A Pair of Mozitos

     Oh right, you don’t know who I am. I am Tim, a snow Shoyru, and I live with three younger siblings. Tonntly, a split Lenny, Tara, a red Xweetok and Rain, a Darigan Wocky. My owner is Mango.

     Talking of my owner, right now she was smiling hospitably at the girl who had walked in, while nudging Rain and Tara to stop squabbling and smile.

      ‘Hey there, Ariana!’

     ‘Hey Mango! I came today to thank you for looking after my jelly collection while I revamped my gallery!’ Ariana grinned.

     Huh, we could have done without them; they made the whole place stink, especially the dung one. And I was pretty sure that fish in the fish jelly was looking at me weirdly... I thought.

     ‘Well, since you were so kind to do that, you deserve some presents!’ Ariana started fumbling around in her bag, while Rain and Tara started hopping around excitedly. Tonntly was trying to look cool and detached but looking at his face, I could tell he was curious. Me? Well, I was a little curious too, because she gave out the most quirky gifts.

     ‘Now, as I can see you all like Petpetpets, so... here you are!’ Ariana handed a box tied up with a red ribbon to Rain and Tara, who looked like they would burst from the excitement.

     ‘What is it?’ Tara finally managed to ask.

     ‘A pair of Mozitos.’ Ariana beamed. ‘Also, I have badges for everyone else!’ She handed Mango, Tonntly and me green badges with cups of steamy borovan engraved on them, then spun around and skipped out the door, shouting something to Mango about afternoon tea next Thursday.

     As soon as she disappeared around the corner, Rain and Tara immediately rushed to get the little ribbon off the box.

     ‘No, darlings! Don’t open it! They’ll bite you!’ Mango cried worriedly.

     ‘Yes, they’re dangerous! We’ll throw them in the bin!’ Tonntly said responsibly. He was trying to show Mango how dependable he was, so she would let him walk to Neoschool with his friends.

     ‘You can’t do that, it was a present!’ yelled the pair, holding tightly onto the box. I shook my head, silently opting to stay out of this mess.

     ‘Yeah, a dangerous present!’ shouted Mango, attempting to wrestle the box from the pair.

     In all that kerfuffle, the box slid open. Everyone gasped when they saw it was empty. Where had they gone? What if they bit someone?

     ‘What?! They escaped!’ Tonntly said, ignoring Rain’s mumbled ‘Thank you, Captain Obvious!’.

     ‘DON’T MOVE! YOU’LL CRUSH THEM!’ Tara screamed. I winced and put my hands up to my ears. I would soon go deaf if they carried on like this. And that was when the trouble started.

     Tonntly suddenly screeched at Mango to hold still, and then plucked out something from her hair. He then realised it was only a piece of wool. Then Rain and Tara started hopping around, saying that there was something on their backs itching and biting them, though from my viewpoint there was nothing there at all. Suddenly, Tara let out a loud cry and pointed to the simmering stew on the stove.

     ‘I saw one falling into the soup!’

     Tonntly poured everything out of the pot. Rain and Tara stood to the side, watching eagerly, while Mango groaned and buried her face in her hands, muttering something about how much time it had taken to cook.

     Rain then screamed and pointed to the cupboard. ‘Behind there! I’m sure I saw something move!’

     I winced again. Rain’s screams were as ear-splitting as Tara’s, if not more. Tonntly pushed it over, while Mango watched everything tumble out with a look of despair on her face. Before she could say anything though, Tara screeched and pointed to the ceiling.

     ‘Look, there they are!’

     ***

     After some argument, it was decided that Rain would try to reach it with a towel, while everyone else supported her. Nobody noticed me, though. I didn’t really care; I wasn’t too disappointed at missing out on all the chaos.

     Unfortunately for Tara, Tonntly and Mango, Rain had insisted on wearing her petpet invasion kit, which made her quite heavy. At last, she got the Mozitos, and not a moment too late. The three of them underneath collapsed.

     ‘Oh, faeries above! I think I swallowed it!’ Rain spluttered.

     ‘For Fyora’s sake, SPIT IT OUT!’ Mango, Tonntly and Tara screamed at her. Poor Mozitos, I thought, shaking my head and sighing. The things that happen in our neohome!

     Tonntly then started thumping Rain on the back. That seemed to have done the trick, for she coughed twice and then spat it out onto the floor. They all gathered around, peering curiously at it.

     Then Rain sighed. ‘It’s only two pieces of plaster.’

     Tonntly narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. ‘We need a plan.’

     ‘We’ve got a plan,’ Mango said determinedly, producing towels, sprays, dusters and broomsticks. Tonntly and Mango then started to run around frantically, trying to exterminate the Petpetpets. I sighed. It was up to me to take control. I motioned for the other two to keep quiet, and then beckoned them over. I whispered my plan of attack.

     Later, back at home...

     ‘You guys can stop now!’ I said, with Rain and Tara behind me. But my voice was drowned in a frenzied shouting. Then my jaw dropped, and I surveyed my house. It was utter chaos. Books were littered throughout the hall, the carpet was torn up, and paper was everywhere. I took a deep breath and repeated what I had said in a louder voice. My younger brother and owner stopped and looked at us.

     ‘While you too were busy looking for the Mozitos, I brought Rain and Tara to Ariana’s house. She said that –‘

     ‘... she gave us the wrong box!’ Tara squealed, interrupting what I was about to say.

     ‘And it didn’t actually have Mozitos in it!’ Rain said.

     ‘The real box with the Mozitos is here.’ I pointed to the box in Tara’s paws.

     Mango and Tonntly stared at us incredulously. Then, with a yell, both of them dived onto the box.

     ‘Give that to me. I’ll put them in the trash before they cause any trouble!’ Tonntly announced, scrabbling at Tara’s legs, while she stood on her tiptoes and held it out of his reach.

     ‘You can’t do that; it was a gift! Tell him he can’t do that, Mango!’ Rain and Tara pleaded, looking at Mango with trembling lips and wide eyes.

     ‘I’m sorry, but I agree with Tonntly. It is dangerous, and I’m afraid I have to confiscate it,’ Mango said, putting her hand out for the box.

     ‘No can do!’ Rain cried.

     ‘You’ll have to catch us first!’ Tara pounded off with Rain, with Tonntly and Mango in close pursuit. Then somehow she lost her grip on it and it went sailing into the air. Tonntly pounced on it triumphantly.

     ‘Aha! I’ve got it now!’ he cried, shaking it in the air.

     The box slid open.

     It was empty.

     There was a moment of silence.

     Then Mango screamed. ‘They’ve escaped!’

     Oh dear, I thought, shaking my head. Not again.

The End

Any comments will be much appreciated. =) Also, all the pets are on my side account mangodan.