Squeak!

"Basil, the child, the hand it's coming!" I screamed as a giant hand cane toward me. It grabbed me, picked me up. "Hello, Manuel." The child stroked me. It took me somewhere and sat down. I was lowered to the legs of this human, they put their hands around me, it cuddled me...

Basil and Manuel are Gerbils. They lived forever in fear of their juvenile owner until a car nearly kills them and it pushes the cat. "Maybe it loves us" they say in unison. This could be the start of a lasting friendship.