a nine year old argument

not so many words

you need to save them up

that's what I say when I look in this space

but the words I have don't fit into fiction

so I shove them into pretend


I don't even know what that means. Please tell me if you know.


"The traps have been sprung." I was told as I was staring to check for mice. The nine year old daughter of the owner was basically telling me I was wasting my time.

"By mice?" I asked.

"Yes, by mice."

I didn't believe her and me doubt grew more resolved as she asked "Why do they have to die?"

I never like defending a point of view that I don't wholeheartedly believe but I do it because sometimes it a valid point.

"It isn't a good thing to have mice in the house."

"But why do they have to die?"

"That's the only way I know for sure to get them out of the house."

"Why can't you leave a trail of food to the outside?"

My heart really wasn't in this argument so I didn't even bother to explain that most likely that would draw more critters in. "That wouldn't work"

"It worked for Cody." Cody was her dog. Her dog that was recently hit by a car and died.

I was there because she needed to be watched for the couple of minutes between her grandmother leaving and her mother returning. There were other solutions that could have been realized but offering points and counter points wasn't something on my agenda. I was resolved to do whatever.

Her mother returned after I reset all the traps. "Any mice?"

"Nope" and then I motioned her to the hallway. "I think she's been tripping them" I said and then told her why.

"Probably because I saw her checking under the stove. Well, at least that show she has empathy. He step-father says she has none."

I said I would try to find a different mouse trap.