#mousu

IV. The Epic of the Lost Mouse

I live in an old house, full of holes and gaps under the doors and loose floor boards. As you can imagine, when living with a fast little mouse it can be a bit stressful. It wasn't until mouse was 4 months old that I truly understood that stress. I was letting Mousu run around the couch while I watched a film and suddenly she jumped off the end. Unlike domestic mice, wild mice enjoy jumping form great heights and climbing everything that stands still long enough for allow it (and most that wont). I just saw her disappearing onto the floor, then nothing. 

I looked for her for hours and hours, I can't explain how much I cried. I gave up around three am and went to sleep. I dreamed that she came back and woke up crying again. I had classes that day, my mother told me I couldn't skip. I went around to all the food I'd layed out for her and found it untouched. I missed my first class since I couldn't gather up the strength to move off the couch and stop sobbing. I left out a few humane traps out and hoped. When I entered my second class, a math class, I looked seriously fucked up. My professor thought I was a boy and had no idea who i was through the remainder of the class. When I flipped open my notes, I found a picture of Mouse I'd doodled the day before and almost lost it again.

When I got home all the traps were empty. I was beginning to give up. I took a 4 hour bath and when I got out I sat on a chair- on the other side of the house in which I'd lost Mouse. I sat there for a few more hours on the computer, trying to accept that I'd probably never see her again. My cat suddenly became interested in something near one of the closets. I heard a small shuffling and I didn't dare get my hopes up again, but I put the cat out and began to investigate. I called for Mousu and heard nothing, again and a small scuffle. I search the entire closet, pull out all the shoes, calling for her. I gave up and turn around, but something made me turn back

I.

So, firstly we must begin with the night Mousu was found. My mother and I had been digging potatoes all day before the ground frosted over. I had gone inside when it started getting dark to study for my midterms and work on a paper. My mother was harvesting the last of the sweet potatoes which is a pretty arduous process of tilling and trying not to put your hands in spiders. She ran in the door cupping something in her gloved hands. It was a tiny mouse, its head was twice the size of its body. She had apparently looked around for its family but could find none. As I had exams coming up I tried to find another home, however no one had the time. Baby mice require feeding every two hours. I didn't sleep for two days. It was a blur of KMR and caffeine. I spent most of my time letting her sit in her little padded box while i stared at her and researched mouse care. I still remember the joy after 24 hours when she finally started suckling on the paintbrush I was using to feed her. It was arduous.

II.

I left her in my mother's care to take my midterms (all of which were on the same day). I was worried sick and on my way home I was told she seemed to be near death. When I got him I held her in my hand and sobbed waiting for her to finally go cold. She never did. I stayed up all night with her in my hand, I marathoned bob's burgers and Xena. Her condition kept fluctuating, but as the sun was finally creeping over the horizon she seemed to be healthy. Around nine am I could see her eyes just beginning to crack open. 

III.

We were inseparable The next time I had to go to college, I was getting to the neurotic faze of sleep deprivation and I knew I couldn't leave her home again. I took her in my pocket. Occasionally she would squeak and I so I would wiggle around in my chair to cover up the noise. In between my classes, I found a study room to feed her. I ended up with a group of friends in there with me who were a bit stunned but thought she was adorable.