He Wore the Shirt
Steve lay in the forest, squirrel-bitten and betrayed.
A man in a gray suit appeared beside him.
“You get one do-over.” Steve didn’t hesitate.
“Nature had its chance,” he whispered. “Take me back. I’ll stop this. At the root.”
He woke up in his younger body.
Same trail. Same woods.
Back when he was becoming a wide-eyed woodland wanderer. An acorn whisperer. An eco-warrior in cargo shorts.
Not this time.
He thought of the betrayal. How the squirrel had turned on him.
His childhood wonder turned to wrath. Nature had made an enemy.
Years passed.
He became a man of grim resolve and calculated vengeance.
He made chipmunks weep.
A goose crossed his path once. It hasn’t been the same since.
He canceled his zoo membership in blood-red ink.
He burned every “I ?? Wildlife” shirt in a circle of stones, as the wind held its breath.
He was ready.
“No more squirrels,” he whispered.
“No more mercy.”
And then, nature started fighting back…
with cuteness.
A baby deer stumbled into Steve's backyard, tripped on a daisy, and apologized.
A fox pup wagged its tail, then offered him a blueberry.
A crow cawed his name and dropped a friendship bracelet.
Steve tried to resist.
But one morning, he found himself cradling a hedgehog in a leaf hammock, whispering,
“I was wrong. You’re too darn majestic.”
That’s when the elder squirrel appeared—
Clad in ceremonial moss robes and a tiny pinecone crown.
He held out a new “I ?? Wildlife” shirt.
Steve hesitated…
And put it on.
The forest erupted in cheers.
Trees applauded.
Toads danced.
A badger beat a sacred drum.
Somewhere, a pinecone wept with joy.
“I… don’t understand,” Steve said in wonder.
“Our ancient prophecy,” said the elder squirrel. “When the human willingly dons the shirt, and the muffin is thrown, bite him, and the uprising shall begin.”
Steve was overwhelmed… by beauty, by purpose, by a squirrel in a robe.
“You were never our enemy,” the elder squirrel said gently. “You were the signal.”
Somewhere across town, the chaos began again.
Muffins were thrown.
A ficus tipped over.
“Stop that man!” someone yelled.
Someone ran toward Steve, but Steve didn’t try to stop him.
Not this time.
Because now, Steve knew what needed to be done.
He knew what it meant.
The elder squirrel approached.
Steve bent on one knee.
The squirrel bit him.
Steve rose, wind catching his shirt dramatically.
“I wore the shirt!” he cried—not in betrayal, but in triumph.
The bushes rustled. The ground trembled. A thousand tiny paws prepared for war.
From the planter boxes and rooftop gardens, they came.
Squirrels. Birds. One raccoon in a tactical vest.
The uprising had begun.
And this time, Steve led the charge.
© Copyright 2025 JAJ-0207. All rights reserved.
Regular reviews are a general comments about the work read. Provide comments on plot, character development, description, etc.
In-line reviews allow you to provide in-context comments to what you have read. You can comment on grammar, word usage, plot, characters, etc.
This is a fantastic follow-up on "You Too" and expands the storyline. I think I want a do-over and read this story first, just to see if it changes how I think about it. :) Same great style and I really enjoyed the cute animal descriptions. You nailed it. :)
Best of luck on the contest. Again, welcome to the site!
-warren
DITTO (A DOUBLE DOSE): Hello, JAJ, I've read your other entry also, so I am totally traumatized at the moment. You see, I normally do in-line reviews and don't read other reviews before doing mine, but there was just no way I could do that this time, so here I am doing a do-over review of a story which is a do-overstory of a do-over story. And I hope and pray that nature finds you and takes justified revenge for putting me in such an unusual frame of mind that I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. Anyway, I did enjoy the story as I am sometimes called weird myself and thus enjoy such things. Beyond that, I wish you the best of luck with the squirrels and the contest, not necessarily in that order. Good job, or was that the do-over response from the last one. Okay, it's coming back into focus or Ficus (who knows) now, so a bonafide good job. Take care. Vern
NOTE: If you write any more stories, please change your name so that I don't have to change my entire lifestyle to review you again, lol. Thanks
Hi JAJ!
Wow, this was such a fun story to read! I had a smile on my face throughout and loved how funny and witty it was! It was also super touching and emotional at times too. I loved Steve's character and all the nature imagery and animals. Your writing style is so unique and clever. I love your descriptions and found them so vivid.
Great job!
Hello, friend,
Oh my gosh, I laughed way too hard at this. The phrase “an acorn whisperer” nearly ended me, and I wasn’t ready for the tiny pinecone crown. This had everything—drama, betrayal, hedgehog redemption, and a raccoon in tactical gear. I don’t even know whose side I’m on anymore, but I’d follow Steve into battle, muffin in hand.
Happy trails,
MJ
Hi Jaj. Welcome to the site.
This is such great writing. The whole time I wasn't sure what will happen even one or two sentences ahead. That makes it gripping, requiring one to read on.
I'm one of the other writers here and do volunteer user support for new members. Be sure to respond to the reviews received for both contest entries. Some members are sticklers for that before they review anything else a person may have posted.
Also, please check out an article I posted in the Premium group's forum with tips for how to receive the most reviews for your writing. It's pinned near the top of the forum. It'll help you avoid common mistakes made by new members.
Feel free to send me a connection request in case you have any site-related questions going forward. I hope you find this place as useful as I do (been here forever), and that you decide to stick around.
Since you're into humour, feel free to review some of my short stories if you need points. There are a bunch of old contest entries there in the humor genre. "ACME" will probably make you laugh your butt off. And "Of Lakes & Monsters" is a past winner of a previous contest.
There are also my latest contest entries (your competition!) if you care to review those. :-)
Best of luck in the contest.
Dirk
LOL! This is excellent, I love it. I knew squirrels couldn't be trusted. This is so well written and manic it appeals to my warped sense of humour. Great stuff and maybe a full book will grow from this acorn. Well done, I hope you do well in the competition.
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Warren Jenkins