A Rat on a Mission

Luna wakes up and smells food. Her small nose twitches and she notices that the light has begun to dim in her makeshift den, although the heat of the day still hangs in the air. She feels her stomach rumble and realizes that it has been a while since she last ate. The inhabitants of the building beyond never seem to like her, so she doesn’t venture out much when they’re bustling about. No use being around those who do not want her. But now the sun has begun to set, painting the sky in soft hues, and all has grown quiet. Squeezing out of the place she currently calls home—inside the base of a sculptural rose vase—her feet pad along the painted pavement, making sure to stick close to the side of the building. Soon enough, the wall falls away, leaving only an open patch of concrete. Luna feels her mind start to grow anxious, but she takes a deep breath and remembers the phrase her father always told her: “Better to do it afraid than not do it at all”.

She steps out onto the pavement, feeling the residual warmth seep into her feet. As she walks, her mind begins to wander back to when her father was first showing her all the nooks and crannies of this place. One morning, he woke her up earlier than usual and told her it was time to explore the world. Even just the thought made her heart speed up in panic, but he sat with her until she calmed down. He told her it was okay to be afraid, but the world was so much more beautiful when you faced it head-on.

So they set out together, and he was right: it was wonderful. He showed her all the best places to get food, where the best views were, and where the kind old cockroach lived. But her favorite thing by far was when they passed a wall coated in color, every inch, filled with shapes she didn’t recognize. And yet, she couldn’t seem to pull her eyes away from it.

She is pulled from her thoughts by the sound of muffled cries, and she adjusts her course in search of the source of the sound. Looking around, she sees a big Creature from the building sobbing inside one of their metal beasts. Quietly creeping closer, she wonders why they are alone. She thinks about what she can do to help when something catches her attention—a small flower growing out of a crack in the pavement. Scurrying away, she gently plucks the flower. Now here comes the tricky part. It is dangerous to be in such a clear view of a Big Creature, but this one is sad, and Luna knows it is always good to help someone when they are sad. Ever so carefully she walks towards the beast’s open door, making sure she only goes as far as she has to. She places the flower on the ground, looking up only once before running away. She could've sworn she saw the Creature look down, though. Once her breath has returned to its normal pace, she continues on her trek.