“The Mouse Holes”

6th Grade, 2nd Place

by Jontevia Marshall,

Putnam County Middle School

I never really noticed the tiny doors carved into our manor walls. I just thought they were never fixed up before we moved. They always disgusted me. I hated the wretched things. Every night I would wake up to noises coming from them. I never get any time to sleep.

I’ve set up a trap. I want to know what’s going on in the walls of my house. I have put food out on the floor near every hole. If my suspicions are correct, it sounds like some kind of animal. I am scared, although I make myself believe that I am not.

I wait. I wait and wait and wait, until I finally hear the small scuttles and scratches coming from the wall. I slowly cover myself all the way up to my nose with my quilt. What comes out of the doors is definitely not what I was expecting.

Little creatures with strange bodies move swiftly in a zig-zag motion across my bedroom floor. The things are surprisingly loud despite their small size. I carefully move to the bottom of my bed to peek under and see what’s going on. The creatures weren’t eating like I thought they were.

The disgusting things stood in a circle, moving at the same pace in the same direction. I watched as something started to form in the space between them. I was just about to move locations when I fell from my bed. The scuttling stopped, and each of the creatures ran at me. I was expecting to be hurt, so I shut my eyes as tight as I could, but instead I heard a voice. No, multiple voices. They were all telling me to stand up, so I did. When I finally opened my eyes I saw humans, not the creatures I first saw. I was just about to say something when everything goes dark.

I wake up in what I think is a cave. I feel water dripping all over me. When I stand up, I’m soaking wet. I hear the same voices as before, but I can’t make out what they are saying. I see a big boulder covering my only chance at escape. There was no food, and nowhere to sleep comfortably. I suddenly hear footsteps. I try to hide but I am immediately found. “So, you wanted to spy?” one asks me. I say, “No! That’s-” I try to finish but I am cut off by their laughter. “As long as you’re down here, no one will remember you. You’re a stranger now. To everyone you once knew you’re a stranger.”

That was 4 years ago. I am still here waiting to be let go.