Not so Stronghold

"That's a bloody bee hive!" I shouted. It was indeed a bee hive. No two ways about it. It was hung up on one a tree's branches in the middle of a rural area with no building in site.

"Oh worry not amigo. It's empty." He said grinning.

"Empty? How?"

"No clue, found it like this." He shrugged

"What if the bees come back?"

"We'll probably die haha." He grins again.

This didn't feel the least bit safe. But I had no choice.

"So how do we climb up? Is there a step or something?" I asked

"What do you mean? You just climb normally. Like this!" He said as he ran towards the tree and climbed it up as if he was walking on the ground till he reached the top.

"What are you waiting for amigo? Come on up?" He screamed from above.

I was supposed to climb that....no way. No way in hell, I'd fall in an instant, I reckoned.

But then again I was a rat, so I thought it was worth a try.

So I approached the tree trunk and placed my hands on top of it, my tiny claws slipped in through the tiny cracks of in the trunk. I then pushed myself upwards with my feet. I tried to imagine I was climbing in one of those climbing games in theme parks. But somehow it was quite easy. I didn't weigh much so there wasn't too much force. I eventually managed to climb all the way to the top. Needless to say I was very impressed with myself. Climbing that tree was perhaps the first moment of something akin to joy or relief since I came into this world.

Me and Corn stood On the tree branch together before Corn started to walk alongside and through a hole in the bee hive. I followed suit and scaled the branch into the hole.

All of this felt so alien....walking on trees. Running through glass. I was adapting fairly well in hindsight. But still. Who knew a few days before I would be diving head first into a bee hive with a rodent. But nonetheless I did it and dove in.

As soon as I landed on the ground my feet were dipped in honey. All around me were hexagons filled with honey. I looked around and saw Corn focusing on one of them. He turned his head around to me and said.

"Eat up amigo! Mi casa tu casa. Consider this your home too." He then continued licking the honey.

Mi casa tu casa? What did that even mean? Is he really Mexican? Did I honestly encounter a Mexican rat? Does Mexico even exist in this world? Those questions ran through my head but I had decided earlier not too ask too many questions. My mind would explode.

I hunched down and took a lick out of the honey. It tasted amazing. I could feel the sweet flavor running through my body; invigorating it. I was never much of a honey guy but then It seemed like I couldn't get enough of it. However due to my size it was very hard to lick. Very viscous. So it took us a while to eat until finally we were both full.

"How did you like it amigo?" He said.

"It was...alright." I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Oh great!" He got it anyways. "Now come let's go. We gotta meet the chief."

"Who is this chief?" I asked.

"He's the leader of our little group. In the 163 million years we lived on this earth things have never been this bad amigo. All that black plague talk. So we decided to band together!"

"Oh a question about that, how did you guys know you've been around for 163 million years? Is there some sort of history book or something?"

"The chief told us!"

"Yeah but how does he know?"

"Ask him yourself. C'mon lets go." He got up and started walking towards the wall.

"Can't we wait a bit longer. I'm full." I said sluggishly.

"No no amigo. We can't be late. Chief won't be happy no. You don't wanna make chief mad trust me."

A vision of a rabid mad rat crossed over my head and I decided to get up and go. Being mauled by a rat didn't seem like the best thing to do.

So I pulled myself up, head to the wall and climbed up to the tree branch then down to the grass ground and we began running again.

"Hey, where is your chief btw?"

"He's in our little colony just 23,000 rats that way."

"23,000 rats? Is that how many there are in the colony?" I replied puzzled.

"No no amigo. It means that it would take 23,000 rats lined up to get there."

"Ah a unit of distance then I see. But wait how do you even know distance and such?"

"It's all by chief amigo. He taught us."

"Hmm...."

I was beginning to get really interested in meeting that chief. He didn't seem like your average rat. But then again I wouldn't know what an average rat is in this world would I?

After about an hour of running (I was impressed at how long I can run without getting tired as a rat. They really are agile creatures) Corn suddenly stopped.

"We're here partner. This is our base." He pointed towards the base of a tree. On closer inspection I was able to spot a hole at its base. The tree was quite large compared to the hole. Looking at it I realized just how resourceful those little bastards were. They always burrowed their way into ceilings, walls, trees and whatever they can get their hands on. I wouldn't be surprised if they really did live for 163 million years.

Well I'd be a little surprised.

I prepared myself to enter and followed behind Corn inside the tree. I had thought that was their base but apparently not. As soon as went in Corn dove into the ground through what seemed to be a tunnel. Their base was actually below the tree rather than at its base. It was much smarter than what I had thought.

A few days earlier...or even a few hours earlier I would've never even thought of making such a jump or climbing a tree. But it would seem the farmer encounter really had strengthened me up. That or I had lost touch with reality.

In any case I jump behind Corn falling down in anticipation of what it is exactly I would be seeing.

After a few seconds I finally land belly first into the main base. The fall didn't hurt at all.

What hurt however, was my head as it was trying to grasp what it is currently seeing.

Because what I saw was....Impossible.