Here's Chapter 3! I think you're all in for a little surprise! ~_^
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3 Boss's New Friend
Boss was up faster than anything the next morning. He happily put his new helmet on and raced to wake his parents. Then, the three of them set off towards fields.
A quarter hour later, Boss began to grow weary of walking. "…Are we almost there?" he panted, looking up at his mom.
Charity looked at him. "Just about." she said. "It's right behind those bushes."
As they came through the shrubbery, Boss poked his head out. He saw the field. It was an endless blanket of green grass. The wind blew sharply across it, making what seemed like waves on a green ocean. He smiled widely and galloped out. "YEAHH!!!" he cheered.
"BOSS, NO!!!" Snap suddenly leaped out of the shrubs and picked Boss up with his teeth by the scruff. He quickly carried his son back to the bushes. He set him down, panting.
Boss glanced up at him, immediately noting that he had just done something he shouldn't have.
"It is VERY important that you NEVER run out into the open like that." Snap scolded lightly. "A bird could very easily swoop down and grab you in two seconds. You have to be careful in the fields." Snap looked up at Charity. "I'm going to go take a look out. You two stay here, and I'll call you if everything looks clear."
Boss stepped back quietly to his mom's side as Snap carefully stalked out into the grass, his ears erect and his footsteps quiet. He quietly crept through, perking his ears up at the slightest sound. He looked up at each and every one of the tree branches in case some great bird of prey was watching him. At the sound of a rustle in the grass or a snap of a twig, he froze and listened.
Finally, after a few more minutes, he turned to his wife and son. "Everything's safe!" he called. "You can come out!"
Charity jumped ahead. "Come on, Boss!" she beckoned.
A smile quickly grew on Boss's face. He raced forward like a flash. He was an incredibly fast runner for his young age and small size, so he blew right past his mom.
But then, as he leaped over the peak of one rolling hill, he found the other side a little steeper than he thought it would be and he went tumbling down the slope. At the bottom, he collided into another form his size. The two of them grunted and rolled onto the ground.
"Ow!! Watch where you're goin', Four-Eyes!" the form yelled. He stood and began to brush himself up.
"S-Sorry…" Boss stuttered. The two boys looked up at each other and gasped. The kid that Boss had run into was another little Ham-Ham like Boss. He was light brown and white, and he wore a little red apron around his waist.
"Aahh!" he yelled, backing up. "You-You're not Dexter!"
"Who?"
"Well, where is he? Geez, ya can't take 'im anywhere!!"
"Who-Who're you lookin' for?"
"A goofy-lookin' kid by the name of Dexter. He's around here somewhere." The young hamster ran off through the grass, towards the edge of the field. Boss ran after him.
"Is he a friend of yours?"
"No, he's just this annoying kid that makes small-talk all the time!"
"Are you a field hamster?"
"No! I belong to a girl named Goldie and I need to find Dexter so we can get back home! My pa'll squash me if I don't get home soon!!"
"Are you lost?"
The hamster swerved towards him and waved his arms wildly. "NO! And-dog-gone it-stop-askin-me-all-those-questions-brother!!"
Boss blinked. "…Sorry, man. Nothin' personal." He tried to smile. "Hey, maybe I help look?"
"Huh?" the young Ham-Ham looked at him. "You'd do that?"
Boss smiled and shrugged. "Y-Yeah; I don't have anything better do really right now. I came here with my mom and dad and I don't have any brothers or sisters, so it's cool to meet another Ham my age." He stuck his paw out. "My name's Boss."
A little skeptical at first, the hamster stared at his paw. Then, he smiled a little and joined paws with him. "My name's Howdy!"
"Howdy?" Boss smiled. He laughed. "That's a funny name!"
~*~*~*~PRESENT~*~*~*~
"That's right!" Howdy said from his seat beside Dexter. "Now I remember! We met when we was just little buckaroos! I thought that little tyke in the photo looked familiar."
Panda looked at Boss. "You mean that you met Howdy when you were just a kid?"
"Yup." Boss admitted.
Dexter gave Howdy a sideways stare. "Apparently, he decided to take a little day trip and ran away."
"Dang it, I was lookin' you, Smarty-Pants!"
"What're you talking about; YOU TRIED TO LOSE ME AFTER WE LEFT THE CITY!!!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did NOT!!"
"WILL YOU BE QUIET?!?!?!" Boss shouted.
The two rivals shut up and looked at him.
"Getting back to the story..."
~*~*~*~END PRESENT~*~*~*~
After a good, long time of searching, Boss heard a loud rumble. "Geez, Howdy," he said, "was that thunder or your stomach?"
Howdy slumped into a sit. "Yeah, I'm starvin'… I haven't eaten a thing since I had breakfast!"
Boss frowned and looked around. As he looked to the edge of the woods, his face lit up as he spotted a batch of berry bushes. "Hey!" he smiled. "Jackpot!!"
A minute later, they both stood in front of the bushes. Howdy hesitated. "Uhh…are you sure these berries are safe to eat?"
Boss smiled and stood straight up in a professional stance. "You bet! My dad's already taught me how to tell between which berries are good and which ones are bad! Piece of corn." He looked at Howdy. "Dig in!!"
The two young hamsters made a hearty feast of the berries. It wasn't long before their mouths were covered with juice.
"So where ya from, Howdy?" Boss asked after a gulp.
"Me? I'm from the city."
"What's a cit-y?"
"You know," Howdy said, "The city! See?" He pointed over to where the trees made a large V-shape, framing a bunch of tall skyscrapers, silvery office buildings, and departments.
Boss blinked with wide eyes. "What's it like over there?"
"Well, there's a lot of humans and cars n' stuff. It's busy all of the time.
"Wow…" Boss breathed. "I wanna go there one day! It's always so quiet around here."
"I've never met a field hamster before. What do ya do all day?"
"W-Well, my dad takes me out to woods often, and there's lots of space to run and trees to climb; the other day I met this big skunk."
Howdy laughed "Hee, hee! No wonder, partner! You smell like somethin' the cat dragged in, stinker!" He fell back laughing.
Boss scowled. "Hey, shut up! Runnin' around all day will make ya sweat!" He smirked. "I bet you can't run worth a lick."
"Don't be so sure about it, kid! I'll have you know, I keep myself fit by runnin' in my Whiz-Wheel each and every day!"
Boss scoffed and turned his head. "Puh! Whiz-Wheels are for pets!"
Howdy slowly walked up to him with his berry.
Boss blinked. "…Howdy, what're you doin'?"
Howdy scooped some berry juice up with his paw, and casually flung it on Boss's cheek.
"Hey!" Boss glared at him. "So you wanna throw things, huh?" He picked one of the berries and threw it at Howdy's face.
Howdy got a splat of berry in his face. "Ow! Okay, that's it! You're going down."
The two soon became engaged in a playful berry fight. They threw berry after berry at each other, until both of them were completely covered in purple patches.
Snap lifted his nose towards the sky and sniffed as he watched dark clouds float in. He frowned. "The air smells wet… We've got a storm coming. We best head home…" He scanned around the field, and then looked at Charity. "Where did Boss go?"
"You mean he's not with you?" Charity looked around, concerned. "Oh, where did he run off to?"
"I dunno, but we'd better find him quickly." Snap ran off through the field. "Boss!" he called. "Boss, it's time to come home! Where are ya, buddy?"
Meanwhile, Boss and Howdy were still laughing and throwing berries at each other. Howdy suddenly stopped. "Hey, did you hear that?"
"What?"
"It sounded like thunder…"
"I can't hear it. Maybe it's because I have BERRY in my EARS." He lurched back with another berry in his paw.
"N-No, that was thunder." Howdy frowned. "Sorry, Boss, but I've got to go home now."
Boss lowered his paw in disappointment. "Aww, do you have to?"
"Sorry, but yeah. If Dexter had sense, he probably went home himself. Here's lookin' at ya, partner!"
"But, Howdy…!" Boss called. He watched as Howdy ran off through the bushes towards the city. Turning around, Boss looked up and saw that the wind had blown in enormous gray clouds over the field. He sniffed the air and shuddered. Uh-oh… he thought. Look's like Howdy was right! I can't believe myself. Running off alone probably worrying Mom and Dad to death? How can I be so stupid?? Boss ran off through the grass in search for his parents.
The wind continued to strengthen and the thunder grew louder. Pretty soon, Boss couldn't take one step without being blown back. He grunted and tumbled back on the ground. He finally decided that he couldn't fight this storm on foot.
He had to find shelter. Fast.
~*~*~*~
Chapter 3 Boss's New Friend
Boss was up faster than anything the next morning. He happily put his new helmet on and raced to wake his parents. Then, the three of them set off towards fields.
A quarter hour later, Boss began to grow weary of walking. "…Are we almost there?" he panted, looking up at his mom.
Charity looked at him. "Just about." she said. "It's right behind those bushes."
As they came through the shrubbery, Boss poked his head out. He saw the field. It was an endless blanket of green grass. The wind blew sharply across it, making what seemed like waves on a green ocean. He smiled widely and galloped out. "YEAHH!!!" he cheered.
"BOSS, NO!!!" Snap suddenly leaped out of the shrubs and picked Boss up with his teeth by the scruff. He quickly carried his son back to the bushes. He set him down, panting.
Boss glanced up at him, immediately noting that he had just done something he shouldn't have.
"It is VERY important that you NEVER run out into the open like that." Snap scolded lightly. "A bird could very easily swoop down and grab you in two seconds. You have to be careful in the fields." Snap looked up at Charity. "I'm going to go take a look out. You two stay here, and I'll call you if everything looks clear."
Boss stepped back quietly to his mom's side as Snap carefully stalked out into the grass, his ears erect and his footsteps quiet. He quietly crept through, perking his ears up at the slightest sound. He looked up at each and every one of the tree branches in case some great bird of prey was watching him. At the sound of a rustle in the grass or a snap of a twig, he froze and listened.
Finally, after a few more minutes, he turned to his wife and son. "Everything's safe!" he called. "You can come out!"
Charity jumped ahead. "Come on, Boss!" she beckoned.
A smile quickly grew on Boss's face. He raced forward like a flash. He was an incredibly fast runner for his young age and small size, so he blew right past his mom.
But then, as he leaped over the peak of one rolling hill, he found the other side a little steeper than he thought it would be and he went tumbling down the slope. At the bottom, he collided into another form his size. The two of them grunted and rolled onto the ground.
"Ow!! Watch where you're goin', Four-Eyes!" the form yelled. He stood and began to brush himself up.
"S-Sorry…" Boss stuttered. The two boys looked up at each other and gasped. The kid that Boss had run into was another little Ham-Ham like Boss. He was light brown and white, and he wore a little red apron around his waist.
"Aahh!" he yelled, backing up. "You-You're not Dexter!"
"Who?"
"Well, where is he? Geez, ya can't take 'im anywhere!!"
"Who-Who're you lookin' for?"
"A goofy-lookin' kid by the name of Dexter. He's around here somewhere." The young hamster ran off through the grass, towards the edge of the field. Boss ran after him.
"Is he a friend of yours?"
"No, he's just this annoying kid that makes small-talk all the time!"
"Are you a field hamster?"
"No! I belong to a girl named Goldie and I need to find Dexter so we can get back home! My pa'll squash me if I don't get home soon!!"
"Are you lost?"
The hamster swerved towards him and waved his arms wildly. "NO! And-dog-gone it-stop-askin-me-all-those-questions-brother!!"
Boss blinked. "…Sorry, man. Nothin' personal." He tried to smile. "Hey, maybe I help look?"
"Huh?" the young Ham-Ham looked at him. "You'd do that?"
Boss smiled and shrugged. "Y-Yeah; I don't have anything better do really right now. I came here with my mom and dad and I don't have any brothers or sisters, so it's cool to meet another Ham my age." He stuck his paw out. "My name's Boss."
A little skeptical at first, the hamster stared at his paw. Then, he smiled a little and joined paws with him. "My name's Howdy!"
"Howdy?" Boss smiled. He laughed. "That's a funny name!"
~*~*~*~PRESENT~*~*~*~
"That's right!" Howdy said from his seat beside Dexter. "Now I remember! We met when we was just little buckaroos! I thought that little tyke in the photo looked familiar."
Panda looked at Boss. "You mean that you met Howdy when you were just a kid?"
"Yup." Boss admitted.
Dexter gave Howdy a sideways stare. "Apparently, he decided to take a little day trip and ran away."
"Dang it, I was lookin' you, Smarty-Pants!"
"What're you talking about; YOU TRIED TO LOSE ME AFTER WE LEFT THE CITY!!!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did not!"
"Did so!"
"Did NOT!!"
"WILL YOU BE QUIET?!?!?!" Boss shouted.
The two rivals shut up and looked at him.
"Getting back to the story..."
~*~*~*~END PRESENT~*~*~*~
After a good, long time of searching, Boss heard a loud rumble. "Geez, Howdy," he said, "was that thunder or your stomach?"
Howdy slumped into a sit. "Yeah, I'm starvin'… I haven't eaten a thing since I had breakfast!"
Boss frowned and looked around. As he looked to the edge of the woods, his face lit up as he spotted a batch of berry bushes. "Hey!" he smiled. "Jackpot!!"
A minute later, they both stood in front of the bushes. Howdy hesitated. "Uhh…are you sure these berries are safe to eat?"
Boss smiled and stood straight up in a professional stance. "You bet! My dad's already taught me how to tell between which berries are good and which ones are bad! Piece of corn." He looked at Howdy. "Dig in!!"
The two young hamsters made a hearty feast of the berries. It wasn't long before their mouths were covered with juice.
"So where ya from, Howdy?" Boss asked after a gulp.
"Me? I'm from the city."
"What's a cit-y?"
"You know," Howdy said, "The city! See?" He pointed over to where the trees made a large V-shape, framing a bunch of tall skyscrapers, silvery office buildings, and departments.
Boss blinked with wide eyes. "What's it like over there?"
"Well, there's a lot of humans and cars n' stuff. It's busy all of the time.
"Wow…" Boss breathed. "I wanna go there one day! It's always so quiet around here."
"I've never met a field hamster before. What do ya do all day?"
"W-Well, my dad takes me out to woods often, and there's lots of space to run and trees to climb; the other day I met this big skunk."
Howdy laughed "Hee, hee! No wonder, partner! You smell like somethin' the cat dragged in, stinker!" He fell back laughing.
Boss scowled. "Hey, shut up! Runnin' around all day will make ya sweat!" He smirked. "I bet you can't run worth a lick."
"Don't be so sure about it, kid! I'll have you know, I keep myself fit by runnin' in my Whiz-Wheel each and every day!"
Boss scoffed and turned his head. "Puh! Whiz-Wheels are for pets!"
Howdy slowly walked up to him with his berry.
Boss blinked. "…Howdy, what're you doin'?"
Howdy scooped some berry juice up with his paw, and casually flung it on Boss's cheek.
"Hey!" Boss glared at him. "So you wanna throw things, huh?" He picked one of the berries and threw it at Howdy's face.
Howdy got a splat of berry in his face. "Ow! Okay, that's it! You're going down."
The two soon became engaged in a playful berry fight. They threw berry after berry at each other, until both of them were completely covered in purple patches.
Snap lifted his nose towards the sky and sniffed as he watched dark clouds float in. He frowned. "The air smells wet… We've got a storm coming. We best head home…" He scanned around the field, and then looked at Charity. "Where did Boss go?"
"You mean he's not with you?" Charity looked around, concerned. "Oh, where did he run off to?"
"I dunno, but we'd better find him quickly." Snap ran off through the field. "Boss!" he called. "Boss, it's time to come home! Where are ya, buddy?"
Meanwhile, Boss and Howdy were still laughing and throwing berries at each other. Howdy suddenly stopped. "Hey, did you hear that?"
"What?"
"It sounded like thunder…"
"I can't hear it. Maybe it's because I have BERRY in my EARS." He lurched back with another berry in his paw.
"N-No, that was thunder." Howdy frowned. "Sorry, Boss, but I've got to go home now."
Boss lowered his paw in disappointment. "Aww, do you have to?"
"Sorry, but yeah. If Dexter had sense, he probably went home himself. Here's lookin' at ya, partner!"
"But, Howdy…!" Boss called. He watched as Howdy ran off through the bushes towards the city. Turning around, Boss looked up and saw that the wind had blown in enormous gray clouds over the field. He sniffed the air and shuddered. Uh-oh… he thought. Look's like Howdy was right! I can't believe myself. Running off alone probably worrying Mom and Dad to death? How can I be so stupid?? Boss ran off through the grass in search for his parents.
The wind continued to strengthen and the thunder grew louder. Pretty soon, Boss couldn't take one step without being blown back. He grunted and tumbled back on the ground. He finally decided that he couldn't fight this storm on foot.
He had to find shelter. Fast.
