Popcorn

Popcorn

Tib was woken by a smell. He’d never smelled this before, it was intoxicating. Hopefully some kind of food, he’d been fooled before by smells. Soap for instance.

It was not coming from attic, but his parents had taught him how to get everywhere in the house safely. Quietly he snuck out of the nest so as not to wake them. The upstairs rooms were empty. Tib knew the humans were usually awake when it was light, though that’s when mice sleep. He’d decided it was because humans were big and awkward, and probably felt better when they could see more.

Sneaking downstairs, he heard a noise and immediately froze. It was the humans, another laugh, then music from the picture box. Usually Tib loved watching the picture box flicker its bright colors. Today though, it was the smell. That smell was here!

Climbing quietly up on the furniture he looked over the human’s heads. There it was, a huge bowl piled with something making that heavenly smell. Closing his eyes, he drank in the smell.

Suddenly someone shouted “Mouse!” and all heck broke loose. Tib scurried as fast as he could, down, then quickly under the couch. Apparently, the humans had jumped too, the bowl had gone up into the air and spewed popcorn all over the room, even under the couch.

Soon the room settled, the music started again and the humans went back to watching and laughing. Tib stayed under the sofa eating the stray popcorn that had scattered there until he fell fast asleep tucked into a fold of upholstery.

When he woke up the music was gone, the humans were gone and the room was quiet. Tib quickly snuck back to his nest, snuggled next to his parents, and fell back asleep, dreaming of popcorn.