest control. Even poison is used regularly to exterminate them. We’re luckier, there’s open season on us in October only, and poisoning wildlife is illegal in this state.”
“Some hunters call us tree rats!”
“Well, that’s just plain ignorant. Or, mucho bravado. Or, because they don’t want to feel guilty while shooting us.”
“What if the state legislation decides we’ve become too numerous? They might declare open season on us for the entire year.”
“If that happens, future generations will remember us as innocent victims but deep down they’ll be relieved we are no longer around.”
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A sketch of this article was published in Friday Flash Fiction on November 17, 2023.
