it’s for me because, the first night, it was left beside a Post-it note that had a picture of some mouse ears drawn on it. Rat ears are far superior, by the way.
The first night after my embarrassing run-in with him, I didn’t trust the treasure left on the table for me. I eyed it, wondering if the male was going to jump out and surprise me and possibly punish me for stealing his lug nut. But I didn’t find him anywhere. What I did find was a single piece of chocolate wrapped up in a shiny golden wrapper.
I gorged myself on it right there on the table. I didn’t even have the will power to bring it up to my nest first. I just sat my rat ass down right there and ate the chocolate until my whiskers were covered in it and my stomach ached with a delicious sugar rush. Afterwards, I carried the golden wrapper back up to my cage and stuck it right alongside my lug nut.
The next night, it was a piece of bright blue tinsel—like the kind people use to decorate their Christmas trees. Then it was a small coiled spring. Then a row of M&M’S—one of every color. I have to say, that was one of my favorites. Shiny, colorful, and sweet. It’s like a trifecta of amazingness.
I shoved all six of those bad boys in my mouth and carried them up to my nest. The color faded a bit on some of them where my saliva soaked in, and I accidentally nibbled the corner of the yellow one, but they’re still just as pretty.
I fussed over their placement in my nest for the rest of the night. It took a lot of moving everything around, but the colors make my nest look even better.
Then last night, I went downstairs and found a scrap of shiny metallic fabric—like it was cut from an old windshield shade. I currently have it propped up like a backdrop to my nest, and it reflects everything nicely. My rat pretends it’s a mirror and fluffs herself in front of it every morning. She’s a bit vain.
But the problem is, now that I’ve gotten all of those offerings, I’ve become a bit addicted. I want more things for my nest. All the things. Shiny. Colorful. Pretty. I need it all so that my nest can be perfect.
After the night I found the golden chocolate, the need to fill my nest with more things became my sole focus. Aside from waiting to see what small treasure the male leaves me every night, I’ve also been out hunting to see what I can find myself whenever Addie is away.
So, alongside the gifts in my nest, I also have a shoelace, a penny, a soda can tab, and some cotton balls that I found under Addie’s bathroom sink.
Needless to say, my nest is looking awesome. If there were any other pack rats around, they would be so damn jealous. I practically smirk in my own smugness. Or I would, if my rat was capable of smirking.
Addie is at work right now, and I can hear some noises downstairs, but most of the shifters have left for the day, doing whatever it is that they do. I find myself inching towards the open door.
I peer out, making sure it’s all clear, and then I carefully take myself down the hallway. It’s basically an open balcony with a metal walkway and railings, so most of the bottom floor is visible from up here.
My claws click softly as I walk, but the first bedroom door I get to is shut tight. So is the next one and the next. But the fourth one? That one is wide open.
I dart inside, finding it blessedly empty. I also find it clean. Like, way too clean. Boring clean.
There are two perfectly made up beds, two dressers, and a TV hanging on the wall. Even the nightstands are tidy, with a clock and lamp on one and a stack of books on the other.
Not one to give up too soon, I search around the floor, but it’s like these shifters even vacuum under the beds, because there’s nothing. Not even a dust bunny.
Slightly disgusted, I leave the clean freak room and go look for another one I can sneak into, but every door is shut. Disappointed, I let out a little chuff. There’s absolutely nothing shiny to pilfer around here.
My rat gets a little pissy, feet stomping back