Prologue

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Pleb let out a terrified squeak. She frantically looked between the truck and her two friends who were running across the road. There was no time to run to them. Or for them to run to her. She screamed at them. "Lay down!"

Starszy and Faerie exchanged confused glances before seeing the truck heading towards them. Both immediately flattened themselves on the ground at the sight of the vehicle and managed to barely miss the wheels of the truck.

"We need to find somewhere else to stay," Faerie gasped when the two reached Pleb. "We can't live out here forever. It's too dangerous."

"I think we should split up," Pleb said quietly after a moment of silence.

"Why?" Starszy asked.

"If we stick together, there's a higher chance that we'll all get killed. But if we split up, one of us could survive."

"That is valid," Faerie said.

"But we haven't been split apart since we were little rats!" Starszy protested.

"We know Stars, but if we want to survive, we have to do this," Pleb said gently.

"I'm going to miss you two," Starszy whispered softly. "I don't know where I will be without either of you."

"I'm going to miss you guys too," Faerie said. "Stars, you were the best friend I could ever ask for. Pleb, you protected us with your life. I saw you as a mother."

"I'm really going to miss the both of you." Pleb tried her hardest to refrain from letting the tears slip out of her eyes. "I owe you two my life. You're both the reason why I'm here. Without you, Stars, I wouldn't even be alive. And without you, Fae, I would be starving to death."

The three friends shared a hug that only friends could bring. They exchanged supplies that should last them over a week. Giving their teary goodbyes, the rats left to their own adventures.