Maggie
Chapter 1
Fresh Strawberries
I looked down the aisle, searching frantically for my mouse accomplice. I needed to send the message of accessible food somehow, so I grabbed an icing tube from the nearby shelf labeled “party supplies” and climbed to the top of the shelf. When I was finished, I climbed down to admire my handiwork. There, on the wooden aisle sign, was written in pink icing, Fresh Strawberries. Grandpapa told us about the food and the quantity of it, but he never mentioned the size. The store was extremely gargantuan, so much that two little mice like myself and my sister Minnie could and did get lost with alarming ease, seeing as we almost never lose sight of each other and definitely not sound. Looking back at the two words I had written, I hoped they would act as a beacon to guide my dear sister back to me.
Pink Sugar Paste with two of my favorite words
As I was getting ready to change positions and dart through the empty aisle underneath the next set of shelves, I heard a faint squelching noise. I took the risk of peeking out from my hiding place to see what was happening. The squelching noise ceased, and I heard a sound like scrabbling feet. “It must be Maggie!” I thought. I looked up, but only to see a tube of pink sugar paste resting atop a flat piece of wood with pink sugar paste on it saying two words. Fresh Strawberries. I wondered why a human thing would use those words if they could use a stensil thingy. I was becoming very suspicious. There had to be a scent of who used that tube, so I sniffed it, breathing in the smell of sugar and...mouse? Maggie! There were more and more signs of her. I didn’t want to stay separated for long. Thinking about the size of this human food hoard, I started to think about how I might never find her. We might die before we could see each other again.
I started to cry, then what ‘dya know, Maggie of all mice appeared on the shelves I had emerged from only shortly before. She was breathing hard, looking ready to faint from the stress she had just underwent. I let out a short series of squeaks to let her know I was there, and waited for her to climb down and dart over to me.
“I found strawberries,” she gasped. “Did you see my message?”
“Yes, I did. And you almost killed me with worry. How do you think one of those humans would have reacted if they saw a dead mouse who couldn’t hide?”
“They’d probably get an exterminator in here and then we’d never have a chance of getting food or staying alive.” Maggie hesitated. “Sorry,” she said.
“Are the strawberries on bags?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.
“No, boxes, but we should be able to get them open.”
“Cardboard?”
“No, plastic.”
We sighed. The humans have made almost everything mouse-proof. Plastic, horrible stuff. As we ran to go get the strawberries, we passed the bakery. I stopped short. Cardboard boxes filled with sweets, paper bags with glazed donuts and hot bread. This is what we wanted. This is what we could open. This is what we could eat.
Chapter 3 Maggie
The Monster
Chapter 1
Fresh Strawberries
I looked down the aisle, searching frantically for my mouse accomplice. I needed to send the message of accessible food somehow, so I grabbed an icing tube from the nearby shelf labeled “party supplies” and climbed to the top of the shelf. When I was finished, I climbed down to admire my handiwork. There, on the wooden aisle sign, was written in pink icing, Fresh Strawberries. Grandpapa told us about the food and the quantity of it, but he never mentioned the size. The store was extremely gargantuan, so much that two little mice like myself and my sister Minnie could and did get lost with alarming ease, seeing as we almost never lose sight of each other and definitely not sound. Looking back at the two words I had written, I hoped they would act as a beacon to guide my dear sister back to me.
Minnie
Chapter 2Pink Sugar Paste with two of my favorite words
As I was getting ready to change positions and dart through the empty aisle underneath the next set of shelves, I heard a faint squelching noise. I took the risk of peeking out from my hiding place to see what was happening. The squelching noise ceased, and I heard a sound like scrabbling feet. “It must be Maggie!” I thought. I looked up, but only to see a tube of pink sugar paste resting atop a flat piece of wood with pink sugar paste on it saying two words. Fresh Strawberries. I wondered why a human thing would use those words if they could use a stensil thingy. I was becoming very suspicious. There had to be a scent of who used that tube, so I sniffed it, breathing in the smell of sugar and...mouse? Maggie! There were more and more signs of her. I didn’t want to stay separated for long. Thinking about the size of this human food hoard, I started to think about how I might never find her. We might die before we could see each other again.
I started to cry, then what ‘dya know, Maggie of all mice appeared on the shelves I had emerged from only shortly before. She was breathing hard, looking ready to faint from the stress she had just underwent. I let out a short series of squeaks to let her know I was there, and waited for her to climb down and dart over to me.
“I found strawberries,” she gasped. “Did you see my message?”
“Yes, I did. And you almost killed me with worry. How do you think one of those humans would have reacted if they saw a dead mouse who couldn’t hide?”
“They’d probably get an exterminator in here and then we’d never have a chance of getting food or staying alive.” Maggie hesitated. “Sorry,” she said.
“Are the strawberries on bags?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.
“No, boxes, but we should be able to get them open.”
“Cardboard?”
“No, plastic.”
We sighed. The humans have made almost everything mouse-proof. Plastic, horrible stuff. As we ran to go get the strawberries, we passed the bakery. I stopped short. Cardboard boxes filled with sweets, paper bags with glazed donuts and hot bread. This is what we wanted. This is what we could open. This is what we could eat.
Chapter 3 Maggie
The Monster
I stopped short in my tracks. The aroma was hypnotizing. There were cakes just lying out, cookies and breads on open platters, cardboard boxes with sugary treats. I saw Minnie trying to grab something. The store would be opening soon and humans would be swarming the place. Grandpapa had told us how wonderful it was here, but he had left out everything on plastic, poison, and humans. We had to get back to the Nook and bring some food back. Mama and the rest of the family were probably waiting for us. I could just visualize them crowding at the entrance of the pipe leading down to our cozy, warm, safe home with wide, searching eyes and empty stomachs. The thought made my heart sag and tears spring to my eyes. Stop, I told myself, Don’t think like that. I was supposed to be the brave, adventurous one. I would not let myself show worry or fear. We had to finish the mission and make sure our family didn’t starve. “Come on, Minnie,” I said with authority. “Let’s grab as much as we can and get it back to the Nook.” We scrabbled along the floor to the open platters filling our cheeks with the goodies they bestowed, then squeezed out of the little window above the door and into the early morning, lucky to get away with our lives. We raced through the empty parking lot and across the lazy street, darting in and out of huge wheels. Running as fast as our little legs could take us, we traveled through the big city to the slow, comfortable field beyond it. By the time we got home to our cozy little Nook, it was already well into the evening. We spat out our load onto the front pipe I had envisioned earlier and called into our little home. No one answered. We crawled into the main living area. I gasped. Minnie stifled a scream. There, coiled up in our living room was a great slumbering rat snake.
Chapter 4 Minnie
Scared
I was about to scream, but Maggie clapped her paw over my mouth. I stopped breathing then I cried. I just sat there and let the tears cascade down my cheeks. “shh,” Maggie cautiously told me. I had a right to cry. My family had been eaten! I let out a wail and the snakes clear eyelids snapped open, it’s cold, dead eyes fixed on my excited, frightened ones. It probably had such dead eyes to show it’s prey what theirs would look like when it was done with them. Maggie stared it down, daring it to come closer. It laughed, a hissing, deadly sound.
“You are not bad little one. But do not fear. You will not be my lunch,” the snake’s voice seemed wise and comforting, yet cruel and deadly as well.
“What about our family!?” I started to yell. “What did you do with them!?”
The snake hissed, laughing again. “I have made a promisse to myssself that I would eat only ratss. I am called a RAT sssnake am I not?”
“Where are they!” I screamed. Maggie put her paw on my shoulder and another on my mouth.
“Please Mr......,”she said.
“Sssilver, jusst Sssilver, pleassse.”
“All right, Silver. Do you know where the residents who live here are at the moment?”
“Your family, yess I believe they are out looking at the sunsset by the big pond.” He cleared his throat. “I can take you if you like. Would that please you?” The deadly hiss was gone from his voice. I nodded vigorously.
“No,” Maggie said sharply. “We’ll walk. Minnie, have you ever heard the story of the alligator and the cookie man? The cookie man would disintegrate in the water, so the alligator offered to give him a ride, but halfway across, the alligator threw him into the air and gobbled him down.” I shrunk away from Silver.
“Then let me come with you. Mice make me sick to the stomach. See, watch,” he lashed out and gulped me down. I heard Maggie scream. I had the sinking feeling that I would never see her again, that I would never again witness the light of day.
Scared
I was about to scream, but Maggie clapped her paw over my mouth. I stopped breathing then I cried. I just sat there and let the tears cascade down my cheeks. “shh,” Maggie cautiously told me. I had a right to cry. My family had been eaten! I let out a wail and the snakes clear eyelids snapped open, it’s cold, dead eyes fixed on my excited, frightened ones. It probably had such dead eyes to show it’s prey what theirs would look like when it was done with them. Maggie stared it down, daring it to come closer. It laughed, a hissing, deadly sound.
“You are not bad little one. But do not fear. You will not be my lunch,” the snake’s voice seemed wise and comforting, yet cruel and deadly as well.
“What about our family!?” I started to yell. “What did you do with them!?”
The snake hissed, laughing again. “I have made a promisse to myssself that I would eat only ratss. I am called a RAT sssnake am I not?”
“Where are they!” I screamed. Maggie put her paw on my shoulder and another on my mouth.
“Please Mr......,”she said.
“Sssilver, jusst Sssilver, pleassse.”
“All right, Silver. Do you know where the residents who live here are at the moment?”
“Your family, yess I believe they are out looking at the sunsset by the big pond.” He cleared his throat. “I can take you if you like. Would that please you?” The deadly hiss was gone from his voice. I nodded vigorously.
“No,” Maggie said sharply. “We’ll walk. Minnie, have you ever heard the story of the alligator and the cookie man? The cookie man would disintegrate in the water, so the alligator offered to give him a ride, but halfway across, the alligator threw him into the air and gobbled him down.” I shrunk away from Silver.
“Then let me come with you. Mice make me sick to the stomach. See, watch,” he lashed out and gulped me down. I heard Maggie scream. I had the sinking feeling that I would never see her again, that I would never again witness the light of day.
Chapter 5 Maggie
Alive!
Minnie went down with a shocking silence of disbelief. I screamed again and again, finally running at Silver. I never got to give him the beating he deserved, because his face twisted up, his jaws moving forward, his cheeks puffing out. I stared, subconsciously afraid that Maggie was just his appetizer and I would make his full meal, but he just gagged and spit something furry and round out of his fanged jaws. I ran to it, “Is this all that’s left of her?” I asked, tears springing to my eyes.
“No, you have the wrong idea,” Silver chuckled, a tinge of struggle in his voice. “I didn't keep any of her! She’s all there! Alive!” I couldn’t believe him. Alive!? She had just been eaten! I relayed this to him, my voice pitching higher than normal. My tears were released, a flood cascading down my overlarge mouse cheeks. Suddenly a sound emitted from the little furry ball, a moan, a soft cry. If it weren’t for the state she was in I would have been worried, but now it was a precious sign that she was alive. Silver sighed with relief. Minnie rolled over and looked up into my eyes. She said “That- was- gross.” I screamed with delight, overjoyed to have my dear sister back.
I whirled on Silver. “You scared me so much I could strangle you! I’d give you a nice, slow, painful death.” Minnie held me back.
“He let me go, Maggie! Leave him alone! He let me go!”she said.
“I had to do that. did you not see my face after I swallowed her?! I did all that to show you that mice make me sick to the stomach! I wouldn’t eat you or your family! just trust me,” Silver sounded less insistent and more pleading now. “Please. I’ll take you to your family now if you’ll let me.”
Minnie let go of me and walked over to pick up the food we had brought. She looked back at me and nodded. I followed her out the door carefully watching Silver as he trailed along behind us, and we set off, all three of us to find our family.
Alive!
Minnie went down with a shocking silence of disbelief. I screamed again and again, finally running at Silver. I never got to give him the beating he deserved, because his face twisted up, his jaws moving forward, his cheeks puffing out. I stared, subconsciously afraid that Maggie was just his appetizer and I would make his full meal, but he just gagged and spit something furry and round out of his fanged jaws. I ran to it, “Is this all that’s left of her?” I asked, tears springing to my eyes.
“No, you have the wrong idea,” Silver chuckled, a tinge of struggle in his voice. “I didn't keep any of her! She’s all there! Alive!” I couldn’t believe him. Alive!? She had just been eaten! I relayed this to him, my voice pitching higher than normal. My tears were released, a flood cascading down my overlarge mouse cheeks. Suddenly a sound emitted from the little furry ball, a moan, a soft cry. If it weren’t for the state she was in I would have been worried, but now it was a precious sign that she was alive. Silver sighed with relief. Minnie rolled over and looked up into my eyes. She said “That- was- gross.” I screamed with delight, overjoyed to have my dear sister back.
I whirled on Silver. “You scared me so much I could strangle you! I’d give you a nice, slow, painful death.” Minnie held me back.
“He let me go, Maggie! Leave him alone! He let me go!”she said.
“I had to do that. did you not see my face after I swallowed her?! I did all that to show you that mice make me sick to the stomach! I wouldn’t eat you or your family! just trust me,” Silver sounded less insistent and more pleading now. “Please. I’ll take you to your family now if you’ll let me.”
Minnie let go of me and walked over to pick up the food we had brought. She looked back at me and nodded. I followed her out the door carefully watching Silver as he trailed along behind us, and we set off, all three of us to find our family.
