Things That Go Scratch In The Night

4:40 a.m. scratch, scratch..rustle...rustle....

I am suddenly wide awake and laying very still....trying to hone in on the sound. Did I imagine it?

scratch, scratch, rustle, rustle....

There it is again! And I know exactly where it's coming from...the bags that I have stashed under one of the dressers in my room. But what could be making that sound? A mouse...sounds awfully big for a mouse... Hans Solo? No, couldn't be, he's in his cage and is too small to make that much noise.

Okay...must turn on the light... streeettch...click...light everywhere. Heart hammering and wondering what wild creature is under my dresser.

I am sitting bolt upright in my bed...eyes trained on the dresser. There is no way I am going over for a closer look, it can either come out or go away to whereever it came from...

Wait, I see it..MIKKA!!! It's our grey cat! What the heck is she doing in the house. We didn't let cats in last night! And how did she fit under there? It's not that much space under that dresser...after all, I packed it full of present bags. She comes out, jumps on the bed, purring and all happy to find someone awake to pet her.

I guess she slipped in last night when we were bringing in groceries and no one noticed. Scared me to death she did. It was very hard going back to sleep after that too.