There were times, such as the moment that she was stuck in, that Mouse really wished that she had a larger body. The small yet feisty kitten currently found her back legs wobbling back and forth as she attempted to scramble up onto the counter in the room in which she knew food was prepared. The leap she had made in order to reach the top of the structure had been perfectly placed and the energy that she had gathered in her hind legs had propelled her far enough that she would have easily stuck the landing … if she had taken into consideration the marble inlay that proved disastrous to her searching, scrambling paws that struggled to find any sort of purchase on the slippery surface. With what amounted to a forlorn mewing, Mouse finally lost the battle in which she was fighting with the counter’s surface and fell back onto the floor. The impact to her body had her hissing in pain before turning her gaze back towards the prize that she had been aiming for. A large jar had been left unattended and it was beckoning to the feline that it needed to be inspected thoroughly because it had treasure inside. Most times, her people, meaning those that resided in the apartment, made sure to return such items to their respective cupboards for the simple fact that they knew if it were left unattended that Mouse would surely get into it.

Giving the counter-top the dirtiest look that she could muster, Mouse's nose wrinkled in despair before she turned her back to the lure of the unknown. Most likely there was some sort of sweet treat that was hidden inside but unless she could discover the way to adhere her paws to the marble inlay that was the top of the counter there was just no way that she was going to satisfy her curiosity to find out what was hidden from her.

Padding softly to the corner in which she had staked out as hers (and no one elses) did she simply curl up into the smallest ball possible in order to sleep off her disappointment. Maybe if it appeared as if she had behaved herself, she would be rewarded.

There was nothing more that she could ask for in this particular household. She was the spoiled princess, the cream of the crop, and she had everyone wrapped around her little paws. Most times all she had to do was give a forlorn little meow and voila, a lap to curl up into, or hands that would stroke lovingly down her body in the most rhythmic of motions. It was the best life that she could have asked for. Mouse had always known that she would find a good place that she could call her own and when she had been picked out from those that were her siblings it seemed as if her prayers had been answered. She did, however, miss what freedom had been had at the place she had been before. There were many more hidey-holes that she had known about and this apartment, while lovely, was smaller than what she needed to feel like she really was living in a castle like a real princess would.

(544 words)