Squirrels (open)

[Zan Kirks]

After running around with his dog, Zan walked underneath the shade of a tree, sat down and leaned against the trunk. Keiko sat down beside him, panting. Zan put his hand onto the soft fur on Keiko's back and gently stroked him.

Several feet away, a squirrel ran up to a spot on the grass, and then stopped and stood there for a little while. Keiko eyed him with interest. Zan grabbed his collar to keep him from running after it, but this wasn't the only reason Zan hated seeing squirrels. When he was a kid he used to throw rocks at them, and often they hit them and made them bleed. If the squirrel was unable to get away they were in for more torture. It was strange that he could do things like that back then and feel nothing, but years later he finally felt guilt for it. His dad would argue that he shouldn't feel guilty for it because he hadn't known what he was doing, but Zan didn’t completely agree.

[Victoria Lorenza]

Victoria was wandering around the park when she saw a cute little innocent squirrel on the ground not far from her. She was about to approach it when a guy, who seemed possibly a bit younger than Victoria seemed very un easy in it's presence. "It won't hurt you." She told him, "If that's what you're worried about.. They're innocent."

[Zan Kirks]

Zan already knew that the squirrel was innocent, and so were all the ones that he hurt when he was a kid. That's what was bothering him and hearing it out load made him feel worse. "I know" he told her, getting closer to tears. Keiko tried to pull away, but Zan held him back. "I'm just worried that my dog will go after it."