Paws on the Pier by M.G. Wetherholt

Author:M.G. Wetherholt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dancing Corgi Press
Published: 2023-08-16T13:59:11+00:00

CHAPTER 12

I stared at him for a moment, then turned and dashed for the papers. Grabbing them in my teeth, I skipped sideways to the crevice, watching the rat who had stopped licking and was now growling again.

“Hurry!” Em stood on guard by the exit, twitching his nose and whipping his tail.

I got to the crack and realized the papers wouldn’t fit, at least as flat as they were. Backing through the slot, I grabbed the corner and pulled, folding and crinkling them as they crumpled into the small space and uncrumpled on the other side. They were almost free when I felt a massive push from the other side and heard a squeal. Dropping the papers, I ran to the crack and saw Em trying to get in.

“He’s got me!”

I squeezed past him to the rat, whose teeth were into Em’s tail up to the gum line as he pulled my friend backward. Enraged, I leapt upon the rat’s head and bit down on his ear. He screamed, dropping Em.

“Run!” I shouted as I grabbed the rat’s fur and held on. The rat bounded around the room, shaking his head and bucking his body. I kept biting his ear, head, whatever my teeth could sink into while I was being tossed up and down on this rodeo ride.

I was growing dizzy and disoriented. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the crack in the wall. Giving him one last chomp, I pushed off his head toward my escape and scurried through the crack, pulling my tail up and out of harm’s way. As I ran across the beam into the ceiling, I could hear his squeak and growl.

“Pick on someone your own size,” I shouted as I ran toward Em.

He was sitting on a beam, holding his bleeding tail. I scurried over and studied his wound.

“Wow, he really bit all the way through, huh?” I said.

“It hurts.” He frowned. “Were those papers worth it?”

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Can you even read what’s on them?”

I shrugged. “I can make out some words.”

He pointed, still frowning. “They’re over there.”

“Yeah, I can look at them in a minute—” I moved to touch his tail.

“No, now.” He pulled his tail away from me. “Make my tail chomp worth your need to save useless human papers.”

I walked to the wrinkled papers, dejected. Em had not shown this level of annoyance with me, not even when I accidentally almost drowned him. The papers were curled, folded, and somewhat torn. I smoothed them down, walking to the top as I did.

As a baby mouse, I had seen humans look at the squiggles on paper and talk. It didn’t take me long to figure out that each set of squiggles meant a different word. I still didn’t recognize all the squiggles, but I could read a few words. “Goodnight Moon” was my favorite book.

These papers were filled with big words and numbers. I sat back and cleaned my whiskers.

“So?” Em asked. “Was it worth it?”

“I said I was sorry.

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