The air smelt of the crisp popcorn and fresh cotton candy as the steady tune of a nearby marching band electrified the air. Rita and her companion were barely noticed by the enthralled crowd. "Jeeze they must be givin' stuff away here. Wait a sec… Runt what day is it?' Rita questioned her companion knowing his somehow exceptional grasp of dates, times, and numbers. "Definitely the 4th of July Rita. 185th day of the year. Yup 185th day. 4,440 hours. 266, 400 minutes. 15, 98-" "Ok big guy I got it! Well at least that explains all these humans running around like zombies."

"Get ya T-shirts, T-shirts here!" Slappy Squirrel hackled above the crowd holding up T-Shirts labeled PAWS. "What?" Looking towards the camera. "I'm gonna get my moneys worth out of this show?" "Uh, Aunt Slappy what are we doing here?" Skippy Squirrel questioned his aunts motives as he passed her a box filled with cheap merchandise. "Marketing my boy. If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of showbiz, it's that you gotta market a film while the selling is good!" "But won't we get sue-" "Skippy Steven and I go way back I'm sure he'll understand. Besides how do ya think I'm gonna buy you that Kitendo Kawasaki Blender thingy?" Skippy cheerfully smiled as he continued to assist his aunt in hackling. "Coffee Mugs get ya PAWS coffee mugs here!"

There it was, their one way ticket to Feed Me Ville. Fresh broiled hot dog's glistened in the sun as the captivating aroma filled her mind with the heavenly thought of a delectable hot meal. Her stomach growled in approval. "We need a plan." Rita pondered as her eye's looked toward the hot dog cart. Unfortunately Ralph stood in their way, pretending to actually be cooking the hot dog's, an offish Wolfgang Puck. She looked back over at her doltish partner in crime with a copasetic look of compliance plastered on his face. "Hmm…" A brilliant idea shot through her feline mind like a firecracker. "Say Runt? Runt? R-r-r-r-u-u-u-n-n-nt?" Runt looked over at his companion with his usually goofy smile. "Yea Rita what's up?" "See those humans over there?" Pointing towards the large line of customers in front of the cart. "I bet they've got lot's and lot's of chew toy's in there pockets." "OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY! CHEW TOY'S!" Without hesitation the large mutt bolted over to the line crashing through the patrons.

As the screams ensued Rita put her scheme into action. Crouching low to the sidewalk she slowly stalked her way toward the other side of hot dog cart. Waiting for the right moment to strike. Ralph captivated by the calamity occurring in front was oblivious to the small grey cat crawling into the hot dog compartment. "Bingo!" Rita grabbed a hotdog hastily making her way out. Unknowingly her back paw clicked the carts brake lever up as she made her escape. Just about ready to leap from the cart, delicious loot in mouth, her body was thrust down as the cart slowly began to creak forward. "Uh oh…"

Ralph looked back toward his hot dog cart which was quickly speeding away through the unsuspecting crowd. "Dah…wait a second! Come back here!" "RUNT HELP!" Runt knew that voice anywhere. It was Rita and she sounded like she was in trouble. He looked up through the pile of bystanders he'd knocked over. The hot dog cart rocketed down hill, Rita holding on for her life, followed by Ralph lumbering along in hot pursuit. Runt wasted no time leaping over the destruction he'd caused shooting toward the hot dog cart.

"Ugh I think I'm gonna hurl." Rita managed to pin her body to the roof of the cart digging her claws into it's metal exterior. "Note to self. Next time get a free meal minus the wheels." "Rita?" Runt had managed to pass Ralph trailing right behind her. "Hey Runt up here." "Hi Rita whatcha doing?" "Oh I don't know… maybe trying not to be road kill! You mind helping me here?!" Her partner managed to leap up onto the back side of the cart holding on by his teeth. Muffled "This is really fun Rita we should do this all the time." Rita looked back at him in bewilderment, anger, and terror. Fortunately her brilliant friend managed to get on the cart, however the added weight had caused it to actually speed up. Sparks flying from it's spokes as it heaved over the concrete.

Meanwhile…

Music.

"Welcome to the 45th annual Shamity Island Regatta!" Mayor Plotz declared through the microphone as he stood on stage with Sheriff Scratchansniff and several other civic leaders. Several reporters rushed the stage, flash bulbs distracting Mayor Plotz from his script. Tugging at his collar. "Mmph….As I was saying we're honored you all chose to spend your 4th of July weekend here in lovely Shamity. This years Regatta we've managed to have 3 winners." This was met by several of the other civic leaders snickering. "More like 3 survivors." Glaring towards his compatriots on stage. "Like I said we've had 3 winners this year. Here to present this years awards is miss Shamity Island herself." Hello Nurse, dressed in a pageant gown, walked across the stage accompanied by a sensual jazz riff from the marching band. "HELLO NURSE!" Yakko and Wakko heckled from the audience melting in their seats. Wakko looked toward the camera winking. "We get bump pay for these cameos."

Hello Nurse whispered into the microphone. "Our winners this year are Sal-" "Wait a second! Wait just one second man!" Dennis Hopper grabbed the microphone from Hello Nurse. "We got like a serious problem here people." Plotz face began to resemble a fiery coal. "There's still that lawyer man!" Gasps from the crowd. "That's right man! This lawyer he won't stop man…won't stop till' everything is litigated man!" Mr. Plotz began trying to steal the microphone away from Hopper. "I assure we've already caught the lawyer…" "What about the bite radius?! The bite radius ain't the same man!" Sheriff Scratchansniff leaned over to the now fuming Plotz. "He dose have a point…Maybe we should close the beaches." "Absolutely not! We are a beach town we need those beaches open!" "Close the beaches man! Yea that's right people. This lawyer…all he does is litigate, swim, and make little lawyers man!" Plotz by now about to explode with pure anger. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Clutching the microphone away from Dennis Hopper. "I'm not gonna tell all these people they can't swim at our beaches because it's clearly not safe. We're a summer town we need summer dollars, their dollars!" The crowd gasped at Plotz tasteless comment. He looked out at the audience a terror on his face realizing his comment had been projected over the PA. "Now…now what I meant to say was…." CRRRRASSSSHHH! As if on queue the hot dog cart slammed into the stage causing it to collapse.

In the subsequent chaos Rita and Runt managed to poke their heads through the rubble. "Remind me to take a cab next time." She instructed Runt as little birds fluttered around her head. "Can we do that again Rita!? Huh can we!?" "I think I'm going to lay down." Ralph grabbed the two thieves by their backs. "Ah-ha gotcha ya you bad bad animals." Rita struggled to break free unsheathing her claws and hissing toward her assailant while Runt remained cheerful as ever. "What's the meaning of this!" Poltz looked at Ralph clearly back to his normal high tension demeanor. "Dah I was selling hot dog's and then-" Dennis Hooper clawed his way through the rubble continuing to rant on their impending doom. Sheriff Scratchansniff chimed in with he's opinion about how they should "rethink" their approach to the situation. BBBBAAAAANNNNGGGG! The arguing characters gulped on their words as the shot gun blast echoed throughout the town.

All attention turned towards Robert Shaw sitting in one of the plastic chairs in the front row dressed in a PAWS t-shirt. "No, no owver here!" The sultry voice stammered. The gazes were now fixed upon Elmer Fudd leaning back all cool kid like in his chair cradling his twin barreled shot gun. Rita couldn't understand what all these stupid humans were going on about. That fatso finally let go of her and Runt but their escape was soon quashed. "Uh Rita?" "Come on Runt let's amscray! This is our chance to get outta here!" "But…I'm stuck, definitely stuck." Poor Runts paw was sandwiched in between two planks keeping him from following his companion. "Uhhg… never an easy moment with this guy is there?" She tried as best she could to free her entrapped friend but all their hopes soon dwindled when Elmer Fudd approached the stage or rather what used to be the stage. "Iw'll catch this wawyer for you. But it won't be easy orw cheap. Twenty wollars for that you get his head his suit the whole wascally wawyer." Plotz looked over at Scratchansniff. "He can't be serious right? Twenty dollars is chump change." "Well it is 1972 the dollars a little bit more valuable sir." "Whell what'll it be?" Plotz shook Elmer Fudds hand. "Mr. Fudd you have yourself a deal!" "Good but first Iw'll need some live bate." "GULP" Fudd approached Rita and Runt his shadow looming over them as an evil grin crept across his face. "Pwerfect just what I need a cat. Wawyers love live cat's."

To be continued….