[STORY TIME]

Rain poured down over The Doodleybob Forest, and lightning flashed through the skies above.

For three long weeks now, all the little critters had found themselves at the mercy of Argyle Fox, who had loudly and violently taken over as the one in charge around here.  With his second-in-command, Mean Myrna Mole, out gathering the "taxes" he'd been charging them all, it was little wonder that the collective animals of the once-lovely forest were now nothing more than pawns, toys... or even food... for the wicked duo.

Taki Turtle's pretty shell had been yanked clean off of him, and was now a fancy bathtub for Argyle to bathe in.  Taki was left, shivering and homeless, to fend for himself.  He'd tried to do what he could to get by, but Mean Myrna had been gleefully making sure that wherever he tried to find a place to sleep, he didn't get anything but a few minutes, at best.

Poor Dinah Squirrel had seen Argyle's cruelty first-paw, and had nearly lost her mind from shock.  However, it had taken Argyle only a few moments to convince her that, if she didn't bring him as many of her stashed-away acorns as she could, he'd beat down her door and eat her all up!  So, with her threadbare tail, she'd given him nut after nut until she not only had NO stored food for the winter... but her tree no longer had any nuts on it at all.

Sherrie Badger hadn't been as lucky as the others - Mean Myrna had it in for her from the very get-go.  Sherrie was now Myrna's personal servant... and Myrna was unbearably spiteful to her.  Sherrie's once-proud coat had dulled and thinned to where she looked as though she had the Mange... and that horrid mole loved every moment she could inflict more suffering as she constantly commanded her to clean, cook, and anything else she could find to keep the poor badger busy.

Shiny the Toy Robot had been seen by both Argyle and Myrna as a possible problem in the future, so they dismantled him faster than a Jackrabbit with his tail on fire.  They then used the parts of poor Shiny to make a throne fit for a king... yet was sat upon only by that nasty fox and his chump companion.  As for Shiny's robotic brain, they had hung it from the ceiling as an ornament... and a warning to any others who might get the foolish idea to rebel.

Stevie The Stork hadn't spoken a single word since the night of the infamous sleepover.  In fact, he'd hardly slept a wink since then.  He had been 'recruited' by that blasted fox as the one to pull the wagon that Argyle preferred to travel in - and it was a HEAVY wagon.  Still, Stevie did his very best to make his superiors happy... though, sadly enough, the only thing that made them happy seemed to be making the nerve-racked stork make as many trips across the forest as possible... even if it was for no reason at all.

Mr. Puff-Puff Mousie had been eaten by Argyle Fox, mere moments after his bloody victory over his rival - and THAT was what finally broke the spirits of every single critter down in The Doodleybob Forest.  Dinah had made him a makeshift grave, where his broken and gnawed skull sat on a rock in the fork of a branch near the top of her tree.  Nothing else had been left of him, not even his clothes; Argyle had burped loudly afterwards, and laughed at all the tears the others had shed.

Now, as Argyle sat on his shiny throne, he delighted in making his new fool, Rocky The Rabbit, dance for him.  The bells on Rocky's cap jangled merrily... but there was no joy in Rocky's eyes.  He might have been all grumbly-wumbly before all this happened, but he swore if he got out of this situation, he would NEVER grouse at his friends again...

If they survived, that was.

The fox languished in his grand chair, smiling to himself as he grabbed another acorn and, smashing it against the arm of his throne, he began to chew idly on it and think about how good life was for him now.  He always knew he'd be the one in charge someday... all it took was growing a pair, he thought.

He still relished the look on the faces of all the local critters when he proclaimed himself The Doodleybob King; the hate, disbelief and sorrow had led to many, many wonderful dreams of conquest, victory, and eating his opponents with a nice cherry-pepper sauce.  Mousie had been kind of scrawny, but the effect it had on the other critters made it SO worthwhile!

Now that Myrna was out collecting his 'taxes', she'd be back with their bounty and they would be eating soon.  Though, in all honesty, Rocky was looking more and more delicious by the second... and his jokes and dances were wearing thin.  The wily fox considered perhaps some hasenpfeffer might be a good meal to end such a lovely day with, and he licked his lips in anticipation.

However, that was when the door opened, and Stevie The Stork came in, dragging the wagon behind him as he did.

Argyle Fox shouted, "IMBECILE!  You'll soil the rug!  You also know that you are NOT allowed indoors for ANY reason!  I already said I didn't like feathers molting in my home, and I never wi-..."

It was at that point, with a stare that bored into Argyle's muzzle, Stevie flipped the wagon on its' side, and out rolled the limp form of Mean Myrna Mole.  She landed facedown on the floor, and didn't move a single twitch.  Argyle, still trying to figure out what was happening, simply assumed Myrna had gotten into Miss Avery's garden again, and had gorged herself with sweet, juicy grapes.

"Myrna!" he huffed, "get up, you lazy louse!  Where is the dinner you were supposed to gather from the Doodleybob Forest!?  I'm starving, and you were supposed to be here an... a-an hour... ago..."

Argyle's words ground to a halt as he saw the blood pooling beneath Myrna's form.  Slowly, as if he expected he to jump at him, he turned her over with a paw.

Myrna's face was a pulpy mess.  There were five large holes there, and all done from an upward angle, so they went down into her body, probably making a royal mess of her insides.  Argyle hadn't really done more than taken Myrna as his second-in-command, but he had NOT been prepared for this at all... but when he looked down at her belly, his eyes grew as wide as saucers.

There, on her moley apron that she always wore, were two words, written in the mole's own blood...

Rocky The Rabbit began to howl with laughter, and Stevie's beak - for the first time since the incident - grinned.

And Argyle Fox stood there, trying not to shit himself.

... and failing miserably.

[TO BE CONTINUED...]