Once again, the rats emerged from the storeroom, their whiskers twitching with tension as they scanned their surroundings. With delicate movements, they made their way toward the staircase, their tiny feet barely making a sound against the dusty floorboards. But as they approached the final step, Drink recoiled in horror.

"Oh, God!" Drink exclaimed

"What is it?" Spade whispered, his voice barely audible above the rats' hushed tones.

"The cat!" Drink mouthed, his eyes widened with fear as he pointed towards the sleek black feline lounging by the kitchen door, its ebony fur glistening in the faint light. "The cat!" he repeated, glancing back at the slumbering predator, its rhythmic breaths a stark contrast to the tension gripping the room.

"What should we do now?" Drink's voice trembled with anxiety.

Iza studied the cat and said, "We should leave here; let's keep going." She heaved, not sure if she was ready to keep going.

"No! No!" Rose protested, her voice tinged with panic. "We're doomed."

"We can't stay here indefinitely," Iza countered. "We have to push forward. Staying put won't guarantee our safety," she said again, uncertain if she had said this to comfort the rest or herself.

"What should we do then? If we tried to go back, we might get killed. And moving forward_ _ _" Drink shook his head in dismay. "We might get killed as well," Drink sighed heavily, his determination wavering.

"But we can't stay here either. This place is not promising, nor is it moving backwards. We should go," Iza muttered in the last sentence, looking at everyone with expectation. "We can't stay here forever. We should go. We won't ever know what will happen until we move."

"What are you talking about? Even if we are going to die, what the fuck are you talking about?" Spade cried out.

"We have no time to argue now. We should think of what to do now, or we all die," Rose said impatiently, and everyone kept quiet while Iza glared at Spade, who had always been against her. Curtis scanned everyone's faces, blinking his eyes.

"Let's go!" Drink sprung back into action and peered at the cat.

Slowly, he took the last step. "Come on!" He mouthed to others, and they followed obediently, all holding each other's hands as if they'd turned into each other's life savers. Carefully, they crept to the kitchen door. But damn! The fucking door had no space for them to pass through.

And what now?

They needed to open the door. But how? They all looked at each other in the face as this thought passed through their minds, a sinking feeling settled in the pit of their stomachs. The door stood before them, an impassable barrier blocking their path, and they looked up at the doorknob looming ominously above them.

"It's over." Curtis shook his head, his eyes fixed on the cat; he sat on the floor and scrunched into a ball.

"What the hell are you doing?" Spade snapped, frustration evident in his voice as he kicked at Curtis's prone form.

Curtis jolted upright, his movements jerky and uncoordinated, like a malfunctioning machine.

"We have to find a way." Iza turned to Drink.

"How? How? You caused this!" Spade shouted.

"That's it!" Curtis exclaimed, pointing towards a stool just inches away from the door. "We can use that!"

"Yes, Curtis is right!" Drink agreed eagerly, rushing towards the stool with renewed purpose.

With a coordinated effort, they pushed the stool towards the door, their muscles straining against the weight as they fought to overcome the obstacle.

"Now, who's going to climb?" Rose's impatience rang out, her tone tinged with frustration.

"You should go," Spade suggested as he pushed her towards the chair.

Rose recoiled, her face contorted in anger. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Quiet," Drink glanced warily at the cat as he whispered, "I'll go."

Drink ascended the stool in a deft, his movements swift and sure as he reached for the doorknob.

"You're useless, Rose," Spade taunted, his words dripping with contempt.

"Is that so?" Rose retorted, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she glared daggers at Spade. "And what have you done?"

"Oh! You only got a big empty head, Rose."

"You jerk!" Rose grabbed Spade's ears, twisting them and shook him furiously while Spade squeaked painfully, struggling to free himself.

"Here!" Drink grinned, his voice cut through the tension as he swung the door open, "Let_ _ _ _Oh!"

Drink cried, swinging his arms with eyes filled with horror as Rose pushed Spade against the chair.

"Oh, no!" Iza and Curtis's face exclaimed in unison as the chair toppled over, sending Drink crashing to the floor in a heap.

The cat awoke with a start, its emerald eyes blazing with fury as it fixed its gaze upon the intruders. With a menacing growl, it prepared to pounce, its predatory instincts kicking into overdrive.

"Run!" Rose screamed, bolting towards the safety of the kitchen.

"No!" Iza protested, her concern for Drink overriding her fear. "We have to help him."

"Fine! You go get him," Spade stomped and grabbed Curtis's arm as he made a beeline for the kitchen.

"No, Drink! Hold on!" Iza's voice cracked with desperation as she watched the cat advance toward her friend.

With a burst of adrenaline, Iza slid through the cat's belly, emerging on the other side just in time to pull Drink to safety.

"Drink!" Iza's voice was tinged with relief as she cradled her friend in her arms, her hands trembling with emotion.

"Let's go, Drink," Iza urged, her eyes darting towards the advancing cat. "We have to get out of here before it's too late."