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 to Addie’s room. She sulks for a bit and gorges on the watermelon that Addie left for us this morning. She eats the entire slice until our teeth are chomping on the rind, red sticky juice all over our whiskers.
With a full belly, I take stock of my glorious nest, my eyes running over each item. Mr. Lug Nut gave me all of my favorite pieces. Which is weird, because I stole from him. My old packmates would’ve either been pissed or challenged me if they’d caught me doing such a thing. We were all very serious about our nests.
But this male...he didn’t just let me steal his pretty lug nut, he brought me more stuff. Strange. Very strange.
My rat is...curious about him, and I have to admit, so am I. I’d love to see him again. Maybe get another whiff or two. Maybe see if he has any more of those gold chocolates...
My rat perks up. Whiskers wiggle. Tail twitches.
Oh no.
Idea forming in her head, she climbs out of the cage, determination sticking to her whiskers right alongside the watermelon juice.
Rat, this is a terrible idea.
Does she listen to me? Heck no.
Rat...don’t you friggen do it!
She does it.
My rat shoves me aside and takes the reins, and then she’s going out of Addie’s room and racing down the ramp even faster than she’s sprinted through the tunnel in my cage.
Like fate decided to take my rat’s side and give me a big fuck you, as soon as I hit the ground floor, the front door magically opens as someone walks in. My rat sprints ahead, dodging between the person’s legs, and then we’re free!
If it were up to me, I’d enjoy this moment.
I haven’t been outdoors and free like this in years. If it were up to me, I’d take a moment to smell the damn roses that just so happen to be planted along the outside of the warehouse. But it’s not up to me, because my rat is being a controlling bitch right now.
She darts down the path, racing under cars and around the building. Following a particular male’s scent, she scrambles towards more warehouses in the distance. Past scruffy grass and dirt trails, I’m driven toward the warehouse at the end—noting that someone has graffitied a giant flamingo on the side of it, with the words, “Update: Single and ready to flamingo!”
There’s a female in front of it, scowling, her hands on her hips as she looks up at the neon pink monstrosity. “Big mouthed asshat puma,” she grumbles at absolutely no one before stomping towards the front door.
I tail her, slipping past her when she opens the door and lets it slam behind her. “That’s it! Whoever it is doing the damn secret graffiti all over the place, I’m gonna kick your ass!” she yells, her voice echoing throughout the wide-open space.
She veers toward the kitchen, looking like she’s ready to clock someone, and I follow her, nose twitching, before turning and racing up the ramp.
This warehouse is the same as Addie’s, but the inside of it is slightly different. Instead of blue paint, this one has green and yellow on opposing walls, the bright colors popping out against the chrome, and it’s furnished with black, modern pieces.
Upstairs is the same layout, but to my delight, most of the bedroom doors are open. My rat leads me to one in particular.
Lug Nut’s scent hits me as I slink past one of the doors, and I slip inside. Looking around, I know it’s his room. Aside from his scent being all over it, this room...feels like him. Which is a strange thought, considering I’ve only actually been around him once, but there it is.
The wall on the opposite side has a single window, and the entire wall is the same shiny metal chrome as the outside, while the other walls are finished and painted a deep blue color. Sunlight is bleeding through gray curtains, revealing a bed, a door to a closet, a mounted TV, and... Is that a tower of tires?