Although the arrivals were very familiar to Nathan, he had certainly never comprehended them from the perspective of a tiny mouse, only a few inches long, while clinging to a branch of holly in the holiday arrangement near the front door. He froze, staring at the entrance of his older brother, Andrew, and his sister, Cicily, into the house. Andrew dropped his bags as soon as he got inside the house, an action that rocked the floor and even shook the branch that his transformed sibling clung to with his tiny paws.
Cicily carried her bags as far as the coffee table, placing them down with a lighter touch. She turned and admired the Christmas tree. All three siblings shared many physical traits. Andrew was taller than all of them, but Cicily was tall and willowy. She had entertained the idea of a career as a model before she applied herself to studies in microbiology. Andrew, on the other hand, still hadn't landed on a major although he had been in college a year longer than his sister.
"Nathan!" Andrew shouted unexpectedly. "You here?"
Andrew's violent breaking of the silence so startled tiny Nathan that he lost his grip on the holly branch, causing him to plummet to the floor.
"Do you have to scream and shout all the time?" Cicily sniffed.
Andrew rolled his eyes. "I guess Nathan's out with his friends or something."
At the same time, their transformed brother had made an attempt to scurry for cover after he fell to the floor. Unfortunately, his sharp-eyed sister saw him. This time, it was her turn to scream.
Her panicked shout drew Andrew's instant attention, and then his scoffing disbelief.
"Are you freaking out because of that little mouse?" Andrew asked, looking down at the mouse that had frozen in its tracks.
"It might look cute, but it's vermin!" Cicily retorted.
"Hey!" Nathan thought, offended at the label.
"Mice spread diseases," the microbiology major responded. "Hantavirus. Salmonella. You ever hear of the bubonic plague?"
"Don't worry," Andrew said. "I'll protect you."
The huge man advanced on the tiny mouse and raised one of his Timberland boots over the terrified rodent.
"Andrew! No!" Nathan squeaked as the shadow of the huge boot engulfed him. "It's me! Nathan! Don't stomp me!"
"Andrew, stop," Cicily ordered.
With a great sigh, he lowered his boot. "What's the deal? I thought it was vermin?"
"But you can't step on it! That's so cruel!"
"Damn," Andrew said. "Why don't you just ask it nicely to leave?"
Actually, Nathan thought that was a great idea, and he scurried away from his siblings.
He didn't get far, however, before his sister brought a big glass vase down, trapping him beneath it.
Nathan squeaked as his momentum pushed him forward. He bit his tongue when he collided with the glass, which caused more pitiful squeaks to express his pain.
"Take it and release it in that vacant lot at the end of the street," Cicily said.
Andrew righted the vase, which caused the little white mouse to tumble to the bottom of the glass cylinder. "Are you freakin' kidding me? Let me just dump it down the garbage disposal!"
"No!" Cicily sounded horrified.
Nathan knew he was in serious trouble. He needed to get back to the Chronivac, but he couldn't do that while trapped in a huge glass vase.
"Just do it, and I'll order us a pizza for dinner," she said, adding as a bribe, "And my treat."
With the vase in his hands, Andrew headed toward the front door. "Get extra cheese," he said.
Meanwhile, their terrified little brother squeaked feebly. "Andrew, please! It's me!"