Prompt 8 (Mouse in the House): It’s snowing outside, and it’s going to keep snowing--all night long. They're not calling it a blizzard but it sure does feel like one. The power seems like it’ll stay on, which is good because it’s so cold outside. You’re safe and warm--but you’re not alone. At first, you might not notice anything. Maybe you see something move out of the corner of your eye, or hear something in the other room. It doesn’t take long to find the culprit: a mouse.
A mouse is sharing your living space, your shelter from the storm. On one hand, you don’t know where it’s been. On the other hand, it’s freezing outside, and it has big, sweet eyes. Do you have the heart to kick anything out in this weather? ...Do you really want that thing running around your place unchecked?
Davie grunted as he shifted his weight off his injured ankle. He had recovered from the ice bath, but his ankle was still painful, it had been a bad sprain after all - now it had lessened to a medium sprain. He was on crutches temporarily, and forbidden by the doctor, his foster mother, his sister and his leg from riding his bike, which he loved doing. He sighed.
Laurie had taken some of the kids in the home, that felt like going (including his twin sister Dawn) to see the Nutcracker Ballet (the tickets had been donated). Davie was in no mood to go - (he really would have loved to, but he was a little grumpy due to the pain, and to the pain medication), - niether were some of the younger kids - two to be exact, JJ, and his twin DJ, they were about 13, and one had a sinus infection and the other was behind on homework (Laurie had been prepared to let him off the hook for tonight (it was Friday night and it was the Nutcracker) but he felt more comfortable getting it done tonight - and he didn't like leaving his twin behind either), and so Laurie had left Davie in charge.
Well kind of.. with his leg, he was supposed to resting on the couch - so every 15 or 20 minutes, he'd basically call out to both of them to have them, well .... report. They'd would come out to the couch, and they'd tell him how they were doing and how he could help them, and he would do the same. If one of them should fail to 'report' well then he would have to sent the other after him. If both, well that was what was going on now. He had called out them both and neither answered. After a few minutes, he called again. No answer.
Now, he griped his crutches and shifted his weight, and pulled himself up. He hobbled over to JJ's door, who should be in bed due his sinus infection, but there was no one there. He sighed then hobbled over to DJ's door, which seemed to be wide open, but around a corner. He finally made his way in slowly, quietly, as the boys were standing there with their backs to him, watching something silently. He hobbled forward, and finally saw what they saw - a small, furry, brown field mouse nibbling on a few bread crumbs.
Davie knew Laurie was counting on him to take of a situation like this. What should he do, kill the mouse? That would be the common person's decision. But he wondered what Laurie would and Dawn would think. He also thought about the situation. The mouse looked up at him with large, sweet, sorrowfilled eyes.
In his own mind, he thought there is too much death in the world, for him to be killing innocent creatures. His sister didn't like killing things either - in her words, life was to be celebrated. He thought about his leg - he certainly would not be in any shape to try to catch and kill a speedy agile mouse. He then thought about JJ and DJ - JJ was sick and was also in no shape to catch and kill the thing, and Davie believed that both of the two would be both horrified if he asked them to do it, and tramuatized by the action.
He searched for other options; he looked out the window - no that was just as bad - when did the snowstorm start? (At least the power seemed like it stay on - even though it seemed like it would snow all night). He couldn't let it just roam the house -- and then he caught on the idea.
"JJ," He said in a low voice, so as not to startle anyone, especially the mouse. "I need you to get Dawn's empty bird cage and bring it here, but be very quiet and slow." He knew that Dawn was wanting to get a parakeet, but she would just have to forgive him this once - unfortunately, this took prioirity. He then directed his attention to DJ. "DJ, I need you to get some cheese and some raw veggies and be slow and quiet," he directed, again in a low voice.
He quietly directed them to set a trap (a very humane trap) and together, they manuevered the mouse into the trap and then into the bird cage. They gave him food and water and even some stuff for a temporary nest. Davie assured them they would not kill the mouse. When everyone got home, he explained to Laurie, that killing the mouse at that time, or at any time, would not have been humane, either to the mouse itself or to JJ or DJ. And he had promised the boys, when the cold weather was over, they would release the mouse in a field nearby. He further assuaged her worry, by quoting her own words about the house, "Any creature suffering from the storm of life is welcome to seek asylum here, and find themselves." It definitely was suffering from a storm. She turned out to be proud of how he handled the situation, and would trust him with more such situations in the future.
His twin was not happy or so she seemed at first - he bought her a better birdcage, and a few bird toys for her future bird. It turned out she had been worried about, but she thought he made the right decision. And true to his word, in the spring, when the cold weather was over, his leg was healed, and JJ's sinus infection was gone, Davie, JJ and DJ went to a field on the outskirts of town and released the mouse.