1 Snake and Hamster

"I can't take it anymore. I've gotta get out of this place. Are you with me, Hammie?" The thin woman ran her long, pointy nails through her short spiked hair and then stretched her arms, arching her back sensuously.

The curvacious brunette shook her long, soft curls. "Snake, you know we can't get out. There's guards. We'd never make it. And don't call me Hammie."

"Not now, Hamster." Snake stressed the full name. "But soon. And I know just when." Snake grinned evilly.

"What?" Hamster bounced in place.

"Keep it down! If they hear us, it won't work."

"Okay, okay! But what do you mean? Don't leave me hanging!"

"You in there! Lights out was ten minutes ago. That means it's quiet time. Do I need to come in there?" A chubby guard leered through the bars keeping the two in their cage. The women hurried into their bunks and lay demurely on the scratchy blankets. "Aw, such a shame." The guard moved away, walking down the aisle between cages. They overheard him as he walked away. "I know that cutie Hammie's got a buyer lined up, but I wouldn't mind a piece of that Snake if you know what I mean." Coarse laughter echoed off the high ceiling.

"Dude, you'll get us both fired if they find you messing with one of the pets. Just … don't."

"That's only if they catch us."

"Hey - don't include me in this! And there's cameras everywhere. There's no way YOU wouldn't be caught."

"Oh, don't tell me you wouldn't tap that if you had a chance. Or if not Snake, then one of the other pets. Working stiffs like us will never earn enough to buy a pet. But I have a way around that. The key is …" Snake crawled to the foot of her bunk, straining to hear the rest, but he was too far away.

"Oh no!" Hamster wailed before bursting into muffled sobs.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it, Hammie. I've got us covered. Just you wait and see." Snake leaned off her bunk, dangling upside down as she tried to comfort her friend.

*****

Christmas Eve was a busy day for the pet store, and customers in designer clothes and diamonds browsed for last minute gifts. A skeletally-thin woman half-hidden in furs and heavy make-up paused in front of Snake and Hamster's cage. Their bunk had retracted into the wall like always, and there was little to do other than take turns on the tread-wheel. Hammie was on it now, frantically running, and Snake leaned against the wall, picking her nails and glaring.

"Oh, she's perfect! Just as you described on the phone. Darling will love her. But I simply can't pick her up today. We're hopping on a shuttle to visit his parents - they're at the new Mars resort until after New Years, and we're joining them. Could you hold her until mid January?"

"Certainly. And if you'd like, we can have her wrapped and delivered on a day of your choosing." The smarmy salesman rubbed his hands, anxious to close the sale before the holiday.

"That would be lovely." The woman smiled frostily. "What gift wrap options do you have?"

"If you'll come this way, I'll show you the options." The salesman tapped his tablet, and Snake sneered at the red "Sold" stamp that flared over Hamster's holographic description.

"Oh no," Hamster moaned quietly, slowing on the wheel. "What am I going to do? They're going to take me away!"

"I told you. Chillax. I've got this. Keep running and don't let them suspect anything." Snake used an emery board to sharpen her nails into even sharper points. She watched the passing customers with unblinking eyes.

*****

With a flash of the lights, bunks slid out of the wall and the tread-wheel slid into the opposite wall. Hamster hopped off the wheel and sank onto the bottom bunk. The lights dimmed by half, a five-minute warning for the pets, after which only the nightlights would be on.

Snake remained propped silently against the wall. When Hamster opened her mouth, she held up one sharp-pointed finger. Hamster closed her mouth and pulled off the scratchy blanket to wrap around her shoulders. She huddled, shaking, as semi-darkness fell in the pet store.

Snake looked up at the camera in the corner. This tiny device tracked their every move, waking or sleeping, and had since they'd been placed on display. The blinking red light could drive one to madness, and perhaps it already had.

Through the long night, Snake watched the light blink unceasingly. The chubby guard didn't patrol their aisle tonight, and the other guard chose not to say anything if he even saw Snake as she waited motionlessly.

Snake smiled as the light blinked one last time and stopped. She sauntered over to the cage bars and looked out. All across the store, the myopically blinking red lights had mysteriously ceased. Silently, she crept toward the cage door, making sure to stay on the side farthest from the bunks. Hamster nestled on the bunk, pretending to sleep.

Barely visible in the dim lighting, a chubby figure approached the cage. His attempt at stealth might have been successful if the inhabitants weren't awake. A low beep sounded as he pressed his keycard against the cage's door and he slipped through with a lewd chuckle.

"Merry Christmas, Danny-boy," he whispered to himself. In his haste, he did not seal the door behind him. In his eagerness for his long-awaited prize, he did not see the shadow lurking. He only had time for one muffled shout before sharp nails pierced his carotid artery. Two pairs of hands lowered him to the ground and then, after he bled out, drug him to the lower bunk and arranged him neatly. The scratchy blanket scrubbed the floor clean enough to pass in the low light. Then a thin figure and a curvy figure slipped into the aisle on their first steps toward dawn's new light.