Gordy has a minion!

Benny the Curious Critter

When Gordy was old enough to visit, a large crowd of rats were gathered around. This was customary of rat families, considering how large they were, so sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews were all there to greet the pup after he was weaned and old enough for the family to see.

“He’s… beautiful, mama.” One of Gordy’s sisters said, her voice tilted and eyes squinting.

“He’s funny-looking.” A small brother piped up, which was quickly answered by a knock on the head by another brother.

“He’s odd, I’ll admit.” Sighed their mother, who touched Gordy’s bald head gingerly. Wisps of gray hair stuck out, leaving a small curly patch of gray fuzz. It had been some time since his birth and by now he should be covered in a thin layer of fur, but there was nothing there. Folds of skin instead creased his small pink body and his whiskers were gnarled. Gray patches of skin marked where spots should be, and the only hair his family could see was a few twisted strands on the top of his head. His mother pinched a fold of Gordy’s skin softly and the pup nuzzled against his mother’s warm belly. “But he’s a sweet thing. And he’s your brother, so you’ll treat him as such. Understood?” She turned coal black eyes to her family, who nodded approvingly, albeit a little too rushed.

Gordy grew up not truly knowing he was different, but feeling slightly so. He never grew fur, despite his family’s hopes that he was just a late bloomer and would someday be covered in luscious strands of white or brown. He remained bald, save for a small twist of gray hair on the top of his head, and his whiskers retained their gnarled features. He was always chilly too, an effect obviously caused by his lack of fur.

Gordy spent most of his time wandering, exploring the area around their nest. They lived under a house, their area large and dark, and mostly cold considering the amount of dirt and concrete that made their home. It was on one of these wanderings that Gordy discovered a hole in the roof of their home that lead into the main house.

It was a tiny hole, just big enough for the abnormally small hairless rat. He wiggled his body into it and up through the cavity, emerging into the main house in a room that smelled incredibly wonderful. It was like rain, with a sweet after smell of lavender and fresh seeds. Gordy inhaled the scent eagerly, looking around the room for its source. Crawling around the cold, hard floor, he discovered the strongest source of the smell in a basket of soft things. Carefully, but with eagerness, he grabbed at one of the soft parcels and scampered away, back toward the hole and his home below.

It was a wonderful thing, the treasure he found. It was soft, and had a single hole that led into a nest-like cavity. It was warm and soft, and felt amazing against his hairless body. He took it back to his section of his home and cuddled against it, in it, and all over it. The smell eventually wore away, but he didn’t mind. What mattered was how warm it was, and that he wanted more.

So Gordy kept returning to the strange room in the house above, sneaking away small treasures when he could. Once he overheard the people above mention “missing socks”, but nothing in that description registered with him. He continued to steal the wonderful, soft nests each time the amazing smell wore out of one of his developed holes. Soon, he had his own little collection. The other rats called him a hoarder, but envied his warm nest and asked where he got his materials. But Gordy never revealed his secret tunnel, or the strange room with the amazing smells.

And that is where all your missing socks have gone.

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profile & story: Tennie
profile art: roar
overlay: User not found: meth