Going Nuts

The squirrels looked different today. The old man should know. He had been watching them for years now. Feeding them corn and seed. They looked different and it didn’t matter if nurse Kate believed him or not when she came around to check on him. The squirrels eyes were glowing.

He looked one of them in the eye and heard a voice say, “It’s time old man. The world is ending, but we have a seat in our spaceship for you.” The old man blinked and looked around to see if anyone else had heard that, but Kate was looking at her phone like usual.

The old man tip-toed closer to them. Those eyes, so mesmerizing. Two of them lead him around a corner. It was huge. Blue lights. They escorted him into the spaceship. “Sit there,” one pointed. It was dark, a chill in the air. The man squinted and saw it. Suddenly, he…

CHITTERED. That’s the only way to describe the sound he made, it was chittering. Then the reached inside his own cheek and pulled out a handful of nuts. “Hungry?” He asked, offering them to me.

Now, I'm a real sucker for nuts, & despite any dread I may have been feeling, I couldn't say no. "Are those cashews?" I asked. The squirrel nodded. "Thanks! What's your name?" I said. "Skrtskrt," he said, "with no vowels. It was my grampa's name." "Nice," I said, munching away.

I never imagine someone could have the same name as my gramps. “Wait a minute!, are you? Gramps?!” I was surprised yet confused… did my grandpa resurrected as a squirrel? “Does this means the world doesn’t end with death?”

“Correct,” the sage squirrel said. “It’s better to think of this as a new beginning—rodents are the future of the universe and you are part of that.” “I’m part squirrel?” I asked. “Think about it,” gramps said. It all made sense now. I stroked my bushy tail and pondered eternity.