Chapter 2
'This is not good news,' said Scarlett, after a panting Amelie had told her everything she had seen from that day.
Because Scarlett was the oldest member of the Rat Gang Crew, she was able to understand a bit more about things. She remembered how the entire population of their species, along with their friends the mice, had been forced out of the beautiful burrows they had built over generations. Family homes filled with the most precious possessions they had created with their own paws were destroyed. Lovely carpets, hand woven with the most luxurious cat and dog fur from the dog-walk forest paths, and the prettiest feathers from the new parrot colonies in London. Even paw paintings of their great ancestors who looked down from burrow walls and made everyone feel like they belonged, were lost to the construction companies.
But the rats and mice were not alone. Many of their friends were made homeless too. Other animals who liked to sleep underground like foxes, meerkats, and wombats, to name but a few.
'What's happening Scarlett? Please tell us.....' said Atlas, who was staying over for the summer holidays from Auntie's house.
'The diggers came and dug up our homes as if they were built of paper or sand. It happened so quickly and many of our kind were unable to leave before it was too late.'
Ivy began to sob. 'Oh no, whatever will happen to us?' she said, drying her eyes on Atlas's favourite scarf.
'It was so lucky you saw Amelie, you will get the special medal of Brave Rat Girl for this,' said Scarlett. But for now we must focus on a plan. If and how we can stop the diggers and how we can protect our families and friends from harm. We will need to ask the Foxes, Mole Rats, Armadillos and Toads to help us. We need all the friends we can get!'
'Will you call a special meeting?' asked Ivy, I really like the special meetings.'
'I can make some berry pie,' said Amelie.
'Oh I love berry pie,' shouted Atlas. He had not had berry pie since Christmas and that was ages ago.
'Look guys, we need to keep things under wraps for now,' whispered Scarlett.
'What does under wraps mean?' whispered Ivy in reply.
'It means, keep your voice down, we don't want to worry grandma unnecessarily as she is very elderly,' said Atlas.
The next day, after a night filled with horrid visions, Scarlett, Atlas, Amelie and Ivy, took paw-written letters to the oldest kids in the crew gangs that surrounded the rat and mouse homes. Rats and mice had lived peacefully together since the move to Rodentia where they now lived. They even had some hamster and gerbil families who had moved in as they were refugees from a far off land with nowhere to go.
Rodentia was a beautiful town and everyone had worked hard to create it. Having to leave would be a terrible upheaval especially for the elders.
The paw-written letters said this.
Dear Crews,
It has come to the attention of the Rat Gang Crew that there is danger afoot.
Our homes are at risk if we do not do something soon.
As it is the summer holidays the Rat Gang Crew would like to organise a 'special meeting' in the secret empty burrow under the football pitch at Critters Farm this evening at 6pm.
Please tell as few people as necessary as this is a very dangerous time.
Yours Sincerely,
Scarlett Rat Girl from the Rat Gang Crew.
PS There will be berry pie.
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