Dread
Agatha's heart was racing from the struggle. It took all of her strength to get the stray cat into her net. Now that it couldn't get away, she had to carefully remove the peanut butter jar from its head.
With a bit of a struggle through the net, the jar popped off of its head. But Agatha's brief triumph was replaced with dread as she stared at the long teeth of the animal and realized it was no cat.
New House
Agatha knew she had made the right choice moving to a small town in Minnesota. She was used to living in Chicago her whole life, and this was just the change of pace she needed. She could even afford a beautiful house.
She felt that her life was finally falling into place, but she had no idea what difficult decision she would be faced with just a few days after moving in.
Agatha Sori
Agatha Sori was a bright-minded individual who dreamed of giving humanitarian aid even from a young age. She wanted to help people more than anything. While in high school, she volunteered at animal shelters and helplines, but her biggest dream was still ahead of her.
Her dream was to find a job that allowed her to pursue her passion. Straight out of high school, she found the perfect career.
Psychology
She studied psychology straight out of school. Her reasoning would be that she could help troubled individuals work their way through any problems. She'd also be able to pay off the student loans once she was qualified.
It was a rigorous six years, but after getting her bachelor's degree, honors degree, and master's degree, she was a qualified psychologist ready to help anyone that needed it.
Moving Out Of The City
Three years after finishing her degree, Agatha decided to move to a new city. She felt she had outgrown her hometown and looked to another state nearby - Minnesota. She had family there that told her it was an amazing place to live.
She decided to take the plunge and buy a beautiful house surrounded by nature. It took a few months to move everything across, but she was excited to live in her new city. But she had no idea what would happen on this new property.
Wildlife
Her new property was surrounded by nature. The small town in Minnesota seemed to offer her everything that Chicago didn't have. There were raccoons that would skulk around her porch at night and even local stray cats.
Agatha would leave some cat food out every night for the stray felines. She was a big animal lover and wanted their lives to be easier. But she was welcoming something into her life that she wasn't aware of.
Late Night
After a busy day of seeing clients, doing shopping, and then making dinner, Agatha was beyond tired. Despite this, she still decided to work on her psychology thesis. She checked the clock after making some progress and saw it was 12 o'clock.
She needed some sleep, so she put out the usual cat food and even put some peanut butter in the mix as a special treat for the strays. But she made one mistake in her tired state that she'd learn to regret. She left the peanut butter out on the porch.
It Was Gone
Agatha woke up the next morning and got dressed. Thankfully it was her day off, and she could relax. But when she walked out onto the porch, expecting to see the peanut butter jar empty and eaten, she saw something much more alarming.
The jar wasn't anywhere to be seen. She remembered that she'd left it out there, but something had happened to it. Then she heard an animal cry out for help.
Trapped
Agatha whipped around, and her heart sank. She saw that one of the strays had gotten the jar stuck on its head. She knew she needed to help. But it was so skittish that it would run away if she weren't careful.
She had to think of a plan to get close enough to get the jar off of the cat's head. She didn't like leaving the cat alone, but she knew it would just run away if she tried now. She had to go get some supplies. But she was making a mistake.
A Net
After an hour out of the house, she finally arrived back home with a large net. She would have to be quick now that time was running out. She looked around for the poor animal until she finally saw it pop up from underneath her porch.
She leaped forward with the net and managed to get it over the animal. Now it was time to pull the jar off of its head. But she could never have prepared herself for what happened next.
Not A Cat
Agatha's heart was racing from the struggle. It took all of her strength to get the stray cat into her net. Now that it couldn't get away, she had to carefully remove the peanut butter jar from its head.
With a bit of a struggle through the net, the jar popped off of its head. But Agatha's brief triumph was replaced with dread as she stared at the long teeth of the animal and realized it was no cat.
Something Else
The grey animal wasn't actually a cat. Agatha's heart jumped in her throat, and she dropped the net with the animal. It scurried away from her and went under the deck. She felt like she was in a horror movie.
The teeth flashed in her mind as she stumbled backward. Her beautiful home had now turned into a living nightmare.
It's True Form
Agatha stood on the deck, frozen. Thoughts raced through her mind before she heard a call. She looked up above her porch to see three animals looking down at her. Then she realized what they were.
Relief washed over her as she realized that the animals were only foxes. She could tell the mother was now standing with her two babies - one of them being the "cat" she thought she had rescued.
A Good Deed
Agatha now felt confident in her decision to help the animal. Regardless of what species it was, it needed her help, and she was happy to give it. Her brief scare was now behind her, and she could feel triumphant again.
The mother looked at her and blinked as if to communicate a thank you for saving her child. But Agatha didn't need any praise.
As Passionate As Ever
Agatha smiled and walked back inside. Half of her day was spent helping the fox out of the jar, but she didn't regret it at all. In fact, she thought back to her time volunteering in animal shelters, which made her feel good about herself. She was just as passionate about helping both people and animals as ever. It was a new inspiration, and she had her new home to thank.
In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.