R.O.D.E.N.T

Just a short piece I wrote in the middle of the night.-DavidG

“I’m a rodent from a different world,” said a tiny mouse standing upright on my kitchen counter. I nearly dropped the gallon of milk onto the floor. The little white animal tapped a toothpick shaped death ray at me.

“What do you want?” I asked in disbelief. My back hit the kitchen table and I splashed milk onto my shirt.

It took out a small cigarette and lit it. A tendril of smoke rose in the air and it took a big puff. “Your Mr. Wendle right?”

I nodded and held my breath.

“Well Mr. Wendle, we’re going to take a walk out back.” The ray gun was aimed at me while it climbed down the counter. “And don’t bring the milk.”

He motioned to the garage door. I put the milk down and preceded to head out.

“Bring your coat?” It said behind me. I picked up the coat off the rack and open the door. I scanned the darkness of the garage nervously and felt a stinging on my left leg. “Get in the car and roll down all the windows.”

The keys were in the coat pocket and I did what it said. As soon as the windows were down, several other mice scurried in through the back windows and the original mouse climbed through the passenger’s side . It looked up at me, pointing his black ray gun at me and said, “Now let’s get to your work.”

Throughout the ride, the mouse stood on the arm rest on the passenger side door. I parked in my usual spot and turned the car off.

“Good. Now you listen well. We’re going in there with you and your going to head straight to your office.” Mice started climbing into my jacket’s pockets. “Any funny stuff and your gone. Do we understand each other.”

I nodded, as it tossed the cigarette out the window and climbed into my left breast pocket. I got out and made my way inside and up to the guard shack.

“Hello Mr. Wendle,” said Derron, the burly security guard. “Early today.”

“Lot’s of work to do,” I croaked and waddled to the elevators. His eyebrows rose but soon flipped up his newspaper.

It took forever for the doors to open and when they did I hurried inside and pushed the seven button. Luckily no one was here this early and I had the elevator to myself. The doors opened and I rushed to my office. Once inside the mouse in my breast pocket crawled out onto my shoulder and pointed to the lock box on my wall.

“Get the keys to the lab and let’s go for a walk down the hall.”

“Wh…why do you need to get to the lab?” I asked.

He shot me with his laser in the neck sending my vision blurry. It soon cleared but my head ached.

“Just do what I say and get those keys.”

In a few minutes I fumbled the keys in the locked lab door. It opened on a few attempts and I turned on the lights. The mice jumped out of my pockets.

“Miller you in here?” yelled one of them.

“He’s over here,” said another.

“He better be alright,” said the one pointing the gun at my head.

They returned carrying another mouse and tossed him into my pockets. They followed him in and the one on my shoulder said, “Back to your house.”

I walked out of the elevator and past Derron. He looked up over his newspaper at me.

“Forgot my paperwork,” I said and left.

I drove home and parked the car in the garage. They carried the mouse from my pocket and out the window. Laboring, they worked their way into the already open door. The mouse in my breast pocket darted out and onto my shoulder.

“We can go inside now,” It said. Once inside it put the gun to my head. I stiffened. “I should blow you away. I should but I’m going to let you live.”

I watched as the mice took the escapee out the kitchen window and into my backyard. I walked over to the window and noticed a triangular ship in my magnolias, mist rising from its metallic sheen.

“You ever hurt a mouse again and you’re a goner.” and then it shot me.

It knocked me down and as I looked up from the kitchen floor, I saw the mouse jump from the window sill. Moments later the ship lifted into the air and took off. Motionless, I looked under the refrigerator at a small mouse nibbling a stiff ravioli.