"Free cheers for our hero, Surly!"

Surly stood at the base of the oak tree, the animals of the park cheering him for his success. He grinned and waved at everyone. He saw Buddy in the crowd and waved at him. Buddy grinned but his teeth were sharp and his eyes seemed to have turned red. Surly squinted a bit, confused.

"Well done Surly."

Surly turned and smiled to see Andie, who was flittering her eyes at him. Surly raised a brow as she came closer, putting her arms around him.

"Yes well done indeed."

Came a voice from behind him. Surly turned to see Raccoon standing with a paw out. Surly shrugged and shook it but soon it clenched down hard onto his, he winced in pain. Looking up at Raccoon, his eyes were now red and he was grinning evilly.

"Well done indeed…."

He repeated, his voice deep and demonic.

Surly's ears fell back and his eyes widened in fear.

"Yes, you really have done good for us."

Surly turned to what should have been the voice of Andie coming form her body, but instead it was a mutant of her, rat-like in appearance. Her arms around his neck were now strangling him. The mutant lifted him off his feet and up to Raccoon's face. Raccoon let out a low chuckle, and grabbed Surly by his throat, lifting him in front of the park animals. But instead of squirrels, groundhogs, and birds in the crowd, they were mangled, ugly rats, cheering and hissing. Surly's heart was beating faster and faster as he looked over the evil crowd.

"Enjoy your success, you've earned it."

Raccoon whispered into his ear, then threw him into the rat crowd. Surly screamed as he fell into the crowd. Around him, the rats gathered around, their paws out stretched for Surly.

"No! Stay back! Help! Somebody, anybody!?""

Surly screamed out as the rats closed in and started to grab and shake him. He closed his eyes, ready to meet his faith as the light of the outside world was covered by masses of mangled bodies.

Buddy shook Surly fiercely. Surly was thrashing in his sleep, and letting out small screams of ''no'' every now and then. Surly's eyes shot open and he perked up looking around everywhere. Buddy stood back quickly to give Surly some space. Surly's took deep breathes realizing his surroundings and that it was all a dream. He rested his head against the tree and sighed. He could feel his body still shaking a bit.

"I'm fine Buddy it was…just a weird nightmare that's all."

Buddy gave him a concerned look then perked up. He pointed to the end of the tree branch smiling. Surly sat up and saw Buddy had made a tiny bunk-bead like structure out of some wooden spoons and forks.

"Wow Buddy, are these for us?"

Buddy nodded, and ran over to it and patted the bottom bunk, and pointed to himself, then the top, and to Surly. Surly chuckled and got up, walking over to Buddy he looked over there new beds.

"It's nice, but you should have the top. I might break it ha, don't want to crush you in your sleep or anything."

Buddy giggled and nodded his head. Then he took off his backpack that was over his shoulders and placed it on the ground. Surly's eyes widened when he saw Buddy take out almost over 15 peanuts and place them in a pile. Surly bent down and picked one up, looking over it.

"Buddy, where on earth did you get these?"

Buddy pointed out of the tree to the city. Surly walked out to the end of the branch and saw an overturned trashcan on the ground. Garbage and other things were scattered everywhere.

"How did you knock it down?"

Buddy shrugged then pointed to the nuts, and sat down and began to nibble on one. Surly didn't question Buddy any further because he had real good food now. Sitting down he began to gobble down nut after nut, but made sure to leave an even amount for Buddy. After they had eaten them all, Surly sighed and leaned back up against the tree.

"That was the best meal I've had in days."

He said, licking off the taste of peanut from his fingers. Buddy nodded his head and hung his back pack up on his bunk. Surly watched Buddy for awhile then perked his ears at the sound of voices. Getting up he looked over the trunk and in the distance her saw groups of animals heading out in different directions around the park.

"Oh that's right, today must be a gathering day."

Buddy climbed up the trunk a bit so he was right above Surly, and he looked over at the animals.

"It's a day animals do once a week gathering food for the tree, it helps us get ready for winter."

Buddy tilted his head watching everyone. Surly sighed as he watched animals looking around and picking up stuff for the tree. Then he noticed red and grey figures coming toward them.

"Buddy, that's her, my friend."

Surly said, pointing his paw in the direction of Andie and Grayson.

Buddy squint to see them in the distance and he looked back at Surly with grin.

"Yeah, ok, ok. She's pretty alright looking, her name's Andie. The one next to her his Grayson. He's uh, sort of my brother, not really, his mom just took me in when mine…uh, passed."

Buddy gave Surly a sad look but Surly brushed it off quickly. He turned back to Grayson and Andie who were heading in this direction, Andie seemed to be looking around everywhere. It didn't seem it was food she was looking for though.

"Come on Buddy behind the trunk."

He said, and he and Buddy hid behind the trunk. Surly perked his ears trying to hear Grayson and Andie as they approached.

"…honestly Andie, why are we over here, there's never any food."

Grayson said in a deep, leader like tone.

"Well no one ever comes over here because of that, so you never know what you could find. And can you stop talking like that, makes you sound dumb."

Grayson let out a chuckle and patted Andie's back.

"Ah Andie, you need to work on your compliments."

Andie rolled her eyes and looked around some more, then looked up at the tree.

"I bet we could get a better view from up there."

Grayson puffed up and was off up the tree. Andie let out an annoyed sigh, and followed after him.

Surly clenched his body and turned to Buddy.

"Oh man Buddy, we gotta hide!"

Buddy nodded quickly and the two quickly climbed the tree higher and pressed against the branch the were on. Grayson and Andie arrived on the branch where they were sleeping earlier.

"What is that?"

Andie said, looking at the bunk bead Buddy had built. Grayson stepped in front of her.

"Stay back Andie, we don't know what built this."

Grayson said, and slowly crawled toward the bunks, giving them a quick sniff.

"Bleh, smells like garbage."

Then his eyes scanned down over the wall and he noticed the tipped over garbage can on the outside of the park.

"And that's exactly what we need!"

He exclaimed with a jump.

Andie tilted her head and walked next to Grayson, noticing the trash can.

"Oh no Grayson, you're not going outside the park."

"Ah come on Andie, it's just right there. I'll go scope it out and bring back what ever food I can. For now, watch my back."

And with that, he leaped out of the tree and onto the wall. Then hopped down and scurried over to the can. Andie let out a sigh and looked back to the bunk beads. She noticed the backpack and grabbed it off the branch. She gave it a sniff and wrinkled her nose, then she undid the flap and poured out what ever was in there. A paper clip, piece of glass, string, and a couple nuts fell out and she perked up at the sight of food.

"Nuts!"

She said and reached down picking up the nuts. Buddy let out a sad squeak watching his stuff being taken. Surly looked at him then thought for a moment, before leaping down to the branch Andie was on. Buddy grabbed his ears in worry as Surly landed.

"Well looks like you found my stuff."

Andie let out a yelp at the voice and turned to see Surly, matted and dirty, in front of her.

"Surly!"

She said, and she rushed over to give him a hug. Surly was taken back a bit, but he patted her back.

"It's good to see you too Andie."

Andie pulled away, he noticed her face. Must be the smell of him.

"Oh Surly, what's been happening. Why do you look like a mess, has your sentence been alright, are you hurt anywhere?"

"Whoa, Whoa, Andie slow down. I'm fine, just in need of a good bath that's all."

Andie sighed, and looked at the nuts in her paws.

"I guess I should give these back then."

She said, picking up the back pack and putting it back in. Surly took the back pack from her and began to put back in all of Buddy's stuff.

"So um…where did you get all this stuff?"

Surly looked up at her then the pack.

"Uh, it's not important. I guess mostly in that trash can Grayson went into."

Andie nodded her head and looked back at Grayson, then sighed.

"So Surly, about that night…I-"

Before she could say anything else, a scream was heard from behind. The two turned around and saw Grayson coming out of the trash can with huge carrot and half of a banana in his paws, but facing him was a mangy cat.

"Grayson no!" Andie shouted.

Surly didn't know what to do, but before he could move, Buddy jumped down and grabbed the backpack from his hands, and launched himself off the tree and onto the wall.

"Was that…a rat?"

"I have a lot to tell you Andie, but for now, lets help Grayson!"

Surly shouted, and jumped after Buddy. Buddy took out the string, paper clip, and glass piece from his backpack. He handed Surly the glass piece and pointed to the cat and Grayson.

"Ok, I get in front of Grayson, then what?"

Buddy took the paper clip and string and he tied each end of the string to the paper clip and just nodded at him. Surly took a deep breathe and leaped down in front of Grayson, pointing the glass piece at the cat.

"Surly?"

Grayson shouted with excitement and a bit of shock.

"Get back!"

Surly shouted a the cat. The cat hissed and took a swipe at Surly. Surly swung the glass piece at the cat, nicking it's nose. The cat jumped back, yowling at its bloody nose. Then from the wall, Buddy jumped down onto the back of the cat. He flung the paper clip attached to the string over the cat's head and hooked it into its mouth. Buddy pulled back the rope and the cat was pulled back like a horse. Surly watched Buddy impressed, then shook his head.

"Ok Grayson, go now!"

Grayson turned around and ran off as fast as he could.

"Andie help Grayson!"

He shouted, turning back to the cat and Buddy.

"But Surly, I-"

"Go now!"

He shouted, heading for the cat. Andie reluctantly followed Grayson, taking the banana from his hands and the two ran for the oak tree. Surly turned back to Buddy who was riding the cat but barely holding onto his rope. The cat was running in circles, it's head turned trying to take a bite at Buddy. Surly had to think quick. Looking at the glass piece and back at the cat, he took a deep breathe before throwing the shard at the cat. The glass piece went straight into the cat's left eye and the cat let out a blood curdling yowl. Buddy hopped off, taking the paper clip and string with him. Surly took his hand and they both ran as fast as they could back into the park while the cat pawed at it's bloody eye. Surly ran up the tree and he sat down on his branch panting heavily. Buddy had climbed the wall and got his back pack before returning next to Surly, letting out tiny pants.

"Buddy…that was crazy."

Buddy shook his head, and flipped onto his belly. Surly got up and looked in the direction of the oak tree. He could barely make out the figures of Grayson and Andie as they ran for the oak tree. Andie had stopped though and was looking back at the tree he was in. Surly sighed and sat back down next to Buddy.

"Of course the one time I get a chance to talk to her, Grayson messes it up again…"

Buddy looked behind him, and turned around to stare at Surly.

"He ruins everything…"

Surly said, resting his elbows on his knees, and his chin in his paws. Buddy frowned at him with a sad look, and turned to the tree trunk. He thought for a minute and looked back down where the cat had been. The cat was gone and little blood droplets were everywhere, but the glass piece was now laying on the ground. Buddy hopped up and got down the tree and grabbed the piece. Returing up to Surly he went up to the trunk and started to carve into the tree. Surly watched as he made two lines going down and two going across and over the others. Buddy turned to him with a grin.

"Tic-tac-toe huh? Well I got all the time in the world right now. Why not."

Surly said, getting up and taking the glass piece from Buddy and making an X in the middle.

Hey guys! I'm so sorry about the delay for this update. School caught up with me and I've been busy with other things. I know this chapter wasn't very exciting, but I promise a lot in the future. Thanks for being patient!