We came up here to search for food in the cupboards.
It was the second day Mother had decided to carry us out into the Kitchen. We were just kids at the time. Cheesy, Sharp, and I wanted to make a memory, so we came up with an interesting idea.
"Our first day out! I'm so excited. From now on, we're gonna work together and get Mother all the food in the World that she needs, and the Giant won't be able to stop us!!" Sharp exclaimed, his fine voice cackling in the air as he laughed.
"Yeah! And we'll have lots and lots of cheese. Don't forget about that" Cheesy warned. Our chubby brother couldn't help but insert his input, trying to convince us to consider what was to him, "The Holy Grail of all foods''.
A much younger Mother Mince was in the background staking pieces of wheat bread into her knapsack, her back turned after instructing me to watch the others and make sure no one got into trouble. The three of us stood by the inner wall of the cupboard, Mother getting her stuff by the door, from a loaf of bread the Giant had not tied properly. She took the opportunity to carefully untie it, taking the most inconspicuous pieces of bread, and stuffing them into her knapsacks.
"Oh would you two relax. The Giant won't bother us if we keep hidden, and as for you Cheesy, there are more healthy and beneficial foods in the world.'' I remarked. Cheesy peered at me with a scowl.
"What? It's true. Roasted sweet honey Chicken with Vegetables are waaaay more delicious than Cheese" I said, providing a rebuttal.
"No it's not!!!" He protested.
"Yes, it is" I disagreed.
"Nooooooo. It.Is. Not!!!!" He protested again.
"Yes...it...is!!!!!" I backed.
We continued doing this back and forth for a while, until Mother flung her head over and asked us what all the ruckus was about, to which we innocently replied.
"Nothing Mother" and proceeded to be quiet.
Sharp came up in between me and Cheesy slowly, wrapping his arms around our shoulders and bringing us together.
"In the end brothers, none of those things matter. No Cheese, no Chicken, no leaves can come in between us. What matters is that we stick together, forever as Brothers, through thick and thin, no matter what. Even when we get older, we'll still stick together. Deal?"
"Deal!" Cheesy and I agreed with Sharp, all three of us putting our hands in a circle. Sharp was more of a team player back then; in fact, those were his purest days.
"Now, let's seal our deal with a carving. Each of us will carve on this wall and no matter what happens, we will come back to it every time we forget that promise we just made to each other. This carving will stand as a reminder! So Cheesy, Burrow, every time you feel lost, just look at it" All three of us looked at each other and nodded, spitting into our hands, and shaking one another's. We then stretched our claws, hooking it into the cupboard before us, sinking them into it and drawing it down, carving out an oath, only known to us.
"Didn't I tell you bucks not to touch anything?" Mother Mince demanded in a stern voice, appearing over us, her eyebrows scrunched up in vexation.
"Burrow!! I left you in charge for a reason. We have no time for these Shenanigans, don't you see we have food to carry back?" Mother parted us, her eyes flashing to the cupboard in front of us and seeing the markings.
She gasped in horror.
"And just what is this!! Ugghh I told you boys to be mindful. What if the Giant came and saw this now then he would know that we are here!!! You three- just step aside" She let out a breath of exasperation, already winded out from getting the food.
"Now how am I gonna get this off? You three basically carved scratches into the cupboard!!'' She complained, shaking her head, and rubbing her temples. Suddenly, I stepped in front of her, gently holding her waist.
"Mother, Sharp, Cheesy and I have made a promise that we would stick with each other no matter what. This carving shows the commitment we have with each other. Don't you see? It's our promise for togetherness. Our reminder " As I said that Mother Mince sighed, looking down at her precious sons who were all holding onto her waist.
A promise? Made between Brothers? How could a Mother disdain such a thing? It was the purest form of love she had ever seen. And she had always preached to them that they must stick together no matter what the circumstance. They would need each other to depend on in this tough, cold, world.
"Yes Mommy. Plus, the Giant won't know that it is us. He is too stupid to know" Cheesy added. A smirk began to raise the corners of her cheek as she smiled at his comment, the laughter spreading as tiny giggles escaped from her sons' throats.
"The scratching's are so small it can't even be seen. Look!'' Sharp pointed.
Mince peered at the three carvings before her, and then, she realized that something was incredibly wrong.
"Hmmmm. Something's not right here my sons. You all made a serious mistake in this carving that could not be seen" Mother's eyebrows narrowed, her thin hand rubbing against her chin.
Pairs of innocent eyes shot at her, their minds racing as they thought what is it that they possibly could've forgotten. A series of questions sounded out around her, as she placed her hands on the carving and inspected it.
Suddenly, a screeching noise sounded out before them. Mince cranked out one of her claws and sunk it into the board, clawing her way down and making her own carving beside Sharp's, Burrow's, and Cheese's.
"You forgot about me. I too am wanting to remember this promise, making sure that you boys honor each other from this day forward." Her claw stopped at the edge of the board, puckering her lips together she blew out the dust it left, taking her hand, and sanding it off.
"I love you my sons, with all my heart. It's us against the world, we are the only ones who can be there and protect each other. I am with you forever and ever, in this life, and the next'' she bent down and kissed our heads gently, rubbing our shoulders and patting us on the back.
"Love you too Mother" we responded, wrapping our arms around her waist, and holding her as tight as possible.
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I snapped out of the memory. Tears accumulated in the corners of my eyes; my chest began to ache.
I hated this pain. Whenever I felt sad, I almost always was going over something that would make me emotional.
"What have I done....." I mouthed.
We came here years ago and made a promise to each other. A vow, an oath. Even though we were innocent, naive kids, we saw what was important back then. We saw each other. We held on to each other, because that was the only thing we knew.
We all promised that we would stick together, till our dying day. They weren't here with me to fulfil that promise now, but that was something that had been out of their control. I was still alive to see it through for them, and here I was, being selfish, willfully giving my life away.
"I'm..sorry.." hot tears began running down my face, painful stabs of distress weighing down my heart. How selfish could I be?
"This isn't the way..."
Instantly, I spat out the green chewed up poison, refusing to keep it in my mouth any longer.
"Tuhp!!" I took my paws and scrubbed it off my tongue rapidly, climbing down the cupboard and going over the sink, filling my mouth up with water from the dripping pipe and spitting it out.
''What the hell am I doing?" I asked myself in utter disbelief. Why did I keep sinking to such deep levels of defeat??
For one last time, I turned back to the cupboard and touched the carving, cherishing the happy memory embedded in it that my loved ones left behind for me. This was one of the only things I had of them now, and it straightened me right out.
I'm not desperate. I'm not some insignificant, minuscule prey that has no choice but to give up.
I'm a rodent. I may be tiny, but my species has survived for centuries off their flexibility and resourcefulness. I was not made to stay in line, stuck on my fear of the outside world.
Whether that be its humongous birds, it's cats, its snakes, its Giants. They could not hinder me from living my life.
I had to honor my brothers. I had to honor my Mother.
That was far more important than my fear.
I promised them that I would love them, stay committed to them, stick by them, even in death's darkest hour. If I gave up my life, it would be leaving them behind, and not fulfilling my commitment to them. It wouldn't be any worse than me spitting on their graves.
"Sharp, Cheesy, Mother Mince, watch over your brother and son in the afterlife" I leaned my head against the carving, touching it for the last time and taking off.
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A loud yawn came up my throat, I stretched my arms out as far as I could, rising out of my cotton nesting. Immediately, I hopped out of bed feeling driven and passionate, excited for a new hope. I was ready to get out of this treacherous, God forsaken place. It was time, today was the day where I would leave this misery behind, starting a new life for myself and my Family, never looking back. I'm ready to get out there and find the tallest tree, ready to take over the World.
First, I needed something to drink. I was dehydrated from all the crying and wailing the carving had brought on to me last night. It cleansed my soul and left me empty, and now I needed to rejuvenate before I journeyed.
Scratching my eyes and yawning, I stumbled my way to the peephole. The door curved over into a neat, broad circle, a gleam of yellow morning glow expanding through its exit, shinning on the wooden floor. Rotating my head to the side, the white bucket leaned against the wall right next to the peephole, clear water settling into it. I peered into the transparent water, a faint reflection of myself looking back at me.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The next morning, I hopped out of my bed, feeling driven and passionate, excited for a new hope. I knew I had said this many times before, promising myself over and over again that I would leave this place.
I meant it this time. Today was the day that I would get out of this treacherous, God forsaken place. I shifted, walking up and standing right in front of the peephole, the warmness of the light shining on my fur. It felt like the sun was wrapping its arms around me, with enough warmth and affection to last me through the entire day.
Leaning against the door, I took a moment to look out into the Hallway, rising my head to the clearing glass and seeing a glimpse of the outdoors. There was the sun, the yellow, glowing ball high up in the sky, rays of light and shine gleaming from its brilliance; abstract shaped clouds painted in an orange meringue color, floating past it. Trees swayed in the wind, their leaves rubbing against each other to make a beautiful chiming noise.
Everything looked so astonishingly beautiful, and I found my soul drawn to its beauty. I didn't want to wait a minute further, I had to get outside. I was going to prepare something to eat before I went, but that could wait. I would find a fruit tree and eat its produce. Problem solved. There was no more time for delaying now.
With one last turn I took a look at the room that fostered us for years. Tears wet my eyes as I thought about the memories. I closed them and whispered to myself that everything would be fine.
"It's fine Burrow. Your fine, your fine, everything is going to go so well for you. Just let go of the past..." Opening my eyes I raised my hand to my head in salute, clasping my hands and bowing to the room.
"A new day, a new life. I won't disappoint you Mother" Turning away from the old holdings, I focused my attention to the warm, glowing light coming through the peephole. I stepped towards it; striding confidently to the door, my head held high, shoulders relaxed, beaming with positivity and undeniability.
My eyes focused intently on the light piercing out of it.
"No turning back now Burrs. We've got this" I whispered to myself. I imagined that Mother Mince was on the other side of the door, smiling and waving for me to come through. I could still hear her words of Faith and Love echoing in my mind. Thinking about it gave me a burst of energy; everything in me was racing with life and vitality.
Abruptly, the warmth and lightness I felt on my body, faded. There was a coldness now, a breeziness; Mother Mince's smiling face fizzed away.
I looked at something peculiar, blocking the exit to the peephole.
It had a narrowly shaped, black slitted shadow that touched the top of the door and went down to the bottom. It was surrounded by a gross, slimy green that had tints of yellow hues in it.
At first, I stood there, stiffened in confusion.
I leaned my head to the side, trying to make sense of what it was. It looked awfully similar to something...Something I couldn't put my finger on....
Instantly the thing started to blink.
"Drats!!!" I stumbled back, tripping on my feet, pushing myself away from the peephole. The hairs on my body pierced out like swords and my breathing became rugged as I hyperventilated, frightened at this alien thing that blocked the door. Then, I realized why it looked so familiar.
It was To-mas' eye.
The Cat was leaning down right at the door, his face laid against the floor while he directed his eye to focus on spying in the holdings, at me. He meowed lowly, attempting to push his paw through but stopping because it could only reach a certain point. A low, demonic snarl came up through his throat, oscillations of despair flooding through the room.
I pounced back, knocking the water bucket over as I headed straight for the wall, diving over the dining table and hiding behind it to the upper end of the room.
Ducking by the table, I tried to take deep breaths to calm my thumping heart, hugging myself tightly to stop the trembling.
I couldn't stop. That gigantic eye had shaken everything in me.
I was compromised. How the hell did he find me?? How was I going to escape if he was blocking the damned door?? I couldn't run out of the peephole; I'd run straight up into his mouth and then it'd be over with! Now that he was certain of where I stayed after having killed of all my Family, he would not stop. He would not decease. He would up his game, torturing me until I died.
To-mas began to heighten his voice, each meow so loud that the wall I was pushed up against started to vibrate. I plastered my shaking hand against my mouth, desperately muffling the oncoming screams that were trying to escape from my throat. My other trembling hand moved on its own, resting on my racing heart.
There was a deep throbbing ache in my chest, and my mouth was completely dry. I looked up to the ceiling, wondering where the silver lining was that mother said I would see. The only thing I saw was my back against the wall, only a breath away from dying.
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"Shit!!! Shit shit shit shit shit!!!" I cursed, ducking my head under the table.
Just when I was about to get out, here comes yet another unconceivable, impossible circumstance that I couldn't get past. How the hell was I supposed to go through the peephole when To-mas' massive eye was blocking it??? At this rate, I'd never get out of here.
"Please, just let him go away. Let something distract that stupid, blood driven puss. The moment he does I'll run away. Just give me a chance. Even if it's a minute" I whispered under my breath.
I wasn't one that believed in prayer, but I needed all the help I could get at this time. Mother told me that she was with me wherever I went, all I had to do was look within. God please, let her be there for me. Whether it was somewhere in Heaven, or wherever she was.
"Mother please, led this cat astray" I begged, clasping my wet, trembling hands together, taking in deep breaths. I stayed like that for a while, frozen against the wooden wall.
"Meeoooowwwwww" The cat let out a drawn, exaggerated noise. I was still in the same position, almost glued to the wall for fear he would see me. I had to stay hidden.
What the hell had really gotten into that Cat? What possessed him to do this? Of all the stunts he pulled to get us into his stomach, this topped the list. Thinking about it I wondered, how long had he known about our holdings?? Where we lived???? Had he known all this time and pretended he didn't, or did he really not know??? Rummaging about in my thoughts I came to a halt, realizing that the place was silent. I heard nothing.
The cat's noises had ceased. I perked my ears up, trying my utmost to listen to even the slightest sound.
It was quiet for a while. I waited and waited, and there was nothing.
Nothing but complete silence.
My eyes popped open.
I creeped my head out from behind the dining table, ever so cautiously.
Looking to the peephole I noticed that the To-mas' eye had disappeared. No one was there. I sighed in relief, grateful that Mother had been listening to my prayers.
"Thank you, Mother," I mouthed quietly, looking to the ceiling and placing my clasped hands in the air.
Now there was only one thing left to do. It was what I feared most, but it was now or never. I had to take this chance to escape, to run away. I asked Mother for this chance. I prayed for it, and now I had it. I had to look first.
Steadily, I slid against the wall vertically, inching closer and closer to the round exit of the peephole. Swallowing hard, every muscle in my body constricted, fighting against the move I was about to make.
"Here goes nothing..."
Forcing my head to rotate, I pitched my side eye out the side of the peephole.
The hall was empty. The stretch of the well-polished Mahogany wooden floor spanned ahead of me, no sign of the cat, or the Giant.
"Hmmm...." I pushed my head out more, looking left. Nothing.
I looked right, nothing. Nothing but the blue walls surrounding me.
Now. Now Burrow, it was now or never. My intuition began to scream at me to head straight towards the clearing glass in the living room, swoop through the hole and never look back.
I took one step forward, then I stopped.
Nobody's here right now. But what if I was running straight into my death? That cat could be anywhere. Then, I heard something. No, I felt something.
The ground was beginning to vibrate. I could feel it under my feet. Coming from my right, I heard a very slow creak. After that, a booming reverberation hit my ears. I jumped, shoving myself back into the hole, slamming against the wall.
There was something coming towards the peephole. It sounded like the Giant.
"What are you trying to show me little Kitty cat?? What is in here??" My deduction was right, It was him. Stooping down I placed my ears to the wall, listening carefully.
...........................................
"That damned, parasitic rodent!!! Hate those bastards and I need em out ma damn house!!!! Good thing you showed me where he lived right To-mas??" Perkins was marching up and down in disbelief, having seen a glimpse of the rat coming out of the hole.
Suddenly, an idea popped up in the farmer's head. He went back to his bedroom.
"I know exactly how Imma git that pancy rat's ass out ma damn house" he warned, closing the bedroom door behind him.
Burrow heard steps on the floor. They became faint, moving further and further away from the peephole. Then, it finished with a hard slam.
It was quiet for a while after that.
The cat stopped meowing. No vibrations from the heavy footsteps of the Giant. A pin could've fallen to the floor, and he would have heard it.
Burrow ducked to the side of the wall, waiting patiently.
A minute passed. Then two. Then three. Ten minutes passed.
So much time had gone by, and yet there was no sound. No small muffling's, no movements, nothing.
"Hmm...maybe he went back to his room" he reasoned. The rodent got up from the floor, pushing back up against the wall.
"If they were out there, I would have heard by now...perhaps I should wait this out more. Something just doesn't feel right..." going closer to the peephole, he nudged his head out, looking at the expansive, empty mahogany floor. No one was there, still. The floor was shiny and clean, the kitchen spotless, with no form of dishes, plates or food left about. He sighed, with a tiny sense of relief.
Closing his eyes he took another deep breath, feeling the cool air coming in from outside, taking up the space in his lungs.
Burrow peered up at the far end of the clearing glass that was in the distance.
The clear eye was transparent; The clearest thing that the rodent had ever seen. It showed him everything outside; the beautiful mounds of swaying trees dancing in the forest, the bright, colorful flowers that were scattered everywhere, among the trees, under the trees, under that small garden to the side of the house, in the yard. His eyes laid on the flowers off in the distance.
Burrow reflected on the little times he managed to venture outside. He knew that every time he got to go as far as the lawn, his life was in danger, and he never got the chance to truly enjoy the beauty of nature beyond that. He was too busy surviving.
He wanted so badly to climb to the tree at the side of the house. It was the tallest tree, and when he got to the top of it, it surely would allow him to be bigger than everything else below him.
Burrow got anxious thinking about it.
Closing his eyes, he submerged his mind into imagining what the view would look like with as much detail as possible. The wind was cool, breezy, and flowing; leaves were shaking, the gleam of the sun shining off them. They were thousands of other trees below, shorter than the one he was on. He could see the top of the Giant's holdings from there, and it looked like a huge box.
The world would be tiny to him, from up there. For once, he wasn't the smallest thing in the world. Rather, the world was small to him.
The Giants, the cat, the tiny birds picking about in the grass, all of it. For once, Burrow considered himself to be on top. He was the biggest species in the world, and he didn't care if it was only for a moment, the dreaming rodent would enjoy every moment of it.
Burrow rose his paws in the air, baring his chest to the breeze, feeling the wind passing over him, going through his fingers, a wide smile plastered across his face.
Abruptly, he felt a vibration underneath his feet. Burrow opened his eyes, looking through the door. There was still nothing but quietness.
He got up, creeping slowly toward the door. As he stepped to peep his head out the door, the vibration came back. As he looked through the door he saw brown, washed out boots stomping across the floor.
Frightened he ran off and dived behind the table. Then suddenly, a loud, crashing boom went through the roof above his head.
Burrow was flung across the wall, the ground underneath him shaking violently. He held on to it for dear life to steady himself, the whole place quaking back and forth. Clutters of broken wood, dust and debris flew over his head, clattering to the floor above and around him; nails and screws rattled across the floor as it dropped in front of him, small splinters and dust covered my head, wafting through the air and creeping up to my nose.
Something told Burrow to turn his head, and as he looked behind him, he saw a great hole driven into the wall. A metal hammer slammed throw the hole making the place shake again, a half size of a broken wood with exposed splintered edges flew off of it, sailing straight towards him and the table.
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The heavy piece of wood came down fast; I scattered from under the table and rolled to the other side, crashing through the water buckets and flapping down on the floor.
The shaking stopped again for a short while. A weakness shot through my body while I struggled to get on my feet, holding onto the wall for dear life.
I looked up. Above me in the distance was a huge whole in the wall; the Giant plummeted through it with a Hammer, flinging it forward and pulling it back, hacking out the wood planks and scattering them about the place.
"This is your last day in my damned house ya godamned rat! I'mma kill you this time and I wont miss!!!" he hollered, drawing his hands back and thrashing the hammer straight into the wall, a bang shaking the floor.
I gasped and fell to my stomach, watching the wallboards being ripped open; splinters coming off the giant's hand as he ripped it apart. The man stopped, peeping his head in the hole to investigate. Crazed eyes scanned the debris of the holdings to see any signs of vermin life.
I tried to get up and as I did the Giant caught sight of me, calling me a dirty rat and drawing his head out the hole. He drove the hammer in and banged, the place shaking again, the sound banging through my ears and flinging me to the floor headfirst.
"Drats!!!" I cursed, covering my head from the falling debris.
I had to get out of here. If I didn't, that man and his cat would kill me. Now is the time whether I planned for it or not.
I crawled to the peephole but stopped right in front of it, hesitating.
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I looked back at the room.
Huge planks of wood came crashing down to the floor, dust was everywhere. I peered on at the spot we used to sleep, imaging Mother, Cheesy, Sharp and I nestled in those cotton beds that Mother made for us. I looked over to the dining table, still seeing all of us around it, eating an evening meal peacefully or playing Dratsmate. Now the table was destroyed, covered in planks of wood and dust, buried in rubble. The place where our beds were covered, the gameboard trashed and thrown about in the catastrophe. A deep heaving feeling dug into my chest as I saw the disaster, the hollowness digging into my heart.
This place....was my home. I was born here; I grew up here. I took my first steps here. I had my first fights here. And now, it was being destroyed in front of my me. With me in it.. Now, it stood to me as nothing. Nothing but ashes and debris and death. It was time for me to go. They weren't here anymore, and all I had was the memories of them. If the Giant caught me and killed me, I wouldn't even have the treasure of these memories in my heart...If I continue standing here, frozen, he will thrash at me and I would die.
"Oh so this is what you were showing me the darned rat nest!!!I'm gonna kill this bastard rat!!!Such a good kitty." I snapped out of it, the Giant's threats dragging me back to reality. I stood there frozen, watching as the giant hack the hole open even more with the back of his Hammer.
The mad man pushed his head through the hole above me, peering intently at me. I laid there, paralyzed.
Giants were really frightening creatures. Huge glistening pupils, a weirdly shaped nose that touched a dark, hairy thing that sat on his lip. He had no whiskers, no claws, and his skin was pink. The sweat crawled down his face as his nose twitched.
He rushed towards me with the Hammer firmly gripped in his hand, his giant feet crushing the debris.
I stood there, peering at his hulking figure galloping towards me, unable to think, move, or breath.
I never thought that this would be the last image in my head before I died.
"Run Burrow! Run!! Get out of here, now!!! This instant!!" I heard a voice shouting in my ear as I stood there, motionless, the giant only two more steps away. My feet were glued to this spot.
"Burrow, run!! Now!!"
the giant drew his muscular hand back and sailed the metal hammer at me, I dropped flat to the floor on all fours, the hammer grazing the top of my head and crashing into the wall, stuck. I jumped up on my feet, sprinting through the peephole.
The cat dashed in front of it, blocking me.
I ran under him, running through his legs out into the clear. His twisted with a grunt, following me.
As I ran the Giant caught up, leaping before me;
He jumped so hard in front of me that the ground shook and I bounced off of my feet, landing on his boots.
"Nasty shitt!!!" he hollered, bending down and bringing his hand to slap me off; I opened my mouth and gnashed my incisors into his meaty finger.
I jumped on to the wooden floor, dashing across the expanse of the kitchen and heading straight to the living room.
" Ouuuchh!! Ya goddammneedd!!" the man bawled out, drawing his hand up to his shirt and pressing it.
To-mas spotted me heading for the window and he dashed to chase me.
I was ahead of him but he gained on me, galloping until he was right behind my tail.
Just as I ran up the wall to the clearing glass, To-mas stepped on my tail and ran four, razor sharp claws across the skin on my back, exposing blood and white flesh.
I groaned in pain, twisting my torso around and gnashing my teeth into his paw.
"Raawrrw!!" To-mas pulled his paw back and screeched, pressing back from the injury.
Successfully I leaped onto the wall; quickly climbing up and squeezing through the hole under the window ledge.