She had tried everything the convince them to leave. She didn’t want to hurt the little creatures, but something had to give because the deprivation of sleep was making her irrational and cranky. In fact, dealing with the mice was almost as bad as being held captive and tortured by her deranged father. Almost.
Knowing nothing would be resolved in the immediate future, Sophie headed toward the kitchen to make herself a cup of soothing tea. The moment she crossed the threshold of her favorite room and glanced toward the refrigerator, she froze. Igor was making his way toward the peanut butter covered dog food trap she had left for him and his friends. She watched with baited breath as he slowly, methodically, moved toward the trap. Looking at the big guy, she knew he wasn’t the leader of the ring, in fact, he seemed to be the nicest of them all. She hated tempting him, but she needed some rest.
That’s it, Igor. Keep heading toward the light… I mean food. You know you want it. The smell alone is so tantalizing you can’t resist. Once the peanut butter touches your lips, you’ll experience pure nirvana, she thought, doing her best to project them on Igor so he would act accordingly.
When Igor chanted pure nirvana and continued walking toward the trap like a zombie, Sophie squealed in confusion. How had he known what she was thinking? Deciding to worry about that later, she resumed holding her breath until Igor was all tangled up in the trap. Once her prisoner was captured, she’d take him outside and release him. She didn’t want to hurt the little creature, as they were all a part of the Goddess’s plan, she just wanted some sleep and one less occupant residing in her closet would definitely get her closer to her goal. So, she resumed watching in silence as Igor was joined by his best friend Armand. If she were lucky, she’d get two for the price of one trap today.
* * *
“Igor. Stop. It’s a trap, mi amigo. Don’t do it,” Armand ordered. No, pleaded.
Igor stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at his best friend since grade school. “I can’t help myself, Armand. You know peanut butter is my weakness, but when you combine it with dog food, it’s like sex or love. I’m addicted and I have to have it,” Igor whined, hoping his friend would understand his moment of weakness.
“I know, Iggy, but if you get caught, I won’t be able to get you out. Let’s retreat for now and I promise together, we’ll come up with a better, safer way to get your peanut butter dog food.”
“You promise, Armand,” Igor asked skeptically.
“I promise, Iggy. You know I would never break our motto.”
“Motto?” Igor asked in confusion.
Sighing a little in frustration, Armand finally turned to his friend and said, “Yes, our motto. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
When Igor heard the phrase, it was like a light bulb had been turned on. He smiled with joy and said, “I love New Jack City. You’re right, Armand. I am my brother’s keeper. Could we watch New Jack City tonight? I’m in the mood for a little gangster violence. Besides, the clothes and hats Wesley Snipes wears in the movie is off the chain. He was such a hard ass. Know what I mean?”
“I do, Iggy. And yes, we can watch New Jack City tonight. I love movie nights with you,” Armand replied, as he steered his best friend back toward Chez Parée Deux.
* * *
“Wait! You’re going the wrong way,” Sophie hissed in frustration.
If she didn’t catch these two, she would never get any sleep. So, it was time to put Plan B into action and up the ante. She slowly moved to the counter and found the peanut butter spray she had whipped up and released several quick squirts in the air. She had to admit that it was potent even to her own nose. Slowly putting the bottle down, she stood silently and waited for the smell to reach her soon-to-be victims.
“Oh my Goddess, Armand. Do you smell it? That delicious scent of peanut butter that sucks me in every time.”
“It’s not that enticing, Iggy,” Armand replied, as he fought with every fiber in his body not to turn around and high tail it toward the trap.
He wanted that gooey, peanut butter goodness as much as Iggy, but he’d never admit it aloud. To be honest, he was just as much a whore for peanut butter as his best friend, if not more. He loved the way the smooth texture wrapped around his tongue. The crunch from the dog food was simply an extra bonus. Besides, who didn’t love a salty, crunchy treat that left you in Nirvana Heaven?
“I’m sorry, Armand,” Igor said.
“Sorry for what, Iggy?”
“I have to go back. The smell is killing me. It’s so enticing. Even more enticing than Lola,” Iggy whispered before he turned and ran for the trap of goodness. Well, given Iggy’s size, as fast as could be expected.
When the bigger mouse turned and headed back toward the trap, Sophie knew that she was getting closer and closer to a good night’s sleep. Or, at least that’s what she thought. It seemed the little sucker was smarter than she had anticipated. Her nemesis suddenly did a karate kick that released the trap and the peanut butter doggy treat in the air. When he took flight to grab his treat, she had had enough. Quickly moving toward the refrigerator, she swung the door open and made contact.
Ugh! That’s going to leave a mark, Igor thought right before everything went black.
“Bulls-eye,” Sophie yelled in triumph.
Armand watched in horror as the bottom of the refrigerator door whacked Igor in the head. When he hit the ground like a ton of bricks, Armand knew his friend was out for the count. Once his captor finished howling with glee, she suddenly disappeared into the other room. He figured she needed something to dispose of Igor’s body, which meant time was not on his side. Quickly rushing to his friend’s aid, he grabbed Iggy by the shirt color and started pulling for all he was worth. His friend weighed a ton. The longer he pulled, the more it became clear that his best friend needed to go on a diet. Starting tomorrow morning, he was implementing Operation Hot Yoga. If that didn’t sweat the pounds off of Iggy, nothing would.
“Hold on, Iggy. We’re almost there,” Armand whispered in his thick Spanish accent. Although he was tired and out of breath, he knew that it was only a matter of time before Igor’s captor returned. They needed to return to Chez Parée Deux and fast.
* * *
Sophie rushed back into the room with her Mason jar in hand, ready to scoop up her prisoner. Her intent was to take him outside and release him in the woods, but when she looked down, he was nowhere in sight and neither was the peanut butter covered dog food.
Sighing in frustration, she closed the refrigerator door, put the Mason jar on the island and flopped down in one of the chairs in defeat. It was obvious his friend had come to the rescue because he too was nowhere in sight. She had been outsmarted once again.
“So much for my good night’s sleep,” Sophie whispered, as she stood and walked back into the living room.
She was tired, frustrated, and embarrassed by the situation. Maybe if she took a short nap, things would look better when she woke up because at the rate she was going, they couldn’t look any worse.
Mouseketeers one. Sophie zero. Those were the last thoughts running through her head, as she finally dozed off to sleep on the sofa.
Chapter 4
“Sophie. Sweetheart. Wake up,” Sarah encouraged as she gently shook her sister’s arm.
“Leave me alone, mom. I’m tired and need sleep,” Sophie said, right before she rolled onto her other side and went back to sleep.
“Sophie. Wake up, or we’re going to be late,” Sarah said in a sterner voice that finally grabbed her sister’s attention.
Yawning, Sophie opened her bloodshot eyes, turned over and faced her sibling. Her head hurt. Her limbs were heavy. She was still exhausted and frustrated from this afternoon’s failure to capture her nemeses. She simply wanted to go upstairs, climb into bed and sleep for a month. The last thing on her mind was being social. So, she did what she should have done earlier in the day.
“Sarah, I can’t go to dinner. I’m tired and need to sleep. Mayb
e, we can do this another time, when I’m better company.”
“Oh no you don’t. You have weaseled out of this dinner for the last time. Now get up and get dressed,” her sister demanded.
“I’m sorry, Sarah, but I can’t. I’m too tired. All I want to do is go to bed and sleep,” Sophie said, as she burst into tears.
“Aw, honey. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” her sister asked, as she sat on down on the sofa and wrapped her in her arms.
“I’ve… I’ve tried everything known to man to get rid of the mice in my closet, but they keep outsmarting me. I almost caught one of them earlier today, but he got away with the help of his friend,” Sophie cried.
In a gentle voice, Cole finally spoke up and said, “Sophie, do you need me to set out some traps?”
“I’ve set out traps, Cole, but they continue to get away. They’re cute, smart, and sneaky. More importantly, I’m outnumbered.”
“What type of traps are you using?” Cole inquired. He knew he was asking for trouble, but instead of keeping quiet, he ignored the alarm bells going off in his head. Sophie was a part of his family now, which made her problems, his problems.
“First, I tried the bucket trap, but that didn’t work because somehow he got away. Probably with the help of his little buddy,” Sophie groused. “I swear, I feel like I’m in a bad episode of Tom and Jerry.”
“Bucket trap?” Cole asked, obviously confused by the look on his face.
“Yes. You know. It’s where you get a large bucket for the mice to fall into, usually eighteen inches tall, according to the guy in the video. This prevents the mice from jumping out, because believe you me, they have some serious leaping abilities. Then, you connect a plank to the bucket and put a trail of peanut butter all the way up the plank until it reaches the top of the bucket. Once the mouse becomes curious and climbs up after the peanut butter, they’ll discover a rod that’s holding a toilet paper roll with peanut butter on it. Unable to resist the peanut butter, they go after it, start spinning, and eventually fall into the bucket that contains a bowl of oil at the bottom. The oil prevents the mouse from climbing out, which then allows me to set it free in the woods.”
Almost stunned speechless by Sophie’s elaborate trap, Cole eventually cleared his throat and said, “I take it the trap didn’t work too well for you.”
“Yes and No. Yes, in that I caught one of them and was able to set him free. No, in that now the other two won’t go near the contraption. I’ve also tried cheese and peanut butter covered dog food in a trap, but have had very little luck.”
“Hmm. I see. When you set the traps, did you use gloves?” Cole asked.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Well, you see. Mice have a keen sense of smell and can detect your scent on the traps. This may be the reason they’re avoiding them, which is why you should always use a pair of gloves when handling the traps.”
“Seriously?” Sarah asked in a disbelieving tone.
“Yep. They also don’t like cheese. You need to stick with the peanut butter. That’s their food of choice. The dog food is a nice touch as well. The old cartoon images of mice eating cheese are a farce. Hazelnut spread will also work if you don’t have any peanut butter. Their desire for calories also entices them to try chocolate, believe it or not. You might also try to lure them with cotton balls, dental floss, yarn and twine.”
“Cole, I have been using peanut butter, but they keep getting away,” Sophie said in a frustrated voice.
It was obvious his sister-in-law had reached her limit, and he knew he should have kept quiet, but the fixer in him wanted to help her solve the problem, so he opened his mouth and inserted foot.
“If they keep getting away, it’s probably because you’re using too much bait. It allows them to steal the peanut butter without getting caught. You should really only use a pea-size amount. It’s just enough to attract your nemesis, but not so much that they can eat it without springing the trap,” he said in a confident, all-knowing voice.
Annoyed by everything she had obviously done wrong, Sophie glared at Cole like it was all his fault two mice had taken up residence in her closet. When he got the hint and shut up, she said, “Who died and made you the Mouse Whisperer?”
Unfazed by her comment, Cole smiled and said, “No one. Just thought I’d help.”
“Sure you did,” Sophie whispered under her breath. She was trying to be civilized, but Cole’s know-it-all attitude was working her last damn nerve. All she wanted, no needed, was a little bit of sleep. Was that too much to ask for in this day and age. For Goddess’s sake, she didn’t want to hurt the little guys, she just wanted them to take their parties elsewhere.
“Maybe you should try a different trap that’s guaranteed to work,” Cole said, with a sly smile.
Deep in thought, she had almost missed what her brother-in-law had said. “Wait! Did you say there’s a trap that’s guaranteed to work?”
“Of course. You’re not the first person who’s had to get rid of a few mice who like to party all night long. It used to be that you could only purchase these traps online, but fortunately for you, Milo’s Hardware Store carries them now. We could pick up a few in the morning and set them out.”
“Are you serious? Tell me how these traps work,” Sophie insisted, as her face transformed from gloom and doom into pure unadulterated joy. If all went well, she’d be sleeping like a baby in no time. How had she missed someone had invented traps that were guaranteed to catch the little buggers in her closet.
“Well, they look like a mailbox, but they’re oh, so much more,” Cole said. “Like your old traps, you’ll still use peanut butter as the bait. You’ll also need four D batteries. Once you’ve placed the peanut butter at the back of the trap, you flip the switch on and wait. When your intruder goes for the peanut butter in the back of the trap, it will deliver a high-voltage shock that’ll knock it dead on its ass. Dead being the operative word.”
Horrified by the scene that just played out in front of her, Sophie was temporarily left speechless. When she finally regained her voice, she looked Cole in the eye and asked in a low growl, “You mean to tell me that this trap kills the mice?”
“Um. Yeah. But in all fairness, it kills them in a humane and effective way. I’m told it happens so quickly that they don’t feel a thing. Moreover, the great thing about these traps is that they can kill up to ten intruders per setting.” When his sister-in-law gasped in horror, Cole knew he had overstepped his bounds.
“Cole, how could you?” Sophie exclaimed.
“What? We all know that death is a part of life. Let’s face it. Mice are at the bottom of the food chain. They know their fate, just like we know ours. I’m just keeping it real. Besides, at least my traps work. At the rate you’re going, you’ll be throwing an ax at them soon because you’ve lost all your sanity trying to play catch and release with them.”
“I’d rather play catch and release than become a murderer,” Sophie said in a haughty voice.
“Fine. You’re the one losing sleep, not me. I was just trying to help.”
Trying for patience, Sarah finally asked, “Why are you using traps that don't kill the mice, sweetie? I thought you wanted them gone?"
"I do, but I don't want karma to come back and bite me in the ass because I killed several of the Goddess's creations," Sophie replied once again in frustration.
Cole was quiet for a moment, knowing how important it was not to interfere with the sisters’ argument. When it seemed as though they were done, he asked in a frustrated voice of his own, “Should I call Alec and let him know we’re not making it to dinner? Again,”
It was obvious Sophie was mad at them for trying to help. Next time, he’d just keep his mouth shut and let his sister-in-law solve her own damn problems.
“No, I’m going to get dressed,” Sophie said, reluctantly. “Besides, it’d be rude to cancel on such short notice.”
“Fine, then I’ll wait outside. I could use a bit of fres
h air,” Cole replied.
Both women nodded in agreement, as they headed toward Sophie’s bedroom. However, before he made it out the door, Sarah grabbed his wrist and pulled him in for a quick hug and kiss. “Thank you for trying to help her. While she may have thought your solution was a little extreme for our tastes, given that we were raised to protect all of the Goddess’s creatures, I appreciate you trying to come up with a solution. She’ll be better once she gets a little sleep.”
“From your lips to the Goddess’s ears. So mote it be,” he whispered, before taking her mouth in a sensual, seductive kiss that left them both a little weak in the knees. Finding Sarah was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he would do whatever it took to protect her and her family because they belonged to one another.
“It’s Valentine’s Day and I don’t want to fight. Let’s just hope Alec is right and Sophie eventually comes around to the idea of being his mate. Then, he can deal with her mice in the closet and we can go home and have our own romantic celebration,” Sarah said with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Amen to that,” Cole said, as he gave her another quick kiss on the lips before walking out onto the porch for a breath of fresh air.
Forty-five minutes later, the women were descending the stairs in a fit of laughter. Everyone seemed in a better mood and for that, Cole was grateful. It took them another fifteen minutes to reach Alec’s house, which only made them about five minutes late. Surely the man hadn’t started to panic yet, since he hadn’t received a phone call from him.
When they knocked on the door several times and no one answered, Cole started to worry. Gently turning the knob, he opened the door and walked into an empty house. By the scene before them, it was obvious Alec had been expecting company, but he was nowhere in sight.
Magic and Mayhem: Witch With An Axe To Grind (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Magick & Chaos Book 4) Page 3
