In the Park [Updated 4/5/2023]
The autumn leaves slowly fall, and the bright sun is fully behind a wispy cloud. A brilliant chill is in the air. Clarence didn't mind. He sits quietly on the park bench. Scotty, his faithful companion, rests between his feet, an ever-present friend watching squirrels gather nuts for the impending winter. Hastily collecting all they can before time runs out. Their bushy tails bobbing across the park lawn like gazelle on the Serengeti. A nut here, a nut there, a treasure trove for the winter's keeping. The days are shorter now. The air is crisp. The squirrels know it, and with each passing minute, they collect all they can. Scotty gives them little attention. He has seen them a million times. He and Clarence have been coming to this park since he was a puppy, always sitting under this mighty oak tree. Clarence has been coming here for so long now; the wooden park bench is familiar and comfortable in an odd sort of way. The wooden seat is worn from age, tirelessly...