A cool breeze passed over Snowball's fluffy black coat. Though it did an alright job at keeping him warm, he wasn't as young as he used to be. The bald spot on his lower back didn't help matters. With a yawn he stretched and jumped upon the couch. It had that heavy quilt he wasn't supposed to shed all over. "What's the harm? I'm cold, no one's using it." he thought, pushing his face beneath the welcoming cover. Aside from the lump and his tail sticking out, there was no sign of a cat.
As he was about to go back to sleep, his ears perked up at a noise. There was something in the pantry. "That's where my food is!" he thought, vocalizing it with a quiet meow. He would have none of it. Snowball leaped out from under the covers to investigate. "No!" he would have gasped, if he were capable of human speech. He saw the mouse stuffing the fish shaped piece of cat food in his mouth, and those were the best ones. He knew that someone had been stealing them, but he'd never had proof. Perhaps the corpse of the tiny burglar would convince his human to set out some traps.
"This is a really good neighborhood. If the pantry isn't safe here, then pantries everywhere are in trouble." Snowball hissed. He leaped up on the shelf and made eye contact. The mouse was bold, showing no fear. "You fool." Snowball grinned as he shook his butt in anticipation. As he swatted his paw at the intruder, the mouse threw a piece of cat food in his eye. Not the good pieces, but the x-shaped ones that taste like old cheese. "Mreow!" Snowball reared up on his hind legs. The mouse was quick to take advantage, sliding down the mop handle like a fireman's pole.
Snowball regained his composure and entered pursuit. The mouse squeaked as he entered the bottom drawer, emerging from behind the counter and onto the top. Snowball jumped up, knocking over the coffee pot in his excitement. The chase then moved to the dish counter, where plates, bowls, and cups were drying. Several crashes rang out as glass shattered against the kitchen floor. Snowball looked down. The mouse's tail was caught beneath his paw. Snowball's heart raced, nearly matching the frightened rodent's. "Say.. cat.. don't you think you're going a little overboard?" the mouse spoke up. Snowball hissed, confused. Only his human had used that language. "Can't we talk about this?" the mouse seemed to plead as he looked over the cat's collar. "Snowball?"
The cat was puzzled. How did it know his name? "Look over there, a rat!" The mouse pointed. Snowball turned his head out of curiosity. Before he even knew what happened, a clang of metal filled the entire house, maybe even the neighborhood. The mouse stood on the counter, gripping a cast iron skillet. It had been clean before getting an extra rinse of a sticky red goo. "You dumbass." the mouse squeaked victoriously, before leaving a small, black pellet of evidence next to the trail of footprints in the spilled flour. The most damning evidence was the floury, mousey handprint on the skillet's handle. Snowball didn't even know what hit him, not so much as a twitch as he lay on the floor. His nine lives, as well as his spotless record of eliminating intruders were over in an instant. To add insult to injury, the mouse opened the refrigerator and helped himself to the last soda before retreating to his lair inside the walls.
The cool breeze again passed through the house, implausibly turning the newspaper page to one containing an article about a pet adoption rally.
@CyanideSweetie
As he was about to go back to sleep, his ears perked up at a noise. There was something in the pantry. "That's where my food is!" he thought, vocalizing it with a quiet meow. He would have none of it. Snowball leaped out from under the covers to investigate. "No!" he would have gasped, if he were capable of human speech. He saw the mouse stuffing the fish shaped piece of cat food in his mouth, and those were the best ones. He knew that someone had been stealing them, but he'd never had proof. Perhaps the corpse of the tiny burglar would convince his human to set out some traps.
"This is a really good neighborhood. If the pantry isn't safe here, then pantries everywhere are in trouble." Snowball hissed. He leaped up on the shelf and made eye contact. The mouse was bold, showing no fear. "You fool." Snowball grinned as he shook his butt in anticipation. As he swatted his paw at the intruder, the mouse threw a piece of cat food in his eye. Not the good pieces, but the x-shaped ones that taste like old cheese. "Mreow!" Snowball reared up on his hind legs. The mouse was quick to take advantage, sliding down the mop handle like a fireman's pole.
Snowball regained his composure and entered pursuit. The mouse squeaked as he entered the bottom drawer, emerging from behind the counter and onto the top. Snowball jumped up, knocking over the coffee pot in his excitement. The chase then moved to the dish counter, where plates, bowls, and cups were drying. Several crashes rang out as glass shattered against the kitchen floor. Snowball looked down. The mouse's tail was caught beneath his paw. Snowball's heart raced, nearly matching the frightened rodent's. "Say.. cat.. don't you think you're going a little overboard?" the mouse spoke up. Snowball hissed, confused. Only his human had used that language. "Can't we talk about this?" the mouse seemed to plead as he looked over the cat's collar. "Snowball?"
The cat was puzzled. How did it know his name? "Look over there, a rat!" The mouse pointed. Snowball turned his head out of curiosity. Before he even knew what happened, a clang of metal filled the entire house, maybe even the neighborhood. The mouse stood on the counter, gripping a cast iron skillet. It had been clean before getting an extra rinse of a sticky red goo. "You dumbass." the mouse squeaked victoriously, before leaving a small, black pellet of evidence next to the trail of footprints in the spilled flour. The most damning evidence was the floury, mousey handprint on the skillet's handle. Snowball didn't even know what hit him, not so much as a twitch as he lay on the floor. His nine lives, as well as his spotless record of eliminating intruders were over in an instant. To add insult to injury, the mouse opened the refrigerator and helped himself to the last soda before retreating to his lair inside the walls.
The cool breeze again passed through the house, implausibly turning the newspaper page to one containing an article about a pet adoption rally.
@CyanideSweetie