Love Before Breakfast
It was a cold, snowy afternoon, mid-February, and casual conversation spilled from the open-walled break room into the adjacent hall. Rico, a long-eared chipmunk, could hear it as soon as he got out of the elevator. "Who are they...
Squirrel Sutra
"What's on next?" Kody asked, bringing a big bowl of popcorn into the living room. The white-and-black Himalayan rabbit plonked himself down on the couch beside his mate, leaning back and propping his big, furry feet on the coffee table. "Gymnastics,"...
Peachy Keen
"Saw your bosom buddy on the news this morning." Meadow blinked. "My _who_?" "Your big-titted capy friend," Petra said, flicking on the office lights. The plain brown rat then went to the central air controls, turning the cooling unit back on. It was...
Give a Mouse a Cookie
The piebald rat behind the camera held up a furless, pink paw. Then four clawed fingers. Then three. Two. One. The red light on the camera activated. They were on-air. "Thanks, Opal and JR," the handsome red panda with the microphone (Channel 13...
Sugar Cream Pie
It was very early morning, a Saturday. Last weekend of July. The peak of summer. The rising sun, a perfect blood orange just above the horizon, became paler and whiter as it ascended into the clear, blue sky. This caused the long, lingering shadows to...
Piece of Glass
"Can't believe that I did it again ... Wake me up from this nightmare. Cause this monster's wasting me away and taking my days." The mouse was on his side. In bed. Groggy and cold (so cold) and not knowing the time. Not caring, really,...
Personifying the Sun
"I feel like a ... mouse on a wheel," he said, blinking, rubbing his eyes. "Don't." "What?" He blinked. Frowned. Looked to her. "Don't rub your eyes," she whispered. "It'll only irritate them more." Still wearing the frown, Field...
Sign Here
" ... so, he was, like, 'Sign here,' and ... so, I did." "The UPS fur?" "Mm," went Field, nodding, swallowing a sip of cherry 7-Up. He nodded and continued, "So, like, five minutes later, the cover to the ice machine comes undone ... and I...
Under the Gun
The flash lit the room. And even the dust bunnies hid (behind the broom in the corner). Field froze. Standing in the middle of it all. Heart going hammer-hammer. Eyes darting ... from the window to the bed. From the window (which gave a non-view...
Three Words Away
He was three minutes (and three words) away. And his heart was pounding. And it was clear that, maybe ... perhaps ... he was taking a risk. That he was gonna break his heart. Or have it broken by ... well, regardless, it ... Azure breathed. Out...
Peppermint Stick
It was 70 degrees. In Indiana. In November. And it was Saturday. They couldn't stay away from the ice cream shop. "They did. They had it." A smile. A bright, buoyant beam. Opening the car door. "Peppermint?" She peered. "Peppermint...
Rosemary & Thyme
The mouse stared at the wall. Trying to see God in the shadows. Trying to see ... "Field?" "Yeah?" He blinked and exhaled. Bathed in the pale-blue glow of the television screen. "You still there?" "I don't like telephones. I have a...