Grave Danger

## Premise

An animal from Kissyfur’s past goes out of his way to punish the swamp animals who betrayed the bear cub’s friendship, and his first targets, Toot’s Parents! (Takes place after “Bear who cried, wolf”)

## Synopsis

Duane narrated the events of “Bear who cried wolf”, from when Kissyfur and Howie we're pulling pranks to after Gus scared the gators away. Minutes later, a white bird attacks Toot’s parents, Reed and Lily. Charles comes by and the white bird flies off, saying the swamp’s days are numbered. Reed thanks Charles for scaring off the bird, but the warthog brutally shouts at the Beavers for ignoring his son’s cries for help, when the gators came. Reed and Lily despite being intimidated, refused to apologize, as the white bird returned attacking the beavers, and flies off, but not before Lily smacked a stone at the bird. As the sun was going down, Kissyfur, still shaken from the events, says to his dad that He wants to go back to the circus. Gus disagreed since the circus only brought bad memories and that the swamp provided what the circus never gave them, Freedom. Later that night, As Gus is asleep, Kissyfur wakes up and notices a piece of paper on his window. He reads it, which he recognizes the handwriting of his old friend, Almuta. Kissyfur reads on, and says to have real friends, head north, until you see a tent, then, to wait there. Kissyfur then packs up his belongings in a bindle and leaves home.

Meanwhile. At Cattail Pond, which is Toot’s house, Reed and Lily say good night to their son, who angrily turns away, confusing the two. Minutes later, the two wake up and hear weird music. They go outside to see a playground carousel. Filled with undead likenesses of Kissyfur. Thinking it’s Gus setting up a prank, Reed shouted that whoever is making a prank had better stop. Then, a piece of paper falls in front of Lily’s feet. It’s a drawing of Reed and Lily hanging by their tails over a pit of fire. As Kissyfur starts to head out, He takes a wrong turn and heads east, where He finds a small dilapidated playground, complete with a bicycle-powered Ferris wheel, an empty patch of land, a spiral slide, and a small house of mirrors, all of them abandoned and covered in ivy. Tired from walking, He rests inside one of the Ferris wheel cars. Back at Cattail Pond, Reed and Lily, spot a grave marker that says, “Here lies Reed and Lily Beaver”, scaring the two, but demanding whoever made the grave show themselves. A shadow comes out and attempts to bite Reed, but the beaver dodges, as the shadow is revealed to be a tiger cub covered in torn rags, who proceed to attack on his friend’s behalf, after making an X at the Beavers. The sounds of the chaos woke up the neighbors, including Gus, who come to see what was going on. Gus grabs the tiger, ordering him to stop. But, the tiger claws Gus’ face, and says that He’s doing what Gus should have done and not to lecture him. The tiger cub goes to take his leave, as the denizens block his path. But the tiger cub charges through the barricade, following Kissyfur’s scent, as Emmy Lou who was staying in Gus’ house tells the other denizens that Kissyfur isn’t in his bedroom.

As the sun rose over the abandoned playground, where Kissyfur is resting, the tiger cub, disappointed that his friend got lost looking for the tent, was relieved to see his friend safe. Reed and Lily quietly locate the younglings as Lily goes to get the others while Reed stays behind keeping watch. Almira woke Kissyfur and asked Him if He was ready to return to the circus, where no will betray his friendship as the swamp animals did. Kissyfur responded that His dad would miss him. Reed tries to convince Kissyfur to head back to Paddlecab County. Almira furiously refuses, saying Kissyfur will not go back. the rest of the citizens led by Lily, appear, but Almuta blocks their path in front of Kissyfur, threatening their lives if they harm Kissyfur in any way, after striking at Charles’ stomach. Gus tries to talk some sense into Almuta on what happened when Kissyfur was in danger, as Almuta calls out the denizens for leaving Kissyfur for dead, not caring if He survived or not. Emmy Lou notices two pieces of paper, and picks up one and says Beehonie, Stuckey, and Lennie for betraying Kissyfur’s friendship. Emmy Lou read another and She pales, dropping the paper which read, Reed and Lily for declaring war on all circus beasts by ignoring a circus beast’s cries for help, not caring if he lived or died. Reed and Lily looked at it and began to feel guilty. Almira then says to the denizens that for committing an act of war, the swamp’s days are numbered. But, before leaving, He tells Gus and Kissyfur to choose their friends more carefully. Inside the Beaver house, As a solemn Toot is about ready to go to school, Reed told his son that He and Lily apologized to Kissyfur for refusing to help. But, Toot says that sometimes, an apology is not enough to earn back Kissyfur’s trust. He then walks off as Reed and Lily look at their wanted poster in despair, as they remember the voice of Almuta’s mistrust is in their minds, preying into their consciences.