After a veritable orgy of sex the likes of which he could only have dreamed as a 17-year-old human male, Nathan took a break for a nibble at a food pellet and a sip of water from a tube attached to the side of the large cage.
He was dimly proud of himself for his accomplishments. For a little mouse, he had done quite well in getting around and managing obstacles. The concentrated scent of all the female mice crammed into the cage with him, however, kept his little mouse brain distracted. He had the sensation that someone was watching him. As such a tiny creature, a dose of paranoia was a healthy thing. His instincts had, so far, helped him avoid any obvious perils. He just couldn't shake the strange feeling.
As he sucked on the water tube, he glanced through the metal grid and noticed a pane of glass that formed a transparent barrier in the adjacent cage. What he saw caused his little mouse heart to beat faster as his blood almost froze. A great snake's eyes were locked on him, the serpentine head swaying ever so slightly at his slightest movement. A forked tongue flicked from the snake's jaws. He leapt back when the snake struck with lightning fast reflexes. The strike ended only in pain and disappointment for the reptile, which banged its head against the glass of its own container.
Nathan felt his heart race even faster, but he was glad of the demonstration. The snake was quite confined in its own cage. He thought now might be the time to make his own escape, but the rush of fear from the encounter with the snake combined with the exertions from the orgy, his explorations, and a stomach full of food pellets, to make him drowsy.
He saw the ruler/bridge that led out of the cage, but he felt far too tired to make the climb. He didn't even spend time thinking about the merits of a nap. His little mouse body slid effortlessly into the sleep of the exhausted. His whiskers twitched as several of the female mice curled up next to him, forming a warm, furry, cozy bundle better than any blanket.
He was still sleeping when...