Rats
Thomas was a rat with ginger fur, a long pink tail, pink nose and paws. Long reddish whiskers protruded from his nose that were the same colour as his father's, who he now could barely remember. He was the eldest of a family of eight and had three younger brothers and three younger sisters. His father had gone missing when he was much smaller and had left his mother Matilda to care for him and his siblings. That afternoon he waited for his mother to return home to their nest.
Thomas waited, and waited, and waited some more. His mother had gone out foraging yesterday yet there was still no sign of her. His stomach rumbled a little.
'I'm hungry,' complained Harry, the youngest.
'I'm thirsty,' squeaked Dianne, joining Harry in her complaint.
'When is mother coming home?' asked Maxine.
'I don't know,' said Thomas, 'But we should be patient and wait until the night. Mother says that sometimes it is difficult to return in broad daylight.'
That night Thomas poked his head out from the nest located in the compost heap at the bottom of the garden. The sky was clear of clouds and the stars shone like millions of eyes, peering down from the cosmos. The waxing moon glowed like a giant wheel of brie in the sky. The world was very big. Thomas sniffed the air carefully. Rotting vegetables, however, was all his sensitive nose could detect. He suddenly wished that he knew what cat or owl smelt like. But decided that it was probably best that he did not, else he might be too scared to leave the nest. He peered skyward and checked for owls, just like his mother had taught him to do. Then he scanned the nearby trees for any signs of life. The backyard, however, was still.
Scampering out of the nest Thomas clambered over the compost heap looking for something to feed his brothers and sisters. Eventually he came across several stale ginger biscuits. One had a bite taken out of it, but the other two were whole. He snapped up one biscuit in his mouth and carried it quickly back to the nest, where it was devoured by his ravenous siblings.
After receiving none of the biscuit himself, Thomas decided to chance another expedition to the top of the compost heap. Again he poked his head out of the tunnel which lead to the nest and sniffed the air. All clear. He then dashed towards the two remaining ginger biscuits. As he picked a biscuit up and turned to return home. He noticed a large shadow appear over him. It was moving. Thomas began to run as fast as his paws could carry him.
A horrible shriek blasted through the air behind him. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered. It terrified him and he almost stopped dead in his tracks. But luckily he could not. Instead his momentum carried him sliding back into the hole in the compost heap just as an owl's talons crushed the air behind him. He panted and trembled in the tunnel and collected himself before he returned to the main chamber of the nest. Thomas did not want to alarm his brothers and sisters. Returning to the straw nest he broke up the second ginger biscuit, but this time took a sizable portion for himself.
'Are you okay?' asked Maxine.
'I'm fine,' said Thomas.
'Are you sure?' questioned Maxine.
'My shadow just gave me a bit of a fright is all,' said Thomas. He was not a particularly good liar.
Later that night the seven rats curled up in a big ball and fell soundly asleep until mid-afternoon the next day. When they awoke, there was still no sign of their mother Matilda.
***
To be continued.
(c) Edward Yates 2008
Thomas waited, and waited, and waited some more. His mother had gone out foraging yesterday yet there was still no sign of her. His stomach rumbled a little.
'I'm hungry,' complained Harry, the youngest.
'I'm thirsty,' squeaked Dianne, joining Harry in her complaint.
'When is mother coming home?' asked Maxine.
'I don't know,' said Thomas, 'But we should be patient and wait until the night. Mother says that sometimes it is difficult to return in broad daylight.'
That night Thomas poked his head out from the nest located in the compost heap at the bottom of the garden. The sky was clear of clouds and the stars shone like millions of eyes, peering down from the cosmos. The waxing moon glowed like a giant wheel of brie in the sky. The world was very big. Thomas sniffed the air carefully. Rotting vegetables, however, was all his sensitive nose could detect. He suddenly wished that he knew what cat or owl smelt like. But decided that it was probably best that he did not, else he might be too scared to leave the nest. He peered skyward and checked for owls, just like his mother had taught him to do. Then he scanned the nearby trees for any signs of life. The backyard, however, was still.
Scampering out of the nest Thomas clambered over the compost heap looking for something to feed his brothers and sisters. Eventually he came across several stale ginger biscuits. One had a bite taken out of it, but the other two were whole. He snapped up one biscuit in his mouth and carried it quickly back to the nest, where it was devoured by his ravenous siblings.
After receiving none of the biscuit himself, Thomas decided to chance another expedition to the top of the compost heap. Again he poked his head out of the tunnel which lead to the nest and sniffed the air. All clear. He then dashed towards the two remaining ginger biscuits. As he picked a biscuit up and turned to return home. He noticed a large shadow appear over him. It was moving. Thomas began to run as fast as his paws could carry him.
A horrible shriek blasted through the air behind him. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered. It terrified him and he almost stopped dead in his tracks. But luckily he could not. Instead his momentum carried him sliding back into the hole in the compost heap just as an owl's talons crushed the air behind him. He panted and trembled in the tunnel and collected himself before he returned to the main chamber of the nest. Thomas did not want to alarm his brothers and sisters. Returning to the straw nest he broke up the second ginger biscuit, but this time took a sizable portion for himself.
'Are you okay?' asked Maxine.
'I'm fine,' said Thomas.
'Are you sure?' questioned Maxine.
'My shadow just gave me a bit of a fright is all,' said Thomas. He was not a particularly good liar.
Later that night the seven rats curled up in a big ball and fell soundly asleep until mid-afternoon the next day. When they awoke, there was still no sign of their mother Matilda.
***
To be continued.
(c) Edward Yates 2008
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