Squirrels

Such a nice day, Jason mused. Like every Saturday, he came to the park, at nine o’clock sharp, sat on the same park bench, and just thought. He sadly glanced at the vacant space beside him. So lonely… It had been five years, but still…
         He watched as a young couple, picnic basket in hand raced towards the large rock at the other end of the park.
         The young woman laughed and glanced over her shoulder. “Come on Jason, you’re such as slow poke!”
         “I’m coming Hannah!” Her husband called, as he ungracefully charged after her.
         Hannah. He smiled, she reminded him so much of his Hannah, the beautiful laugh, the golden hair. And the boy, just like him, madly in love with his precious Hannah. The memories hurt but they felt good as well. Today was truly a nice day.
         A tawny squirrel scampered past his feet. Birds sang overhead. The young couple’s laughter was like music. He felt his eyes drooping, the noises fading. His head shot up. What in the world?
         Somewhere nearby he could make out a persistent, staccato thrum. It sounded like a slow rain, but the sun shown brightly.
         “We shall overcome,” a tiny voice piped.
         “We shall overcome,” a multitude of tiny voices replied.
         “We shall win.”
         “We shall win.”
         “The time has come my friends, today we shall gain our freedom!”
         “Freedom!” The voices replied in a hushed squeak.
         “Freedom!”  The cried again rising in pitch.
         “Freedom! Freedom!” The shout rose louder and wilder. The staccato thrumming never stopped.
         The voices crescendoed into a high pitched frenzy. Again and again, faster and faster, he heard them shriek, “Freedom!”
         “Charge,” he heard the singular voice, “for freedom!”
         He heard Hannah scream. “Oh my gosh! Jason!” The couple was being attacked by dozens and dozens of squirrels. The squirrels converged upon them as one furry, clawing, mass. He sat there, eyes wide, frozen to the park bench, as the squirrels stampeded towards him.
The squirrels were on top of him now. I guess it’s my turn Hannah, he thought. The last thing he heard was their savage battle cry of “freedom!”