"Look I know this sounds crazy, absolutely nuts even, but I don't think he's lying to us. We should just go and make a run for it and pass him. It'll show the puss that we aren't afraid of him anymore Burrrs" Sharp bent his head low, whispering as he insisted.
"I'll give you brothers a little time to make up your minds..." The murderous cat muttered, laying down on his side and becoming preoccupied in his own being. He started licking his body up and down from tail to whisker, grooming his fur. I stood in front of Sharp concluding that either Cheesy's death had driven Sharp over a complete wall, or maybe I was in a horrific nightmare, because Sharp was putting our asses in some serious trouble. What the hell had gotten into him today of all days? When he knew today was the day we were to escape??
I've had enough of this shit. It was time for me to go, to get out of this dump, and Sharp was delaying me.
I stepped closer to him, holding his shoulder, peering straight into his eyes.
Dressing myself back by an inch I took my hand and rose it up in the air, bringing it smack across Sharp's face.
"Owww!!! Burrs what the hell-" Sharp held his cheek and gazed at me like I was insane.
"Sharp, I love you, but you gotta listen to me." I faced him, his mouth was in the shape of what seemed a permeant O, his brain still obviously registering the slap.
"Sometimes, things in life are not about proving bravado or showing how brave and tough you are. Sometimes you have to lose. To fail. Just so you can live to see another day. It isn't about conquering. It's about moving forward, fighting battles another day. Remember how you said you wanted a rat army? Well how are you going to do that if your dead?" As I said that Sharp turned his head to the cat, who was sitting there, his eyes glued to us while he sat there in glee.
Then, he turned back to me. I pointed to the cat door, whose light was shining in.
" It's a trick don't you see?" I needed to get that through that thick skull of his. To let him see that it wasn't too late. We could turn away and run back to our holdings right now, giving the cat his temporary glory. But it was we who would win in the long run, for we had yet another day to get out of here. Another day to survive.
He never saw things the way I did...
Sharp nodded his head in refusal, pushing my arms off his shoulder and disagreeing.
"You want us to get out of here and live our lives, right? Didn't you want to stand at the top of the tallest tree and look down?" Sharp pressed on.
"Look, Sharp this is-"
"I'm gonna take this risk. Cause unlike you, I'm ready to go. I don't want to stay here anymore, and I don't care if I have to knock a pussy out of its fur to do that" Sharp affirmed.
Sharp walked back to the puss and cleared his throat; the cat casually rising its hind legs up in the air as it licked its inner regions. To-mas saw Sharp walking forward at the space of his foot and put his head up.
" Your gonna stay right to the side and sight there, not moving an inch??? And you promise absolutely not to provoke us as we go?" Sharp asked firmly, the cat rising its head from licking its genitals and looking down at Sharp, with his firm, unafraid demeanor.
To-mas had viewed rats as nothing but parasitic, garbage eating flesh bags all his life. This was the first time however, that he had experienced dealing with such unique rats. Despite how annoyed he usually was with rats, this lot proved to be different, and he liked the courage that they maintained, even in the face of imminent death.
To-mas loved challenges, and all of them had proved to be a challenge to him. Even that fat rodent that they used to tug around with, look how slim he had gotten, and how he threw that metal top rubber thing in his face, though that made him livid with revenge.
However, there was one that was still too filled with fear. The one that stood beside the brazen one. He was still a bit too soft and civilized for the world, To-mas carried on in his mind.
"If you lovers are through with your quarrel and have made up your minds " t To-mas got up on his legs and took a seat, making sure to stay in the same spot, so that the rodents wouldn't think he was going to attack them.
"I, To-mas the cat, swear not to provoke or harass the rodents as they pass me. I will watch them go through the patio door and never chase after them, as I know they will never come back to this house." the pretentious cat raised up his paw, pretending to take an oath, cleverly masking the malicious glare that he once had on his face to make him seem calmer and more genuine.
Sharp nodded, facing me and taking my arm.
"See? He won't do anything. Let's go" he believed, dragging me foreword.
My feet scrapping across the floor, I looked at the door again with its glorious sunlight outlining around the edges of it.
Our exit was right there. All we needed to do was go through it. I peered back at the cat, who was distracted in playing with his own tail. He didn't even seem like he cared.
Maybe he really wasn't trying to trick us. Maybe some part of him felt messed up for what he did to our mother??? Was he tired of rodent meat?
I began to stream the reasons as to why he would allow this, believing for a second that To-mas just couldn't be bothered.
What else could I do at this point? Sharp certainly wasn't letting up and I certainly didn't want to go back to that hole.
Sighing, I dragged my arm from Sharp, disgruntled.
"Fine, but as you go forward, I'll look back, just to make sure he doesn't pull anything tricky. Deal?''
"Deal"
So, the cat To-mas went further and sat to the side of the couch to accommodate our need for safety, waving his tail calmly and looking at the two us as we passed. Sharp walked forward firmly, keeping his eyes on the flappy door, and guiding us there. I practically glued myself to Sharp's back like a shell on top of a tortoise. Keeping vigilant, never once taking my eyes off the cat.
Maybe To-mas had a change of heart. He really wasn't moving, not even an inch. He laid right by the couch, his eyes dazed and unfocused. He was only paying attention to himself. Licking his tail, striking up his feet to get in between the in betweens. Saturating his paw and swiping it over his face, doing another swipe behind his ear. We were just a step away from going outside now, the cat door right in front of us, and the cat was still sitting there in the calmest manner.
Is this really working right now???This was insane, like a fever dream. I could feel droplets of sweat gathering underneath my armpits, my stomach grumbling with anxiety.
We stood right in front of the door now and Sharp looked around, seeing that the cat had honored his promise. He nodded to To-mas, who, basking in his own glory, failed to even acknowledge him.
He turned to me.
"I'll let you go first, since your frightened" Sharp confirmed. He bent down under the door, positioning himself for me to use his back as a boost to leap through the door.
"No no no. I'll let you go ahead first. Before you do anything else that's stupid' I hissed, Sharp holding up his hands in defense. We exchanged positions and I got down as the lift. Sharp climbed on my back and rose himself up high enough that his eyes could barely look out of the cat door, it being a bit further up above us; he placed his paw between the flap and the entrance, pulling himself up and flinging over his other hand, his head peeking out of the door. Sharp pulled himself up more, dragging his torso over and placing one of his feet on the hedge of the flapped door.
We were out of here!!! I affirmed in my excitement. Then, we heard To-mas say something.
"Be careful out there though, my brave rodent friend. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of species out there that love to indulge in the meats of your kind. Mountain lions, bears, dogs, foxes, mongeese. You think that ugly, ferocious bird chasing you around the fire was bad? Wait until you saw the frightful gaze of an owl at night" The cat muttered lowly, Sharp listening to him as he paused slightly to hear what he was saying.
How the hell did he know of the bird chasing us around the fire a few days ago?? I hadn't even registered that he was a witness to that event. Sharp looked down at me and both of us exchanged knowing looks.
He was trying to scare us.
"Keep going don't stop. We've seen the worst and survived, no big deal" I encouraged to Sharp, pushing him up to continue. Sharp pushed his foot over, wiggling his body around to push his tail and posterior through the door.
Sharp drew half of his body up, resting it on the ledge of the flap.
It was evident we needed to go now before that stupid cat opens his big fat furry lips to say anything else that might jeopardize us. Sharp lurched his body onto the space that boarded the flap from inside and outside, his butt and tail hanging loosely outside as he leaned over and pushed his hand out to help me come up.
The cat nodded his head, seeing that his attempt did not work.
'This isn't over until I say it is..." He whispered to himself, sitting up and slowly waving his tail, staying in the same position.
"Pssssttt. Hey" in a fleeting attempt to get my attention To-mas called out to me, but I held my head forward, not changing my vision of focus for a second. I grabbed Sharp's arm and began pulling myself up. The damned cat continued talking.
" You two must be brothers the way you help each other out like that. Now that's how a family should operate. With togetherness..." he continued.
"I hope it stays that way. There should be no weakness amongst any of you, since your stature is already so so so small. But I fear for your future." I exhaled, wishing I could walk over there and slap that cat's mouth off of his face. He just wouldn't stop talking...
" You, the brave one who is halfway through the door. I know you had a moment of weakness. I witnessed it. Don't you remember you and your Mother were on the patio...you left your mother for dead in that cage! Had her cornered to her death...And she gave birth to you. If that doesn't strike cowardice to me, I don't what does...." Just as Sharp was about to pull me up, he let go of my hand and paused, his ears pricking as he heard exactly what the cat said.
"Shit..." it was over for us. The minute I saw Sharp's expression when To-mas said that I knew he would react. I steadily rotated my head to watch To-mas, so angry at what he just uttered that I was confused. My attention geared back to Sharp.
"Sharp let's go, we have to get out of here. We have no time for these games" I grabbed Sharp's hand and shook it, waiting for him to pull me up.
His body was halfway over the ledge of the cat door, the rubbery flap resting on his back, his face towards me. I waved my hand in front of him and got no reaction. His eyes were squinted in a gaze that seemed to pass straight through me, his mouth fixated into a scowl.
********************************************************************************************* Sharp felt heavy in his chest again, the events of that day playing in his mind.
Images of how ferociously Mother fought off the cat. He heard her voice telling him to run and leave her, echoing in his brain all over again. He remembered the bile rising up in his throat as he saw the cat eat and devour her insides. He remembered how tiny she looked pushed into a corner of the cage....The gnawing pangs of guilt spread across his chest, and he felt all the emotions of that day like it happened just a few moments ago.
The Feline was right. Even he could tell that he was nothing but a coward. Sharp confirmed his doubts about this despicable thing he did, confessing that there was no way anything ever in this world he could do to make up for what he caused.
Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, he looked up at the feline, giving him a stare filled with loathing.
When Burrow saw that he knew that it was no turning back with this, Sharp had reached a point beyond talking to. Still, he had to try to cool him down. Burrow grabbed his head and peered into his eyes.
"Sharp don't pay attention to that stupid cat. This is exactly what he wants!! Mother dying was his fault, he killed her. You know you had no choice but to leave-"Burrow interjected.
"Did he have to leave really? Is that so?" To-mas threw his two cents in, a mischievous glower in his eyes.
" Cause, if I was a son, that loved his mother dearly with everything in my heart... I would never leave her side. Ever. That enemy would have had to gobble me up to!"
"Shut up and stay out of this!!" Burrow swiveled to To-mas, warning him sternly.
The cat chuckled lowly, a spiteful laugh rising to a crescendo as he watched Sharp stuck in a frozen state of infuriation and sadness.
"You just be careful going out into the wild with him. You need someone strong by your side that won't leave you in a life-or-death situation, and by the looks of it...you may end up dying alone!!! Now that would be horrible." To-mas continued laughing, rolling over on his back and wriggling his body with an entertained expression.
Burrow stood there glaring at the cat with the most intense hatred and anger that he had ever felt in his entire life. To-mas was strategic, smart, he knew exactly how to play on Sharp's nerves. The feline stared back at Burrow with a vindictive glare, chuckling lowly to himself as he watched Sharp make his way back through the flap, landing beside Burrow. The hot tears fell from Sharp's eyes as he walked swiftly toward the cat, Burrow jumping to hold his arm, trying desperately to pull him back.