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Life Among The Grass

By CalexTheNeko

The local state park's pride and joy were its nature walks. There were so many of them they practically made an enormous maze networking the entire forest. The only drawback was this made it somewhat easy to get lost if one wondered off the trail even a few feet. Fortunately for this very reason the trails were dotted with signs reminding people to never ever leave the trail. The signed warned people that much of these woods were untouched by civilized people and if they left the trail it might become impossible to return. For that reason under normal circumstances no functioning individual would ever have to leave the trails.

But sometimes fate just chooses to be as vindictive as possible.

Alex, a green scaled calagon had chosen to take a hike along one of the longer trails today. The leaves crunched beneath his red boots as he worked his way through the forest marveling at the nature around him. Everything was going fine until the storm picked up. It was simply one of those afternoon thunderstorms. The type that came out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. There was no predicting them. That wasn't much solace for Alex though as he suddenly felt heavy raindrops pouring down onto his head. Looking up at the sky he saw a stroke of lightning come straight down at a spot in the woods near him. He wasn't sure how close... But from the deafening and near instant crack of thunder it couldn't be far.

"That's... Not good." Alex muttered. He quickly pulled his blue jacket up over his head covering his ears and hair to try to keep the rain off him. "Better find someplace to take cover." He looked around. Along the nature trail the trees had been trimmed back. This left a clear opening to the sky to drench him in rain as long as he was on the trail. Looking out he could see a huge oak tree in the distance. It wasn't far from here... And he was sure he could see the trail from there. With his coat still over his head Alex quickly darted off the trail straight for the tree. It was covered in thick branches full of leaves that gave decent cover from the rain.

He was surprised to fine he wasn't alone. Beneath the tree was a second hiker who had been out today. He was only about stomach high in comparison to Alex. It was a hybrid of a fox and a coyote with rust and brown colored fur. Unlike Alex who was properly dressed for a hike in the woods the foxyote was basically naked. His sole garment was a green cloak that he was currently holding out away from him as he attempted to wring the water from it.

"Oh hello there!" The foxyote smiled as he saw Alex approach. "Quite a storm eh?" As he finished wringing the excess water from his cloak and put it back on the foxyote then shook his body to free the water from his fur. "Name's Kickaha by the way."

"Alex." Alex responded as he winced. The foxyote's attempts to dry himself off had mostly served to splash Alex with more water. He quickly moved beneath the branches though paused just for a moment as he heard a loud crunching noise beneath his boots. He looked down to see he had stepped into a patch of yellow colored mushrooms and sighed. "Ugh gross. It's everywhere."

"Well, you really stepped in it now, huh?" Kickaha smiled. "But seriously, be careful! Some of those fungi can have spores and-" He paused. "Oh dear... I'm not feeling too well..." The foxyote suddenly slumped against the tree and went limp.

"Why do I need to worry about-" Alex started to ask before he felt his own head spinning. His entire body felt heavy and suddenly he couldn't keep his eyes open. "That's... Not-" He didn't even manage to finish the sentence before falling forward himself.

Both the foxyote and the calagon lay beneath the tree unconscious. The spores released from the crushed mushroom floated down on the wind covering them both.

Hours later the storm had passed and the sun came back out. Beneath the large oak tree lay discarded cloak and set of clothing. Their prior inhabitants were nowhere to be seen. Slowly a small lump began to move beneath the green cloak. It moved in circles for a bit before moving to the very edge. Then the tiny figure of a two inch tall foxyote crawled out from beneath the cloak. He let out a large yawn as he slowly looked around.

"That was actually the best nap I've had in awhile." Kickaha smacked his lips a few times. "But you gotta be careful with strange mushrooms. Sometimes they can... cause... small problems." His eyes widened a bit as he noticed the giant tree roots all around him. "Wow. It's almost annoying when I'm not the one responsible." He then turned his attention to the giant pile of clothes the calagon had been wearing. There was a lump desperately running around in circles beneath the clothes.

Kickaha rolled his eyes and moved over to giant pile of clothing. The calagon, having been fully-dressed was having a harder time freeing himself in his diminutive state. Kickaha did his best to help, lifting up one of the sleeves of the calagon's shirt and calling into it.

"This way!" Kickaha gave a shout. Eventually Alex was able to find his way out of the sleeve. The calagon was a bit taller than the foxyote, standing at three inches. He seemed more overwhelmed by the situation as his eyes darted around looking at the giant roots and the grass. He then looked down at himself realizing he was naked and curled his striped tail around himself to preserve some modesty.

"Wh-what happened!?" Alex looked around in marvel.

"There was a thunderstorm, a weird mushroom and now we're tiny." Kickaha said with a shrug. "Obviously the mushroom's spores were magical in nature and did this to us." He paused though at saying that. "Though I concede it's entirely possible the mushrooms only put us to sleep and then we got struck by lightning. You would think being struck by lightning would be a lethal experience... But shockingly enough due to some rare set of circumstances it never goes that way. Lightning always does something weird due to some kind of freak one of a kind weather phenomena or something in the area-"

"What even are you talking about?" Alex tilted his head, forgetting his unease due to confusion.

"Oh just what happened!" Kickaha said. "Though technically since we were asleep I can't actually confirm if it was mushrooms or lightning. I guess anything could have happened while we were out. It could have even just been caused by a bored kitten playing with a baking soda volcano." Kickaha paused hear noticing the look he was getting. "But it was probably the mushrooms that shrunk us."

"But... But!" Alex waved his arms in protest. "People don't just shrink! That's not possible!"

"You must be new to the area." Kickaha grinned.

"What does that even mean!?" Alex threw his arms completely up. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Well..." Kickaha looked out at the blades of grass that towered over their heads now. It made it difficult to see what was around. "Considering I just woke up, I was considering breakfast. But given the time of day, more like a late lunch."

"You're thinking about food now?" Alex asked. "Don't you think you should be concerned?"

"What?" Kickaha looked hurt. "You can't expect me to panic on an empty stomach."

"But-" Alex paused. His own stomach was growling. He had to concede he was hungry too. There was no telling how long they might be stuck like this so finding a source of food probably was a good idea. "Fine but... Got any ideas on what we can eat?"

"Well..." Kickaha rubbed his chin. "I have a few... But I strongly suspect given my current stature that I need to reevaluate the normal food chain. Some of the local wildlife may be less appreciative of my efforts to eat a nutritionally balanced meal."

"Gee ya think?" Alex shook his head. It should have been obvious hunting was out of the answer. The two were no bigger than mice. The only things low enough on the food chain to even consider hunting at this point would be insects... And Alex wasn't hungry enough to go after those yet. "Think there's anything growing on this tree we can eat?"

"Acorns." Kickaha responded. "But it'd be quite the climb to get them. Something closer to Earth might be in order. Hmmmm, I know many forms of mushrooms are edible but... based on the current situation... Well... Maybe we should wait a while before we start trying to prove that our mushroom luck can't get any worse."

"What about berries?" Alex tried. "Berries can grow on bushes! Some of those should be lower to the ground."

"Hmmmmm." Kickaha considered it. "They're hardly five-star cuisine, but they'll have to do. I don't suppose you took note of any berry bushes before this whole shrinking incident happened."

"I uh... Can't say I did..." Alex paused and looked around. It was impossible for him to see much. With individual blades of grass reaching above their heads his vision was very limited.

"Guess we can't avoid a climb after all." Kickaha muttered. "Well... Let's find a tall stem or something to climb. Get a better view of our surroundings at least."

With that the two set off. They stuck close together to avoid getting separated in the grass. Alex was still having a difficult time processing what had happened... But it felt good to be doing something. Doing things meant he wasn't helpless. There was a plan. Everything was under control now.

Before long the two found themselves climbing a dandelion stalk. It was surprisingly easy. Their bodies didn't weigh a whole lot so it required surprisingly little effort to lift themselves. Then what might have looked like a seemingly smooth surface when they were larger was full of hand and foot holds for them to climb up. Add in they both had four sets of claws that could dig into the soft side of the stalk and they were able to make it up to the top in less than a minute. From here they could see out over the grass and get a better view of their surroundings.

"Maybe we should look for the trail." Alex spoke up while looking around. He had been hoping that if he found the trail they could follow it back to civilization and get help. However there was no sign of it. Their vantage wasn't actually that high. It also occurred to him at his current size it would take a very long time to walk that trail. "Never mind... Let's just focus on food."

"Hmmmm." Kickaha held a paw over his eyes to help guard from the glare of light bouncing off the grass. "I see a berry bush in that direction!" He pointed.

"Then let's go. I'm starving." Alex slid down the stalk first and set off. After a few steps he stopped, allowing Kickaha to catch up.

"What's wrong?" The foxyote's ears perked in curiosity.

"Uh, what direction was it?" Alex asked. Back down among the grass the world became a maze again.

"It was..." Kickaha thought for a moment. "We... Should probably check again... And often." The two nodded before climbing another stalk. Slowly they made progress this way. They would move among the grass for a bit, then climb up and check their progress. Even at their size it wasn't an exceptionally long walk. The main problem was them occasionally getting turned around and having to double back. Finally they solved the problem by having one of them climb a stalk and call out directions to the other. Then after about a foot they would change and let the other climb a stalk and call out to lead their friend to him. Using this tactic they were able to finally approach the berry bush.

"Glorious food!" Kickaha wagged his tail and ran for the berry bush. Plump and gigantic (from his point of view) berries hung from bush just waiting to be gotten. He jumped up and down trying to grab at the berries only to find them out of their reach.

"Heh. Guess we have one more climb." Alex teased.

"Bah." Kickaha crossed his arms. "I know I'd critique others for going for the low hanging fruit, but this one case where I'm ok not taking the high road."

"It's only like seven or eight inches up there." Alex smiled as he began to climb the branches of the bush.

"I'm so giving this place a negative review." Kickaha responded as he followed. "Two out of five stars. The service is terrible and everyone is so high and mighty."

"It's not so bad! I can almost taste them!" Alex responded. He reached the branch with the berries first. He carefully walked out atop the branch balancing himself as Kickaha continued behind him. They reached the fruit and were about to each grab one when...

There was movement. Then suddenly a monster moved the branches aside. It was more than twice as tall as Alex in height... And in mass many times that! It had a long fluffy tail and... admittedly cute ears as it stuck its nose into the bush Alex and Kickaha were on. It was just a squirrel... But squirrels are a lot more intimidating when they're bigger than you.

"GRAB THE BERRIES AND RUN!" Alex shouted as he plucked a berry the size of his own head and leaped from the bush.

"I'm too young to wind up in the belly of the beast!" Kickaha shouted as he grabbed his own and jumped down. "Especially not a rodent!" With that he took off running as well.

"Chip." The squirrel squeaked and looked at the two shrunken individuals disappear into the grass. It then lost interest in them as it went back to digging through the bush with its own muzzle to get food.

Alex and Kickaha ran for what felt like a mile. Even had they been normal-sized that would have been hyperbole. The actual distance run at their current size was just embarrassing. But after they were sure the monstrous dire squirrel was not chasing them they came to a stop and set their fruit down on the ground to rest. They took a few deep breaths to recover their energy then turned their attention to their prize.

"You know..." Alex bit into his berry. The thing was bigger than his stomach. "Being this tiny has some perks. Heh, shame this didn't happen back in the city. I can think of a few giant foods I wouldn't mind trying."

"Oh, it's great when the food doesn't eat you," Kickaha replied as he chewed at his own berry. The berries were full of juice. It made eating them slightly messy. If was as if being served a beverage inside an edible bowl. It was easier to eat by chewing the top off then drinking the juice from the inside.

"I guess at least as long as we're like this we won't starve." Alex responded. "But... That squirrel made me nervous. That thing didn't have much interest in us and we got away anyway... But there are bigger and nastier things in the woods... And we can't stay alert forever."

"So you think we should build a shelter?" Kickaha asked.

"I had an idea as to where to." Alex replied. "That big oak tree... It had a lot of roots running all over the place. I bet we could make a little cave in there, and then maybe block up the exit when we sleep at night so nothing comes in."

"I can dig this plan." Kickaha grinned. "Back to the oak tree!" He paused. "Which way was it again?"

The two started another hike. This one was more difficult, and not just because they were carrying the leftovers of their berries. The sun was starting to set and that reduced visibility. Luckily the oak tree was a massive figure visible in the distance. This made it easy to orient on and travel to. Still by the time they arrived the moon was high in the sky.

"Glad we brought food with us." Kickaha muttered. "I'm gonna need it after this." He dropped down to all fours and wriggled beneath the roots of the tree. He then began to use all four paws to slowly dig out a small burrow.

He worked as quickly as he could, but it was already late and it had been a long day. Kickaha had only been able to make it large enough for the two to fit on while on their hands and knees before calling it a night. They finished off their berries outside the burrow before each crawling into it. Then Alex pulled a large pebble in front of the entrance of their burrow to ward off intruders in the night.

"This has been a weird day..." Alex muttered as he lay on his back staring at the tree root above him. "But... It's also kind of exciting figuring out how to get along like this."

"It's not all bad." Kickaha admitted. "But boy are my arms and legs sore after all that digging..." He rolled onto his side. "Still despite the horrible risks at saying this, I do wish this burrow was a little bigger." He paused as if half expecting something to happen when he said that. When nothing did he gave a sigh of relief and closed his eyes. "Good night Alex."

"Night Kickaha!"

The next day was easier. Working together they pushed the pebble out of the way of the burrow and went outside. There they gathered acorns that had fallen from the tree to have for breakfast. Then they rehydrated themselves with dew still fresh on leaves and plants growing out of the tree. The water tasted surprisingly fresh.

"Well, nothing's changed today." Kickaha muttered. "But at least now we know where ample food is." He considered for a moment. "But that burrow really isn't the most comfortable place to sleep at night. Think you can find food and bring it back today?"

"Uh sure but what are you going to do?" Alex asked.

"Dig myself into a deeper hole." Kickaha stuck his tongue out. "Obviously."

With that the two split up. Getting to the berry bush was easier for Alex. He had been there once, and even when traveling among the grass was starting to get the lay of the land. Kickaha meanwhile spent his day trying to increase the size of their burrow. By the time Alex returned it was now deep enough for the two to walk around upright in. It was also wide enough for them to almost have their own separate halves of it. Alex returned home with berries just in time to see Kickaha using his claws to curve 'Burrow Sweet Burrow' into the side of the dirt wall.

And that was how their lives continued. They would take turns between sometimes exploring together, or sometimes exploring separate as they discovered what all was around them. Then Kickaha would put his skills to use expanding their home. Soon the burrow was made of multiple caves connected by tunnels... And soon those tunnels were big enough to walk upright in. By the time winter had come Kickaha had managed to dig an exceptionally large cave out to use as a storeroom. This was good, as during the winter the two didn't venture outside their burrow much. It was cold, and neither one produced much body heat. Instead, they kept each other warm among a blanket of leaves while eating food from the stores they had gathered over the fall. Then they kept themselves busy with conversation and by crafting tools from twigs and rocks they had gathered.

When spring came... Both of them were ready to stretch their legs. The burrow was spacious... But being inside for so long made one stir crazy.

Kickaha found Alex at the trunk of the oak tree the first day it was warm enough to go out. Alex was poking at the tree with a staff he had made from a twig and looking at it.

"Going up there today?" Kickaha asked. They had talked about it a few times over the winter.

"Think so." Alex nodded. "There's gotta be fresh acorns growing in... And we'll get a lot more from the branches up there than we will gathering them off the ground. We got lucky we had enough for the last winter."

"You're going to make poor little me dig a bigger storehouse." Kickaha whined, but it was in a playful tone. He personally loved the idea of being able to eat bigger meals next winter. "Still climbing that is a lengthy process. You might be up there a few days."

"I thought of that!" Alex smiled. "I was thinking of making a summer home up there?"

"Oh?" Kickaha quirked an eyebrow at the calagon's attempt at humor.

"Mostly... I was just thinking with some vines, a few round pebbles and a maybe some tree bark we could make a pulley and a lift to make it easy to go up and down. Then maybe build a little tree house at the top. Would make it easier to transport the acorns in bulk up and down."

"Now that could be a fun project." Kickaha's eyes shone at the thought.

Through projects like that their burrow continued to grow. Soon it couldn't even be called a burrow. It wasn't just a tunnel dug underneath the roots. It included small wooden structures built within the branches, lifts for going up and down, and hollowed out areas within the tree itself. As resourceful as the two proved to be it was almost possible to forget they hadn't always been that tiny. Some days they even seemed to forget it.

But there was always one testament to what they had once been. The green cloak and the pile of clothes that sit among the tree roots. Exposed to the weather they had started to decay and fade away... But bits and pieces of them were still there left as evidence that the two had once been much bigger.

The End