THE FLIP FLOP LIFE

Hi, my name is Rocket. I am a Northern Raccoon that has been raised as a pet. One day my owner, an otherwise nice lady that fed me cookies and coffee, got tired of me and decided to take me to a new home together with my housemate, a capuchin monkey. She said I was too dirty and mischievous. Oh well, I was just trying to entertain myself while the humans were sleeping. Why would they sleep at night, when it is the best time for eating and playing anyway? 

I didn’t like my new home. I was in something called quarantine. It looked too clean and organized for my taste. So, I told them loud and clear. I would shout all day long until they grew tired of me and took me to a nicer place.  

Sure enough, they did. One day they put me in a box and took me to the forest. Nice! I had a large airy house, with very nice views over the jungle and the humans that took care of me went out of their ways to keep me entertained. 

I didn’t understand well at first what they wanted me to do. They left me in the new home and left. Must be some kind of test, I thought. Maybe they want me to find the exit and go back to them. Yes! That must be it!! 

So, I found out that I could make a tunnel under the cage and get out. Oh my! I am going to give them a surprise! So, when I heard them coming with the food plates, I ran away and went towards their den, a set of houses at the end of the forest. I am going to wait for them there and give them a surprise! My, I like this game. This is much more fun than destroying the rubbish in the home where I was living- I thought. 

I got into a nice house and started exploring the basement. I could smell some humans sleeping in the den. I must have made some noise when I open the lid of the water deposit because I saw a light and I heard the humans above talking. 

– Fraaaaaaank, there is something outside, under the bedroom!

– Whaaat? 

– There is an animal or something under the bedroom!

I heard the human go out. I tried to play hide and seek …. and after some time, he finally found me with the beam of light. 

– It’s just a racooooon! – The human said. A fat one!- he added

Fat? Me? I am only 11 kilos! May be a bit round around the edges, but fat is just a big word, I thought. 

They didn’t go after me, which I thought was what the game was about. So, I went to another house. Humm, that must be the kitchen. I recall that humans store food there. If I could just grab a snack…

AHHHHHHHHHHH!, I heard another human shouting. 

– There is a racoon outside my bedroom! 

Yes! You found me! – I thought. I really like this game! My, I am having a lot of fun with these humans! And there comes another one. Let’s run and see if these ones like to play hide and seek…

Yes, they do! Hahahaha! They are trying to catch me! FUUUUUUNNNNNN! Let me try to hide in this other room. OOOOOOPS, wrong room. It looks like a bath … shit! They closed the entry. It doesn’t look that I can make a tunnel out of this one. It has hard and slippery floors. 

Pff, I got caught.

Game over. Insert coin. 

The game starts again. They take me back to the home in the forest. (They do not seem to be happy. But why? I thought that this game was a lot of fun). So much, that I am going to do it again. This time, I am not going to wait. I will get out and follow the human at a distance. And give him a surprise when he gets up in the morning. 

Taraaaaa! I said when he opened the door the next morning! I am here! I know this game! So, what is next? 

The human understood that I commanded the game. So, they upgraded the level. They called some other humans. They put me again in the travelling cage and took me somewhere called National Park. I heard them saying that there were no human dens there, so it would be more difficult for me to find them. 

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They took me to the National Park. They walked some meters with me inside the forest, but since I was a bit heavy, they got tired and opened the cage. They waited for me. I came out and I sat down. What is the point of playing hide and seek if nobody moves, right? They are not very smart, these humans.

After a while, they got bored and left. Ah, I thought – the game starts again. So, I waited a bit until they had hidden and then went looking for them. 

Bingo! 

I love these humans. Not very smart but fun. Constantly thinking about how to keep me entertained. I cannot wait until the next level of this hide & seek game. I am getting pretty good at it! I can’t wait to find out what is next after a national park!! Exciting!