The Fate of One Unlucky Rodent

Caution: This is a morbid story. I still get the Heebie Geebies thinking about it. The other day my friends Traci and Kim were over with their kids. All the kids were playing outside in our backyard, and we were sitting on a blanket talking. Suddenly Makee comes running up to me with a dead furry animal that I thought was a rat. It was honestly huge in his tiny little hands. I started screaming and freaking out. I kind of whacked Mak's hand so the body would fall out. I rushed him inside to wash his hands multiple times, and Traci and Kim came in right behind me. I guess they were a little grossed out. We left the body outside and quarantined ourselves inside the rest of the day. I gave Makee a good, long bath. When Dan got home, he went outside to "take care of it." Upon inspection, I heard him say, "Lyns, this is not a rat. It's a GERBIL!" WHAT?!!! I felt kind of bad after that. Some cute little gerbil that was probably a little 7 year old's pet, or possibly a classroom pet that escaped from the school never to return. How he ended up in our yard I will never know. All I know is Mak won't let it go. He talks about the "Gewbo" every day. He says "I play gerbil, Mommy." And then I remind him that the gerbil is sleeping and that he had to go to his own house. So now he says, "Gerbil at his own house Mommy?" Yes Makee. And thankfully, we will not see him again in this life.