Nimh's Dream

Chapter 0

In the early life of Elizabeth Brisby, before named Elizabeth Smith, was adventurous. She constantly was running around in places a mouse wouldn't be safe.

She met a rat in one of these places, a town miles and miles away from her home, a rat named Albert. Albert was a bit small for a rat but still towered over Elizabeth and unlike most rats he didn't want to eat Elizabeth.

Albert was smart, smarter than any regular rat but then again Elizabeth had never met another rat. Rats were something even an adventurous mouse like Elizabeth didn't associate with.

They quickly fell in love, having one child. A daughter by the name of Anna. She was something never seen by the eyes of man, half rat and half mouse.

Elizabeth loved Albert and she loved the child he blessed her with but shortly after their daughters birth he died. The cause of death was unknown but sudden.

Anna grew quickly into looking like an adult she was only a little taller than her mother but she was beautiful. She was gifted the best features from rat and mouse.

Anna had good problem solving skills at a young age and quickly knew how to do things that a human could. Elizabeth would always tell her that she got it from her father even if she didn't even remember him.

—-

"Momma get down from there!" Anna screeched as she saw her mother scouting out a place for them to move from a tree. It was moving day after all, the tractor would start soon.

"What about the stone?" Her mother called from the tree limb.

"Yes mother that sounds fine! Get down! Dragon will see you!" Anna called up to her mother in panic.

"That large stone in the garden?" Her mother questioned.

"Yes! That's fine" she screeched.

Anna wasn't paying attention to her surroundings at the time. If she would have she would have definitely seen Dragon creeping around the corner.

A large roar was heard that made both Anna and Elizabeth turn around in fear to find Dragon stalking towards Anna.

"Run!" Her mother screamed. Anna wasted no time following directions and ran straight towards the farm house.

The cat was leaping to catch her and she jumped and dogged each of the attacks of the claws still running away.

Meanwhile Elizabeth was screaming for someone to help her daughter. She was running after them "Help! Please someone help my daughter!"

A group of rats and two mice heard the screaming and the loud roars from the cat.

Most all of the rats and the two mice ran towards the screaming. They had just gotten to the property and were going to find a place to live.

"Johnathan go towards the stream I'll distract it" a rat yelled once they came close to the cat chasing a small rodent.

The rat jumped in between the rodent and the cat catching its full attention.

"What are you crazy?!" Anna yelled as a group of other rats pulled her away from the scene.

The cat immediately tried to attack and the rat quickly kept Dragon's attention and started leading it away from the group of rodents.

Anna wasn't about to let a random rat die for her so she quickly tucked and rolled out of the arms of the rats and ran after the cat.

There were shouts and yells of protest but Anna wouldn't listen. In front of her she saw the rat leaping off the edge of the dock and the cat followed after him.

Anna grabbed a rope and was about to leap down as well ready to grab the crazy rat that had tried to save her.

She jumped but was caught by her waist before she could make it down the waterfall. Anna turned her head to see a mouse holding onto a rope with one hand and with the other holding onto the rat who had saved her. The rat was holding her by her waist.

"We save you then you run after me" the rat joked before he lightly tossed her to a secure landing.

"I thought you would drown. I was going to save you for saving me" she answered as if it was obvious.

The rat jumped in front of her first then the mouse. "Justin Hale, Mam and I would have been honored to be saved by a woman like you," the rat introduced taking her knuckles and kissing them lightly.

"Johnathan Brisby" the mouse introduced next bowing.

Right before she was going to introduce herself she got tackled to the ground. "You had me horrified" her mother cried hugging onto her.

"It's fine mother, I'm okay" Anna shook her head hugging her mother back.

"Mother?" Justin said in shock.

Elizabeth turned around quickly. "Thank you so much for saving my daughter" she cried.

"Of course mam" Johnathan nodded kissing her hand lightly before he had a silent conversation with his eyes to Justin.

Anna noticed her mother blush at the contact and smiled widely.

"I'm Anna, this is my mother Elizabeth" Anna introduced noticing the look her mother shared with the mouse.

Justin kept his eyes on Anna then looked to Elizabeth, then back to Anna. "Excuse me Miss but I can't help myself. What are you?" Justin asked Anna.

Anna let out a giggle, "I'm half rat, half mouse."

Justin and Johnathan made eye contact talking to each other without words again. Johnathan looked to Anna now, "that's impossible."

Elizabeth then stepped in, "It isn't, she's my biological daughter. My- her father died."

"I am sorry" Johnathan said bowing his head in apology and Justin followed his actions.

"It was a bit ago now" Elizabeth nodded. "There's no need to apologize."

—-

Justin and Johnathan had decided to help the girls move being as they wanted them to be safe. The rest of the rats went to find a place to live while the other mouse set off by himself.

Johnathan and Elizabeth had been flirting the whole day and Anna couldn't help but feel proud of her mother. She wanted her to move on and if that happened to be with Johnathan, Anna was okay with it.

Anna on the other hand could help but feel her eyes always follow Justin. He was handsome for a rat and very helpful when it came to moving things around.

He found a way to talk to her throughout the afternoon asking about random things and when they all took a break he even brought her a flower. He spoke of things Anna had never heard of; electricity, power, artificial heat, locks. It drove Anna's heart to beat fast when she saw the look in his eyes when he spoke so passionately.

At the end of the night though Anna's heart broke. Justin was to return to the rest of the rats while Johnathan wanted his own house away from them.

When he said goodbye he kissed her hand like he had when they first met and stared into her eyes for a long time begging her internally to tell him to stay.

Anna wanted to tell him to stay but she had just met the rat, she couldn't ask him to leave his group after one small meeting.

Their eyes stayed connected as he walked away and right before he could turn the corner she gave him one last wave.