The 3rd Consecutive Trash Bash

"Jackpot!" exclaimed Rings, popping up from the trash heap with a metal food can in his hands. The raccoon eagerly peered inside, sniffing loudly.

"What'd you get?" asked Walnut the squirrel, clinging on top of the metal fence surrounding the heap, his bushy tail flicking in excitement.

"Uh... That's a good question," Rings stated before shoveling a questionable goop from the can into his mouth. "I think it's re-fried beans."

"That's... reassuring?" Walnut responded, hopping off the fence to race over to something he thought more to his liking.

"'ow 'bout you? 'hat'd you 'ind?" Rings asked around his newer, bigger mouthful of suspected re-fried beans.

"Someone threw out some peanuts!" Walnut announced happily. A loud, persistent crinkling make itself known in his corner of the trash pile. "Dammit! I can't open the package!"

"'hew on it!" Rings offered.

"What?" the squirrel shouted back. Rings swallowed his goop. Or at least what didn't stick to the roof of his mouth.

"I said, "Chew on it!". 'bout the only way to get into those noisy things," the raccoon chided as he used his claws to dig out some of the mush stuck in his mouth.

"Ugh! So close, and yet, so far!" lamented Walnut.

"Hey guys!" Squawk the seagull greeted the two mammals as he landed on a discarded recliner. He very quickly found some old french fries that he immediately tucked into.

"Hey Squawk! Anyone else on the way?" inquired Rings.

"Spotted Gummybear and Bob are nearly here."

"Bob the Bobcat?" Walnut inquired.

"The one and the same!" nodded Squawk.

"Damn. Feel like I haven't seen him in a long, long time."

"What a minute..." Rings started, "how is Gummybear gonna get in here?"

At that moment, there came a loud crashing of metal fence from the opposite side of the trash heap. With it, a startled growl.

"Gummybear, that you?" called Rings.

"Yeah! Hey, Rings!"

"Hey! You okay?" the raccoon asked.

"Yeah. I tried climbing the fence, but it wasn't up to the task of holding me..."

"Humans make few things that are truly bear-proof, Gums. Come on over and find yourself some grub! You must be starving after hibernation!"

"Oh, you have no idea! Anyone find any fish?"

"There's some over there, but it looks far from fresh," Squawk stated, nodding to an old fridge whose door had fallen open to expose the rotting contents. One look and sniff by Gummybear told him he'd regret eating them.

"Oh, hard pass. Think that's too far gone even for me!" the black bear grumbled as he began rooting through whatever else the trash pile had to offer. Eventually he pulled out a ham, and after removing the plastic surrounding it, he consumed it in minutes.

Within a few hours, the trash heap was alive with all kinds of hungry opportunists. It was some of the best feeding around as winter came to a close, when everything awaited the new greenery of spring. With it came a new influx of trash, and as it was, they were all celebrating in the trash heap for the third consecutive year!

As the morning hours threatened to move in, Gummybear held up a paw to silence those on the trash heap. Towering over the rest, he easily drew everyone's attention.

"I just wanna say, it's been great hanging out with you all here at the trash heap the last few years. It's been rough since I got kicked out of my last territory, and the nights here together have been... they've been real nice. Thank you for inviting us all in and sharing the spoils with us, Rings!"

"N-no prob-problem, bud..." Rings choked out. For a minute, his friends thought Gummybear's words had been too sweet for the raccoon. Quickly, though, they realized that wasn't the case.

"Rings? You okay?" Squawk asked, concerned. The raccoon waved him off.

"Just... whew. I don't think those re-fried beans are sitting well with me. Maybe I ate too much."

"Are you sure they were even still good?" asked Walnut. Rings made a so-so motion.

"Here! Drink some of this! I think it's what humans call "beer"!" Squawk offered, bringing his companion a cup half-filled with a pale yellow liquid. After a careful sniff, Rings drank some of the beverage.

"Whoa... Heh. I feel weird. But a good weird?" Rings said after a few minutes.

"Drink some more then!" urged his friends. Before long, Rings was no longer feeling the discomfort of his questionable meal. He was feeling a lot of things, but ill was not one of them.

As daybreak approached, the animals decided they would stay the day in the trash heap, sleeping among the garbage. They'd eat well again that night. Or so was the plan.

Gummybear, Walnut, and a fox named Floof all curled up with Rings inside of a large, metal pipe. One end was sealed, and it was at this far end of the pipe that the animals laid down to rest.

It was no sooner than everyone had gotten cozy and drifted off that a terrible occurrence took place. Rings had, indeed, eaten a rather large can of re-fried beans. And it was just as he lay down, body finally relaxed after an active night partying in the trash pile and drinking stale beer, that a horribly loud trumpeting sound and a torrent of noxious fumes woke the group. Startled first by the sudden noise and then assaulted by the smell, the animals all ran for the exit at the other end of the pipe.

As they sat gasping for air outside the pipe, an exasperated Floof turned to Rings.

"What the hell did you eat?!" the fox asked, bewildered. All eyes were accusatory - and turned on the raccoon. Sheepishly, Rings gave a shrug.

"Sorry, fellas. I guess those re-fried beans really didn't agree with me."

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