TAs a thank you for all of the wonderful comments...here's a small Corky outtake...
Hugs you know I don't own the hunger games.
"I'm missing nuts." Eugene Mellark glanced at the weight displayed by his scale, then at the measurement recorded in the book again. "How is it possible that I am missing an ounce I just checked this."
"Eugene, what are you muttering to yourself over there?" Boudicca asked.
"Nothing," Eugene grumbled as he measured his pecans to get the weight. Sundays they did an inventory of their product, but today on Christmas his wife dragged them all up to check the stock of products. Today the one day where he could have been sleeping he was up at five in the morning checking the stock supposedly for the end of the year.
"Please tell me you are not checking those nuts again?"
"Boudicca, stay out of this," Eugene growled.
"We have so much other inventory that is far more important than a case of pee-KHAN."
He took off his reading glasses and narrowed his eyes, "First off Boudicca dear, it's not pee-KHAN it's PEE-can."
In the past, Eugene would have left his wife's comment got, but not anymore. He was changing, becoming braver because he didn't want to live a downtrodden life. He'd learned Delly's mother passed away, her father Titus looked so downtrodden, Eugene swore he didn't want to end up like that. He wanted to enjoy his time left on earth. That meant he just could not keep quiet about things anymore.
Boudicca rolled her eyes, "We have so much work to do, and all you want to do is play with your nuts!"
"Boudicca what is your problem."
"My problem…" she put her hands on her hips.
Up in the rafters, Corky wagged his little tale as he eyed his favorite type of nut. Many squirrels ate hazelnuts or chestnuts because those were the bountiful types that grew. Corky having grown up in the bakery enjoyed the occasional hazelnut, he loved almonds, but he craved pecans.
Corky was always just a bit above the rest. The man and his mate were bickering over the nuts. He slipped the rope that the boys had made a long time ago to play a forbidden game down and with great dexterity, he slipped down to the container that held his beloved nuts. He quickly picked three nuts and stuffed them in his mouth, then climbed up the rope.
The humans were too busy arguing to see him make several trips back and forth.
"I tell you that the count is off. Every time I measure the amount of the nuts they are off by ounces."
"Eugene perhaps the problem is that damned machine, it's older than dirt. And you refuse to get rid of it because it belonged to the first Mellark baker. It's broken."
Eugene turned around just as Corky pulled up the rope. He slipped on his reading glasses on he needed to prove a point. "The machine is not broken. It still measures the weight accurate….doggone-it! It happened again two ounces are missing?!"
"I think you have a few ounces of brain cells gone," Boudicca snickered.
Eugene rubbed his face, something was going on and he knew it wasn't his scale. His inventory was being depleted and it wasn't Rye or Peeta because neither one liked nuts. Peeta liked savory things and pecans were sweet to him. Rye couldn't be bothered to get a healthy snack. Rye loved anything coaxed in grease.
He lifted the container and as poured it back into the airtight bin they kept such items. One of the nuts fell off to the side. Eugene had in mind to pick it up and eat it when he was done putting the bin back in its spot. When he came back it had disappeared.
He opened his mouth to say something to his wife but yet again she wouldn't believe him. She'd call him crazy.
Up in the rafters, Corky happily ate the nut and shared it with his mate Shirley. He waited for the baker to bring out the next item, he wasn't done shopping yet.