Fred

Clutching the last stack of papers in his hands Fred placed them back onto the desk.

That was the last of it.

Standing to his full height he stretched until his back cracked. Releasing a sigh in relief he looked around as he realized that he had done what he had been meaning to do for several months now.

Clean his writing space.

Yet although the floor no longer held any more debris he was still unable to locate the catnip mouse.

He looked at the door. And watched as the cat pawed under it. Her claws outstretched, patting the floor as if trying to find something unseen. All while meowing like an alarm clock whose snooze button was broken.

Shaking his head he briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to be in a cage while a lion roamed free outside of it.

It was rather unpleasant if he was honest. He didn’t like the feeling of being hunted.

Rubbing the back of his neck he checked the floor one more time and still saw nothing.

Groaning, he tried to release some of the building tension from his body. Rolling his neck first side to side then front to back. It was as he rolled his neck up that he caught a bright flash of color from the corner of his eye. Turning his head he found the mouse staring at him as it lay on its side on top of the floating bookshelves with the rest of the long dead plants.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Fred stared at the mouse before lifting his head to the ceiling and letting out a pained aggravated groan.

That finally paused the meowing mid-cry.

Fred walked over to the mouse and snatched it from the shelf. Being careful not to squeeze the still damp toy. Even though the childish part of him wanted to squeeze the little shit and shake it then yell at it like it was alive. But alas doing that would make him crazy.

Instead Fred just breathed and walked carefully to his now clean desk, opened up the bottom desk drawer and moved the now organized files back a little bit. Dropping the mouse in the revealed space. Closing that drawer, oh so carefully, he located the key in the top drawer and used it to lock it. Then dropped the key back into its spot. Before turning to the door. Where the cat seemed to have decided to paw the inside of the door.

Shaking himself, Fred prepared himself.

“Let it go. Let it go. Relax. You got to clean your office so it’s not that bad. It’s actually quite good. So let’s let it go. Just breathe and let it go.”

He repeated this mantra while grinding his teeth. Trying not to think why in the world had he put the mouse up there and if only he had seen it earlier then he could’ve gone to sleep earlier without all this hassle.

Argh!!!

Okay he had gotten off track again.

Breathe in…

hold one two three four five.

Out.

Okay Okay he had this.

Gripping his anger with a strangle hold, Fred stuffed it down into the box in the way back of his mind.

Forcing himself to relax starting first with his feet, legs and thighs and working his way up to his stomach, arms, and hands. Finally he relaxed his jaw and smiled. He could feel that it was forced and fake. But hey, fake it until you make it right.

Huh I wonder if there is more to that saying, thought Fred as he hung onto that fake smile and being careful to keep his bare feet away from the cat’s still searching paw, bending slightly at the waist opened the door.