Sunday night; the perfect night to get all your homework done in time for Monday morning, at least if you were Ronald. He still couldn’t bring himself to care that much about it, and him doing it right now was an improvement over the norm; him not doing it at all. He was the kind of kid who understood the material pretty well, and thus, didn’t want to waste his time doing busy work on content he already mastered.

“Oh come on, you’re doing that now?” Cecilia asked him as she was busy enjoying the free time she had, as she finished all her homework by Friday night. “It’s like, you do this every weekend.”

“Give me a break; you don’t need to lecture me on doing my homework. Let me do things my way, and you just do things your way. Sound good? Besides, I’m doing community service starting next weekend, so I want to get used to finishing this stuff late.”

“I’m your sister; I’m supposed to lecture you.”

“No, that’s mom’s job.”

Speaking of mom and dad, the two wolves were out on a little date that evening, leaving the five young ones at home for now. He didn’t like being the babysitter, but he also took it as a sign that they trusted him and thought he was responsible enough for it, so he couldn’t complain.

“Hey Ron, wanna watch a movie with us?” Xavier came into the room, tail wagging.

“Ugh, I have to finish this language arts stuff first. It should take me, like, maybe twenty more minutes?”

“We can wait.”

Ronald was actually feeling very secure and easy-going right now; Jack had called him the previous day and calmly explained to him that he found out what he did. Ronald was paralyzed with fear, ready to run, but Jack told him that he had nothing to worry about, and that he forgives him for it. Ronald apologized to him profusely, of course, but he felt like there was absolutely no more stress in his life anymore. The parties involved knew about his crime, forgave him for it, and his parents got angry at him and were now punishing him. Things were back to normal, and he could finally focus more on his goals and normal seventeen-year old things.

The phone started to ring, and as Ronald was the closest one to it, he was obligated to answer it. He was expecting it to be his language arts “study buddy,” asking for help, but it was actually Marie.

She sounded mortified.

“Ronald, you have to run! NOW!”

“Huh?”

“Jack’s heading over right now to KILL you! You have to get out of there!”

“But Jack-”

“DROP THE PHONE AND RUN!” She just about screamed in his ear. He could hear her crying on the other end; it was clear this was not a joke.

Just then, Ronald heard a car roar up onto the driveway, like a horrible beast hungry for blood, screeching to a halt. He just about went to the bathroom right there, and he bounded away to his room. No time for questions, no time for answers, and no time for good-byes. Outside his window was a tall tree that would lead him to the ground; that would likely be his only escape.

Cecilia was the first to see Jack’s car pull up into the driveway, and she saw him storm out of his car and slam the door; he looked possessed, like he had no soul. His eyes were fixed squarely on the front door; his teeth were bared, and mouth formed into a wretched scowl.

“Come out here, Ronald!” He ran up to the door and pounded on it. Cecilia screamed, and she told the pups to go hide in one of the bathrooms and lock the door while she called the police. She didn’t see Ronald around, but if he didn’t know what was happening, she’d have to warn him to lock himself away too.

“I see you in there, Cecilia! Open the door!” He yelled at her.

“I’m calling the police!”

“Ronald needs to DIE!”

She ran to the phone and hurriedly dialed 9-1-1; her paws shaking so much that she misdialed three times before getting it. However, just as she managed to get an answer, she heard a window shatter, and she screamed and dropped the phone. Heart racing and adrenaline pounding through her body, she tried to flee. However, Jack snatched her just before she could slip away.

“Let me go!” She swiped at him.

“I’m not after you; I’m after your brother. Tell me where he is.”

“No, you monster! Ronald even told me you forgave him!”

“Not anymore.” He growled. “I want to rip his throat out and tear him to pieces!”

The three pups were locked in one of the upstairs bathrooms, and they were shaking and crying; tails tucked between their legs. They didn’t know where Ronald was, but could only hope he was safe.

Meanwhile, Ronald was darting down the trunk of the tree outside his window. As soon as his little hands and feet made contact with the ground, he bounded for the police station. Were his siblings safe? He didn’t know, and there wasn’t a way he could’ve protected them if they weren’t. Jack was bigger and stronger than him, and the fact that his teeth were sharper made him that much more formidable. The only thing he could hope was that they locked themselves in a safe room and called the police.

Jack had no intention of hurting Cecilia, but he kept his grip on her to keep her from contacting the police. Since she couldn’t escape, and wasn’t strong enough to overcome him, she started screaming as loudly as she could, knowing someone outside was bound to hear her. He dropped her and decided to just keep looking for his victim. In the meantime, she called the police again and hastily told them what was happening.

To her chagrin, Marie was doing likewise. She had hoped this day would never come, but with her husband on a murderous rampage, she had no choice. She didn’t know why his mind had changed overnight, from forgiving Ronald, to wanting him dead. Whether or not he succeeded in his barbaric mission wasn’t going to help him avoid heavy prison-time. Sure, he could plead ‘insanity,’ and it’d be true, but he was still going to be locked away for a long time, even if Ronald survived. She described him to the police, and where he was headed, through the tears streaming down her face. Dylan and Beth were hidden under their beds, also crying. When they heard their father start yelling and threatening to kill Ronald, they cowered away in their room in a level of terror they’ve never experienced.

Ronald saw the police station just a little further down the street. He picked up his pace and cried out for help as he did.

“Help! I’m being chased!”

A car then raced up beside him, and Ronald stopped, thinking it was help.

But it was Jack.

He pulled up and positioned his car to block Ronald from escape, and dove out through his window and landed in front of him, blocking his route to the station. He didn’t know what was more frightening; Jack’s sharp, gritted teeth, or the soulless, lifeless eyes that bore into his own.

Jack made a lunge for the neck with jaws poised for snapping down on it, but Ronald narrowly avoided him and kept running. He could’ve dashed under the car and kept running to the station, but didn’t want to risk crossing Jack again, so he darted to the side and scurried into an area with dense canopy cover and low-lighting to make hiding easier. Perhaps if he baited Jack out, he could circumvent him and make a clear run to the station.

It looked to be his only hope.

Jack pursued him into the trees, doing his best not to lose sight of his bushy tail. The darkness was a problem, and it got worse as they ran further into the woods, and away from the buildings. Ronald also kept up his pace, but was too scared to look back and see if Jack was still on his tail. He clambered up one of the trees to see if he could successfully hide amongst the leaves for now, but his plan was ruined when he accidentally disturbed a bird’s nest.

“Hey! We’re trying to sleep here!” The mama pigeon scolded the squirrel.

“Sorry!”

Jack heard Ronald’s voice, and changed course to line up with his location. “You’re dead, Ronald!”

Ronald shouted some four-letter words in his mind and continued his run to safety. Each step he took brought him further away from the police station. In the distance, far behind him, he could hear sirens. He also remembered that Jack left his car right there on the sidewalk, so that’d make it easier for them to find him, at least slightly.

Ronald wasn’t too sure how far he would have to go before winding up among city lights again, but it couldn’t have been absurdly far. According to his recollection, there were warehouses and various industrial buildings beyond this stretch of forest. He didn’t know how much that would help him, but as long as there were phones, or maybe pallets of freight to ensconce himself behind, then it could be good.

To Jack’s dismay, he had lost sight of Ronald, but as he also heard the sirens behind him, he was sane enough to know turning back would be a mistake. He knew it better to just keep running and at least make it to the industrial complex, where there was better lighting.

“I know you’re out there, Ronald! You’re not going to get away from me!”

Ronald heard his shouting, and he was able to gauge how far away he was from Jack.

“Yeah, keep yelling; that’s only going to help me...and the police.”

Ronald began to see some lights sporadically speckled through the woods, and the scent in the air gradually changed from woodsy and natural to oily and metallic. It was a welcome change. He ran out a little bit further, and found himself in a massive truck yard. As it was getting late, there weren’t too many trucks pulling in with vendors’ products, but there were a plethora of trailers parked and ready to be used the next morning. The warehouse associated with this truck yard seemed quite far away; at least a half-mile. There surely must have been phones there, but if he made a run for it, Jack would certainly spot him amidst all this open space. So for now, he scrambled to find a trailer that was left open, and as soon as he did, he leapt into it and dove into the shadows in the back.

Jack eventually emerged onto the same truck yard, and he growled angrily, unable to spot his prey anywhere.

“He must be hiding amongst the trailers, or maybe inside one of them. Silly boy, you’ve only cornered yourself!”

Jack, learning now that he should be a little quieter, crept along, trying to pick up Ronald’s scent. Meanwhile, Ronald held his position in the back-shadows of trailer FD5097. He was hoping and praying that he’d get some kind of sign that Jack had passed him by, but being so far back inside the trailer meant that his vision was severely restricted. Jack could’ve been right outside, and he would’ve been invisible to the squirrel.

“I think I’ve made a terrible mistake...”

He decided he should creep quietly towards the trailer entrance to increase his range of vision, but each step he took made noise against the metallic surface, and added risk to his getting caught. Jack was nowhere to be seen, but he could’ve been very close by. If that sable decided to leap in here suddenly, he’d have Ronald cornered, and it would be game over.

Suddenly, Ronald heard the sound of something beeping, like a nearby vehicle backing up. He crept even closer to the entrance, and to his horror, a yard switcher was backing up his truck to hook up to the trailer he was hiding in! If he didn’t get out soon, he would be trapped inside. However, just before he would’ve made the leap, he saw Jack! He had seconds to decide whether he should let himself get trapped inside the trailer and stay safe from Jack, or escape the trailer, and put himself in danger of letting Jack kill him.

While the squirrel was thinking about his next move, Jack spotted him, and made a bee-line for him. The sable saw the truck closing in on the trailer, so he picked up his pace. Even if he got trapped in there along with Ronald, at least it would mean an easy kill. Ronald’s eyes bulged as he saw Jack darting towards him, and he knew staying in the trailer would be his only option. His life now depended on how quickly the switcher could back up and seal off the opening.

“No no no no no!” Ronald’s heart was about to leap out from his throat. Both Jack and the truck got closer and closer, and the fate of Ronald’s existence was about to be decided.

Jack saw his opening getting narrower and narrower, and it crossed his mind that he could get squashed between the truck and the trailer if he made the leap, but his bloodlust overpowered his survival instinct.

And he made the leap.

Ronald backed away and tried to shield himself from the bloodthirsty sable, but the truck slammed against the trailer just in the nick of time. Jack smashed his face against the truck, breaking his nose, and sending him to the ground. He yelled, but not so much in pain, but more because Ronald escaped him. The adrenaline coursing through every fiber of his being numbed the pain for now, and he opted to hide under the trailer for now in hopes that the truck would leave the trailer right here. Blood was seeping out from his nostrils, but he wiped it away, seeing it as more of an annoyance than a concern.

Meanwhile, Ronald was sealed inside a massive metallic box that nearly became his coffin. His new sense of relief was marginal, as he now had no idea what was going to happen with the trailer. Was it going to be hooked up to the warehouse and loaded with freight? If so, that’d give him access to a phone, and some added safety and security. He then heard two voices outside; he guessed that one of them was the switcher, and the other was perhaps a supervisor.

Stolen story; please report.

“Yeah, this trailer is not in the right yard; here’s the paperwork.”

“Hm...crap. It’s supposed to go to our facility in Clover.” The other replied, and then there was some dialogue over the radio about moving it to another zone to be hooked up to another truck that would then drive it down to Clover. Jack also listened, and he growled, hating how the situation was turning out. Once the truck drove off with the trailer, he’d be exposed, and he wouldn’t be fast enough to catch up to it. He had to slip out the other side quickly and just watch for his next move.

Meanwhile, Ronald didn’t know if he should be relieved or not. The good news was that he was safe from Jack. The bad news? Clover was fifty miles away, and he’d have no idea how to get back home from there, unless he hitchhiked, or called for his parents to pick him up from there.

Speaking of his parents, they were rendered speechless as they beheld their shattered window, and the four police cars that were parked in front of their house. Cecilia and the pups ran out to hug them, each of them crying.

“Jack’s trying to kill Ronald!” Janet sobbed. “And we don’t know where he is!”

“Did Jack hurt any of you?” Their father asked, getting a good look at each one of them. The pups reported that they all hid in the bathroom and locked it, and that Jack didn’t hurt them.

“Jack grabbed me with his paws.” Cecilia answered. “He didn’t hurt me, but he threatened that he wouldn’t let me go if I didn’t tell him where Ronald was hiding. I threatened him back that I’d call the police, and I ended up having to scream as loudly as I could in case it would get anyone else’s attention. That’s when he dropped me and went to pursue Ronald...I already told this to the police, and they’re out to find him and Jack.”

“You all did great,” Marcus told them, “the last thing I want any of you to do now is panic, and whatever the police asks you to do, follow along.”

Meanwhile, Diane went inside to call Marie on the phone and let her know what was happening. The distraught wife had told her she also called the police and told them what was happening. She had never felt so sick in her life. Diane could also hear the kids crying in the background; asking where daddy was, and if the police were going to find him and take him back home. Diane’s heart broke as she heard those words coming from the three-year old.

As this was all happening, Ronald was simply being carried about in this large, empty trailer, figuring he may as well try to enjoy the ride. The switcher changed out trucks to hook one up that was more suitable for highway travel, and after the switch was complete, it was off to the town of Clover for Ronald. It was cold and dark inside, but at least he felt secure. He didn’t think there was any way Jack could catch him now and somehow find him fifty miles away in a random town. The only way that could happen if he somehow wound up on another truck going int the same direction. It was unlikely.

But not impossible.

After the trailer had left earlier, the supervisor noticed a trail consisting of drops of blood, and it led into a grove of trees on the western perimeter of the yard. Curious and concerned, he followed it, and made a call on his radio to keep an eye out for someone who may have been injured and was bleeding.

At around midnight, Ronald had arrived in the town of Clower. There was no forest around, and it was set at the base of a 16,000-foot mountain. The elevation was also a little higher than that of home, and with it being in the dead of night, Ronald was shivering. The driver parked in another yard, and after he opened the doors, Ronald immediately hopped out, scaring the driver half-to-death.

“What the-?!” He nearly fell backwards.

“I’m s-sorry...I was h-hiding in there from a k-killer. I-I j-just want to use a ph-phone to call my f-family, please…”

The driver, though on the clock, had pity for the terror-stricken squirrel, and he took the time to guide him to the guard shack to let him use the phone.

“Th-thank you…”

With numb fingers and forearms, he struggled to punch in the numbered keys that would grant him access to contact his parents. He got after four misses, and held the phone up to his ear. It rang a few times.

“Come on, please…”

No one answered, and Ronald tried again. He called three more times, but no one picked up.

“No, please no…” A couple tears dropped from his eyes; the thought crossing his mind that Jack could’ve gone back from pursuing him and killed his family. He tried once more, asking God repeatedly that someone would just pick up.

“Hello?” Came the voice of his mother on the other end, and Ronald practically exhaled everything out of his lungs with the biggest sigh he ever gave.

“M-mom, it’s me.”

“Ronald! Oh thank God you’re alive! Where are you? Is Jack still chasing you?”

Marcus and the rest of Ronald’s siblings listened in. Cecilia was the one crying the most out of them all, as she was the one closest to her brother. Hearing that he was okay made her want to rush up and grab the phone and talk to him right now. Xavier hugged her and let her cry onto his fur.

“I’m at a warehouse in Clover; I wound up on a truck and ended up over here. I think I lost Jack, even though he almost got me a few times.”

“Okay, just stay there, and we’ll come and get you. Call the police in that town while you wait so that they know to keep watch for Jack, should he also be there. What’s the address of this place?”

Ronald had to ask the guard on duty what the address was, and then he repeated it to his mother. After some discussion on the other end of the line, Marcus made the decision that he was going to pick up Ronald while Diane stayed and made sure the kids were okay and safe. They were all still shaken up by the intrusion, especially Cecilia. Jack could’ve easily killed her had she been his target, and she thought at that time that he was actually going to do it.

“It sounds like Ronald is safe where he is; he hopped on a trailer and wound up fifty miles down the highway. It’s far, but at least Jack isn’t likely to find him. I’m going to pick him up and bring him right back; I should be back in under two hours.”

Marcus kissed his wife and children goodbye, saying to them individually that he loved them, and went out to start his journey to Clover. However, he didn’t get very far when he noticed Marie, running towards their house. Did she want something? Marcus stopped and asked her.

“Marcus! I-is your family okay? Is Ronald okay? I would’ve called, but I wanted to see them in-person...I feel so awful for them; it’s all my fault…”

“They’re shaken up, but other than that, no one is hurt. I was just on my way to get Ronald; he just called and told us where he was. As far as Jack’s location, no one knows, but he’s likely far away from Ronald. He managed to escape on a trailer to Clover.”

“Oh, thank heaven…” She put her paw to her heart.

“Who’s watching the kids?”

“Two of my brothers and my sister are there right now; they heard what happened, and they wanted to be with us.”

Marcus got an idea. “Want to come along? Ronald is expecting only me, but I think he would also be happy to see you. Also, if we somehow run into Jack along the way, perhaps you can talk sense back into him.”

Marie wasn’t totally sure Ronald would be thrilled to see her, considering she accidentally blabbed about his crime, but if Jack was hot on his tail, then at least she could still help him. She may still have the chance to save both of them. She accepted, and got into the passenger seat, and as soon as she buckled up, Marcus sped off to save his son.

Ronald was allowed to sit in the guard shack and wait for his dad. He did call the police, described what was happening, and after they had gotten verification from the police in Ronald’s own town that Jack was a legitimately hostile threat, they sent some of their own force to watch the entrance to the truck yard. Surely, this would be a good way to catch Jack should he somehow wind up at this entrance.

But should he get here on another trailer, then he would go undetected...but that wasn’t likely…

Was it?

Well, after Jack had watched and heard where Ronald was headed, he figured it wouldn’t be hard to sneak a ride on another trailer to the same location. The good news for him was that all the trailers that were in this particular zone in the yard were scheduled to go there, according to dialogue he eavesdropped upon. All he had to do was figure out which trailer would leave next, and as he saw one of the switchers backing up his vehicle to hook to the trailer, he made a beeline for it. He slipped in just in time, and just one hour after Ronald left for Clover, so too did Jack. Ronald still had the potential to get home safely...if Marcus could get here before Jack.

Ronald remained in the guard shack, scanning his surroundings for any sign of his dad’s car. It would be close to an hour’s wait, but as long as Jack didn’t also catch a ride up here, he was safe. He watched other trailers pull in every so often, and the driver and guard exchanging paperwork. It wasn’t very exciting, but after the last couple of hours, he could use some boring.

Little did Ronald know, Jack was inside one of the trailers that pulled in about fifty minutes after he himself got there. He paid it no attention, holding onto the hope that his dad would get here very soon. The trailer pulled into a space near the guard shack, and it was positioned so that once the truck detached from the trailer, Jack would have a clear shot at Ronald.

Meanwhile, Marcus found himself breaking the speed limit, and he didn’t care. Neither he nor Marie spotted Jack along the way, but they knew he was going to be found one way or another; by them, or by the law. Marcus kept trying to assure her that this wasn’t her fault, but she insisted it was. She couldn’t get over the fact that, if she had just kept her mouth shut, none of this would’ve been happening. In reality, she, Ronald, and Jack all had contributed to this fiasco, but now wasn’t the time to play the blame game.

At the yard, Ronald was so focused on spotting his dad’s car that he paid no heed to the trailers that were being parked. He also didn’t notice when the truck unhooked and pulled away from trailer F5322, Jack’s presence was now revealed. His nose was off-center from the injury, and there was a crust of deep red under it. He wasted no time; hopping off the trailer and sniffing around for that squirrel he wanted dead.

If only the police had realized he was right behind them.

“There it is; that’s the place.” Marcus pointed out to Marie, though the police cars at the entrance helped give it away.

“I just hope he’ll be able to forgive me.”

However, just as Marcus was about to pull in, the police cars’ sirens started to blare with their blue-and-red cacophony, and they took off down the road, and towards the mountain.

“What’s happening?” Marcus said to himself as he pulled into the truck yard. He found the nearest yard worker he could, and since he was on Marie’s side, Marcus asked her to roll her window down and ask him if he knew where Ronald was.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Hi ma’am.”

“We were told that Ronald was hiding here and waiting for his father to come and pick him up. He’s the one next to me. Do you know where he is?”

“Oh...is he the one being chased by the psycho killer I heard about an hour ago?”

Marie frowned, not wanting her husband spoken about that way, but she didn’t stop to rant about it. “Yes, he is being hunted by another sable, like me, except he’s black-and-white. Where is he?”

“The squirrel ran off that way, towards the mountains down the highway, and people saw that sable running after him. I didn’t see them myself, but some of the other drivers did, and now the police are out to find them.”

“Got it, thanks.” Marie replied, and Marcus immediately did a u-turn, left the yard, and sped down the dimly-lit highway. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but their hopes of finding either Ronald or Jack here were not very high.

Meanwhile, Ronald diverted from the main road and into the wilderness. Objects to hide behind were sparse, but at least he was not in the light. He was now starting to believe he was not going to survive to see the sunrise. There was nothing out here in this bleak and cold environment to keep him safe from Jack, save only if he made it to the mountain and found a secret crevasse to hide himself in. Because of the sound his rapid footsteps were making against the hard, infertile dirt, he had no way of hearing how close Jack was. For now, he concentrated on bobbing and weaving between the various patches of foliage; just for the sake of not giving away his position, as well as not tripping over himself. He asked God several times that he would live through the night, but as his escape waxed longer, he started to ask God that he be ready to accept death should Jack prevail. He thanked God for the life he had, and should it end tonight, he at least ended it with confessing the truth.

He ran for practically the entire night; all his energy coming from the adrenaline, as he had eaten nothing since the snack he had while doing his homework. His little feet had carried him up a little ways up the base of the mountain, and the weather was getting colder and foggier. The ground had gotten harder too, obviously. The freezing stone surface of this mountain was killing his feet, but he knew he’d rather have dead feet than a dead body.

Amidst the fog and mist, Ronald had spotted a small tunnel that looked to bore through the side of the mountain; it went in for a little before exiting back along a tall ledge. He decided to go to that ledge; if he could see Jack from there, that might help him plan an escape route back to Clover.

He stood atop the ledge and surveyed his surroundings. It was difficult to make anything out through this fog, but if he had a hard time seeing, so would Jack. With chattering teeth and folded arms, he kept watch for any movement.

“The run from the forest fire nine years ago wasn’t this bad; at least the fire didn’t chase us!”

After fifteen minutes of standing there, which felt more like fifteen hours to the freezing rodent, he detected movement; a large dark object, and a smaller, lighter object. He also thought he saw some faint red and blue lights lower down.

“The police!”

“Ronald!” The squirrel heard his father’s voice.

“Dad!” He was more than euphoric to learn that the dark figure was in fact, him. He guessed that the smaller, lighter figure was Marie “I’m up here!” He waved his little arms.

“We see you! Are you able to get down from there?”

“Yeah! Just give me a minute!”

There were few happier things in life than the reunion of family, and though this was neither Ronald’s nor Marcus’ first time experiencing it, it was just as sweet now as it was then. Ronald’s limbs were numb, but he powered through the tunnel with them. He couldn’t stop smiling, thinking about being warm again, and with family, and safe from Jack. He knew this would undoubtedly put an end to their family friendship, but at this point, that was the best possible outcome. The effects of last night and today were going to last their whole lives, no matter how this all ended.

The day was not done with Ronald though, as it decided to place Jack right in his way as he exited the tunnel. The squirrel rammed him in the side; the sable appearing like he was coming back down the mountain in search of his victim. Jack fell over despite Ronald’s smaller frame.

“YOU!” He growled. “Come back here!”

Ronald immediately picked himself back up and scurried back the way he came. Marie heard Jack’s voice, and she called up to him as loudly as her voice would allow.

“JACK! Stop this, NOW!” She yelled, and Jack stopped, but just for a second.

“The boy must DIE!” He roared, resuming his chase.

"You FORGAVE him, remember?! Please! Come back to me right now and stop this savagery!” She replied, tears starting to run down her eyes. Marcus decided he should give chase; he was twice as big as Jack, and much stronger and heavier. If Jack was not going to listen to his wife, then perhaps only brute force would stop him.

Jack ignored her, gaining ground on Ronald. The squirrel quickly turned his head about, and saw Jack just meters behind him. He had a good run, but this was the end of the road for him.

Figuratively and literally.

He noticed a chasm not much further ahead, and the only way off of this ledge was to either turn back...or jump over it. Ronald knew that if he either stopped to think, or turned around, Jack would snag him and tear him to shreds. He also knew that the drop down from the ledge was too great for him to survive. However, there was more ground on the opposite side, and it was the only safety he could spot.

He had to jump.

Without stopping to analyze the measurement of the gap, he picked up his speed and accelerated towards it. With as much power as he could muster in his hind legs, he propelled himself upward and made his way across the gap. For those few seconds, 217 feet separated him from the ground below. Marie gasped when she saw him do that; he narrowly made it; a jump that was twelve-inches shorter would’ve ended in tragedy.

Jack stopped short of the ledge; not from a change of heart, but from an instinctual desire to see if he could make that jump too. He was bigger and stronger than that squirrel; surely, this wouldn’t be a problem.

Meanwhile, Ronald found himself in some rather hot water. The ledge he was now standing on was, in fact, a dead-end. Going any further would’ve taken him into a granite wall, and off to the sides were also steep drops. He actually had nowhere to go, but back to where Jack was poised.

He was officially done; unless Marcus managed to reach Jack in time and stop him, Ronald’s entrails and organs would likely wind up strewn here and there, and his body food for the resident vultures.

“JACK!” Marie screamed. “Don’t even try! You’ll get yourself killed!”

“He’s right there!” He yelled back at her. “I’ve pursued him all night long, and I’m NOT going to let it end here!”

“I don’t want you to die!” She screamed, her voice even more intense; her throat starting to hurt, and eyes becoming red. “I love you, Jack!”

He turned to look at her, and for a brief moment, the glint in his eye subsided.

“I love you! We all love you! STOP letting that wolverine control you like this! STOP letting him hold my husband captive! STOP dragging me through this nightmare; I just want my husband back! Your friends want you back! Your children want you back!”

Jack’s eyes started to water; he looked back and forth between his wife of seven years, and Ronald. The squirrel gazed back at him with pleading eyes.

“I...can’t!” Jack cried. “H-he’s a pawn of that wolverine! I...I can’t let him live! He will just come back to destroy me!”

“That’s just in your dreams! LET. THEM. GO! He’s out of your life! He’s gone! Ronald is your FRIEND! What he did was an accident, and he helped you rebuild! WHY must you kill? This is not you! You’re a kind, loving man, and a good boss. I have loved and enjoyed all our years together, and I want many more with you! I want us to see our kids grow up! I want to see your business grow even more! I want us to grow old together! Please...don’t take this away from us…”

Jack’s demeanor seemed to soften, but as he looked back at Ronald, his evil thoughts came back. He pictured his former boss, controlling Ronald, just like in his last dream. Without backing up for speed or acceleration, Jack bared his teeth at Ronald and went in for the kill. He attempted the jump, and it was clear from that moment forward that one of them was not going to survive. If Jack cleared the gap, Ronald would die a gory death, and if Jack didn’t make it, he would die a gory death. For those few seconds, time seemed to stand still, and Marie could not avert her gaze of stunned disbelief. As she saw him reach the peak of his jump, she knew one thing was certain…

He wasn’t going to make it.

Jack’s face smashed against the side of the ledge, resulting in an audible CRACK, the impact snapped his neck, and his body tumbled all 217 feet down to the stony ground.

“NOOO!” She screamed and ran to him. He landed on his back with a horrible thud; his face was a bloody mess, and his body was limp and lifeless.

Their time together had come to an end.

“JACK! MY LOVE!” She screamed, her tears hot and soaking her husband’s torso. She held his body in her arms and wept bitterly. She would scream in pain intermittently as she sobbed, and also repeated his name over and over. She gripped his paw in her own, and she kissed his face repeatedly and lovingly, just wishing she could feel his kiss against her face one more time.

Ronald looked down at her; feeling like his heart had been ripped out. Marcus reached the ledge just a few minutes too late, and hearing Marie in agony, he remained speechless.

The police had finally arrived, but as the terrain gave them trouble, they too were too late. They were ready to bind Jack and escort Ronald to safety, but were met with an inconsolable Marie weeping over her husband. She knew they were there, but didn’t acknowledge them.

“Thank you for providing for us, Jack...I know you can’t hear me, but I will always remember our good, happy moments together…” She whispered, not leaving his side. She knew that, eventually, they’d have to take his body away, but she didn’t want to part ways until she had said everything in her heart she wanted to say to him. In the meantime, a helicopter was sent to rescue Ronald from the ledge, and Marcus made his way back down. They stayed with her as long as she stayed with Jack’s body, and they said their own parting words. Somehow, Ronald didn’t feel any anger towards him; sure, Jack absolutely terrorized him for the last several hours, but he didn’t think for a second that was really him. He thanked Jack for the good moments, and regretted that there would be no more between them. Those last several hours were surreal, and Ronald was positive he was going to need counseling for it in the future. Eventually, the police did have to notify her that they needed to take the body down to the morgue before the decay and stench got worse.

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be cold...” The officer told her.

Marie wiped her eyes. “It’s okay; I understand...you can take him now...I’ve said what I wanted to say...thank you…”

The three of them walked back to the car; it was exactly where Marcus left it. It was stopped just short of where the road ended, and the path got too rocky for a car to use. Marcus let Marie in first, and they were soon headed back home…

...where nothing would ever be the same for either family again.