He Wants to Be Good
By Iris Safehaven
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Cream is a mouse. Rum, her Love, has not returned home. Cream loves Rum so much. But Rum is gone and Cream wonders why she left.
She wonders if it’s her fault; she wonders if she’s done something wrong.
Cream doesn’t want to be alone. When she was with Rum, she thought that she would never have to be alone again. Maybe she was mistaken.
Rum is tough, but she got lost on her way home. She went a long way to find the perfect present for Cream. Rum will always love Cream, but Cream is always so scared, and Rum is so worried. She fears what will happen if she doesn’t get back home. Would Cream try to find her?
“Oh no!” Rum says. “Cream could get hurt.”
Rum determines that she has to get back home as quickly as possible. If she isn’t home before Cream gets worried, then Cream could end up lost too.
Or worse.
Rum doesn’t even want to think about that.
Fox is a cat. His fur is orange. He can see Rum. Mice look so tasty, his body would have him eat her. But Fox doesn’t want to be bad anymore.
“I can’t eat her,” he says to himself. “She’s a person.”
She doesn’t even know he’s there. It could be over so quick. She would taste so wonderful. So, so wonderful. Fox is very hungry, but he can’t eat a person, especially one looking so helpless. Fox wants to be good.
“I’m so sorry to bother,” says Fox to Rum. “Did you need any assistance?”
“Not from you, sir,” says Rum. “You frighten me, and I’d like you to go away.”
“I understand,” says Fox. “I’ll leave you then.”
So Fox leaves Rum, his stomach empty. He hopes he will meet a friendly animal who will share their food. The people of the forest are very friendly, but as luck would have it, Fox never does find any food. Times are hard, after all.
He will hold to his convictions and never eat a person. He will die two days later, very much alone.
***
Cream cries out for Rum. The forest is so big, and her home is no longer in sight. The sun is setting, and dinner is getting cold. She wonders if her cries make any sound at all. She wonders why this is happening. She wonders what she could have possibly done to cause this.
It doesn’t even occur to her that it isn’t her fault.
Cream is lost. She is scared. She is crying.
Rum has Cream’s present in her paws. The ocarina is wrapped up so nicely. It looks so pretty, but Rum will have to open it. Rum plays Cream’s favorite song, hoping that maybe she will hear. How far away is home?
Cream cries until she can’t cry anymore. Rum plays until she can’t play anymore. Cream never does hear the music, but Cream suddenly knows that Rum is playing. It took so long to reach her that it doesn’t have sound anymore, but she can feel it. She follows the music. It’s silent, but it’s the loudest thing that Cream has ever heard.
Rum aches for her Love. Her heart screams for her, desperate. Rum can no longer play but she plays anyway. She makes no sound, but it sounds so beautiful.
Rum begins to run. She doesn’t know where she’s running but she will run there all the same. Her Love is near. She knows more than knowing. Cream will find her. Rum cannot play, but her music is wonderful.
Cream sees Rum.
Rum sees Cream.
Rum is so tough, but she has so many tears. They run to each other and hold on for dear life. Cream and Rum are together again. Rum gives Cream her present and Cream laughs through her tears. This is why Rum left.
Cream feels so silly for thinking it was her fault. Rum tells Cream that it could never be her fault. Rum will always love Cream, and Cream will always love Rum. It’s true that they are still lost, but they will find their way home together.
Fox—still wandering, still hoping—happens to see Rum and Cream. He sees their tearful reunion. Their love is so beautiful. This is why he wants to be good. Whatever happens, this is why.
Cream is happy.
Rum is happy.
Fox is so, so happy.