Arai Guma

A family of raccoons is forced from the countryside and migrates to the city. They find difficulty making ends meet because of the redesigned green bins which pose an existential crisis for the established urban population. The parents of the offspring cannot reconcile their differences, and the father leaves the family. Later, the first-born son realizes his father has been recruited by the leader of a well-organized, secret society of male raccoons. Both father and son are enthralled with the ritual and quest to open the green bins. Not wanting to be left behind, the precocious daughter decides to use her instincts, intelligence and tenacity to beat the males at their own game; a most dangerous game since the charismatic and powerful leader writes the rules. Arai Guma is a Young Adult short story in which empathy, loyalty and resiliency are the keys to survival in a hungry world descended into tribal warfare. With a dash of political satire, this dark comedy features the raccoons’ journey to outwit the enemy and make peace with their environment.