Slam! My fox based alarm clock went off at its usual time, telling me that it was safe to come out. I wriggled out of my nest and stretched, then took a drink from my pen lid. I would have liked to stay in my nest a little longer, but there was no shortage of things for me to do and only a few hours before Icsarla would be back. Finding some food would be a good place to start, I still had a slab of left-over carrot cake, but I was hoping to save that in case of emergencies. Wiping the sleep from my eyes I stepped out my hole and almost directly into Icsarla's paws.

Adrenaline washed away any residual sleepy feeling as I half dived, half fell out of the way. Her fingers snatched closed, barely missing my tail. I tried to get back to the hole but, before I could get to my feet, I saw her open jaws descending. Again I was just fast enough. For a moment I could feel the heat of her breath on my back, but I somehow managed to stumble forwards and heard her teeth click shut on air just behind me. Not wanting to give her another chance, I ran. Ran on all fours, zigzagging in blind panic. Ran until I reached the far wall and the relative shelter of the table. Ducking behind one of the table legs, for all the good that would do, I glanced back to see if she was following.

“Surprise!” Icsarla laughed. She was still on her hands and knees beside my hole, having made no attempt to chase me across the room. “I've got the day off work, so I thought I'd stay here and play with you.”

“But … I … I heard you leave?” I panted. Gradually my mind started to catch up with the events of the last thirty seconds. In the years before I'd moved in with Icsarla, I'd had my share of close calls, but I'd usually had some idea that I was in some danger before things got this bad. This had to be the fastest a day had ever gone from 'perfectly fine', to 'probably going to die'.

“Yeah, I thought slamming the door might lure you out.” she licked her lips, “You should have been more careful, if you wanted to survive.”

Her use of the past tense set my fur on end. “You … you haven't got me yet.” I shouted back, still trying to get my heart to stop racing. The adrenaline surge might have helped me dodge her teeth, but it was also making it harder to think rationally and, right now, that was what I really needed. The best solution would be to get back to my hole, but she was clearly expecting me to make a run for it. If I could get her away from the hole or distract her, I might have a chance of slipping past. Failing that, I might be able to get to the front door and escape through the letter slot. But to do that, I would first have to get there. Glancing at the only door out of the dining room, I saw that not only was it closed, but that she had draped a coat across the bottom, ensuring that I wouldn't even be able to squeeze under it.

“I pretty much have. You've got nowhere to run, I've blocked off all the ways out the room. You're all mine now.”

“Don't let her get to you.” I muttered to myself. Experience told me that there was always a way out of any situation, no matter how dire it seemed. The longer she was prepared to talk, the more time I would have to think of one but, in order to do that, I needed to keep calm and not allow her to distract me. The table was a short term hiding place, it might make things a little harder for her, but it wouldn't protect me for long if she came close. Crawling under one of the armchairs would get me out of sight, but she could easily move it. Making a run for the chimney seemed promising, except she had already told me that all the exits were blocked. If there was a grating in there, I would be trapped with walls on every side. In that case, I might as well paint 'fox food' on my tail and walk down her throat.

“Please, Icsarla?” I wrapped my tail round my waist and gave her my best persuading expression, “You've got plenty of other food you could eat. Am I really worth the effort of chasing round like this?”

“Worth it? This is fun. I don't often get the thrill of the hunt. Pre-caught prey are nice and squirmy, but there's nothing as satisfying as a snack I caught myself.”

I sudden rush of anger ran through me. “Fuck you.” I shouted back. As much as I was needed to keep control of my emotions, being referred to as a snack was making it difficult. “You're not starving. Even if you never ate another mouse in your life you wouldn't go hungry. The only thing you get out of this is a few moments of amusement. I'm losing my whole life.”

“So? I made the terms of your stay quite clear at the beginning. It's my house, I can do whatever I want to you. You're just a mouse.”

For a moment I was ready to leave my hiding place, to walk straight up to her and … and … There was nothing I could do to her. If I went out there I wouldn't be able to hurt her, I would just make this even easier for her. I had not survived this long by letting my emotions rule me. I breathed out, unclenched my fists, and went back to planning my escape.

There were two ways I could survive this; either I could hide somewhere that she couldn’t reach, my hole being the only obvious place, or I could get out of the house entirely. Escaping the house would be harder, and would leave me stranded in the snow, so for now I would focus on getting back to my hole. To do that I needed to get past her. From the conversation so far I doubted that I could talk her into letting me past, and I had no chance of getting past while she was waiting for me. If I could get her away from the hole for a second I might be able to slip past, unfortunately, I could only think of one way to get her to move.

“Alright,” I stepped out from behind the table leg. “you might as well get this over with then.” I did my best to look resigned and unresponsive while preparing myself to run. A moment or two passed, but Icsarla didn't move. “Well?” I asked, “Aren't you going to chase me?”

“I might do. Aren't you going to come a little closer first?” she replied sweetly.

So much for that strategy, I retreated back between the table legs,. “We're stuck then. You're not leaving the hole, and I'm not coming near while you're there. Do you really want to sit here all day?”

“You're the only one that's stuck, Teslin. I can leave anytime I want. Right now I'm enjoying watching you try to wriggle out of this, so I'm staying put. If it starts to get boring I'll just block up your hole and then come after you.”

“No!” My hole was by far the best chance I had of surviving this. If she blocked it, I'd have to try either the chimney or try to crawl under the door despite her coat. Neither option looked good. “You can't do that. It's not fair.”

“Not fair? I don't recall making any rules about not blocking your holes. Just because you're about to lose doesn't mean I'm cheating.” She grinned sadistically, “In fact, just for that …”

“No, wait.” I needed something to stop her from getting any further. Begging wasn't going to help, if anything it just seemed to encourage her. I needed to give her a good reason that she shouldn't do it. “You said that I had to treat your house with respect right? When you were first setting the rules?” She hesitated, then nodded. “And … And one of the things you told me was that I couldn't make too many right?” Another nod. “Well, so far that's the only one I've made. I haven't damaged anything else, or made any other escape routes. But if I had, then you blocking up that one wouldn't be so bad for me. So … so the reason it isn't fair is that you'd be taking advantage of the fact that I haven't damaged anything, even though doing so would make me safer.”

Icsarla gave me a skeptical look, but after a moments thought it turned into and amused smirk and she nodded. “Fine. It would be a little unsporting to give you no way out, and I admire your quick thinking, so I'll leave it open for now. However, that still leaves you stuck over there and me here guarding your hole, and I am starting to get bored.”

“Well … If you'd like to end this quickly, we could settle it with a chess match?” I offered. If I was lucky, I might be able to turn her apparent love of games to my advantage, “I lose and you eat me, I win and you promise not to eat me today?” It was a pretty big risk, but I had paid attention to yesterday's games and felt I had a chance. It was definitely looking like better odds than trying to get past her.

“You're only saying that cause you know you've lost.” she laughed, “I'll give you credit for your optimism though. You're trapped, running out of time and getting desperate, yet you still tried to bargain for a whole day of safety. If you'd only asked me to let you back in your hole if you won, I might have considered it. But now I think I'm going to reject that as well.”

I swore under my breath. Icsarla wasn't stupid. While I might be able to trick her into giving me an advantage, it wasn't going to be easy. I would have to do better.

“Language like that isn't going to do you any favors either, Teslin. But as you're so desperate to get some kind of advantage, how about this? I'll close my eyes and count to ten. If you're really quick you might be able to slip past me.”

Apparently, she didn't think as highly of my intelligence as I did of hers. Even if she had promised to count to a hundred I wouldn't have taken her offer. From past experience with foxes, I knew that her smell and hearing alone were more than enough to catch me. Her offer was just another attempt to get me within reach without having to leave her place by my hole. Still, if she was going to underestimate me, maybe that could be used to my advantage.

It took me a moment to come up with a plan, and even when I had one, I didn't like it. It was risky but it was the best I currently had. Stepping forward, I nodded, “Okay, deal.” I waited for her to close her eyes and start to count, then broke into a run. Icsarla's ears twitched and swiveled to follow my movement. Despite keeping her eyes closed, I knew she could tell exactly where I was and was ready to pounce the moment I came within reach. Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of getting that close. I wasn't heading for my hole, I was heading for the door.

Of course, she couldn't let me get there either. The coat would slow me down for a few seconds, but after that I would be under the crack and away. Before I had made it half way across the room, she let out a snarl and pounced, eyes still closed, but mouth open and arms outstretched to intercept my path. Having been ready for this, I spun round and scurried back beneath the table.

Somewhere behind me, the fox's front paws slammed against the carpet. There was a frustrated growl, then she lunged towards my new location. She was faster than I was, but the table legs got in her way, forcing her to slow down and crawl on all fours.

Finally I had a chance. Darting out from the table, I ran straight for my hole. Behind me came a crash as Icsarla shoved the chair out her way, eyes now open and determined to stop me from getting to safety, but she was already too late. I squeezed through the narrow opening and collapsed on the floor, panting, trembling, shivering. Relief making my heart beat almost as hard as fear had done. This was surely the worst start to any day I had ever had, but I had survived it and that felt wonderful. Then Icsarla's fingers closed round the tip of my tail that was still sticking out, and dragged me back into the light.

I screamed and kicked as hard as I could, but it was hopeless, dangling by my tail I couldn't even reach her. Even if I could, it wouldn't have helped, Icsarla could eat rabbits, and they were far larger and stronger than me. There was no chance of me hurting her, but I tried anyway. More than anything, I was furious with myself. If I had noticed my tail was sticking out, I could have pulled it in. It would have only taken a second of thought and I could have survived this wretched ordeal.

Icsarla lifted me up to her lips and smiled. “So close, Teslin, but you're mine now.” Her tongue slid out, and ran once round her lips in preparation for me. “It's been fun playing with you, but now I'm going to claim my prize.”

“No … oh please. I don't want to die like this.” I continued to struggle as best I could. Exhausted from the chase, but still trying to get free.

Apparently Icsarla found this amusing. “You just don't give up, do you, Tes? Not that I'm complaining, I like my food wriggly. In fact, if you can keep that up once you're in my tummy, I might even read you a little more of my book while you break down.”

A faint rumble came from her belly at the words. By the sound of it, Icsarla had not eaten any breakfast before hunting me, and her stomach was very much ready for me. “Okay. It was nice knowing you, Tes. If you have any last words, you've got about five seconds before I swallow.” Her mouth opened.

It was not a sight I had ever wanted to see. Her tongue hung out ready for me. The rows of teeth were poised, ready to seal tight once I was inside. The pink flesh of her mouth glistened with drool, leading back to where her uvula dangled over the dark entrance to her throat. Apparently she didn't actually expect me to say anything as I was lifted towards the entrance without any hesitation.

“Aah! No! You broke the rules.” I screamed. Instantly she stopped.

“I have not.” She glared at me, “Stop trying to stall, it isn't going to make any difference.”

“You did. The first time we spoke. You said I was safe as long as I was in my hole. And that's where I was when you grabbed me.”

“You weren't in the wall. Your tail was still sticking out. I didn't reach in after you, I grabbed the bit that was still outside.”

“But most of me was inside. It's your fault that you didn't clearly define what counted as me being inside.” I wasn't really sure if my argument was valid, but I didn't really care. Anything that kept me out of her stomach was worth trying. Even if she eventually decided to eat me, talking meant she wasn't doing so right now. The sight of her open mouth had convinced me that even a few more seconds of life were worth fighting for.

“Well if most of you should be safe, maybe I'll just bite your tail off.” she threatened.

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. “Go on then.” I told her. It would hurt, but I'd survive it. I would much rather live with a missing tail than die in her belly. I just hoped it wouldn't hurt too much.

To my surprise I felt myself being lowered. “I'm not going to do that.” she told me, “There isn't much fun in pointlessly hurting you, and I'll admit that you do make a reasonable argument. You can go back to your hole this time. In future though, you have to be completely inside if you want to be safe. If I see even a toe sticking out, you're mine.”

I didn't try to argue. I was too relieved at the sight of my hole, once again in reach. Without hesitation I scurried off her hand and into the safe, comfortable, darkness of the wall. This time I made sure my tail was inside. In fact I got as far away from the opening as I could, burying myself back into my cozy nest and wishing I had never left it.

“Well, breakfast is down the drain. I guess I'll get something in town.” I heard her mutter, then somewhat louder, “Okay Teslin, I'm going out now. I'll be back in … well, you'll find out.” I heard her stand the chair back up, then footsteps, then the front door bang.

I didn't move. It could be another trick. Even if I had been certain she was really gone, I still wouldn't have left my nest. I was shaking uncontrollably. The adrenaline from the chase was finally wearing off, and as it went the realization of how narrow my escape had been began to sink in. Of all the near scrapes I'd been in, that was by far the worst. Once I had been forced to climb a tree to escape a hungry canine, reached a branch, then lost my footing and very nearly fell to my death. Another time a cat had chased me into a drain pipe. I'd had to sit there for what felt like hours, within a few inches of the predator, waiting for him to get bored and leave.

I'd had plenty of narrow escapes in the past, but this was my first time in a predator's paws. First time I'd ever stared into one's mouth, fully expecting to go inside. If Icsarla hadn't paused to gloat, or if I hadn't remembered the exact words of her promise, I'd be in her stomach by now. The thought caused me to start shivering again. I wondered how long I would be able to survive on nothing but my one slice of carrot cake, because I never wanted to leave the safety of the wall again. Maybe I could find some way to get food into my hole without going outside.

I considered the idea for a while, then forced myself to dismiss it. It was very appealing, but it wasn't possible. Wasting time on pretty fantasies would not increase my chance of survival, I needed to be practical. Getting out of the nest, I went to sit near the entrance. I wasn't ready to go back outside yet, but I needed to face my fear and deal with it in a more constructive way.

I'd faced predators before, I knew how to come to terms with fear. The first step was to work out what I was really afraid of. I was afraid of dying, that was obvious, but it wasn't the only thing that scared me. I was afraid of being eaten. It took me a while to realize that this was completely different from my fear of death. The two went together, as being eaten was certainly fatal, but they were still separate. The thought of being digested alive chilled me in a way that other ways of dying did not. It was irrational as death by ingestion would likely be quicker and less painful than dying outside in the snow, but the emotion was still there and I needed to recognize it.

I was also afraid of Icsarla. There was something about her terrified me in ways that other predators did not. She didn't want to eat a mouse because she was simply hungry, she wanted to eat me personally. She would not have gone to the effort of chasing me round the room for a single mouthful of food, not when she could buy prey from a shop, already caught, packaged and ready for her.

What made my situation even worse was that she saw this as a game, and as I had seen yesterday, she loved playing but hated to lose. The longer I avoided her, the more times I outsmarted or outmaneuvered her, the more determined she would become to eat me and 'win' the game. This was a problem. Living with a fox might be preferable to freezing outside, but not if she was going to get increasingly more determined to kill me. Her current attempts I had survived, but if she really started to get creative, I might be better off in the snow.

The front door opened and closed with a soft click, much fainter than the normal slam. I blinked in surprise and looked at the clock, several hours had passed since Icsarla had left so it wasn't surprising that she was back. It was also good to know that even when she tried to open the door quietly I could still hear it. Moments later Icsarla burst into the dining room, looking round hopefully to see if I'd been caught out my hole. Disappointed, she walked to the table and placed a plastic box on it.

Opening the box, she picked out a round flatbread, and a tub of something white. From my hole I couldn't see clearly, but I could hear something inside the box was struggling, kicking against the sides in an attempt to get free. “Be patient,” Icsarla scolded, “I'll get to you in a minute.” She spread the flatbread with the contents of the white tub, then pulled out a red one and did the same. Finally, she unfastened something and lifted a plump rat out of the box, holding him carefully to make sure she couldn't get bitten.

“No! Please, I'll do any…” he started, but anything further was cut off as she rolled him into the bread, folding the edges round to make herself a tidy looking burrito. After taking a moment to ensure the edges were properly tucked in, she picked it up in both hands and raised it to her mouth.

“Hey, Icsarla?” It probably wasn't a good idea to interrupt her while she was eating, but it didn't look like she was going to swallow the burrito whole, and I really didn't want to see her bite down.

She paused, and gave a very small sigh, before putting the burrito down and turning in her chair to face me. “Yeah?”

“I was hoping we could change some of the rules about my stay here?”

I shrank back a little as she glared at me, obviously realizing that the proposed changes were not going to be in her favor. “The rules suit me as the are, why should I make any changes?”

“Well if you don't, I'll have to leave.”

Icsarla paused for a while, considering this. If I left, she would never get to eat me, and that would mean she had truly 'lost'. At least, I hoped that was how she would see it. “Have you looked out the window today, Teslin?” she asked at last. I shook my head, guessing where this was going. “Well go on then. I give you permission to come out long enough to look outside.”

After a moments hesitation I emerged from my hole, climbed up the curtain to the windowsill and looked out. The street outside was thick with snow and more was falling steadily. Icsarla clearly thought the sight would persuade me to stay but, actually, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. The mouseways would still be open, and there would be tunnels dug under the snow allowing us to travel beneath the surface. My paws still tingled a little at the thought of crawling through icy tunnels, it would be a lot less pleasant that the warmth of Icsarla's house, but it might be safer. The real danger would come as the weather got a little warmer and the snow began to melt. Then the tunnels would start to collapse, the mouseways would be flooded with icy water making travel almost impossible.

I felt the air behind me move, and jumped, spinning round in alarm to find Icsarla standing right behind me. Either I had been more distracted than I had realized or she could move surprisingly quietly for someone of her size. Fortunately she made no attempt to catch me, just stared out at the falling snow. “Are you sure you want to go out there?” she asked.

I shivered, “Not really, but if it's my best chance of surviving, I will.”

“Fine.” she sighed, “What changes would let you stay?”

I blinked in surprise. After showing me the weather, I hadn't really expected her to agree to any concessions. “Well firstly, I'd like you to promise never to block up my hole.”

“Hmm … If I agreed to that, what would stop you from digging holes in every wall? I'd have no chance of catching you if you could run in any direction to reach safety. Not to mention that you'd be doing a considerable amount of damage to the walls that I couldn't repair.”

“My last hole then.” I offered. “You said yourself it would be unsporting.”

“Okay, I guess I can agree to that. At least as long as you're not such a nuisance that I want you out of my house, I promise not to fill your last hole with anything.” She had a thoughtful look to her, clearly searching for loopholes or ways she could turn the rule to her advantage. “In return, you're not allowed to make more than three holes anywhere in my house. Deal?”

I thought for a second, then nodded. So far I had yet to find anywhere that was suitable for digging another hole and, even if I had, the guarantee that one escape route would always be open was worth the restriction. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed movement from the table. Looking past Icsarla, I could see the abandoned burrito wriggling. Already the rat had managed to tear a small slit in the side, and was rapidly working it bigger.

The selfish thing to do would be to tell Icsarla. She would probably much more willing to make concessions once she had a full belly, not to mention that helping her keep her lunch might make her more friendly towards me. Unfortunately my conscience overcame my self preservation. “Secondly, if I do ever do something that makes you want to get rid of me enough to use poison or block up my holes, could you promise to tell me first? If I knew you were going to go to those lengths to get rid of me I'd leave willingly, which would save you some trouble.” I hoped not telling her about the rat wouldn't count as such an issue.

“Hmm, maybe. If I just wanted you out my house, then telling you would be the easiest way. But if you managed to really get on my nerves I might just want you dead, in which case, I probably wouldn't tell you.” She shrugged, “Don't worry about it too much though, I'm actually enjoy having you around, so we're a long way from coming to that. Is there anything else you wanted?”

“Oh, um …” I tried to think of something else to say, to keep her eyes on me and away from her escaping lunch. As it happened, it was unnecessary. Just at that moment the rat managed to pull himself completely out the burrito with a squelch of sauce. Icsarla's ears flicked at the noise and she spun round to see him.

For half a second they stared at each other. Then Icsarla pounced, crossing to room in a single move and slamming a paw down on the rat's space. Too late. In the time it took her to reach him, the rat had already made it to the edge of the table and dived off. Rolling when he hit the carpet, then getting to his feet in time to dart out of the way of Icsarla's second lunge.

From up on the windowsill I had a pretty good view of the struggle. Icsarla was fast and had stamina and strength on her side, as well as a massive size advantage. The rat had quick reactions, and could turn faster. Every time a paw came down, the rat managed to dart out the way and avoid capture. But it wouldn't last long, Icsarla only needed to get one lucky hit and he'd be her lunch. Even if his luck held, Icsarla could wear him out. She was moving as fast as ever, but the rat was already starting to slow.

Finally, she got hold of his tail, a nasty grin spreading across her face as she tightened her grip, clearly thinking she had won. The rat, however, had other ideas. Twisting round he sank his teeth into one of her fingers, and with a yelp she let go. One moment of distraction was all he needed. Running on all fours he darted away, into the fireplace, then up the chimney. A second or so later, there was frantic scrabbling from the wall above the fireplace. So there was a grating in there, that was good to know. Although, very bad for the poor rat.

Sucking the bite mark on her finger, Icsarla shuffled to the fireplace and peered up the chimney. “Come out of there.” she demanded, “You can't escape, and you're just making yourself filthy.” There was no response but some more scrabbling, and a cloud of soot came down, forcing her to jerk back. “Come on. If you come out now I promise to be quick and gentle.” she offered, “One bite and you won't feel anything else.” The silence from the chimney told her what the rat thought of that offer. 

I started climbing down the curtain. If Icsarla couldn't get her intended meal, she might start looking for something else, and she had only promised me safety for long enough to look at the weather.

Shortly after I made it back to my hole, Icsarla gave up. “Urg, fine, you're covered in soot and not really worth it, I'll eat something else.” she decided. She stood up and gave the carpet a miserable glance. Burrito sauce was smeared in a zigzagging line all the way from her table to the fireplace. She gave a frustrated growl then stepped over it, grabbing the box and torn burrito on her way past and heading out the room.

A few minutes after she had gone, she came back with a basin of water and started cleaning the carpet. After mopping up the sauce, she straightened up and dusted herself. “Some day off this has been. I'm going out again, Tes.” She announced, “If that rat leaves the chimney, could you keep an eye on him for me? I'll work out what to do with him later.” She rubbed at the bite-mark on her finger as she said this, then headed to the door.

My own belly gave a soft rumble after she had gone, with all that had happened today I hadn't even thought of getting any food. My eyes fell on the chunk of carrot cake still lying by my nest. “No!” I told myself. “That's for emergencies only.” I could go foraging tonight, once Icsarla was asleep. Even if I didn't find anything, I'd eaten very well yesterday, one day fasting wouldn't kill me. I pushed the temptation aside and went back to my nest, there wasn't much to do except wait until it was safe to emerge.

Sleep did not come easy, and when it finally did I found myself lying on a large slab of bread. Icsarla stood over me, grinning and holding the other slice. I tried to run, but no matter what I did I couldn't escape from the bottom slice. Slowly she lowered the slice onto me, the giant ceiling of bread coming down on my head, forcing me to my knees with the weight.

Vast quantities of bread smothered me, my knees gave out and I was pinned between the two slices. Wriggling as best I could in the tight space, I finally made it to the edge, staring out at the fox's maw as it split open into a horrible gape.

This is a dream, I told myself. I'm not being eaten, I'm safe in my nest, I just have to wake up. For some reason, it didn't seem that easy. The world went dark as Icsarla's mouth closed on the sandwich. I could feel the bread compress as her teeth sank through towards my body.

Thankfully, the thought of being bitten in half was enough to jerk me awake. Shivering, I struggled out of my nest, having to fight with the strands of fluff to free myself. By the look of things, I had been kicking and tossing in my sleep and had managed to get myself quite tightly wound in my nest material.

Getting free, I crawled to where the pen lid was propped against a pipe and took a long drink. My throat was parched, and the cool liquid felt great. More than that, the action helped me stop shaking so hard. Sitting down I reminded myself that I was still in control of my life, I wasn't trapped or helpless, just having bad dreams. Finishing the pen lid, I turned my attention to the lump of carrot-cake. It wasn't surprising I was having nightmares, just this morning I had come seconds away from being swallowed.

I pictured Icsarla's mouth in the dream, and compared it with how she had looked when she had pulled me out my hole. They were definitely the same memory. One that I would probably be seeing quite frequently in my dreams for the next few days. Fortunately, I knew from experience that as the memory faded, the nightmares would become less vivid and less frequent. I just needed to make sure I didn't see anything like that in real life ever again.

I took a mouthful of carrot cake and winced. The cake was still as sweet as it had been yesterday, but had gone dry and crumbly. The soft, moist texture of the cake was lost and for a moment I regretted that I had not eaten more of it while it was still at its best. Still it was all I had, and a picky mouse was one step from being a dead one, I took another mouthful.

I had eaten almost a third of my supply when I realized how dry it was making my mouth. The dregs in my pen lid had helped, but I had still been very thirsty from my dream. Thanks to the dry cake I was now extremely thirsty.

Poking my nose out the hole, I listened for any sound of the house's owner, but the only noise was a faint scratching from the chimney. It sounded safe, but I still wasn't completely sure. Breathing in, I inhaled the smell of the house, the scent of fox was thick in the air, making an instinctive chill run through me. But it wasn't fresh. Even if Icsarla was in the house, she hadn't been in this room recently. Glancing at the clock confirmed that it was about four hours since she had left and I had gone to sleep.

The sensible thing would be to go back to bed and get some more sleep, but my throat was really dry. The thought of waiting however long it would take for Icsarla to return and go to bed, before I could get something to drink, was unpleasant. Before moving into Icsarla's house, I had often found myself going hungry, but very rarely thirsty. There was usually a puddle, or an abandoned can, or drainpipe somewhere nearby. Even if I couldn't find any of those, I'd always been able to head down into the sewers, which were dangerous in their own right, but always damp.

After a few minutes thought, I decided to risk a trip to the sink. Leaving my hole, I headed into the room next to the hall. From here I was able to climb onto the windowsill and peer out. A few cats and other large creatures were walking through the snow, but no sign of Icsarla. This gave me the confidence I needed to dart through the hall and into the kitchen. Climbing onto the kitchen counter I checked the window again. Still no sign of her.

After twisting one of the taps until it dripped, I crawled uneasily onto the metal spigot. I really needed a better way of getting water, I thought to myself. Maybe I could make a small hole in one of the pipes in the wall? That would give me an unlimited supply, but I wouldn't have anyway to turn it off. Icsarla might not mind me taking a little water, but I doubted she'd be any happier than I would if I flooded out my hole. It was all academic anyway, as I didn't currently have any way of making holes in metal pipes. Crawling along the spout with my pen lid, I managed to position it beneath the drips. Finding another way to get water would have to be a priority, this one was ridiculous.

The lid was about half full, when I saw caught a glimpse of movement out the corner of my eye. Through the window, at the other end of the street, a fox was headed this way. It wasn't hard to see who it was, even at a distance I could recognize Icsarla. I dropped the pen lid into the sink, I almost fell in as well in my haste to get off the tap. Heart hammering, I forced myself to slow down. She was still a long way off. I had plenty of time to get back safely, but falling into the sink would be a disaster. It was bad enough that I had just lost my only water container.

Moving more carefully, I climbed off the tap and ran to the counter edge. I didn't stop to turn off the water, there was a chance Icsarla would be angry about it and I probably had time, but I wasn't going to take the risk. Scrambling down to the floor, I ran out the kitchen, past the front door, through the other room and back into the dining room.

There was my hole, I headed towards it but stopped short as two sharp teeth gleamed in the darkness. They weren't as big as Icsarla's, but still large enough to do horrible things to me. “H … Hello?” I ventured to the rat, glaring at me from my home.

“You stay back.” He snarled, stepping half out the entrance. When I had first seen him, his fur had been a pale brown, now the soot from the chimney made him almost completely black camouflaging him in the darkness of the hole.

“But it's my home.” I protested, “I mean, you're welcome to stay for a while. At least until you can get past Icsarla safely, but she's coming home now, and I need to get in too.”

“No you don't.” he snarled, “I saw you sitting on the windowsill talking to her. If you're friends with a fox, then the last thing I'm going to do is let you in.”

“I'm not her friend. She wants to eat me just as much as you.” I was beginning to get desperate. “I helped distract her while you were escaping. If I hadn't interrupted her you'd have been eaten.”

For a moment the rat paused and looked like he was considering letting me in, then his expression hardened again. “Maybe. But the only bit I actually heard was her telling you to keep an eye on me. You're helping her catch people, aren't you? That's why she lets you stay. If you helped me, it was only so you could win favor by selling me out later.”

I began to protest that none of that was true, but at that moment I heard the front door open. I was out of time. Giving up hope of persuading the paranoid rat, I ran and dived under one of the armchairs. As I had noted before, it was a terrible place if she knew I was there, but should be safe enough as long as I stayed quiet.

“Think you're safe under there, mouse?” came the rat's voice, “She'll just push the chair away and scoop you up.” In the distance I heard the front door slam and Icsarla shaking the snow off her coat. Fortunately she seemed to be heading to the kitchen first, which bought me a little extra time.

“Not if she doesn't know I'm under here.” I responded, “Her sense of smell is pretty good, but I don't think it's that powerful.”

“Yeah, but perhaps she'd be willing to let me go, if I told here where she could find a nice mousey snack instead.”

“You're going to tell her?” I glared out at the rat. All I could see of him was a nasty smile and two gleaming eyes frames by me hole.

“Why not? That's what you were going to do to me.” he said, “With a little luck, I'll get your job. Not so nice now the tables have turned is it?”

“I was not …” I stifled my outburst. Now that Icsarla was in the house I couldn't afford to raise my voice. Besides the rat was clearly dead set against me and unlikely to listen to reason. I should focus my attention on a better escape plan. I could try to find another hiding place, but wherever I chose the rat could still reveal me. Whatever I decided it would have to be fast, as I could already hear Icsarla's footsteps coming towards the door.

I fought down a wave of panic, now more than ever, I needed to think clearly. I had no way of getting past the rat and there was nowhere I could hide that would not be revealed. That left trying to persuade Icsarla not to eat me. If she knew I was trapped I would have no chance but, as long as I didn't act like I was in any danger, it was just possible that she would talk instead of killing me. That's why, when Icsarla opened the door, she found me sitting on the table waiting for her.

“Hey.” I waved at her, “I was hoping we could discuss the rules of our game a little more. We kind of got interrupted earlier.” I did my best to keep the fear out of my voice. I needed to keep this as calm and civil as I could.

She raised an eyebrow at me. Not quite the friendly response that I'd hoped for, but at least not overtly aggressive. “Sure Teslin, just let me eat first.” Walking over, she placed two paper bags and a large glass of orange juice on the table. “Want some?” She reached into the bag that wasn't making pitiful noises, pulled out a sandwich and offered me a piece of cheese from it.

I was still more thirsty than hungry. I didn't get the drink I'd gone for and it's amazing how dry your throat can feel when you have to talk to someone who wants to kill you. Despite that, I accepted the cheese, and took a polite bite from it. “Thank you.” I really didn't want to offend her and besides, even with my life at stake, I wasn't in the habit of passing up free food.

Icsarla ate in silence, quickly finishing the sandwich, then reaching into the other bag for a mouse. “Now then, you mentioned wanting to discuss the rules?” Her fingers withdrew with her chosen victim and she dangled the mouse playfully in front of her nose.

For a few seconds, the unfortunate girl struggled in midair. Kicking and jerking as she sought for some way of escape. Looking round, her eyes met mine and I saw the tear streaks on her face. She had been given plenty of time in the bag to think about what was coming and still could do nothing about it. Then she was gone. Icsarla pushed her between her lips and swallowed, the last trace of whoever she had been disappearing with a soft gulp.

“Well?” Icsarla was looking a little impatient, and I realized that if I let myself get distracted any longer I would be next.

Fighting down the urge to panic, I tried to think of something I could ask about the rules. If I'd had time to plan for this, I would have had some questions already prepared, but as it was even asking about the rules had been a last second improvisation. “Well … You agreed not to block up my hole … but what if something else were to stop me from getting in? That's kind of the same thing, right?” I had hoped to avoid mentioning that I was trapped, but Icsarla had been looking more impatient by the second so I had just gone with the first thing on my mind.

Icsarla was not stupid, a nasty smile spread across her face. “No. I don't think it is.” She turned her head to glance at my hole. “Hello? Rat?” There was no reply from the hole so she turned back to me, and drew another mouse from the bag.

I watched helplessly as her latest victim was dropped into her mouth, then washed down with a gulp of juice. I did my best not to think about it too much. There was nothing I could do to help them, and even if there was, my priority was saving my own life. “Yeah, you asked me to keep an eye on him, but he's a lot bigger than me and not letting me back in my hole.” Hopefully reminding her that she'd asked me for a favor would help my case, “So I was hoping you'd help persuade him to leave, then I could have my hole back and we would be able to go back to playing the game?”

She drew the final mouse from the bag and toyed with him thoughtfully, ignoring the terrified squeals as she wound his tail round her fingers. “I suppose I could. But from where I'm sitting it looks like the game's already finished.” She lifted her victim to her lips and swallowed him down, then turned back to me. “So go on Teslin, tell me why you shouldn't join those other mice.”

I took a step back, this conversation could have been going better. “If … if you did that, then you wouldn't get any more fun out of this.” I tried, “I know you're enjoying the game, you don't want it to be over so soon.” I did my very best to sound confident and relaxed, but I knew I wasn't fooling her.

“Maybe so.” she admitted, “But the game has to end some time, and I'm certainly not giving you extra chances just to drag this out. Besides, right now I have a nice plump rat who's taken your hole and may agree to some very similar terms. Honestly, I can't think of a better time to end this.” For a moment she looked like she was going to make a lunge for me, but instead she lifted her glass and took another swig of juice.

“But you promised you wouldn't block up my hole.” I protested, “You're the one who left that rat in here, and he's not letting me get to safety, so …”

“Ha. Sorry Teslin, but that's even more flimsy than arguing that leaving your tail out doesn't count. I've kept my part of the deal. I haven't blocked your hole. What the rat decides to do, and whether you manage to deal with him is entirely your problem.” She finished off the last of her juice, turning the glass thoughtfully in her paws. “Besides, you've had enough second chances for one day.”

“But I …” I didn't get to finish the sentence. Icsarla moved faster than I could react and transparent walls slammed down all around me. I jumped backwards, but was too slow and my back hit against the glass behind me. Frantic, I scrabbled at the smooth surface in a panic, going all the way round the narrow enclosure without finding any place I might escape. Finally, I walked to the side nearest Icsarla and peered out. “Please?” I whimpered.

The vixen grinned at me, clearly amused by her improvised mousetrap. “Luckily for you, I'm pretty full after all those other mice. You can stay under there and keep me company until I decide what to do with you.”

That didn't sound very promising. Better than, “I'm going to eat you now.” but a long way from what I had been hoping for. I sat down in the center of the glass, and watched as she picked up a pile of papers and started writing. For a while I just sat and watched her work while the dregs of orange juice trickled down the inside of the glass. Finally I crawled to one of the larger droplets and licked at it. The drip of juice was extremely sweet, and I would have preferred something more thirst quenching, but it at least took the roughness from my throat. “So … What are you writing?” I asked at last.

“A story I've been working on for a while. I'd offer to read you some, but it still needs a lot of polishing.”

“Oh.” I considered that for a while. It made sense that someone had to write the words in all those books, but I'd never really given it much thought before. “Have you written lots of books then?”

She shook her head, “This is my first. Or will be if I ever get it done.”

“Would you read me some when you get it finished?” I tried.

“I'm not going to finish it tonight, so no. You're not going to live long enough for that.”

So much for hoping she might let me go once she got bored of me. I sighed and sat down in the center of my prison, listening to the clock ticking and the scratch of Icsarla's pen. Talking just seemed to annoy Icsarla at the moment and I was feeling too light headed to think of anything else to say anyway. There didn't seem much I could do but wait and watch the glass walls start to mist over. Gradually something worrying started to occur to me. “Icsarla? How much air is there in here?”

She glanced up from her work, then put down her pen and lifted the glass a fraction of an inch from the table. Cool air flooded back in and I took several deep breaths, my head clearing immediately. I hadn't realized how sluggish I'd become, or how close I'd likely been to passing out. Picking up a coaster in her other hand, Icsarla slid the edge of it under the rim. Now my prison was leaning slightly, and the gaps made by the table and coaster created a few small air holes for me.

“Thank you, that's much better.” I told her. It couldn't hurt to be polite to my captor. Icsarla picked up her pen and went back to work without acknowledging me. “So, what's your story about?” I tried.

She put down her pen and glared at me. “Teslin, the mice I ate for dinner don't keep interrupting me. Maybe if I sent you down to join them you wouldn't either.” she licked her lips threateningly.

“Oh, come on.” I protested “You said you wanted me to keep you company, but when I try to talk you threaten me. If you want me to sit in silence then just say so.”

For a moment she looked furious, then she sighed and put down the papers. “Sorry Tes. I'm struggling with this and it's frustrating, but I shouldn't be taking it out on you.” She shoved the pages aside and turned her full attention towards me. “That said, it's also making me hungry again, so maybe I could do with a quick snack.”

Distorted by the circular glass, the fox's muzzle looked even larger and closer than it should. I backed to the far side of the cup, trying to think of someway out of this. “Well, if you're already going to the kitchen for a snack, could you get me something to drink while you're there?” I tried.

Surprisingly, it worked. Icsarla's face split into an amused grin. “You really are pushing your luck, mouse … but fine. After the amount of effort it's taken to catch you, it would be a bit of a disappointment to gulp you down when I'm not really hungry.” She stood up and walked toward the door “I'll get you your drink, and you won't have to worry about me eating you until breakfast.”

For a moment I just stared after her. I really hadn't expected her to relent. I'd been sure I was only moments from going down her throat. Now I had until morning? It seemed almost too good to be true. Of course, knowing Icsarla, this was probably intended as some sort of torment. Drawing out the time until she ate me in order to get as much fun out of it as she could. Fortunately, I didn't see it that way. If she was giving me until morning, then I had all night to find some way to escape. And by leaving the room, she had already given me the perfect opportunity.

The first step would be to get out of the glass. It was clearly too heavy for me to lift, but by placing the coaster under it, Icsarla had already tilted it a little for me. Reaching as high as I could to get better leverage, I started shoving at the edge of the glass furthest from the coaster, straining to get it to tip just a little further.

Slam! The glass did not tip over, instead it slid a little forwards and the edge dropped off the coaster. Great, now it wasn't even slightly tilted, and my air supply was limited again. Still, I had proved that I could move the glass, if only a little. Maybe I could slide it to the edge of the table and get free that way. The glass was harder to move now that the rim was completely on the table, but by digging my claws into the top of the table I was able to inch slowly closer to the edge.

“What do you think you're doing?” I stopped pushing and collapsed panting as Icsarla walked over. She dropped a packet of marshmallows on the table and rested my pen lid upright against it. Then she grabbed the glass and slid the coaster back underneath. I'd expected her to stop once there was enough of a gap for me to breathe but she slid it completely under, forcing me to step onto the coaster or have it ram against my ankles. Next moment she flipped the glass over, and I tumbled painfully into a heap at the bottom. “Last warning, Tes. If I catch you trying to escape again, I won't wait for breakfast.”

I picked myself up and tried to brush the orange juice residue out of my fur. Moments later the coaster was lifted off the top of the glass and Icsarla lowered my pen lid inside. “I was going to offer you a marshmallow. But they're only for good little mice that don't try to escape.” she told me as I accepted the pen lid from her.

Icsarla munched a few marshmallows as she went back to her writing. I took measured sips from the pen lid and finally quenched the thirst that had been bothering me for hours now. With the glass now the right way up there was no way I could push or tip it. Iscarla had put the coaster back over the top, covering most of opening, but leaving a slight gap for air. Had it not been there, and had Icsarla not been sitting close by, I could easily have jumped high enough to catch on to the rim of the glass. But as it was, my prison seemed more inescapable than ever.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, Icsarla yawned and stood up. “That's enough of that for one night. I'll do some more tomorrow.” She stacked the papers in one corner of the table then picked up the glass. I fell over at the jolt as she lifted and carried me out of the dining room. Just before we left I saw two sharp eyes, peering out at me from what used to be my hole, and I knew the rat was laughing at me.

Out the dining room, through the next room and into the hall. For a moment I hoped Icsarla was going to leave me in the kitchen, where I would be able to plan my way out without risking her seeing. Instead she turned and headed straight up stairs, turning right at the landing and into the only room of the house I had yet to be inside.

Icsarla's bedroom was the largest room in the house. I looked round at the various furnishings, a desk with a computer on it, wardrobe, some kind of filing cabinet, before she dumped the glass on her bedside table and placed a large dictionary on top of the coaster. Without a word she walked back out the room, and moments later I could hear her cleaning her teeth from the bathroom.

Alone again, it seemed like the perfect time to try another escape attempt. Unfortunately, I couldn't even think where to begin. I had no way of moving the coaster, even if I had been able to reach it, there was nowhere obvious to hide, not from someone with Icsarla's sense of smell. And if she caught me trying to escape again, I wouldn't even get until morning to find a way out of this. I didn't want to wait but for now it would be safer to stay put, at least until she was asleep.

Shortly, the door opened and Icsarla came back in. She glanced briefly in my direction, then started to undress. As she removed her shirt I glanced at the pale fur that ran down her front. There was no sign of the three mice she had previously consumed, her body hid all traces of them. “Are they okay? I mean, still alive? The ones you had for dinner?” As soon as I'd said it I regretted it. Whatever the answer was, I really didn't want to know.

She grinned and ran one paw over the curve of her belly.”Not sure. Maybe I should send someone down to check in on them.” She reached for the glass.

“But … But you said I had until morning.” I squealed. There was nowhere to back away to, but I pressed myself against the furthest wall of the glass.

“Yeah, yeah. I know and I'll keep my word.” Her hand retreated again. “I'm just teasing you.” She climbed into bed and dragged the covers over her. “But in answer to your question, two of them have stopped and from what I can feel the last one isn't going to be wriggling much longer either.”

I shuddered, the fur on my arms standing on end at the horrible image. Trapped in total darkness. No way out. Nothing around but the stomach walls, digestive juices, and the bodies of those who succumbed first. Shaking my head I managed to push those thoughts away. Whatever it took, I wasn't going to die like that. I would find a way out of this. I just needed to think. Glancing round, I started to plan my escape. I would need to wait until Icsarla was asleep before acting on it, but I could still work out what to do.

“Of course, you don't need to ask me about it. You'll soon be finding out first hand how long a mouse can survive in my tummy.”

I glared at her. This would be hard enough without interruptions, particularly such unpleasant ones. Giving no response, I turned my back to her, staring towards the door to her room. If did manage to get out the glass, I would need to squeeze under the crack in order to get out the room. It didn't look too hard, but it never hurt to come up with a back up plan. Assuming I could not get out the door, my next option would be to try the windows. Both were closed but there might be a way for someone of my size to open one if I set my mind to it.

“Any thoughts on what I should have you with? I've got some plans already, but I'm open to suggestions.” came the teasing voice from behind me.

I gritted my teeth and said nothing.

“Think you'll be able to hold out longer than these ones did?” She asked, “I could time you if you like, and see how long it takes for you to stop wriggling.”

That last comment caused something to snap. Getting up I turned on the fox. “Do you like seeing me suffer? It's not enough that you're going to eat me, so you have to rub it in as well? What response do you want? If you want to make me cry, just say so. If you want me to beg for your mercy, or tell you how wonderful and clever you are, I'll do it. I'd do anything if I thought you might let me go afterwards. But if you're still planning to kill me in the morning, then please, just shut up and let me have some peace on my last night.” I sank to my knees, wiping angry tears from my eyes, and tried to recover what little dignity I had left. “You've won, fox. You can rest assured that you were better than me at your horrible game. You were cleverer, faster, and stronger than I was, so well done. But please, just give me some peace.”

Icsarla looked shocked at my speech and, for a moment, I thought she might actually let me out. Then her expression turned to anger and she rolled over. “Fine. Enjoy spending your last night in silence.” Within a few minutes her breathing slowed and she soon began to snore.

I waited as long as I dared, to be sure she wasn't faking it. I didn't want to risk wasting time that would be better spent escaping, but I needed to know for certain that she was asleep before I could begin. Finally I picked up the pen lid that was lying empty beside me. Reaching upwards I was able to reach the coaster with the tip. Straining against the weight of the book on top I tried to dislodge it.

Hopeless. I dropped the pen lid and panted as quietly as I could. It would have been difficult to move the coaster before she put the book on top. I doubted I would have been able to push that dictionary, even under the best of circumstances. Still, if I wanted to get out of the glass before morning, I would need to find a way.

Trying a new tactic, I propped the lid against the side of the glass and stepped onto it. Icsarla had left a small opening when she had placed the coaster on the glass, probably on purpose to ensure I had air. By standing on my pen lid, I was just able it get my fingers through the gap and hold on to the rim. The opening was far too small for me to fit through but, if I could just get my nose through, I might be able to chew away the edge of the coaster and widen it.
 
Thud. The pen lid slid out from under me, and I tumbled back down to the bottom of the glass. Getting up, I winced at the bruises and put the lid back in place. I hadn't expected to manage first time, and a few scrapes was a small price to pay for survival. A more pressing concern was waking Icsarla with the noise, but that was a chance I would just have to take.

After six more falls I finally managed to balance long enough to try to gnawing at the coaster, only to find that the hole was indeed too small for me to get at it. Defeated and disheartened, I dropped back down to the bottom and tried to plan my next move.

I wasn't going to get out of the glass on my own. Even if I did find some way of moving the dictionary, the sound of it falling would probably wake Icsarla. The only way I could see of getting out was to get Icsarla to lift the book off. That left me with two options. Either I could try and make a run for it when she removed the book to eat me, but she would probably be ready for that. The other was to find some way of talking her into letting me go. As trying the second would not stop me from trying the first if it failed, I decided to focus on that.

So far arguing with Icsarla had been futile, but I put that down to being unprepared when she had come in. I now had all night to think up an argument that would persuade her to release me. I started going over the rules she had set, looking for some loophole or violation that might get me out of this. The most obvious was that by letting the rat steal my home, she had broken the 'no blocking my hole' rule, but she had already rejected that and told me that I had used up all my second chances for the day. Actually, I might be able to use that to my advantage. If I had 'had enough second chances for one day' then maybe tomorrow I would get more second chances?

Probably not. Another tactic would be to take advantage of Icsarla's love of games. Maybe I could talk her into a game of chess for my life. It hadn't worked when I had tried it this morning, but that was because she had felt she had nothing to gain from it. If I could think of something to offer her, I might still be able to get out of this. Head full of half finished plans, and listening to the clock ticking away the seconds until dawn, I spent what felt like the longest night of my life sitting in that glass.