The Story of a Wayward Cat

Chapter Fourteen - Mice

Minka watched as her life flashed by. She couldn't help but feel irritated. All this time she had helped and saved Minke, and he was just standing there, watching her. Couldn't he do something? Then she had an idea. It would be risky, but, otherwise she would lose her life. Minka looked up at the match and concentrated, and when the match was a few centimetres from her face, she blew it out. It landed harmlessly by her. "NOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Lop Lopian 3. "You will never get away with this!" He ran out the door.

Minke had fainted again. "Come on!" muttered Minka, "wake up Minke!" Then she realised that her net actually was on fire. The bit on fire was a part of the rope that was not in the puddle(that was actually kerosene, not petrol, but the Lop Lopians considered all fuels as petrol), but it was fast approaching the puddle, and would soon reduce Minka to nothing. "Minke! Wake up!" she shouted. It was no use. When Minke fainted, he was out cold for a few hours. "Hmmm..." thought Minka. The burning rope had nearly reached the puddle. Because it was burning, the net was inactive now, and Minka could move. Minke had told Minka his greatest fear shortly after they had given up trying to fix the rocket. "Mice, mice, mice, mice!" Minka chanted. Minke stirred, and Minka screamed, "MICE!!!!!"

Minke leapt up. "WHERE? WHERE?!" he ran to the nearest ledge and jumped up on it, shivering. "Minke! I'm about to die here!" said Minka futilely. It had been a bad idea to scream 'mice'. Minka counted how many times she had nearly died today. One...two...three? Nah, she was pretty sure it was four. 3 centimetres, 2 centimetres... Strange, Lop Lop uses the same measurements as Earth does, thought Minka. I am going to die... for real this time...

Just as there was half a centimetre left of rope, Minke forgot his fear and leapt off the platform, and swept the net away in one movement. He pushed Minka into a bucket of water just as her fur caught on fire. Minka was speechless. "W-wait... you mean I could have just saved myself?!" Asked Minka.

"Yep," said Minke, still shaking a bit. "You sure that there aren't any mice?"

"Positive." said Minka. "What are we going to do about Lop Lopian 3?"

"Just leave him, I guess. We're going back to Earth soon, aren't we? We've got the petrol."

Minka's eyes lit up, but before she could reply, a mouse scurried over Minke's feet.

"ARRGH!!!" Minke screamed, leaping back. "I thought you said that there were no mice here!"

Minka couldn't stop laughing.