This is a little something I wrote for a little contest for fun (it's over now, so yea). There were some guidelines to follow:
We have a special assignment for you.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us the story of how you would deliver Chinese food to a hungry customer. However, the trip to his house is full of danger and intrigue. During your journey, you encounter:
- A sad whale
- Cupid rapidly shooting arrows
- A road made of bubble wrap
And it turned to this:
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Today was like every other day; customers getting in, ordering their usual stuff and we would ensure they left the restaurant satiated. Chinese food was our speciality! Well, yes, almost like every other day. Today, we got a call, not any call. It was a call through the line reserved for VIM —or if you prefer, 'Very Important Mice'. The Supreme Chief was at the other end and passed an order and he wanted to get a taste of our famous dishes.
I tried to explain that we had too great a variety of dishes to give and that it would be impossible to carry it over to him, but he wouldn't listen. He just wanted the food
illico presto.
I put down the receiver after hearing the click sound at the other end, mouth agape. Did the Supreme Chief really expected him to deliver so much food within the next hour? And why did he call me 'Dim' all the time?
"Tim, get moving! The customers are waiting!" I heard a voice from the other end of the kitchen.
"I-I'll be out delivering an order, Polo, and don't expect me for two hours, at least! I'll be um... running an errand!" I shouted back.
The gears in my mind seemed to be working at last. I sprinted outside, and went over one of those giant bins, where those humans would throw away plastic corks. I sneaked inside and grabbed two pawfuls of them before getting back inside the kitchen. Once inside, I took a little of everything that lay around and assorted them into the corks. After some minutes, I had sixteen corks filled up to the rim with different food and neatly wrapped up in napkins.
Not losing another second, I took all of them to the sardine can I drove. I was thankful I had the biggest one around, for the corks fit just fine in the vehicle. The next stop was the harbour.
"What do you mean the ship is gone?" I shouted to the captain.
He made himself as small as he could, and beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. "A-aye! M-Moby git caught wit' me line and... hehe, me can't git him tah move!" he pointed to the big whale.
'Moby' must have been the whales' name. I got down from my sardine can and approached the monster. "Hey you! Moby! Could you please move it? The ship can't depart with the harbour blocked!"
I received no answer. Now that I was closer, I could see his eyes; eyes that told me he was suffering... Something glittering in the sunlight caught my attention. Was it a fishing thread? I edged closer to the whale, keeping my eyes locked on his and glancing once a while on the thread, but Moby didn't move.
Upon following the fishing thread, I found that it led to his mouth and at that very spot, I could find a small trail of dried red liquid. I grimaced. That must be painful.
With all the spunk I could muster, I tapped Moby. "It's gonna be all right. I'll remove it."
I couldn't believe I was doing something like that... With my two paws, I lifted the upper lip of Moby and let it rest on my head. With my paws now free, I grabbed the hook which was situated in the whale's gum and pulled hard. I could feel Moby tensing up as the piece of metal slowly slid outwards. A little more... but before I could say 'phew', I found myself flying and splatting against the wall, covered in goo and the hook in hand.
"M-Mate! A-are ya okay? T'was hell of a sneeze, t'was!" The captain rushed towards me and helped me up.
I rubbed my head and swiped away the drool on my face. "Y-yeah, thanks. D-Did Moby move?"
"Ah, 'fraid not mate. 'fraid not."
I grumped in dissatisfaction. How was I going to reach the other side? I grumbled and took the longer path round, around the sea trench. It was the only way. I hopped in my sardine can, dropped the hook with its fishing thread still attached to it and drove off.
What awaited me on my route was something I was not expecting. Not at all. Around me, I could find all kinds of couples, lying around, cuddling against each other. It wasn't spring, but yet...
*Chang*
I swerved my vehicle to a stop. Something had hit my sardine can and glancing to me feet, I saw an arrow, with a red heart as arrowhead. My ears twitched upwards when they picked little noises similar to a spring being compressed and then a 'twang'! I ducked immediately, I was being attacked! My paw ran onto the contact and my sardine can and me soon zoomed back through the direction we came through. I could hear more of those arrows closely missing me and homing into the trunk of adjacent trees.
I risked a glanced backwards, and lifting my eyes, I saw him. This clothless little human baby with wings and an arc with those quaint arrows in hand. I was too far now and he didn't seem to be willing to follow me, fortunately. No more able to hold myself, I stuck my tongue out to him.
But with all this, I was back to square one... in front of Moby with no way to get across the trench. I looked down, thinking about all the bad reputation I would be getting when the Supreme Chief will not find me in front of his office within the next half hour. My eyes fell unto the arrow resting on the hook I removed from Moby earlier. "
Unless..."
My paw scooped the weapon and I approached Moby. "I-I'm sorry, but I'm desperate. I hope that this saying about love being blind is true." And the arrow dug into the whale's rubbery skin.
"You have some fine eyes you know?"
I blinked. The female voice seemed to come from Moby. "M-Moby?"
"Oh, my name's actually Claire. I don't know why the captain constantly calls me Moby. But boy, do you know you're cute when you're surprised?"
I could feel my cheeks heating up at the last comment. Whatever! "T-thanks I guess. Um... would you mind moving? I need to get to the other side and can't without the ship," I said, pointing beyond.
"Oh if that's only that, darling! I'll take you there myself in the blink of an eye. Come here!" Claire's gigantic mouth opened.
I flinched. "Darling"? Was she inviting me inside? I suppressed any negative thought away and drove my sardine can onto the gargantuan tongue. My mission was more important right now, and should I fail now, I would fail with dignity.
Without any warning, Claire shut her mouth close and I was left in the dark. I could feel the vehicle and me inside moving, hear the waves outside splashing, but couldn't see where I was heading to. I only hoped I would be where I needed to be soon. The smell wasn't something I think I could bear for too long, even for a mouse. I tapped my containers of food, hoping that the mere reminder of their presence would comfort me during the wait.
Fortunately, the trip was shorter than I anticipated. Claire's mouth opened once again, and I could spot the Supreme Chief's office some distance away. I promptly drove off the whale's mouth and sped away.
"Wait! Where are you going my love?" Claire shouted from behind.
I sighed, before turning to her. "I'll be back soon! Wait for me here!"
She seemed to understand. Good! At least, I had guaranteed my ticket back.
Ahead of me lay yet another trial: this area was infested with the most cunning cats of the whole continent. It wouldn't surprise me if they had traps set everywhere, and it was confirmed when I came to where it started. I slowed down and came to a halt. Bubble wrap. The roads were all made of bubble wrap for some reason. I didn't recall anything of the like since the last time I came here.
All I knew was that I couldn't afford to lose any more time. Every second counted. I stomped on the accelerator and drove straight onto the bubble wraps. With one paw, I steered, with the other, I was holding the containers. With all the bumping, I was all too afraid they might go overboard. All this time, my heart was throbbing vigorously within my chest and I remained alert for any movement within my surroundings.
The 'meow' or 'hiss' I expected to hear never came though and I was close to my destination. I had perhaps been wrong on my assumption with the cats here? I let my guard down, big mistake.
Out from everywhere, shouts and bangs echoed in the suddenly crowded roads. People from all around appeared from nowhere and were dancing and singing and stomping on the roads, effectively causing the bubble wrap to pop in a series of relentless noise.
I knew that if I didn't do anything soon, I would be trampled on flat with the bubble wrap. I rummaged my mind for a solution, any escape route. I was advancing towards te crowd while they, towards me. Without another hesitation, I released the steering whell and grabbed the last item I had with me, Claire's hook.
With my vehicle now gone wild like an untamed horse among a rain of feet, I swung the hook overhead and lassoed an overhead lamp. All signs of hope evaporated when the hook latched instead on one of those dragon-like thing those humans were holding up. The next moment, I found myself and my sardine can rising upwards, pulled by the red doll. I could see everything going in slow motion while I clung tight to the vehicle and the food containers. I could not bear it anymore and closed my eyes. It was over.
Strangely enough, my sardine can and me safely landed on solid ground. As I attempted a peek outside, I found myself on some sort of balcony and the din caused by the humans came from below.
"You are lade by 1 minude, Dim."
I veered my head to see the Supreme Chief seated at his table, looking over the chaos below. I quickly straightened my whiskers, dusted my fur and bowed respectfully. "I-I'm sorry—"
"Whad are you waiding for? Show me whad you've god," he interrupted me. "I will miss de fesdival if you dake anymore delay."
I nodded, averting his stern gaze and promptly served him the food, describing each of them to my best ability. I almost jumped when I unwrapped the containers. They had remained warm despite everything!
The 'festival' wasn't one that I would have liked to see again... It pleased the Supreme Chief, so I guess that was good. When he finished, I took away the empty containers back from his table. "Did you enjoy your meal, Supreme Chief?"
"Dim? Sum."
I cocked an eyebrow. "Er... sorry?" I heard him sigh. Was it probably a mistake to ask?
"How much do I owe you for dis succulend meal?"
"Oh, if that's that." I chuckled quietly. Things turned out better than expected, after all.
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I hope you enjoyed it as much as I had fun in writing it
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