Introduction | Melissa Erickson

Disney can cause very powerful addictions. Their constant portrayal of abnormally-large, wide eyed, furry animal fluff balls led me to believe that every species can only be cuddly loving bundles of joy that spread happiness everywhere. I longed only to become life-long companions with every fluffy living thing, and have their adoring, warm admiration for my friendship. This, however, is extremely misleading. Due to being taught at a young age that all animals are pleasant, I ended up putting my faith and trust into a colossal falsification.

I was too young to know any better; and completely unaware that a brisk walk down a residential street would lead to grueling hours in the hospital. It all started when I walked across a rain grate in the sidewalk filled with fallen leaves. A brief rustle caught my attention, and I peered down in the opening. A small, round, terror-filled eye blinked up at me. With another rustle, the leaves shifted and revealed a petite grey body. It was a squirrel. Trapped, scared, alone, and in desperate need of tender loving assistance. Colorful images floated through my mind of my furry companion and I romping through flower infested fields. Poor guy; he would just refuse to leave my side since the day I saved his life. I lifted out one of the grates entrapping him, but he only maneuvered his way under a second grate that was cemented in. I was angry. “Stop it! Don’t you want to love me?!”

I’ve always had the problem of thinking while I perform an action; not before. So it was only natural that I wondered if I should grab a stick during the time I bent down and stuck my finger in front of his nose to bump him out gently. The pain was excruciating, and the little ungrateful demon scurried backwards and leapt out of the grate; running into the distance, never to be seen again. Eight stitches later, and the reputation of being called “Squirrel Girl” every time I revisit that particular emergency room, I learned a very valuable and harsh lesson. Now, I’m known to never take things to extremes, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that all animals are evil spirits whose only desires are to inflict pain and harm to the humans who only long to love them.