Cal sat on the steps to the deck behind his house, looking out over the law---watching the squirrels play, as he did most mornings. In the chilliness of the morning air Cal zipped his jacket a little higher. the wind nipped his face. This was an unusually cool day for late May here in Minnesota, Cal thought. With the wind it must be about fifty degrees. During the heat wave it had started to feel like summer, but Cal knew winter wouldn't give up that easily.

Cal cupped a mug of steaming tea in his hands, keeping them warm. He'd sip it now and then, as he stared out into the woods beyond his yard. Cal loved looking at trees. He saw himself in them---the way his nose leaned to the left, his knobby knees, or how his arms were just slightly too long for his body. Some trees were short, some were tall, others had straight branches, while some grew in all directions. None of them looked the same, that's what made them beautiful, they were all perfect in their own way. Cal's camera lay on the step beside him. Over the last few years Cal had slowly grown a business through selling photos he'd take whenever he was outside. Cal mainly used to sell photos he'd take in the Cities'. Now however, since he moved out to the country, he mostly took nature photos.

Cal's current obsession was squirrels---he had hundreds of pictures of them on his camera. He was enamored by their agility the most, how they could climb trees so quickly, and jump from branch to branch. He'd observed them mischievously sneaking up on other squirrels to pounce at them and chase them around. Cal also found them very fluffy and cute looking. There'd been squirrels in the Cities' of course, but Cal observed these squirrels to be different somehow---so free...

Cal had taken to feeding the squirrels to attract them. He'd take nuts and seeds, scattering them a few yards from his deck. At any given time during the day a dozen or more could be seen milling about, picking through the grass for morsels to snack on.

Cal set the mug down on the step, picking up his camera. The squirrels danced around playfully, digging through the grass and chasing each other around. He put the camera up to his face as he began to snap some pictures of them.

It wasn't for a few minutes until Cal put his camera down, that he noticed a large gray-squirrel sitting right in front of him, staring inquisitively at Cal. Shock overtook him. He recoiled, wondering if this squirrel could be rabid. After a moment Cal regained his composure, the squirrel had not moved. It regarded Cal intently with its round black eyes. Cal surveyed the squirrel more closely---it appeared to be old, missing patched of fur, with a few scars running along its body. It gave off an aura of intelligent.

The old squirrel turned around and trotted off toward the woods at the end of Cal's yard, stopping after a few feet to look back at Cal as if to say "follow me."

Cal contemplated his sanity in this moment---was a squirrel really trying to lead him into the woods? Before he could think better of it, he let impulse take the wheel.