"My name is Jess," the squirrel muttered.
"Hi, Jess," replied the others.
"My name is Jess, and I'm an addict. Yes, I'll admit it. It's just that, whenever I've been binging on the acorns, it feels so good. I get to forget about everything else: the husband, my bow needs a new string, the verge of battle. I just feel like escaping from it all and enjoy some good acorns."
"Jess," said Abbot Mortimer calmly, "when did you start having this problem?"
The squirrel fiddled with her jerkin. She was always fidgety and nervous. "I came from a rough brood. There were ten of us little 'uns, and Mama never really found time for any of us. I was third oldest, and there were so many to take care of. When I grew, I roved about with the SUOSA: Specialized Unit Of Squirrel Assassins. It was a pretty good life; there were good friends and fun times and I was killin' off vermin by the dozen. But, we eventually were attacked."
"By Cluny?" Mortimer asked.
"Exactly. Anyway, we disbanded after the ambush, and I was devastated. I paired up with a mate named Tobby, and we lived by ourselves for a long time. Even though I felt very grown up, I was still rather young, and it felt like my whole life was over without something to do. Tobby and I went back to my family's nest, to see if I could help. Well, we found the place decimated, burned, by Cluny, no doubt. It was then when I started my addiction with acorns. Every night I would stay out late, finding all the acorns I could, and I would stash them around the nest. Tobby kept telling me that I needed to quit, especially since we had a little daughter, Rosemary. Yeah, don't look so shocked; Sam's not my only offspring. Anyway, I would get all fidgety and paranoid, thinking someone would steal my acorns. I would bite my paw nails down to the quick, and they sometimes started to bleed. I gave up trying to start another SUOSA, and I couldn't see Tobby or Rosemary past my focus of acorns.
"One morning, after I'd been out at night, trading my knives to water voles for acorns, I came back and found my husband and daughter had deserted the nest. I was just heartbroken, and I felt as though I had hit rock bottom."
"We're all here for you, Jess," Cornflower said as she patted the squirrel's paw.
"Yeah, thanks. A few weeks later, I was a little cleared up, and I came here, to Redwall. I improved a lot, but I still occasionally go down to the larder and overindulge in acorns. It's tough, trying to fight off an addiction and raise a son at the same time. I think part of the reason why Sam doesn't talk is that he doesn't want to talk to me, afraid that he'll say something mean and I'll leave him. But, it's not that way. I want him to talk so bad, but it just depresses me when he doesn't talk, so I rely on my acorns to provide a false happiness."
"Jess, we will make you better." Abbot Mortimer folded his paws into his sleeves as he stood. "I think everyone here can help support Jess. After all, she is leader of the squirrels of Mossflower, and as a leader, she needs to be confident. Also, we need her to be a good mother for Sam, so that he eventually will talk."
Every beast stood and clasped hands, right after Cornflower and Winifred gave a now-teary Jess a hug. Then, they all chanted "For Your Life."
"You may not feel quite right,
Your days are filled with strife,
But with the help of friends,
You'll overcome for your life."