From the woods that surrounded the parking lot, well ex-parking lot, on the east side a voice started shouting, “Chuck! Chuck!”

I looked at the girls, not talking, just raising my eyebrows, asking silently if they had any idea what this is. Just as quietly, they shook their heads back, no.

Tanya said, “TUP, skinny. Toward the noise.”

We got in our formation, facing the east and the noise. I pulled out the shield and sword and inserted the sword point first into the ground in front of me. I was going to try spells and then melee. The girls drew their crossbows and loosened their machetes in their scabbards.

“Everybody ready?” asked Tanya quietly. “Everybody got their bolt spells ready?” We nodded.

In Oklahoma, near Tulsa, the woods are generally pretty dense. At least they used to be. Lots of little trees called scrub oaks made the view through the woods constricted. We also called our forests, woods. I’m not sure why it makes a difference, but it does. Maybe it had to do with the size, wood small, forests big? Our woods were mainly composed of Oaks, but there were a lot of pines and other trees mixed in. After the event, the big trees got bigger. The oaks got huge, I’m talking over a hundred feet. And even the little scrub oaks grew to twenty or thirty feet where they hadn’t vanished completely. Plus the woods grew together and, well, became forests. And judging by the trees I can see in the woods outside the parking lot, there’s a lot more diversity in the number and kind of trees. Including species that weren’t usually found in Oklahoma, there were trees that didn’t exist before the Event anywhere, I’d guess. Like this 150 foot pine-looking tree with metallic-seeming pinecones that I’m looking at now - a natural Christmas tree.

Tulsa’s hills are basically big piles of sandstone. There’s some pink granite down by Lake Spavinaw, there's some limestone down by Skiatook, but for the most part, they were just a thin layer of soil over sandstone that ranges in color from bright red to a sandy color. The hills also are not great for farming, but if you could keep the scrub oaks and other brush cut back, you could run cows on the land. It might even be a good place for vineyards, there had been some attempts to create some. Originally, it had started out like most of the south as a cotton and corn subsistence farming region, but slowly other more suitable crops like soybeans have taken over.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure that the Event had changed all that. I wasn’t even sure what the new mountains were made of, but I’m almost positive that it probably wasn’t sandstone. Come to think of it, the Event kind of kicked evolution on its butt. Fossil record? Yeah, right, those mountains are two days old. Maybe they’re not. Who knows, maybe They plucked us out of time, started things over and then stuck us back in. Maybe those two-day old mountains were millions of years old. Gods! Systems! Who knows how or why they do the things they do?

Anyway, the trees were bigger, the space underneath was more open, it reminded me more of pictures of forests in Oregon or Washington or even New Zealand. Less undergrowth, larger trees, and space beneath the canopy. I could see an orangy-red furred something coming in our direction, shouting “Chuck” the whole time.

Soon another voice joined in, followed by about three more voices, all screaming “Chuck” and running in our direction. Once, I saw the red, I figured that it might be a squirrel, although, given how loud it was and how big it looked from a distance, I figured that it had been supersized as well.

“OK,” I said. “Looks like we’ve got five giant squirrels coming after us.”

“Why? Don’t they eat nuts and stuff?” asked Tanya.

“They’re pretty territorial and they’re omnivores too. Bugs, worms, bird eggs also on the meal plan,” I said. “I guess when they go supersized, they added us to the menu also.”

We were standing in the back lot of Maxes with nothing really in front of us except the trees we’d just been using as archery targets and the woods that surrounded them. I looked around, but there didn’t seem to be anything that could help us position ourselves any better.

Suddenly Tanya said, “BUp to Maxes, Fast. Left corner of the loading dock.” I glanced that way and thought I saw her plan. It would keep the squirrels from surrounding us. I heard the girls start running so I grabbed my sword, threw it and my shield into my inventory and started after them. The lead squirrel was about 150 meters away from us and was moving! Squirrels could do about 32 kilometers per hour, at least normal-sized squirrels could. I have no idea where this information is coming from by-the-way. I must have read it online or studied it some time ago and my new more-powerful memory is supplying it. However, it wasn’t doing 32, it was probably double that. Fortunately, we were probably twice as fast also. I used to be able to do about a 2:54 100 meter dash, which was fast. Not Usain Bolt fast, but fast for a high schooler. Not record setting even in Oklahoma either. My time really basically translated to about 34 kph. I was faster than a squirrel. I should have used that on my résumé. Not faster than this squirrel now, but I was also faster too. Just had to see if I was, we were fast enough.

It turns out we were. We got onto the loading dock, turned and faced the squirrel just in time. It was coming in hot and its buddies were right behind them. It looked like it was about twice the size of the rats we’d fought earlier, so maybe 60 kilos. It appeared lean and young. Over its head, I could see it’s badge, Giant Squirrel, Level 8, 41 HP.

“Far Right, Fire” I heard Tanya say. I cast my Firebolt and so did Tanya. I chose it because it did two points of extra fire damage and was our fastest attack spell. Janet’s went off first and then again at the same time that Tanya and my spells were cast. Her spell had a faster cast time. Janet hit it hard both times doing 14 points of damage each time she cast the spell. Tanya and I both did 8 points. The squirrel collapsed and died in front of us.

The other four squirrels were coming in as a pack. There were three squirrels about the same size as the one that we’d just killed and one larger one, a full-on adult squirrel. Evidently, the one we’d just killed was one of its litter.

“Right baby squirrel,” Tanya called. The squirrels had slowed down about twenty feet away from us, but were still charging, just not as fast. I cast and, once again, Janet cast twice and Tanya cast also. We caught our target as it was leaping up onto the loading dock. I almost missed with a spell that doesn’t miss, doing only 3 points of damage. Tanya did great though, hitting for almost maximum damage, doing 12 points. Janet once again hit the squirrel pretty hard, doing 10 and 11 points of damage. The squirrel dropped at our feet. It was the weakest of the pack.

“Right baby squirrel, Monsoon Tank Big One” Tanya called again. This time all three of the remaining squirrels were on the loading dock with us. We’d backed into the left corner just like Tanya had said. I pulled out my shield and sword and braced myself for their rush.

The big squirrel leaped and so did the little ones. I shoved my shield in its face and swept out trying to bash it like I’d done the rat earlier. I felt it hit, but just solidly. It didn’t get phased at all, no stun this time, but it’s attack run got canceled at least. I swung at the squirrel on the right and hit it hard with my sword. Once again, Janet cast twice and Tanya once. We did pretty good damage, I did 20 points, Janet did 20 points and, this time it was Tanya turn to almost miss, she did only 3 points. It was still alive but not by much.

The big squirrel was still out from the shield bash, the right one that we damaged took its best shot at me, which turned out to be a pretty good one. It clawed and bit my arm doing 19 points of damage. I yelled in pain. The other one that was on the left came in hard too. I was focusing on trying to kill its littermate and it got basically a free shot at the left side of my body. All three of its attacks (both front claws and its bite) hit doing more damage - 19 points. I was down 38 points in the first wave.

Tanya yelled, “Janet left baby, Monsoon tank center.”

I heard. I wanted to kill the right baby, but she had given me orders. This time the squirrels were faster off the mark. The mostly dead one tried to engage Janet, but before it could attack, Tanya’s spell hit it doing 6 points of damage and killing it. The big one attacked. I tried to block it again but missed, it slid past my shield and tried to bite and claw me. I hit it on the head with the pommel of my sword, not doing any damage, but blocking its bite. Unfortunately, one claw hit and did 5 points of damage. It bloody hurt.

In the meantime, the one on the left tried to get me again. This time I was paying more attention to it so I was able to dodge one of the claws. The bite and the other claw hit, doing 15 points of damage to me. I was really starting to hate that squirrel. Fortunately, Janet hit it. She did 22 points of damage to it.

Tanya yelled out direction again. “Janet left baby. Monsoon tank center.” I really, really wanted to hit the one on the left, but I resisted.

Once again, the squirrels attacked first, evidently, they were just faster than we were. The big one took its bite and claw attack at me. I again missed my shield block, it slid under and went for my throat. Only one of its attacks hit, but it hit pretty hard, doing 9 points of damage. In addition, I could feel my throat bleeding, doing an addition 4 points of damage per round, about every two seconds. I needed to get that fixed. I had no idea how long that would keep bleeding.

The one on the left tried to hit me again, but only one of its claw attacks hit, just doing 3 points of damage. I was down to almost half of my hit points. I needed some help here.

Fortunately, Tanya saw that, “Janet, healz on Monsoon. Monsoon, tank center.” I smashed the shield in the big one’s face again, trying to stun it. Once again I missed. It didn’t. It bit me and clawed me, doing 15 points of damage. I tried to stab it with a straight shot, like a bullfighter in Spain would use and I hit. I did 17 points of damage to the big one. Finally, it got to feel what it was like. I had 108 points of damage done to me by its pack. This was definitely not fun. I decided to let the world know and screamed out, “Not fun! Not fun!” About then I felt Janet’s hand touch me and her heal spell wash over me. It healed me of twenty points of damage. It felt as if I was under a sun lamp, a current of warmth crept through my body. Everywhere that it flowed, I felt the pain reduce and, in some places, disappear.

Tanya shouted out, “Janet left baby, Monsoon tank center.

The left baby and the big one both lept again at me. I tried to block the big one again. And once again, I missed. It must have been shook up from the damage I did to it last time because it missed with all three attacks. The left one hit me hard with a bite. It attached itself to my right thigh and started chewing on me. Fortunately, the damage was not that great, it only did 11 points of damage. I felt Tanya’s hand land on my shoulder and her heal spell healed me of 20 points of damage. Janet hit the one on the left with a light bolt doing 13 points of damage. “I’m out,” Janet yelled.

“Janet, attack center, Monsoon tank center. I didn’t know at first what Janet meant, then I realized that she was out of mana. The squirrels attacked again. I tried to block but missed again. I hit the big one for 13 points of damage. It bit me back for 9 points of damage, but I was able to block its claws with the shield. The little one tried again, only this time it missed with all three attacks. Janet had evidently pulled her machete. She took a swipe at the big one and missed. I felt Tanya hand on my shoulder and suddenly I felt that warm feeling and 20 points of damage disappeared from me.

Tanya shouted out, “Janet center, Monsoon tank center. The squirrels were slower getting started this time. I stabbed the big one again. Only this time I missed. It jumped, I tried to block and again, I missed. It bit and clawed at me. It’s claws missed, but the bite was fierce. It somehow got through my sword and shield and latched on to my neck again. It did 21 points of damage to the already open wound on my neck and increased the bleeding effect by 1. I could feel the blood running down my throat and onto my chest. It smelled thick and coppery.

Janet swung a perfect shot. It was as if she had been training her whole life for this moment. She did 13 points of damage to the big one and caused a bleeding effect of 3 points. I didn’t even think that it was possible to do that kind of damage with a machete. There has to be some kind of critical hit effect occurring. That would explain my bleeding neck and the huge wounds I’ve got there. Also the difference in damage. Sometimes they do a little, sometimes they do a lot. Just then Tanya cast her spell. She wasn’t healing this time, she was trying to finish off the big one. It hit doing 11 points of damage. And, finally, the big one was down.

The little one looked around and decided that it had enough. It turned and started to run. Neither Tanya or I were going to let that happen. We cast our Firebolts at the same time. I hit doing 5 points of damage, Tanya did 8. It was enough, the last squirrel dropped.

I dropped too, straight into a kneeling position and started casting “Light Heal” spells on myself. I was down 103 points and had a bleeding effect of 5 points every two seconds. After the third spell, I felt Tanya’s spell land as well. I cast it another 2 times and even the bleeding had stopped. We’d won. And stayed alive.