Bluefur and Rosetail

1

A smell stung the little pink nose. Dark swirls worked their way into the nostrils, choked the creaturethat breathed in without knowing as she was asleep. Gasping for air,choking a moment on smoke, the little blue rat, a white star on herhead, broke into the waking world.

She looked around, but saw nothingthrough the dark, billowing screen. Her dark eyes sparked with aflame coming through the doorway.

"Rosetail!" She cried out,screeching over the sound of burning wood and cloth.

No answer.

"Rosetail!" she called again. Shehad been sleeping inside their cage, in a nest of bedding and timothyhay. But her best friend, the rat she had grown up with, wassleeping outside the cage as she often did, with their owner.

A cry came out of the darkness. Andthen: "Bluefur!"

Bluefur replied to her best friend, "Iam here, come to me!"

"I can't see you," the rat saidand then added, "We must get Dana out of here!"

Dana...all Rosetail seemed to careabout was Dana!

"What about us?" Bluefur asked,her voice growing hoarse from inhaling the breath of the fire.

No reply.

And so, Bluefur bunched her musclesand prepared to make a leap across the room, to the bed where Danaand Rosetail lay. Her pink feet kicked off the ground, forepawspressed to her chest, and she flew through the dark clouds and landedon the soft comforter of the bed.

An amber rat with dark red eyes wasshoving her nose into the human's ear. She knew it tickled her, thewhiskers playing against the ear hairs. And sure enough, Dana satup, opening her green eyes.

She instantly understood what wasgoing on, jumped out of the bed, and ran to the doorway.

"Now what?" Rosetail asked, "Howdo we get Dana to safety?"

There was a loud noise outside. Ashrieking, screeching sound. Bluefur recognized it. She didn't knowwhat it meant, but she felt it must be here to help.

And so she told her friend, "We mustget out, Dana is not thinking of us."

Rosetail was shocked, "What?"

"You heard me," Bluefur repliedand began looking around. Visibility was nearly zero. Scenting thearea also did not help. And listening only told the story of flamesmunching away at everything in the house.

"Look!" Bluefur exclaimed as anodd, terrifying creature came to the window.

It knocked and Dana, who had tearsstreaming down her face, turned and ran to it, opened it up for thecreature to come in after tearing through the screen.

The rats watched as the girl was takenby the monster.

"What is it going to do to our dearDana?" Rosetail wondered.

"Nevermind that!" Bluefur replied,"The window is open, let's get out!"

She bunched her muscles once more,though this time they were weaker due to the income of smoke to herlungs. She could not breathe the thick substance like the could thelightness of air. But she had to get them out.

So she leapt.

Landing on the window sill, she turnedand looked for Rosetail. "Come on!"

Rosetail was obviously scared now thatshe had to think of herself and not for Dana.

"I-I can't!" Rosetail cried out.

"You have to!" Bluefur replied.

Moments passed, they passed so slowlyas flames erupted into the room and began eating away at everythingthey had ever known. And then, as Bluefur's heart was beginning toache at the loss of her friend who would rather die a hero, Rosetailcame flying toward her, landing not-so-gracefully beside Bluefur.