Where Dragons Play

Mirror, Mirror #32

"Set your story in a creepy mansion — except nothing horrifying takes place in it."
Word Count: 580.

Dust lay thick upon all surfaces within the abandoned mansion. Elijah and Debbie waved their flashlights around cautiously, listening for any sounds of life—or non-living entities.

"You're sure you saw Pugsley going in here?" Elijah's voice seemed muffled, absorbed by mounds of dust and heavy curtains. "I can't imagine why a pug dog would be interested in this dump. It should be torn down."

"Yes, I know I did! I was walking to school yesterday feeling miserable because he's been lost for two days, and I saw his little behind wiggling through a hole in the crawlspace. I couldn't go look for him because I'd be late for school and I couldn't climb the fence by myself and—"

"And you were too scared to go in here alone," Elijah added with a chuckle.

"Cut it out. You're as scared as I am—I mean, I'm not scared! If Pugsley is lost inside this old house we have to get him out.”

“Right. He could be injured or something. Watch that hole in the floor!”

“Eek, I saw a rat!” Debbie almost dropped her flashlight.

“Chill out, it was just a shadow on the wall. Maybe if we stay real quiet we’ll hear Pugsley. You know how loudly he snores.”

In the stillness, every tiny sound seemed amplified far too much: the scratching of tree branches against the windows, the rushing of wind through the cracks, a creaking groan as the old house settled in the heat, the sudden loud thump and pitter-patter as a squirrel leaped onto the roof and scampered across the shingles.

Elijah peered under a moldy couch and scared out some big black bugs. He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants with a sigh.

"Let's check in the—"

"Hush! What's that sound?" Debbie waved at him. "Listen!"

A faint snorting and yipping echoed from somewhere, combined with a peculiar high-pitched mewing. They followed the sound to the dining room, where it seemed to be coming from under the table.

Elijah gingerly reached out and lifted the edge of the floor-length musty tablecloth, shining his flashlight underneath. Debbie peered over his shoulder.

"It's Pugsley!" She shouted.

"And good grief, he has kittens."

Elijah stared at the four tiny calico kittens who were climbing all over Pugsley. The pug looked at Debbie with a long-suffering snort and a roll of his eyes.

"You enjoying yourself, buddy?" Elijah chuckled.

"He's standing in for their mom. Come on, let's get them all out into the fresh air."

"But wait, maybe the momma cat will come back to feed her kittens."

"What should we do, then?"

"Maybe we should…"

A sharp yowl made them both jump and spin around. A brown and white cat with glowing green eyes stared them down suspiciously.

"Ok, I think we can take Pugsley and go now," Elijah said, edging slowly away from the table.

The cat slunk under the table. Her kittens ran to her side and started nursing, leaving Pugsley free to stand up, yawn, and plod his way towards Debbie's open arms.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" she said. "The momma cat is back and all's well. Pugsley did a good job babysitting her kittens."

"Maybe when they're older we can get them adopted," Elijah said. "But for now, I guess we'll let the mom take care of them here."

"You're a good dog, Pugsley," Debbie said, rubbing behind his ears. He was already snoring, tired out from his adventure.

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