“Aaaaaagh!” In agony, Roscoe ran in circles, blindly kicking his hind legs. He kicked the hornet’s nest on a tree branch and a swarm of raging hornets flew out.

“Run for it!” Paco yelled as the hornets attacked his body. “Aaaagh!” They stung Clementine. They stung Paco. They stung Benjamin’s knee. But Malcolm climbed safely to the top of a small cedar. Benjamin removed his backpack and swung it in self-defense as he crouched on the ground. A smoke bomb fell out. He grabbed his lighter.

“Everybody, when you see smoke, run!” He lit the orange ball and rolled it into the circle of victims. Orange smoke shot through the air, making a large cloud in the trees. “Malcolm! Get us out of here!”

“Follow my voice, guys!” The raccoon scampered down the tree and ran. “This way! This way!” The others felt relief as they raced away from the choking smoke.

Cough, cough! “I can’t see!” Clementine cried. “Where are you?”

“Over here!” they shouted.

Paco immediately stopped and tilted his head. His ears perked up at the faint ringing of a bell in the distance. Thinking it was nothing, he ignored it and joined Malcolm and Roscoe.

Benjamin crawled on hands and knees toward their voices. Clementine saw him and led him to the others. “This way, Sire!” They regrouped farther away.

“King Benjamin, are you alright?” Paco asked as he tended his swollen leg.

“I’m okay. Just one sting on my knee.”

“What was that thing you used?” Malcolm asked in amazement.

“A smoke bomb. How are the rest of you doing?”

“I don’t know how many times they got me, but I only feel a little pain on my side,” Clementine said.

“It was your thick skin that saved you, pig,” Malcolm noted.

“Speak for yourself!” Roscoe’s nose was three times bigger than normal. After a respectful silence they giggled and then laughed out loud. “Is it that bad?”

“Are you talking out of your nose or your mouth?”

Clementine wheezed.

“It’s better than what you talk out of!”

“Okay, you two.” Benjamin patted them. “We’re not out of this mess yet!” Bugs crawled all around them.

“I’m not much of a bug guy myself,” Malcolm said. “If we run like crazy through these trees, we’ll reach the creek in no time flat.”

“Go!” Benjamin cried as a millipede crawled up his leg. The raccoon took off and they raced through the branches behind him.

“Oh, this is so gross!” Clementine heard splats and crunches under his hooves.

“As crazy as it sounds, I agree-” Roscoe coughed. “Ugh! Something flew in my throat!”