It was a normal day for Tim. He was a normal house mouse, or to be more accurate, a castle mouse. The castle was five floors high, it was made of stone, it was chilly like the air conditioning was always on, there was a big front door, and there were two towers where the king and his children slept. But not anymore. The king welcomed Tim’s family to the castle, but as of an hour ago, the witch known as the queen (to the mouse family) moved in. When she saw Tim’s family, she was disgusted. She stepped on Tim’s brother, Tom. Then, she brought her ugly cat to the castle. It was scratching Tom with its magical nails, but Tim was able to save him before the cat finished. Now they lived in the junkyard. It was a big place. There were broken down cars everywhere. It was dirty. There was trash all around. Sometimes, there were other animals going through the junkyard. It was usually damp and warm in the junkyard. They slept in a car. It was a nice one. The only problem with it was a popped tire as they could see. They lived on the opposite side of the town. Anywhere was better than living with that cruel woman. Life was a bit rough. Tom was in bad shape. If they didn’t get a magic bear’s potion, he would be sick his whole life with the flu! Tim’s mother, Mama Mouse, called him.

“Tim. Tim, I know you can hear me.” Tim grunted.

“Yes, Mother. I hear you,” Tim said. There was a sound of annoyance in his voice.

“Tim, get your ratty butt over here,” yelled Mama Mouse.

“Yes, Mother,” said Tim.

As he was walking to the kitchen, he thought of what they wanted him to do. Probably wanted him to ask the wizard for help. But everyone knew that the wizard didn’t know any potions. Or maybe to write more mail to the magic bear. But everyone knew bears didn’t read mail. Why would a magical one? Especially when he’s busy making potions. The kitchen wasn’t really a kitchen. It was more a toy table that was purple, round, and big enough to fit the whole mouse family.

“Tim, I have a favor to ask of you,” said Mama Mouse.

Tim was hoping it was to cook grilled cheese because he had a big fear of bears.

“Can you please go to the bear’s cave and ask him for a potion that cures the flu?”

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, thought Tim. Nothing but the bear. But everyone was counting on him.

Then out of nowhere, he shouted out, “Alright!” Tim gulped. Why did he say that???

“Good. I asked the wizard if she could mark trees to the bear’s cave.”

“Why didn’t she go ask the bear for the potion?” asked Tim.

“You know she has a grudge against the bear because she can’t make potions.”

“That’s stupid,” said Tim.

“Go now to get it while it’s late.”

Tim was in the magical forest. It was already nighttime, and Tim couldn’t see, so he went to sleep.

Tim was tired. It had been days on his trip toward the magical bear. He lived here somewhere. Wait, where was he? The wizard said she marked trees to the cave, but he didn’t see any marked trees. His hands were up in the air. Where was he?

“Don’t worry. I know where you should go.”

“Who are you,” said Tim, looking around for the creature that said those words, the words that gave him hope.

“Here, right here!” said a big, dirty tree. It looked almost dead.

“No, don’t listen to him. Go west,” said a small tree.

“No. South!” said the first tree.

“No, no. You are all wrong. It’s north. Hey, hey, hey, where are you going!” said a third tree.

Tim was pacing around. Where should he go? North? East? South? If only the trees could agree. Tim was thinking but getting nowhere. What direction should he choose?

“Follow north. It’s the best way you can go,” said the third tree.

“Alright,” said Tim.

While he was going north, he saw a giant tiger.

“Aaaahhhh!” yelled Tim as he ran away from the tiger. “Stupid tree,” mumbled Tim. As he was walking back toward the trees, he saw the third tree smirking.

“I told you it was south,” said the the first tree.

When he went south, he found a big, dirty wolf who was, of course, hungry. Luckily, Tim had some leftover bacon. He was able to calm the wolf down, but he did get scratched multiple times by the wolf. Rats aren’t pigs, he thought angrily. When he got back to the trees, he saw the first tree giggling as he looked at Tim’s scratches and cuts. Next, he went east. There was a bear trap!!! He went back to the trees. They were all roaring with laughter.

“Stupid rat,” they yelled and went back to laughing. Tim was furious. A rat. A rat? They had the audacity to call him a rat.

“I am a mouse for your information,” he squealed. They ignored him.

Tim went west, as it was the only direction he could go. When he was walking, he saw a big cave. It was the bear’s cave! thought Tim.

When he entered, he heard a rough voice say, “Drink the potion.”

Tim looked around. He found a potion. He drank his bottle of water.

“You may pass. What do need,” said a big, hairy bear.

“Oh, that doesn’t matter right now. Do you want water?” said Tim.

“Oh yes, very generous.” Tim slipped the bear’s own potion in his water.

“Ahh ahh!” He was on fire. He left a patch of fur, and it exploded! It burned Tim’s fur off… THE END.

Oh wait, there’s more!!!

It was December. They were in a cave. It was pretty cold but nice. It smelled like wet fur. They were singing a song. Tim was sitting, singing a song with his family. “Oh Tom is okay, Tom is okay, he has no flu today, yay.” Tim’s hair was all burnt off. He got rest, but he was a bit tired. His family all looked normal. They just looked a bit more joyful. While they were singing, Tim got the biggest problem he faced this whole journey solved! When his family went to sleep, he could rip their fur off and glue it to himself. It was December after all, and if he didn’t have anything to protect himself against the cold, he’d freeze to death. Tim stared at the outside world and waited for his next adventure as the explorer of rats. Finally, the end.

Nope, there’s a sequel.