Paul crept along the corridor in his son's dormitory, taking extra
care to remain in the shadow of the baseboard that ran along the wall.
The dimly illuminated corridor was eerily silent.
That silence was interrupted by a high-pitched squealing. Paul turned
toward the nightmarish sound only to be met with the sight of an
onrushing rodent that looked the size of a very large dog. The
terrified animal swerved at the last second to avoid its imminent
collision with the tiny, surprised man.
"What the—" Paul muttered in bewilderment as he watched the fleeing
mouse continue along the corridor.
Suddenly, moving with its characteristic stealth and grace, a hunting
feline moved into the corridor. Paul saw the cat's long shadow first
and felt his mouth go instantly dry.
Paul knew now the source of the rodent's terror, and he shared the
feeling. He began to sweat. He was tempted to break into a run and
follow the rodent's flight path, but the cat hadn't detected him yet,
and he didn't want to reveal himself to the creature's finely attuned
senses.
The small predator was nevertheless many times Paul's size, and he
knew that he didn't stand a chance in a direct confrontation with the
cat. His eyes darted around the corridor as he sought some refuge or
something he could use as a defensive weapon. His pulse raced when the
cat took a few steps along the corridor.
That's when Paul saw the shadowy outline on the opposite wall. He
stared in the poor light, but he was convinced he wasn't imagining the
cavern entrance at the base of the far wall. The uneven arch looked
just like those mouse holes in the cartoons.
But, to reach the safety of that chamber, Paul would have to cross the
open stretch of floor between the corridor's walls. He would be fully
exposed to the prowling cat.
The cat was sniffing along the base of the wall. Paul knew the cat had
picked up the scent of the rodent. That trail would lead the cat right
in his direction.
He made up his mind. Paul made a desperate race across the gulf
between the hallway's walls. He heard a startled screech from the cat,
but he refused to look over his shoulder and kept his eyes locked on
the looming archway