Funny creatures, hamsters are. Running around all day, with food puffing out their cheeks. Nipping and biting peoples. Fluffing out their fur, making them look cuter.
Perfection of their aligned feet, four toes, four claws. Beady eyes, two front teeth, small stubs for noses. Cared for and they will be an amazing pet.
Most people treasure their hamsters. Feeding them at the appropriate times and cleaning out their cages. Do this and they will live for three to four years.
However, there was once an old man who did not care for his hamsters. His name was Dr. Wendell, Timothy Wendell. Dr. Wendell was a scientist, but not an ordinary scientist. Dr. Wendell was the type of scientist who wouldn't come up with an idea, unless it would earn him money. However, one of his plans failed the original idea. His plan to make electricity. Hamsters were forced to run in wheels connected to generators. This, Dr. Wendell believed, would earn him lots of money. Most of the people who lived in the surrounding area were short of cash, and would cough up a few hundred, possibly thousand pounds for his invention, making them never have to pay electricity bills again.
His plan, however, backfired. Most of the people in the surrounding area did not want to buy skinny hamsters that looked like they had been abused. For that is what had happened to these hamsters. Punishment was given to the hamsters if they didn’t run all day. Beatings were given if they stopped in-between there allocated stop times, twice a day, for a drink, meal and to give them chance to excreat. Half an hour later, they were running again. These hamsters were lucky if they lived six months.
Electricity was generated like this in Dr. Wendell’s house. Everywhere in this semi-detached house were hamster wheels. Hanging next to them was Victorian-style, miniature whips, used for beating the hamsters. Dried blood was on these whips, with fur clotted into it.
Apart from this the house was quite ordinary. Three rooms upstairs, four below. A garage shared with the neighbors. Dr. Wendell kept to himself, alone in this house. Him and his hamsters were alone, never disturbed, until one day. The day two people fell in love, over these hamsters.
