I walked carefully into the dimly lit space, my eyes scrutinizing the carpeted floor. There was food everywhere. With each step I took, my hindlegs and front legs were stepping in cracker crumbs, crunching as I pressed my feet on the ground. Pieces of bread, biscuits, sweet potato fries, scraps of candy here and there. I laughed giddily under my breath seeing the stock.
"This is plenty of food..my bag's gonna be stacked! Ha" I took out my knapsack and began walking around to take up the food, starting with the biscuit pieces first.
''It would have been nice if someone where here to help me pick up all this food. Too bad Cheesy would eat them as we went along else, I would've brought him...'' I grumbled to myself, breaking a lengthy greasy fry into half and stashing it into my cotton knapsack.
Why did Mother always leave me with Cheesy anyway?? I mean I get it. Yes, I was responsible, but I couldn't possibly have been by that much. Cheesy still managed to screw up something no matter how good the situation was going. Whether he wondered off or he slowed me down because he couldn't keep up; or he would do something he knew would put him in danger.
I still have a scar on my tail from the time I pushed him out of the way of the Giant, so instead my tail ended up being in the way and he stepped on it.
''Ohhhh Burrow, you're the smartest of the three of them. You're the one I trust the most, so that means you must look out for your younger siblings'' I heightened my voice to a high pitched shrill, mocking mother as I imaged her saying this to me. She always said that..repeated it over and over again, like I was the only one who had a brain. I wasn't...
We all had our strengths.
Sharp was incredibly quick on his feet most times; he was extremely intelligent. It's just that he made a decision tooo quickly sometimes that jeopardizes others. I was quick too, but only taking calculated, strategic risks that would benefit or hurt everyone less. Cheesy was....I paused at the piece of candy that was in front of me, sweeping my brain to figure out his strengths. I sighed, picking up the discarded food and stashing it into the side, beside a hefty piece of pork that I found.
Cheesy was just a tumultuous, heavy weight of an obstacle. Yes, that's what he was. A walking, talking, breathing complication. Perhaps he was the caring one of us, the one that made sure we were playing as a team. But that wasn't enough. Not when you were making things harder for the other teammates and having them pick up your slack all the time.
"Ugghh. Curse you mother!! Leaving me with this big fat blob of nothing" I knew mother was trying to butter me up from last time but throwing in the "Oh your so much better than your brothers" compliment, (which I was in a certain degree) trying to butter me up from the last time, and even though we were barely on speaking terms. I still wasn't buying it. The only reason I did this was because I was sorry for Cheesy. Sharp would've been blasting him throughout the entire journey. I didn't want to see him come home and slump because of that.
"I wonder what that mouse is up to" I asked myself, nudging the soft, sweet bread between my teeth, twisting my head to shove it into the cotton bag I had slung over my shoulder.
"Ouch!!" a stinging prick nipped into the right side of my lip, the sweet bread rolling out of my mouth and onto the floor as I opened it from the shock of the pain. I pursed my lip, shaking my head vigorously from side to side, my whiskers flaring. At the edge of my eyes, I saw something tiny and black resting on my lip, I realized it was an ant and flicked it off. It fell to the ground, and I turned around, stamping it with my back leg.
"Damn annoying pests..." I cursed, feeling my seething hatred for those tiny insects. I bent down to pick up the sweet bread that fell from me, stashing it beside the candy in my bag. Before I moved on, I saw more of them. My eyes followed a trail of steady ants that lead straight to the wall, further and further to the underside of the couch. I followed them.
THE RED CARPET OUTSIDE THE COUCH
"Brother Burrow left me to guard the outside, so therefore, I'll do it to my best agilities!!" Cheesy proclaimed, marching up and down the floor with eyes as observant as ever. He stood by the edge of the carpet going to and fro, piercing around like a surveillance camera.
The Living room clear! The Kitchen clear, (apart from the clanks and noises heard from Sharp and Mother looking for food) Everything is quite alright yes. And I am staying right here at my designed spot. I will not leave or disappoint you, Burrow! An excited Cheesy smiled, nodding giddily to himself.
Last time Brother sacrificed his tail for me when he pushed me out of the way from getting stepped on. He didn't even make a sound when the Giant crushed his tail, just so that he wouldn't be alerted and look down to see two rats- rodents, at his feet. Or that time he shouted something to me from underneath the couch and I went home, thinking that he told me to head on. Mother really scolded him for doing that even though it was entirely my fault...Cheesy was plunged deeply into his thoughts for a moment; standing on all four legs, he phased out, looking into space. He could feel his paws getting hot and clammy on the soft carpet just thinking about, his thin pink tail waving about. A flush of gassy air escaped the narrow passage of Chessy's behind, the poor thing passing gas as he got nervous about wanting the best outcome.
''No matter what happens I will prove myself to Burrow and Sharp. I won't mess things up for him or go missing, so this time, they'll stop treating me like a baby once and for all. Hmph!!"
Cheesy walked over to the front of the couch leg, right in front of the barely lit space that Burrow entered. He sat himself down on all fours, resting his chin on the floor. He inhaled easily, tired eyes roaming about, yawning.
"Maybe I should just rest for five minutes..before the Giant comes back" Before he knew it, the lids of his eyes were shutting down, his breathing slowed. Cheesy had not one care in the world at that point but resting. A minute as he was about to drift off into deep sleep, something snapped him out of his rest and he jerked himself up, his thick, plump shoulders moving in waves as he got up on his legs.
"No! No Cheesy, this is no time to fall asleep. I- " he snapped up, determined in his will to stay the path.
"I am a trooper. A- a thug!! of sorts...I can withstand the challenging times. I can do this!! Yes indeed!!" I'll be right here. Watching and waiting, waiting and watching." He walked to and fro, the far end of the table leg that reached in the middle of the couch, to the last leg that almost touched the couch leg; one end to the next.
...........................................
Time had passed at its own pace, with the longevity of a snail that was crawling through a puddle of molasses. Burrow had been under the couch for quite a while now, only shuffling noises were heard from him gathering food in the distance. Cheesy was still trotting around on his toes, going up and down the carpet floor. He strode under the table in the center of the room, marching from one end of the couch leg to the other end.
"Errrghh!! Burrows been in there since forever. I wonder if he needs some help...does he even remember that the whistle is going out soon?? Maybe I should go check him for just 5 minutes..help him move faster." Cheesy swiveled around to go under the couch but then he stopped in his tracks.
"No!!! No no no Cheesy. Brother Burrow said to stay guard, and therefore I will stay- "Just as Cheesy turned back around, he smelt something. A pink nose projected into the air, whiskers quivering as his nostrils widened while he sniffed eagerly through the air.
There was something delicious nearby. It smelt pungent, and slightly..musty. A bit funky even....Cheesy's tiny pink feet started to move, one in front of the other, his nose guiding him towards the right, towards the very end of the couch leg, passing the clearing glass. He sniffed more, his quickly paced walk turning into a bolt, he galloped past the huge television set in front of the table, and finally, He stopped.
"Hmmm..there you are my precious" Cheesy had trotted to the end of the living room, the scent leading him to a corner of the wall. It was covered by a thick, purple curtain, near another clearing glass above. There was an outline of something underneath the curtain, the outline of it printing out.
"Hmmmm..is that what I think it is?" He was right in front of the curtain now, the aromatic fragrance wafting up into his senses. He stretched his hands forward, his fingers trailing the embroidered patterns of the curtains.
"If I could just get a closer look...." carefully, he moved the curtain back, revealing what was hidden.
The pupils in his eyes dilated, his eyes enlarged at what was before him.
A perfectly angular cut of cheese laid there in all its thick, voluptuous glory, sitting closely against the wall. Stars danced out of Cheesy's eyes as he stared at it, the rank, ripe scent of the cheese creeping through his nostrils, seeping into his throat.
It was impeccable. A lengthy slab of vibrant orange yellow, sliced in exact dimensions.
"Ohhhhhh....you nasty, dirty girl..." Cheesy smacked his lips together, pressing his tongue against the roof of his mouth, water salivating at the corners of a greed induced smile; saliva beginning to escape from the corners of his mouth. He walked towards it.
He stopped.
"No! I must not! I can't. Brother Burrow wanted me to stay here and watch and that's exactly what I'll do. Hmph!" he turned around and went back to his position, marching up and down in front of the couch entrance. Then, he heard a sound. He looked down. It was coming from his stomach, that started to grumble. He laid his paw on the white expanse of his gut, rubbing it gently as he felt it twist and turn his innards. Suddenly, he turned his attention back to the Cheese.
"I- I really shouldn't....." he reprimanded himself, trying his best to stay grounded. Yet consequently he found himself going towards the direction of the cheese, longing for it.
I've had cheese before. In fact, Cheese was the reason I got my name. I loved it so, so much. I would eat it every day if I was granted the opportunity to, he reasoned.
"But in all my lifetime as a rodent Mother chose to give me small, bit sized pieces, never anything that was as full as his head. This cheese is so huge..'' mumbled.
All of a sudden, the rodent found that one foot was being placed in front of the other again, and subconsciously he was moving closer and closer to the Cheese.
"Here it is! Yes." He stood there, rubbing his belly and licking his lips.
I will be safe Brother Burrow; I will be smart in this situation. If I calculate my steps strategically, I can definitely win this, without getting hurt. Besides, when would another opportunity like this come my way?? he thought whimsically.
"All I have to do is disregard everything that's around it..and focus on what's in it..." Cheesy took two steps back and viewed it from a broader perspective.
The block of Cheese laid comfortably on a heisted piece of wood that resembled a mini pamphlet, the rest of it was a lengthy rectangle that had a metal clamp which stretched back on the edges of it, attached by a spring. Cheesy stood in front of it, rubbing his hands together.
He knew it was a rat trap. Mother had warned them over and over again to stay away from those things. But it was Cheese. Something that he loved the most, in the whole entire world...
"If I move fast enough, I can get one bite...Burrow won't know if I do it quickly..." Cheesy got on his legs and etched back, preparing himself.
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