When they got home, he found that the calendar had the same date on it when he left for the woods. The refrigerator, which had been broken before, he began to use instead of a shelf for books.
He wanted to tell them everything he had seen and gone through, but no one believed him.
But it became difficult for him to communicate with people, people shunned him, avoided him, old friends thought that he was crazy. So Richard decided to go back to the forest where he had passed through the portal before, but he couldn't do it. The forest has completely changed, or rather, it has burned out, and only the firebrands of this place remain. He started walking in different directions in hopes of getting into the portal, but each time he felt that it was getting harder and harder for him to walk.
The sun was already sinking below the horizon, and before nightfall, Richard decided to head back home before he got completely lost. It was getting harder for him to walk. When he reached his house, he greeted the neighbors, but no one greeted him in return.
When he got home, he decided to take a warm bath and shave. A very old man was looking at him in the mirror.
All the people suddenly didn't understand each other. It is clear that at first this caused confusion and fright, but soon turned into real chaos. People have isolated themselves, avoiding all communication, hoping that this is a passing crisis. However, the hours turned into days and the days into weeks, but the situation did not change.
At the same time, animals – dogs, cats, birds – began to communicate with each other without any difficulty. It turned out that they had long understood each other, but simply did not have the opportunity to say it out loud. Understanding and co-ordination enabled them to actively discuss current events and even plan their actions. The animals gathered to listen to each other, understand the reasons for the strange state of people and decide what to do about it.
Thus began the real era of animal diplomacy. The animals held peaceful conferences, argued, and developed strategies and action plans. They managed to find a common language and cooperate with each other, despite the diversity of species.
The longer the animals gathered and discussed their plans, the more it became clear that they were decidedly anti-human. Their anger and indignation increased with each new day of indifference and misunderstanding on the part of people.
Finally, the animals decided to start a war against humans.
The war began unexpectedly and mercilessly. Animals used their instincts, speed, and strength to fight humans. They knew how to complete their mission, and they were determined to reach their goal.
People, in turn, lived in fear and fragmentation. They had no understanding of why the animals went to war, only misunderstanding and fear. They tried to organize a defense, but they did not have unity and coordination of actions. There was only panic and confusion.
The war continued for several years, and with the destruction of the city and the worldwide panic, almost nothing was freed from the influence of animals. People realized their helplessness before the animal world. They finally realized that the impact of the animals was so strong that they can no longer control what is happening.
