It was a normal day for Sphynx, a black tabby house cat; a day that consisted of laying around and occasionally licking herself. During one vigorous paw licking session, a movement caught her eye. “That´s strange” she thought. All the people had left for the day. She had the house to herself. Again,a blur streaked across the floor. Oh damn, she thought. Another mouse. The people are going to expect her to do something about this. Oh how she hated being bothered by such things as mice.
She noticed that the mouse was coming and going under a poorly installed piece of baseboard at one particular spot. She decided to wait out the mouse there. At least she could get her quota of relaxing in as she waited. She waited and waited. She even fell asleep while on sentry. She was in a deep slumber when she was gently awoken with taps on her nose.
She slowly opened her eyes and was shocked to find it was the mouse, tap, tap, tapping.
“I´m sorry to bother you ma’am but I cannot seem to find a water source in this house” the mouse said.
“You´ve got to be kidding me” Sphynx thought. “What?” was the only thing that Sphynx was able to mutter.
“Well, I´ve found food in the western part of the house but I have yet to find water” the mouse said.
“Surely you are not asking this because you plan on staying long term. As the cat of the house I cannot allow that!” Sphynx said.
“You see, winter is setting in and the food at the last house I was staying at got tainted. I would eat it and hallucinate something crazy. The same food killed the rest of my family but I would eat it and see things and hear things. Beautiful things, sometimes awful things. It was no way to live!”
“Well I´m sorry but you cannot stay here. Either you leave peacefully or I´ll have to take care of you” Sphynx said, making air quotes during the last part.
“Can´t you just let me wait out the winter? I promise I´ll leave” the mouse pleaded.
Sphynx thought it over. He felt bad for the mouse. He had lost his family and all and furthermore, he dreaded the idea of actually having to do something.
“I´ll make a deal, you can stay but if the people see you, you either have to leave or I´ll be forced to take care of you” Sphynx said with more air quotes around, take care of you.
“Deal”.
The winter passed and the mouse proved to be great company. He was very intelligent and well spoken. He could tell a story like none other. But what Sphynx wanted to hear most was about the mouse´s psychedelic trips. The mouse relayed stories of how time and space melted and the lessons of love and connection he experienced. Sphynx grew more and more curious about the trips and how they could help him with his existential questions.
Spring came and one morning the mouse came to Sphynx. “A deal is a deal my friend. Spring is here. I guess I´ll be moving on.”
“Listen, I like you here. If you can continue to stay out of the eye of the people, for me, you can stay” Sphynx said.
“Really?”
“Yeah, but could you do me a favor? I want to be taken to the center of the universe as well! Can you go back to the other house and bring me back some of that food?” Sphynx asked.
“Sure I could, but it could be dangerous. Everybody else who ate it died!” the mouse said, truly concerned for his friend.
“That´s the risk I am willing to take to become enlightened” Sphynx said.
The day came. The mouse procured a decent amount of the magical food. It was a green, hard little rectangle the size of a matchbox and it smelled a little like peanut butter.
“How much did you eat?” Sphynx asked the mouse.
“Oh, just a little. We only nibbled on it” the mouse answered.
“I am bigger than you so I should take at least double. Actually I am many times your size, I´ll start with three times as much as you ate” Sphynx said.
“I don´t think that´s a good idea!” the mouse said.
“It´s ok. Take some with me. I don´t want to trip alone. You can guide me considering you have done this before” Sphynx said.
“Ok” said the mouse as they consumed their allotted dose of the magic food.
The mouse started to see the geometric patterns that he had grown accustomed to. Everything turned into right angles. He started to giggle. He had even forgot about his friend Sphynx. He was riding high on his journey when his thoughts went to his friend. He looked over. Sphynx was lying on his side. Must have passed out, he thought. Good for him.
When the mouse came to he went over to his friend who was in the same position as during the peak of his trip. He gently rapped his nose. Nothing. A little foam had formed at the corners of Sphinx’s mouth. The mouse grew desperate. Oh no! What had he done. He had killed his best friend in the whole world.
All of a sudden the mouse heard a shriek. “EEK, A MOUSE!” and his world went black.
With mascara tears dripping down her face and a broom in her hand, Sally could not believe that a mouse had killed her cat.
By Ryan 