SUNDAY STORYTIME - 04.07.24
The Same Within
Hi loyal reader!
I have a cute story about two very different characters who chose to focus on their similarities, in order to find peace with each other. It’s a short story, bordering on a children’s tale, that comes from an exercise in my local writer’s group. We had to write a story based on nothing but a random picture. I’ll share my story below, but first I am asking for your help to spread the word about Distant Perspective. It comes with freebies, so read on.
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Thank you for helping get the word out about Distant Perspective! Here’s today’s story.
The Same Within
“I’m supposed to destroy you,” Bogemill says to the little intruder, who sits crouched on his rear quarters. The bite-sized roundish body practically matches the beady half globes of its tiny eyes. Eyes that have no color, save for the darkest of blacks. It’s legs and tail are hairless, short and skinny. The diminutive little guy is clearly scared, yet defiant. He is holding his ground, protectively pinning his ears back. It’s the same posture Bogemill would be employing if he were coming face-to-face with danger. This will be the first of many similarities that will change Bogemill’s course of action, although he doesn’t know it in this moment.
“That wouldn’t really be fair, now would it?” Squeaks Timothy. He is scared, alright. This creature before him is one of those animals that legend claims has devoured many of Tim’s ancestors. He has never seen one of these giants before in real life, but he knows all about them. They can see everything. Look at those eyes. Huge orbs of luminescent colors so mesmerizing that Timothy almost forgets he’s staring into the face of death. Well, that’s what the legend says.
“Cats eat rats,” Bogemill purrs. “That’s the way of the world.”
“Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah,” chitters Timothy. Thinking quickly because his life may well be on the line, he says, “I’m not a rat. I’m a hamster.”
“You look like a rat to me,” Bogemill snaps back. Timothy sees Bogemill’s eyes flare wide open and his front left paw clench. As it does, a collection of razor sharp talons pop out of their sheathes and scrape across the floor softly enough that Timothy can just barely hear it. So the legend about the automatic weapons these monsters carry is true.
“I’m a lot more like you than I am like a rat,” Timothy says. “Look, look! I have fur on my body, just like you. That’s a nice coat you have, by the way.” Always proud of his beautiful, and well-groomed appearance, Bogemill strikes up a purr in response to the compliment.
“Yes, we both have fur,” Bogemill admits through his thrumming purr. The little guy’s fur is shorter, but it does sort of match his size.
“And…and…and,” Timothy stutters. He can see the huge rat-eater (Legend calls him a Cat) is softening his posture. Timothy has only been around a few months, but it doesn’t take a genius to see Cat is becoming less threatening with every point Timothy makes. “And…we’re almost the same color. Look! We compliment each other’s design!”
The large animal sits up, and looks at himself to the left, then to the right. The grey and browns of their furs are nearly identical.
“You’re right!” Bogemill lets the exclamation out in a loud meow that pierces Timothy’s ears with terror. This creature is clearly dangerous, but Timothy no longer fears him. In fact, he is starting to like the ferocious beast. After all, better to have him as a friend than an enemy.
“And I think there are creatures bigger than you that frighten you, just as you do to me,” Timothy states boldly.
“That dog who lives in the yard next door,” Bogemill snorts as his ears flatten backward and his eyes narrow again. He shivers as he remembers, “One time I jumped the fence and he almost ate me.”
“You see!” Timothy exclaimed. “We have fur. We’re the same color. We live with danger all around us. You and I are more alike, than we are different.”
“Let’s be friends,” Bogemill says as his happy purr reaches a crescendo. “Of course, we can still play tag. It would be fun.”
Timothy slaps Bogemill’s pink nose with a bony little front paw, and shouts, “You’re it!”
As the rat scampers across the floor with the cat in happy pursuit, both Bogemill and Timothy realize that, despite their obvious differences on the outside, they are still the same within. Theirs is a friendship that will endure forever.