Attacked

It was so frightening. I sustained only minor injuries and am so thankful it wasn't worse. A friend was with me (some of you may know Brittany). She was frightened too but came through without a scratch.

We in no way provoked this attack. I think we both felt some frustration at the injustice of it.

It all started last night when we were hungry. What to eat? As we stood searching my pantry how could we know we were being hunted? Our indecision was probably our downfall. We gave him too much time. We were considering the snack shelf, he must have known this because there he lurked among the baking ingredients.

It all happened so fast. I turned to get Brits' opinion on something. My eyes wandered down a shelf. All heck broke loose. He was so bold! He sat there, on the edge of my shelf, staring at me with his beady little eyes. I screamed. I jumped back. Brits screamed. Jumped to safety on my counter. I jumped to the other side. He taunted us by showing off his skills. He raced along shelf 2. To the left. To the back. To the right again. Over a stack of Betty Crocker frosting in a single bound. Then he leaped down 2 levels and to the left to hide between the jars of applesauce and the canned soup.

With hearts pounding we knew we had to act. I hopped to another counter space where I could use the broom to clear the garbage can out of the way. Brittany grabbed a brown paper sack. " "We'll lay it open on the ground, scare him and he will run into it." Brilliant! We set up our trap, got into position. Brits stood behind the door ready to grab the sack (I think). I approached the canned goods with the end of the broom. Poking, shaking, beating. Nothing. One more prod. Like a flash of lightening he charges us, only I didn't know it because the sack-trap was blocking my view. Brits saw though. She sounded the warning scream. It registered an eighth of a second too late. As I began to fall back, I saw him in a flash and his course was clear. He was charging at me, around the sack-trap! I tried to regain my counter top of safety but I only half succeeded and not before his menacing tail whipped across the top of my foot. I thought I was a goner.

Then he was gone.

Those were the longest 3 seconds of my life. I completely forgot about my friend during the attack. As I pulled myself out of the garbage can (did I mention where I landed when I leaped for the counter and didn't quite make it?) I was so glad to find her safely on the counter. She was gasping for air, a few tears in her eyes, I think she was just relieved it was over. It took me a moment to be able to breathe again as well.

We considered a counter-attack into the closet where he was hiding but decided to let Dean take on the beast when he got home. (Plus, as we cleared out the junk closet it began to feel like cleaning and who wants to do that after being attacked?)

We quickly grabbed some food (yes, our appetites were totally intact) and headed upstairs to safety and Lost.

This morning I have an ache in my foot...probably from his attempt to sever my foot with his tail. Or it could have been from when I fell off the counter into the garbage, I think my foot did hit something. Either way, it's his fault.

Going to buy poison now.

Should I tell my kids that the mouse is hiding in the junk closet that they use for their hide-out?