It was early in the morning, the sun just beginning to peak above the horizon and paint the sky a pleasant golden colour. The world was crisp now, most of the leaves had fallen but a few red and orange leaves still clung onto their branches, crinkling in the wind. The first snow had fallen and then melted away and nothing had yet to stick but every day the chilly air seemed to threaten more.

Khalon had been chomping on a pumpkin - a rare treat that anyone sleeping near him later would pay for, talk about gassy - it was a new delight for him. A few of them had popped up in the Backwater over the summer and had grown ripe in the last few weeks and the cub could not help himself. At first the texture had been a bit weird for him, but now it had become a delicious delight whenever he found one ready to chew on.

The child had become so involved in consuming that he had basically climbed into the pumpkin as much as he could. Front paws were propped on the rim of the hole he had chewed and his whole head was plunged inside. Having now snacked on almost all of the seeds and guts, Khalon was full and happy. Ready to stand up and stretch, and probably find a nice place to curl up and sleep he was not worried when the pumpkin felt a little snug.

Then he pushed with his paws a couple of times and the fruit did not budge. He pushed harder, nothing. Oh crap - he was stuck.