Through the window, Ray saw a dead world.

The month-long drought had decimated the land, drying the dirt so completely that each time he searched the ground for fallen acorns, the dirt crumbled under his paws like a forgotten cookie. The leaves had all begun to rot on the ground, broken into sad pieces and substituting their fiery colors for dull brown. Without a tree left with its covering, Ray’s home now lay in the prime spot for a hawk attack.

He shivered at the thought, shimmying his long, fluffy tail. Maybe a hawk would pass him by—he was far too lean to be a satisfactory meal. Eyes shifting left and right, up and down, Ray slipped down the tree and rushed into the cover of red and brown oak leaves.

Thank goodness there’s plenty of good land beyond this place! Ray had stared at the luscious mountains beyond the cliff since he was a kit. Just beyond the barrier that he’d heard the humans call a “railing”, beautiful snow-topped hills lined the horizon, verdant grass and evergreen trees lending color to autumn.

But ever more curious was that thing his mother had called a “tunnel”. Ray approached the black hole. No. No. Remember what Mam said. Even before he’d climbed his first tree, she had shown him and his siblings the great hole and demanded, “Never go in there, my loves. Dark and dangerous things lie within.”

His entire adolescence he’d avoided those evil shadows. But now, with hardly any food left to eat and too many squirrels to eat it, the light at the end promised something new: a space as luscious as the mountains, where acorns and tree-nuts lay in abundance.

Climbing down the incline to the Black River, he covered his nose against the unnatural stink. Yet somehow . . . He reached out a paw to touch the dark ground. Wherever it ends, there may be food.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Ray yanked his paw back, searching for the speaker of the warning. To his right and left? Nothing. Above? No.

“Down here.”

Ray peered down to find a stag beetle at his paws. “Ah!” He lurched back. “W—what large jaws you have . . .”

“Why, thank you. I’m proud to have just beaten my rival with them. But anyway, it really ain’t smart to go on that thing. My cousin Buzz got squished on one not long ago. Poor thing. The metal lion came and, uh, splat.”

Ray shook the image out of his brain. “. . . Thanks for the information.”

“Absolutely. You know, he was quite the daredevil. I honestly don’t think I could beat him in a fight—I mean, I definitely could, but I also couldn’t, you know? His jaws were—”

“Do you know what’s at the other end of the tunnel?” Ray scurried to the square rock wall that designated its entrance. Placing his paw on the cool rock, he peered into the darkness.

“Absolutely not. But I’ve heard legends. Supposedly the land beyond has the greenest grass you could ever see, and,” he buzzed his elytra, “the tastiest bugs.”

With a sigh, Ray left the wall alone and hopped back to his acquaintance. “I want to see—”

Just ahead, Ray caught sight of a furry figure moving between the trees. A tan snout with whiskers poked out of a bush and sniffed the air. Amber eyes locked onto him. “Bobcat!”

The cat pounced, tearing up the ground and matching squirrel speed.

“Help!” Ray searched for a tree, a place to escape, but the bobcat blocked all his paths and came charging toward him. With no other place to hide, Ray leaped onto the tunnel wall and scurried into the edge of the darkness. His lungs heaving, he peered around the wall to find the bobcat staring in fear and disappointment.

“Come out, cheater.” He meowed.

The darkness from which Ray once refrained now became his cover, and he clinged to it for his life. “No thanks.”

“Yeah. That’s a bad idea. He doesn’t really want to become like my cousin Buzz. Even the tunnel seems like a happier place. Do you think—”

“Would you be quiet?” The bobcat launched for the stag beetle with bared fangs.

Fleeing for his life, Stag rushed into the cave-like tunnel and rested on the Black River under Ray. “Wow. That was close.”

“Gah. This isn’t fair. I’m hungry.”

“Well, I really don’t feel like getting eaten today, Mr. Bobby. Too bad you can’t get us.” Stag waved his jaws in a taunt.

The cat yowled, launching into the tunnel and chasing after Stag. “I’ll have you for my appetizer!”

As Stag screamed in flight further into the cave, Ray delved into the darkness to chase his newfound friend.

But everyone skidded to a stop in the deepest darkness, where the walls, ceiling, and ground all merged into one void. All senses disappeared except the recurring waft of Black River chemicals into Ray’s nose.

“Hey . . . I’m not hungry anymore.” Bobby shifted from somewhere to Ray’s right. “I don’t know what’s happening. My night vision is barely working.”

Ray climbed toward the pull of gravity until his paws landed on the Black River. From somewhere above them, weird sounds thumped on the ground. With only a faint light at the other end of the tunnel to guide them, Ray shouted. “Come on. Let’s go this way.”

With all desires for food eliminated in the shadows, paws and little legs followed him along the Black River. Somewhere up ahead would be luscious hills and valleys in which to eat and play, right? Fighting against the fear in his heart, he pushed forward.

“Ah. My tail caught something sticky.” Ray heard Bobby shuffle around, then his pawsteps went silent. “Guys, there’s something crawling on my back . . .”

A new voice arose from Bobby’s direction. “Yeah, what are ya doin’ touchin’ my web?”

Ray’s legs caved. The stickiness was from a spider web.

Bobby whimpered. “I didn’t mean to do anything. Please spare me, Mr. Spider.”

“That’s Missus Widow to you. I spent half my lifetime working on that web. You ought to be punished for your actions.”

“No. Please!”

“You will absolutely not hurt Mr. Bobby, missus!” Stag launched, the clash of his jaws knocking Widow off of Bobby’s back. After a batch of screaming and clashing, Stag shouted with victory. “You won’t get poisoned under my watch, big friend.”

Bobby collapsed to the ground and caught his breath. “Thank you. You saved me even after I tried to eat you?”

Stag held his jaws up high. “Of course, big friend.”

Ray smiled. “Thank goodness you’re okay. Can you see any better?”

Bobby shook his head and padded forward. “But I’ll do my best. I think we can get out of here if we keep an eye out for each other.”

Able to follow the thump-thump of Bobcat’s paws once more, Ray’s heartbeat calmed, though fear drove him forward with increased speed.

Every pawstep felt like trespassing onto the territory of evil. Ray’s only comfort was the potential for food on the other side. The light grew slightly brighter every few steps they pressed forward, but the journey felt like traveling across the continent. Everything was black, void of hope.

But a new light flashed behind them, blindingly bright against the black air. When Ray turned around to find the source, it was already too late.

“Get down!” Ray screamed, and all leaped to the edge of the Black River. All except for Stag, with his little legs. “No!” Ray threw himself into the metal lion’s path, grabbing Stag with his paws and leaping back to the wall just in time.

The roaring beast powered through the Black River, a menace the size of the legendary dinosaurs. Ray shivered on the side, face planted in the wall, afraid that moving would end his life.

The metal lion passed, and all returned to quiet.

“Hey.” Bobby drew their attention, his eyes reflecting the light from the tunnel’s end. “Now that we’re closer to the light, my night vision is working better. Let me navigate us for now.”

Ray still clung to the wall, but Bobby brushed his cheek and nudged him forward. Following the thump-thump of his paws, Ray sighed in relief.

With the end of the tunnel in clearer sight, the group returned to their previous pace, as green began to dot the exit.

“The light’s a big opening now.” Bobby leaped into a run.

Letting Stag climb on his tail for the sake of speed, Ray rushed into the light and smiled when an evergreen tree’s branches waved in the wind just outside of the tunnel exit.

“It’s still fall,” Bobby sighed, relieved, “but it’s green. And probably has more prey!”

“As long as you don’t eat me, I’m content.” Ray folded his arms.

Bobby nuzzled Ray’s cheek. “I could never eat a friend.”

With a smile, Ray climbed into the evergreen tree, knowing that even a barren, drought-tainted land could produce life-saving friends.