Flea Games, Chapter 5: The smallest of sneezes

Previous Chapter(s):

• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four

From the hallway, sitting in front of the pet door, Isis whispered, "Do you see anything?"

Zeus walked gently across the cold, cement floor of the garage and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. Though he had first heard the chanting when he entered, he heard nothing now. That did not mean, however, that the room was completely empty.

It meant that whatever it was had simply decided to hide.

Turning to his left, he examined the stack of cardboard boxes lined along the wall. Some still had items from his previous residency while others lay empty on their sides, their flaps in the air. He decided it was best to take a closer look and pawed at the first few boxes he came across, knocking them over as he did so.

"Zeus?"

"Shh!" He poked his head inside a few of the boxes, but found only dust and an occasional spider. After the fifth box, his curiosity satisfied, he decided to examine the washer and dryer located on the back wall. He began making his way in that direction when the tiniest high-pitched sound reached his ears:

"Achoooooo!"

Zeus came to a complete stop and tilted his head. Was that...a sneeze?

"Isis, did you just sneeze?" Though he knew better, he still thought it to be logical not to jump to any conclusions.

"No."

Zeus turned around and made his way to the front of the garage. The diminutive sound had definitely come from that area, but where? Cleaning supplies and tools stood in front of him, but no good ever came from messing with those items. Certainly nothing could live in that poisonous garbage.

He only but briefly glanced at the bricks immediately to this right.

"I could have sworn I heard..."

"Zeus? Isis? Where are you? I'm home!"

Isis cried, "It's the Mama!"

The human pet had come home from her daily adventure, and of course, he had to greet her. So strange, this pygmy sneeze. He knew he had to find the source of it, but as he passed through the pet door to return to the hallway, he looked upon his pet, and with her smile, all thoughts of the curious sneeze left his mind.