“What do you mean you shrank us,” Brian hissed.
“It was a simple mistake,” Alduous replied. “If I can just recalibrate the parameters, we should be able to return to normal in just minutes.”
“Oh sure,” Brian sighed. “Perhaps you forgot that Mrs. Greenbaum’s cat wants to exterminate us before we can get back to the lab!”
“Well, if you hadn’t tormented the poor feline for the last year, I doubt she’d be so keen on dining on you,” Alduous retorted.
“Tormented,” Brian huffed.
“Yes, for example when you tied that lollipop to her tail,” Alduous reminded him.
“That was just in fun,” Brian retorted. “She understood that!”
“Of course she did,” Alduous agreed. “That’s why she’s out side that hole waiting to make an impeccable meal of you…”
Brian glowered at his friend. Alduous was full of great ideas, and if this one had worked the right way, they would have been too big for the local bullies to pick on them and Laura Miller would have noticed him. However, as it now stood, he was about to be a feline morsel instead of the apple of Laura’s eye. He hated it when things didn’t go according to plan.
“Well, if that’s all there is to it, then you go! I’m sure that old flea bag will love you,” Brian reasoned.
Alduous arched an eyebrow. “You’re forgetting that I have to get to the machine and recalibrate it, or we’re both going to be mouse-sized forever, for as long as that lasts.”
Brian sat down with a huff.
“Think of it this way,” Alduous explained. “When we get out of this and back to well, better than normal, you’ll be able to tell Laura about how you were the one who saved us.”
Brian puffed up at the thought. He stood up and went to look out. The tabby looked huge. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He wiped sweat from his brow and then he was off.
“Here, kitty, kitty, kitty,” he called as he ran.
The cat was after him. Brian ran under the table and dodged between the chair legs with the cat in hot pursuit. Alduous ran the other way and into the other room. Brian hoped he was working fast. The cat ran around, watching him with her eyes.
Before he knew it, the cat had him pinned between her paws. He felt his throat tighten and his heart thumped in his chest. The cat’s nose came close to his head as she sniffed him.
“Be a nice kitty and just let me go,” Brian pleaded. “I promise I’ll treat you much better!”
The cat looked at him and then, to his surprise, let go.
“I’ve got it,” Aldous crowed.
The sound of the machine working carried to Brian’s ears. He breathed a sigh of relief. He’d already learned his lesson, though. You never know when you’ll be on the other side.
Well done my dear!
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