Total pages in book: 215
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 217988 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1090(@200wpm)___ 872(@250wpm)___ 727(@300wpm)
The trap had been set. Now all he had to do was wait for those idiots to take it.
Autumn caught sight of it out of the corner of her eye.
With a scream, she jumped onto the sofa.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!”
Breathing heavily, she stared around the room with frantic fear.
What was she going to do? She couldn’t stay up here forever, but she didn’t know where it had gone. It could be anywhere. It could even be under the sofa she was sitting on.
Quickly, she scrambled onto the top of the sofa, drawing her feet up under her, with her back leaning against the wall.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!”
Her heart raced and she felt ill. Maybe she could walk all over the furniture to get outside, without having to touch the floor. But what did she do once she got to the chair? Make a leap for the hallway? What if there were more than one?
No. Nope. She was just going to have to sit here until Brody arrived home. That was all.
What are you going to do if you need to pee?
Damn. Now she needed to pee.
At least she had Freddy Fox, though. He’d keep her safe. She searched through her pockets. Only to realize she didn’t have the toy.
“Oh no. Oh no.” Her breath came in short pants. She never went anywhere without Freddy Fox. She needed him.
She could feel the room starting to close in, surrounding her, making her feel claustrophobic. Then she spotted Freddy Fox lying on the floor.
Oh no! Poor Freddy, he’d gotten left behind.
“No stuffy left behind!”
She carefully climbed onto the sofa cushions.
It’s just a mouse. It can’t hurt you.
Using one leg, she managed to get hold of Freddy Fox between her toes, then she drew him quickly back. Hugging him tight, she climbed onto the back of her sofa again.
“You’re all right, Freddy Fox. You’re safe.”
She wasn’t sure how long she sat there. But relief flooded her when she finally heard the door open.
“Honey, I’m home.”
“Brody-bear! Save me!” she cried out.
He raced into the living room, skidding on the hardwood floors in his socks. Superman socks today. Cute.
Okay, focus, Autumn.
“What is it? What’s wrong? Why are you on the back of the sofa?”
“Mouse!”
“What? Where? Holy heck!” He raced out of the room.
Where had he gone? Had he left her on her own to fight the mouse?
Then she heard thumps before he appeared with his lightsaber. He’d bought it over with him the other day and had put it in her playroom. He turned it on and it lit up blue. “Where is it? Where’s that mouse?”
“I don’t know,” she wailed. “I saw it about half an hour ago.”
“And you’ve been sitting there ever since?” he asked, moving around while swiping the lightsaber through the air.
“Yes. Wow, you’re really good at that.”
“Thanks,” he said shyly. “I know it’s kind of dumb.”
“Who said it’s dumb?” she asked hotly. “They’re dumb.”
He smiled and fiddled with his glasses. “I love how you always defend me.”
“Of course! You’re my ride-or-die. The Bonnie to my Clyde.”
“Um, I think that might be the other way around.”
“Really? Okay. I never actually watched the movie.”
“No, I meant . . . actually, it doesn’t matter.”
“Oh, what about the sodium to my potassium?”
“Umm . . . well as long as you don’t add water.”
“What? Why?” she asked.
“Causes a small explosion.”
“Huh. That sounds exciting. Can we try that?”
“Well, sure.”
“Yay! Oh wait. I forgot. I’m stuck up here forever because of that darn mouse.” She pouted. “Stupid mouse has ruined my life.”
“I could carry you out of here.”
“But I’m too heavy for you.”
“You’re not too heavy for me.”
“But what if the mouse is in a different room now? What if it’s in my bedroom? In my bed! I’m going to have to burn my bed!”
“You don’t have to burn your bed,” he said.
“Oh my God! There it is!”
“What? Where?” Brody turned around, spotted the mouse, and dropped his lightsaber with a squeal before he high-tailed it onto the sofa with Autumn, settling in next to her. “It was huge!”
“So huge! I’m so glad you’re safe.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing tight.
“That was so close,” Brody said breathlessly. “It nearly had me, Tutu.”
“I know. So close.” She turned, spotting his lightsaber on the floor. “Oh no, you dropped your lightsaber.”
“I know.” Brody gave her a sad look. “It’s lost to me now.”
“Uh-huh,” she agreed. “It’s the mouse’s lightsaber now. Just like my house. We’re stuck living on this sofa forever.”
He sighed sadly. “I really liked that lightsaber too.”
“Brody-bear?”
“Yeah?”
“What’re we gonna do? I don’t want to live on the sofa. And I’ve got to pee.”
“Uh-oh. It has to sleep some time, right?” he asked.
“Do mice sleep?”
His wide-eyed gaze met hers. “Oh no. I don’t know. Maybe they don’t.”
“I didn’t think you were scared of mice.”