The Adventures of Mr. Whiskers

      Once upon a time there was a little Kadoatie named Tony. He was born at Meri Acre Farms in the hay loft in the barn. He was the youngest of 3 brothers, but he had a little sister named Kaia. They wrestled in the straw and ran through the berry bushes. His favourite to snack on was the Love Berry but Kaia liked the Aquaberries. If they hung around too long the scary yellow Gelert would chase them away with his pitchfork. They occasionally wandered over to the Kacheek that really likes potatoes, but quickly tired of his company. As they wandered home, a cart came over the bridge so they dodged over to the right side and tumbled down into the stream.

      Kaia burst out laughing. As Tony sat up he had a ball of slime roll down his back.

      “Eww get it off, get it off!” Tony squealed as he spun trying to fling the slime off.

      He heard a scoff.

      “I knew you were always a baby, but really?” Duke said.

      “Mom wants us home Kaia, let’s go” Damien chimed in.

      Kaia looked sadly back at Tony and walks up the bank.

      “I’ll prove them wrong.. I’ll show them” Tony said.

      He ran up the bank and went into the neighbouring field. A raindrop fell on his back and he heard a crack. Then the skies opened up and it begin to downpour. He ran faster trying to find somewhere to stay dry and he met a rock n’ roll Wocky.

      “Hey little man. What a gnarly storm eh! Shouldn’t you be at home or something?” he said.

      “I.. I think I’m lost.” Tony mumbled and began to cry.

      “Aw well where are you from?”

      “The farm with the berry bushes! I live in the barn” Tony sniffled.

      “Oh Meri Acre Farms? Radical man. That’s just across the road there”

      “Wow thanks mister!” Tony shouted as he ran towards home.

      He heard a faint reply in the distance but couldn’t hear it over the rain and thunder. As Tony stumbled through the mud and the monsoon he felt something warm splash on his head. But the rain is cold… Tony looked over his shoulder and saw pairs of eyes and a flash of teeth. He just closed his eyes and ran.

      He woke up and curled tighter into a ball to keep out the damp. He slowly opened one eye. Flags? Tony opened his other eye. A big shiny barn?

      “Where am I!?”

      He looked around with amazement at all the new, exciting things. Then he remembered.. what about Kaia, Duke and Damien? What about mother and the barn? He sat and contemplated for a few minutes.

      “Would they even miss me…?” Tony thought darkly to himself.

      Before he could sink deeper into his dark place, the smell of fish wafted by. He got up, stretched, and followed his nose.

      Before long he looked around and was even more lost. There were creepy, rotted trees all around him and the scent of fish was replaced by a staleness. The air was damp and biting cold. He glanced from the left to the right, looking for a nice dry hole to curl up in. Tony found an tree that had split and fallen over. He snuggled into the hole made by the base and dragged some branches to block the hole. He soon fell fast asleep.

      Tony awoke to a strange chewing sound coming from the other side of the log. He peeked around the side of the base to see some little pink rodents eating mushrooms. They had big bulging eyes. He took a step backwards and accidentally snapped a twig. The rodents immediately turned their hungry mouths on him. He took off running towards the big building with the lights on. He found an open window in the basement and squeezed himself through, but his tail bumped it and it swung shut.

      Looking around the darkened room, he heard a groan.

      “Hello..? Is anyone there?” a female voice whispered.

      Tony walked towards the voice.

      “Oh! A Kadoatie! What are you doing here little guy? You shouldn’t be here!” Gilly said.

      Tony scampered away when she reached out for him, but slowly approached and sniffed her.

      “Aw, you must be terrified! Don’t worry, we’ll get out of here! I don’t suppose you’re good at anagrams?” Gilly said aloud.

      “Mew.” Tony answered.

      “Of course. You can’t understand me.. What am I doing..” Gilly chastised herself.

      Gilly stood up, straightened her cloak and lit the lantern. They left the dark room and walked along a narrow pathway. Tony wondered why they kept stopping and entering other darkened rooms but he followed her anyways.

      “Eek!”

      As the floor fell way, Tony and Gilly jumped back into the room.

      “Wow. That was close! I’m glad you’re here with me little guy..”

      They walked along another pathway and entered another room.. Just when Tony thought they were going to be walking forever, the lights came on.

      “We did it!! We solved all the puzzles! Let’s get out of here!” Gilly said as she ran for the door.

      As the sunlight hit Tony’s face he stopped and had a big stretch.

      “Do you want to come with me little guy? Or do you have a home somewhere?” Gilly looked down at Tony quizzically.

      “Mew” Tony replied.

      “Okay.. well I’m headed home, I live on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods if you want to get out of the forest” Gilly said as she started to walk.

      Tony trailed behind her. Not much later they reached the edge of the woods. Gilly leaned down and stroked Tony.

      “Thank you for getting me out of there! I don’t know if I would have been brave enough to do it on my own.” She said as she rubbed his head.

      Tony began to purr. He mewed at Gilly and turned to leave. As he started bounding through the field, Gilly shouted after him.

      “Be safe little guy! Go find a happy family!”

      Tony smiled to himself as he plodded through the grass. He followed the ridge of hills until he hit a small town with a giant hamburger and a big smiling tree. Tony ran and leaped into the nearby pool to bathe himself. When he was finally clean, he lay under a bush by the big tree to nap.

      He awoke to the sound of giggling. Tony sat up and peered across the park. There! Another Kadoatie! He snuck to the other side of the park and watched her. She was climbing all over a Green Draik. The Draik was smiling and it looked like… fishing? With a stuffed mouse? The Kadoatie was mewing and pawing at the mouse as she chased it around the plaza. A feeling of loneliness washed over Tony.

      “Why am I alone?” Tony wondered.

      “Where is my family to play with me and take care of me?”

      Tony wheeled behind the giant hamburger and began to sob. He suddenly realized how hungry he was and started eating the scraps in the trash bin. When he was full, he snuggled underneath a cardboard box and slept.

      When he awoke, he stretched, and thought to himself.

      “If we’re all meant to have families, then I will too.” Tony said to himself with gusto.

      He walked around the front of the building and stopped in his tracks.

      “Is that a giant?” he wondered to himself.

      As the giant stood and talked to a lady, Tony shuffled closer. Suddenly the giant looked down at him. It wasn’t a giant, it was a Maractite Chomby! Tony wandered towards the Chomby.

      “Hey little guy! Are you lost?”

      Tony just stood on the Chomby’s toe and mewed. The Chomby looked over at the lady.

      "Mom, mom can we keep him?!"

      Tony pranced over to the lady, rubbed against her leg, and looked up at her.

      The End.