"My name is Sam, " you say, as your eyes began to get heavy. Amy's warm soft body is comforting against the cold night, and you feel yourself drifting off to sleep.
"Well, Sam, I am pleased to meet you. I wish it were under better circumstances, " says Amy. She yawns, and snuggles up closely against your back. "Better get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, you yawn and slowly awaken. You look around the tree knot, and find yourself alone. You poke your head out of the tree, and see Amy below you skittering around on the ground. She looks up and see you, waving one small clawed hand in your direction.
"Morning, Sam. Sorry I didn't wake you. But I couldn't wait. I was hungry, and I wanted to look around, " says Amy. She motions for you to come down and join her.
You look down the tree trunk with a little fear. Climbing up was one thing, but climbing down looks like it will be much more difficult. The ground looks very far away, and you feel like you are very high up. You gingerly begin to crawl down, you claws latching tightly into the tree. As you get more comfortable, your speed increases and then you quickly descend down the trunk to the ground. You are a little surprised at how easy is.
Amy smiles. "Yeah, I was scared at first, too. But once you get used to it, it is actually pretty fun. I have been running all around the rest stop. You would be surprised how fast we can go. And I don't really even feel tired!"
"Where is the key fob?" you ask.
Amy lifts up a nut, and begins to nibble it. She gets a curious look on her face. "You know, I'm not sure. I was having so much fun, I just forgot about it."
"Forgot about it?" you ask incredulously. "How could you forget? We need that thing to return to normal!"
"Relax, " said Amy. "I am sure it is around here somewhere. What's the rush? I mean, it's not like it is going anywhere. Why don't you just have a little fun before you change back? Are you hungry?" Amy offers you the acorn.
Reluctantly, you take it. You are hungry, and as you nibble, you find it surprisingly tasty.
"You like it? " asks Amy, smiling at your cute full cheeks. "I'll go get some more."
Amy bounds off, leaping across the grassy ground under the trees. You try to stop her, but your mouth is full. You sigh, and begin to search for the key chain with the electronic fob.
But after an exhaustive search, the key is nowhere to be found. You look all around the base of the tree, where the dog had you trapped, but it is not there. You widen your search in ever enlarging circles, until you finally reach your car. But you cannot find it anywhere. You begin to panic.
You run back to the tree. Amy is there, her arms full of nuts and acorns. She is piling them at the base of the tree, getting ready to take them up to the hole in the tree.
"What are you doing? " you ask angrily.
"Just getting some food. I thought I might as well bring as much as I could carry, in case we get hungry later. Why? What's the matter?" asks Amy.
"What's the matter? What's the matter? The key is missing! We have to find it, or we'll be stuck like this. C'mon, help me find it, " you say, as you begin to run around again. You circle the tree, running like a madman.
Amy runs after you, eventually catching up and matching your pace. She suddenly jumps at you, tackling you and sending you rolling together in a spin. When you recover, Amy grabs your head in her paws. She pulls your face towards hers.
"Sam, listen to me. Panicking and acting like a loon won't help. Look, it's getting late. Unless you want to get caught - vulnerable on the ground - you better help me get these nuts up into the tree. We can look for the keys again in the morning," says Amy.
You sigh, and look up at the darkening sky. You hadn't realized how late it was, and how long you had been looking. Your stomach rumbles, and you are a little hungry. But Amy is right. It would be better to eat somewhere safe, and sleep in your protected nook. You follow Amy back to the tree trunk, and help her transport the nuts into the small hole.
By the time you finish, it is pitch black. After a nice meal, you and Amy snuggle up. A few acorns roll onto you, and Amy kicks them away from your combined bodies.
"You know, this place is nice. But it would be better if it was a little bigger, " says Amy.
"What do you want to do? Hollow it out?" you ask.
"That's not a bad idea, " says Amy. "You never how long we may have to stay here."
You shudder a little at the thought. You have a home, a potential new job, a life. You don't want to stay here any longer than you have to. But Amy is right. The hole did feel cramped.
Maybe I will help her enlarge it, you think. It shouldn't take too long. I can look for the key later.