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Meeting Mavis - #003

Collection

Tales of Mice

Description

Mavis the mouse had a long day collecting crumbs in the floorboards beneath the old king's bed. Each day was the same - she and her many sisters would emerge from the small crack at the bottom of the stairwell that was the passageway into their modest home housing nearly 300 of Mavis's family members. The girls would scurry up the seemingly infinite staircase to go collect food with their empty checkered bags made from leftover fabric used to craft one of the queen's many dresses. Each morning, the girls arrived and jumped into the cracks between the wooden floors just before the king was woken with breakfast delivered to him in bed by one of his many servants. The king was an old fat man who lacked the manners that many royals possessed - particularly, how to eat politely. The girls waited for the crumbs to fall as he haphazardly waved around his morning biscuit, talking to the queen during each bite while she got ready for the day. The sky rained with crumbs and the girls stuffed their checkered bags until they nearly overflowed. Once the king and queen left to begin their day, the girls would trek back down the stairwell to deliver the biscuit crumbs to their mother. On this particular day, however, Mavis dropped her heavy load as she jumped down to the stair below her. The crumbs scattered amongst her feet, tumbling down the stairs past her sisters. As the girls continued on their way, Mavis stayed back to re-collect her gatherings from the morning run. Feeling hopeless, lost, and irritated, she forgot the most important rule her mother always taught her when not in their home - always pay attention to your surroundings. As she reached for another crumb, she came face to face with a large black boot. Fear swam through her body as she slowly looked up to one of the king's maids holding a mop and bucket. Fearful as well, the maid screamed and attempted to end Mavis's life by swatting at her with the sopping wet mop. Mavis was hurdled down the spiral staircase, sliding right back into the air the second she would make contact with a stair. As she flew through the castle, she took in its magnificence, realizing she had never been anywhere but her little home, the staircase, and the king's floorboards. She enjoyed her kiss with death, finding it to be more of a treat since she would get to end her life viewing what she found to be pure beauty. A few moments later, Mavis realized there were no more stairs beneath her and she would soon plummet to her death. She closed her eyes, and to her surprise crashed into the ground seemingly fine. She had managed to fly all the way out the open front door, landing on what seemed like a large cushion. She sneezed as yellow dust covered her entire body, and stood up to look around at her surroundings. The vast garden and blue sky was even more enchanting than her flight through the castle. She questioned whether this was life after death, but looked behind her into the castle, realizing she had actually survived. She looked below her and noticed the stem raising her cushion into the air. Mavis slid down it and marveled at what had saved her life. The world was more infinite than she had ever imagined.