MOUSE TRAP: The Suspect Makes a Statement

Even a low-life intruder deserves to be heard.

Warning: This is the final episode of the MOUSE TRAP, a three-part true story series. It is strongly advised that you read the dramatic first episode, MOUSE TRAP: An Intruder is Discovered in the Garage, as well as the suspense-filled second episode, MOUSE TRAP: When Hard Decisions Need to Be Made, prior to this finale.

Author’s note: Up to this point, this is a true story, told in an uncommon way. Now, for this final chapter, the truth will be mixed with fiction, as I attempt to allow the mouse in question to give his side of the story, in the way that I would imagine a mouse would do. I hope you enjoy.

I am a mouse. My cause is simple. I live to survive. I survive to live.

I don’t have much. I am not able to do much for myself. When it’s cold, I’m cold. When it’s hot, I’m hot.

I don’t ask for much. I live where they live because they have food. They are tall. They are giants. They are scary. But, they have food.

Often, I wait. I watch. When the moment comes, I act.

I had many friends. My friends did as I did. We have no choice. Most of them did not make it.

I almost joined them.

One morning, I acted. I entered a large space where the large trap opens and closes, usually once in the morning, and once in the evening, when the large machine goes out and then back in.

The night before, a small giant dropped something inside the large trap. It was mostly orange with a little black. I have eaten this once before when I was a boy.

It is delightful! Just the right amount of chocolate on the outside with rich, sugary, peanut butter on the inside.

This would be a feast for days.

Unfortunately, I could not resist, and I ate the entire treasure in one day! I could barely move, but I was in a state of complete bliss. I sat and waited for the trap to open, and when it did, I hurried to remove myself from the dark trap.

But, as fast as I thought I could move, my little legs no longer wished to push onward. The chocolatey meal caused an unexpected side effect which left me paralyzed for a short time.

This is how it ends. You can not be seen by a giant. I was right in the middle of the giant trap. My legs would not move.

Then I heard it. A large gasp. The quick movement. Something was about to happen. I had been spotted by a giant.

I heard a loud thump, followed by a softer bump, and then everything went dark. I was a goner.

I awoke, not knowing if it was day or night. It was still dark and getting warm. Was I still alive?

I tried to move, and I was relieved to find that my feet had finally remembered their purpose. I slowly moved forward, but ran into something. I tried again, but was met with the same result.

It seemed that I was in a trap within a trap.

I was grateful to be alive, but I was terrified to speculate on my upcoming fate. I had done nothing wrong. The little giant dropped the treasure. I did not steal. I did not enter the giant's large cave.

Then, it happened. Something touched me! I was horrified! Something was in the trap with me! In the dark!

It went under my feet. Before I could investigate this intrusion further, I felt my whole universe shift. Literally. Without notice, I was in the air, and then immediately back on the ground. Only, this time, it remained light.

I could see!

Not sure of what would happen next, I didn’t move. I wasn’t sure I could even if I had wanted to. While my feet were once paralyzed from overeating, they were now stuck to the ground in fear.

I glanced above me, and saw the same little giant that had dropped the delicious orange item. He must be looking for it! Why did I eat it?!

The little giant spoke, its voice booming, “Look, Daddy! It’s not dead! It’s alive! It’s soooo cute!”

Cute? It cares that I’m alive? What was happening?

The larger giant stared at me for a moment. I stayed as still as I could. I braced myself for whatever would happen.

Suddenly, they walked away. This was my chance. I leaped with every fiber of strength. I tried again and again. No luck.

I heard the cave door open, and the little giant returned, this time bringing two more little giants, the original big giant, and the giant that had placed me in the trap within the trap.

I was surrounded!

I looked up without moving my head, and saw a large waterfall pouring down on me. Still, I couldn’t move. Movement meant death. Then, the giant dropped something light brown into the trap. Peanut butter!

I may have been wrongfully incarcerated, but at least I had water and peanut butter. I waited for the giants to walk away, and I finally was able to take a drink of the water and a small bite of peanut butter. It may have been laced with poison, but at that point, I had no choice. I was SO thirsty.

What happened next may never happen again to another mouse. I was thrilled and terrified, all at once. The giants picked up my trap and brought me into one of the large machines that go in and out of the large trap each day!

I wondered if any other mouse had ever lived to tell the tale of such an occurrence.

The machine moved quickly. Unsure of what was happening, I decided to try to jump again to see if I could escape my trap, or at least get a better look at what the machine looked like on the inside.

As I jumped, one of the little giants shrieked! I think I somehow scared it! Maybe this would help me get free! I jumped again, this time higher!

Just as I thought I may have a chance of making a large enough leap for an escape, the machine stopped, and a large parachute of plastic suddenly topped my trap. Now I really was a goner.

The machine started moving again, until moments later, it stopped. I felt my trap moving, and then I heard, “This seems like a good spot. Looks like a place other mice could live, and it’s far away from any other homes.”

LIVE?!

Did they say live?

The parachute was removed, and I felt the trap move sideways. I blinked my eyes. It appeared that I could just walk right out of the trap. Could this be?!

But…what if this was the trap? Some kind of test?

If I dared to walk out, would I be smashed?

Before I could give it more thought, I heard several loud thumps on the back of the trap, and one of the giants yelled at another. The thumps caused terrible, low-pitched booms within the trap, and without thinking, I burst straight out of it.

When I exited, I found…grass! And a tree!

I went into the grass, and stopped for a moment. I didn’t believe that my sentence was just, but I was grateful to be free. I knew that many other mice didn’t have such luck.

Not wanting to give them a chance to change their minds, I rushed deeper into the tall grass. They stood watching. I looked back, and saw them return to the large machine. The machine moved, and they were out of sight.

I was free. I was alive. I had survived.

That’s what I do.

I am a mouse. My cause is simple. I live to survive. I survive to live.

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