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Petal was killed tonight.

Petal, the baby skunk, was hit by a car inside my apartment complex (on the route from the mailboxes to the front garage) and was killed... flattened.

When I came home from work last night, I decided to go get my mail. I walked from my garage in the back of the complex towards the front of the complex where the mailboxes are. As I approached, I smelled the distinctive smell of skunk spray. Then, I heard a girl yell just before she walked around the corner into the walkway I was using. She announced, "Squished skunk up ahead. Watch out."

I thought - NO. Don't be Petal. Don't be Petal.

Petal has a very bad habit of coming out to root around very early in the night - around 6:00pm. The big skunks, Flower and Pepe, tend to stay in hiding until very late in the night - around 11:00pm - when there is very little activity in the apartment complex.

I thought - Don't be Petal. Don't be Petal.

Flower stood over Petal's body, but scampered quickly to the nearby bushes when she saw me approaching. Pepe was watching from not more than ten feet away.

As soon as I passed by, Flower returned to Petal in the short driveway.

Sad night.

Horrible skunk smell.

And sad night.

I'd rather grown to like Petal and his out-of-control tail-lifting.

He will be missed.