Cars drove back and forth on the highway. A certain red Dodge Ram truck turned down a right turn where a large green sign read "Suburbia". Driving for another two minutes, the truck turned into a driveway in front of a newly repaired house that was beautifully settled next to a hedge. A man got out of his truck and, telling his wife and son to wait a moment, he went up to another man that stood next to the front door and asked,

"So this is the place?"

"That's what they tell me, Jason."

"Good."

"There's just one thing.."

"What? Is it the plumbing in this house, Jim? It better not be!"

"No sir. I-It's the animals over the hedge. They are...well...brave when it comes to fighting humans."

"Ah! They won't be fighting anybody! My family's here just to 'make peace'!"

The two men laughed for a few moments, then Jim stopped. "Seriously though, they are very smart!" Without another word, the two men exchanged handshakes and money. Jason walked back to the truck. "Ally! We're keeping the place! It's ours!" His wife, Alison, got out of the truck and immediately went inside to inspect the house. Jason poked his head into the vehicle. "Allen! Get outta there! This place is ours now!" He did a crazy whoop of excitement and ran into the house to join his wife.

Allen, a fifteen year old boy, slumped out of the truck. He reluctantly turned off the Nintendo DS in his hand and opened the truck's back door a little wider. "Come on Riley." A female raccoon jumped from the truck and shook herself. Her collar jingled in the clear daytime air. Allen got his backpack out of the back of the truck and dragged himself up the front steps of his new home. Riley watched him curiously.

Why's he so disappointed? she thought, At least he SHOULD think on the positive side.