Mim The mouse

The densely knitted grass swayed in the summer breeze, while crickets chirped from on top of the sleeping poppies. The stones cast shadows across the sod, which melded with the shadows of leaves and twigs. The quiet pitter-patter of tiptoes filled the stillness of the evening, and Mim the mouse stood at the entrance of her den, sniffing the air, scenting for predators.

Her whiskers twinged as she breathed deeply, raising her face to the canopy of fresh foliage. The air was clear, and not a fox, snake, nor cat was near, but she felt anxious as she stared out into the field.

She had only recently become a mother of six, and would have to venture out to find food to nourish herself, or her milk would run dry and she would risk starving her children.

She had gone scavenging for food hundreds of times. She new all of the best pathways, and all the best hiding spots, but now it was different. There were six tiny, precious lives that depended on her, and she couldn’t help but worry about what would happen if she was to be caught.

“Maybe I should wait two more days.” She thought, as she eased onto her hind legs, pawing her right ear. “That could work.” But then her stomach growled, and she tried to remember the last time she had eaten anything. She then counted out the number of days in her head, and was surprised when she realized that it had already been thirteen.

“That can’t be right…...can it?” She looked behind herself, doing an odd sideways backbend, looking at her sleeping pups. their fluff was barley visible, but they defiantly had grown larger during the short amount of time. Mim felt a flutter in her heart, as she stared at their sweet faces. She was worried about leaving them alone, and wish she could stay. But if she wanted to keep watching her younglings grow plumper, she would need to scavenge tonight.

She twisted her body back around, and planted her paws back down on the smooth dirt of the den. She poked her head out of the entrance, sniffing one last time. The scent was still clear. It was time to leave.

Quietly, she darted from the hole that sat nuzzled against the roots of the old oak tree, and sprang from one hiding nook to the other, until she found the path that she knew was the safest. She pricked up her ears, listening for any signs of movement, carefully examining her surroundings as she skittered along the loamy soil.

She ran and ran, hopping over twigs that lay between her and the trail, and huffed loudly. She could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest as she scurried through the under growth.

“Was scavenging always this tiring?” She panted, fearing that her time tucked away in her warm nest had lowered her performance. She felt weaker then expected, and soon after setting out, she needed to rest.

She ran to the side of the path, pausing underneath the cap of an amanita mushroom, catching her breath. Her tongue hung from her mouth as she panted quickly, cooling her body temperature and slowing the thumping in her chest.

She sat on her haunches, peeking out from under the fungi, checking the moons placement in the sky. The night was just beginning, and she was already starting to feel exhausted. However, there was also a feeling of adrenaline, and pure instinct that she had missed during her absence, making her fur tingle with excitement. As she eased into that feeling, it erased the exhaustion from her legs and shoulders.

Her eyes widened at the smell of fresh dewdrops and summer greens that scented the air, and as a light breeze combed her hair, she caught the faint smell of something starchy and creamy. She climbed up the stem of the amanita, and then sat on the cap. With her hind legs planted, she raised her nostrils to the sky. Whiskers twitching, she located the direction of the delicious aroma. It was coming from somewhere on the opposite side the field, and once she pinpointed the direction from which the smell came from, she readied herself to take off. But then her eyes caught sight of a large metallic peak, glinting behind the strands of grass.

“What’s that? She squeaked, cocking her head, trying to get a better look of the strange, silvery object.

The peak was big, like a mountain but not as large or as far in the distance. It seemed to sit just at the edge of the field, and the smell of food was definitely coming from it.

“How strange.” She thought, rummaging through her memory, trying to recall if she had ever seen it there before, but this was the first time. “What could it be? And that smell! It’s better then anything I have ever scented before.”

She climbed back down the mushroom, and galloped towards the wall of grass that lined the trail, but from down there the peak was barely noticeable, and she was still unable to tell what it was.

She nervously shifted her weight from one paw to the other, contemplating what to do next. This was something new, and she didn’t know what it was, or if it was safe. But so far that was the only sign of food that she had been able to locate, and wasn’t sure if she would have enough strength to try again another day. She was burning though her reserved energy and was determined to bring something back with her tonight.

“So do I go, or not?” She marched up and down the path, processing both options, weighing the pros and cons in her mind. Her stomach then growled, and suddenly the pros began to win over her thoughts.

“I’ll be quick, and if anything seems out of place, Ill turn around.” She then charged through the grass and dandelions, following the sweet and creamy scent, straying from the familiar path. She breathed in large lung-fulls of the new and tasty fragrance. Her stomach growling as the tantalizing smell grew closer and stronger. She didn’t know what it was, but it was making her hungrier.

She ran for awhile, until she suddenly popped out from the thick blades of green, and stood on the edge of the field, staring out into wide-open space. On this side, the grass looked and smelt as if it had been freshly chopped down. Yards of empty space that spread from one side to the other, stretching beyond her line of sight. In the middle of the vast space were a couple of trees, and the metallic mountain: except, up close it didn’t look like a mountain, and it had a big, red, wooden body. It actually looked very similar to the structure she had visited her friend Swallowtail in, once before. If she could remember correctly, Swallowtail had said that humans like to build things called houses, sheds, or even barns. The only difference between them is there shape, and sometimes they would build small matching houses, for birds to dwell in.

“I think this one would be considering a barn.” She thought, due to its shape. “It must have been recently built.” Which explained why she had never seen the structure there before. “But are there any humans inside?”

People didn’t mind birds, and some actually loved them, but all humans practically despised rodent kind. They all seemed to have an interest in trapping, or drowning mice. Some humans would even house cats, hoping that the toothy beast would hunt and eat a mouse or two. If there were any humans in there, Mim didn’t want to deal with them.

She was about to turn and leave, but the structure seemed quiet, almost uninhabited. There was no noise, no movement, not even the slightest hint of life. But what did come from the building was an unmistakable scent.

“Food.” Her nose began to twitch, and she couldn’t help but think that it would be such a shame to turn back now, especially now that she was so close. She had to go, for her pups.

The space between her and the barn seemed perfectly still. Now was her chance to run across the bladeless field and retrieve what she had came here for. She cautiously scurried out into the space, darting in a straight line towards the red and metallic building. Moonlight soaked her fur as she ran, making her visible to anything from above. She didn’t stop, except briefly under the small cluster of trees before charging to her target.

Mim halted at the entrance of the barn, staring up at the large looming structure that she now realized was enormous. From this close up she could no longer see the shape of the building, just long slats of red boards stretching high above her, and suddenly she felt incredibly small.

There was a large wooden door that had been left open slightly. The crack was just big enough for her to peek her tiny head in, and squeeze her body through. Once inside, she scented her surroundings, sensing no movements, except for a gentle breeze that rose from the floorboards. The barn was big and empty, except for a stack of hay, some ropes, and horse whips.

Mim sniffing the air, until she caught a hold of the sweet, flavorful, aroma. It was coming from the second floor, which was held up by a series of posts and beams.

“Aha!” She said, planning out her next move. “I can climb up those to reach whatever that scent is.”

She then scurried over to the post closest to herself and began putting her plan into action, climbing up the rough wooden surface with ease. She ran along the beam, checking for any gaps in the floorboards that she could use to get to the next level. She then stopped halfway along the beam where she could see a circular hole over head, most likely created by a knot that had once been there. She jumped, catching herself on the rim of the opening. Gripping tightly with her paws, she pulled herself up and through the hole.

The top floor of the barn was just as big as the first, except it was filled with burlap sacks full of grain, stacked in neat piles. The smell of creamy, crunchy oats came from half the stack, while the others smelt of dried apples.

Mims whiskers tingled with excitement, while her stomach growled in hunger. She scampered over to the piles, and bit down on one of the sacks and pulled. Her teeth tore through the fabric, and marvelous golden oats came tumbling out, covering her toes in their yummy goodness. She was happy, and relieved. Everything was working out just perfectly, and soon after she ate her fill, she could go home to nurse her younglings.

Every bite was like heaven, filling her mouth with a precious silky texture and starchy taste. She sat, feeling completely at ease.

“This is by far the best scavenge I have ever accomplished.” She thought, as she grabbed another kernel and began gnawing it with a satisfied look.

Soon enough, she had eaten her fill, and while she cleaned her fur, licking strands of hair smooth and free from crumbs, a creak irked in the roof rafters. She stopped her licking, and turned towards the sound, listening closely in suspense. There was a very faint sound, but she was most certain that something was hiding in the darkness overhead, watching her.

Suddenly a pair of yellow eyes appeared from the shadows, releasing a loud hunting screech. Mim wasted no time as she darted for the hole she had climbed through, but all too fast, a flurry of white feathers scooped her up in large heavy talons, carrying her up into the air.

“What is going on!?” She screamed, trying to arch her back to see her capturer, but their movements were fast, pulling her in closer as they dove straight for an air vent in the roof, leading to the wide-open sky.

Mim’s eyes grew large and she squeaked in fear as she saw how far down the ground was, the trees in the field now looked like small shrubs. Anxiety and panic overcame her, as she desperately tried to squirm her way free from the talons that ensnared her. Her kidnapper shook her, tightening his grip. The brute then looked down at Mim, giving another loud screech, as if telling her there was no use in struggling.

“A barn owl.” She thought, catching a glimpse of the creature’s beautiful face, which was white and heart-shaped with goldish feathers framing it’s yellow topaz eyes.

“Oh no, wait a minute.” Her mind suddenly echoed with realization. “Don’t owls eat mice!?” It then dawned on her that this wasn’t a kidnapping. It was a feasting, and this beautiful bird wanted her as the main course. She would need to find a way out of this, and quick.

The owl then tilted his wings, lowering closer to the ground. “Its heading for the tree line!” Mim observed, trying to think of a plan. The barn owl whooshed into the forest, and silvery moonlight trickled through the branches over head, spotting its feathers.

Mim panicked, knowing that it’s hollow must be getting close. She really needed to get away, before it was too late.

“But how?”

As if instinctually, she whipped her head around, twisting her back in an odd way. Without thinking, she bit hard on the owl’s ankle and didn’t let go until she could taste the blood.

“Ewww! Yuck!” She spat, and suddenly the large bird screeched in pain, opening his wounded talon and dropping Mim in mid air.

Mim fell, screaming and franticly trying to grab onto the leaves and twigs that flung past her face, but she was falling to fast and her arms where to small to reach. She went plummeting towards the ground. She closed her eyes waiting for her body to smack the forest floor, but suddenly, she landed against a spider’s web that stretched from one branch to another. It broke, but it slowed her fall, and she landed on a pile leaves next to the base of the tree.

She was relived. But the spider was not impressed, and angrily stared down at her, shaking four of his arms in tiny fists.

“Sorry.” She said, looking apologetic, and then the spider retreated to a higher level of the tree with a huff.

Mim tilted her head, looking up toward the sound of thrashing. She could see bits of owl’s talons poking through the leaves, trying to get to the lower levels of the forest. Luckily, the trees in this part of the forest where thick, and the branches where tightly knit. The owl struggled for a while, before calling out into the night and leaving, most likely to search for an easier prey to catch. Thought, that didn’t put Mim at ease. She felt a shiver run up her spine, as she realized that she had nearly been eaten for dinner.

She lay there, frozen. “What would’ve become of my babies, if I hadn’t escaped?!” Guilt struck her painfully, as she thought about her pups, waiting alone at home. It had gotten late, and she needed to get back to her den.

She looked at her surroundings, sniffing the air. Thankfully she knew exactly where she was, and how to get back home. She headed east, skirting along the base of trees, to keep herself hidden from any further attacks. She was beyond exhausted, and she couldn’t wait to snuggle up to her cute pups in the warm duff and moss that laid in her den. To rest without worry or fear of the outside, that was all she wanted right now, but she would have to walk a while before that could happen.

By the time Mim came to the old oak that sheltered her young, it was just turning dawn out. The moon sank beyond sight, and a pinky-orange glow summoned beyond the trees. she was so happy, and thankful to have made it back unharmed, and now she had the nutrients she needed to feed her young. She slowly walked into the entrance, and flumped down onto the soft bedding.

The pups sensed that their mother was there, and inched closer with there eyes closed. Mim felt a warm, happy feeling as all of them cuddled in close, and began nursing from her teats. Her milk had been restored to its full potency, and she wouldn’t need to go out again for a while, but at that point her pups would be old enough to learn how to scavenge for themselves.

“Hmm.” She thought, resting her head on her front paws. How was she supposed to keep them all safe, when they were all grown, and ready to leave the den.

She thought about it for a minute. “What will the near future be like, once my pups leave? Will they be safe?” That was something she was not thrilled to think about. But as she settled into her exhaustion, and the gentle feel of tiny paws needed against her stomach, she started to drift into a calm sleep. “I guess Ill just have to wait and see.” She yawned, and soon she closed her eyes, dreaming of all the wonderful things she could teach her six children. But for the time being, she just wanted to love them and hold each one close to her heart while she still could. The day came, and Mim's worries faded away, just like the darkness of the night.