It was no longer a rumor. Reliable sources reported that a mouse had entered the compound, with a handful of sightings from high ranking officials. The military considered the enemy a minor nuisance, and Congress decided to appropriate five dollars in home security to defend the country from the field mouse scourge. Four mouse snap traps were purchased.

Although they had the weapons, the military did not put the defense strategy into effect immediately. After all, this was just a mouse that did his best not to be seen, and for the most part, it was easy to ignore. It scattered quickly when the lights came on. Its main area to roam was the kitchen, and the government conceded that any crumbs dropped and left on the floor were free game for the rodent.

After constant pressure from worry warts and members of academia, it was decided that the traps should be activated for maximum home security. Troops coated the traps with peanut butter and Ritz crackers, congratulating each other prematurely for defeating the enemy. The mouse turned out to be much lighter and quicker than initial reports indicated, and high ranking officials stood gawking when the peanut butter and crackers were picked clean from the traps without any snapping.

Politicians were up in arms at the wasting of public funds, and finger-pointing occurred, blaming everyone who had anything to do with home security. No one had the answers. Talk of using biological weapons became a very real option.

Then, the night came. A night that will live in infamy. At 3 o' clock in the morning, the mouse infiltrated the most vulnerable areas of the compound and found its way into the beds of the highest leaders of the land. This tiny terrorist skittered across their flesh, causing fear and mania throughout the region. The mouse was on the offensive, trying to expand its territory. Speculation began that the enemy was not just one mouse, but an entire network of rodent terrorists. They were very real and very dangerous. Congress approved unanimously the use of biological weapons to destroy the scourge before daybreak. A four-star general personally drove to the 24-hour Walgreens before the sun came up and purchased a wedge of mouse poison with the appropriated funds. Peanut butter was also reapplied to the less trusty snap traps.

Terror and anxiety struck the land. What was once a minor nuisance now caused everyone to lose sleep. Citizens stuffed towels at the bottom of their doors, and rooms were double-checked before anyone was allowed to sleep. Meanwhile, it was unclear whether the mouse was eating any of the poison. The defense department began devising a plan of building a better mouse trap by putting poison in with the peanut butter. The government blindly asked the public for ideas.

The President assured the public that the poison would render the results desired. It would just take longer than many people wanted, up to four or five days. They stressed that the best thing for the public to do was go about its daily routine. Citizens continued to go to work, sedate themselves, listen to music and watch football, but in the back of their heads, they fearfully waited for the moment when tiny terrorists would strike again.

Success came with a sudden and resounding snap early one evening. The police and fire departments who had performed admirably through the entire situation were on the scene in no time to access the situation. The tiny mouse died quickly with its eyes open, going for a bite of peanut butter. The public remarked on how small this scourge actually was, but they still rejoiced the end of the enemy and terrorism.

The government claimed complete victory, stating that the poison caused delusion in the enemy while the special op snap traps finished the job cleanly. The public took a deep sigh of relief and returned to their lives without much reflection, except they continued to flinch during the night anytime they felt something unidentifiable touch them. Psychologists claim that this reaction is normal, and that we will once again learn to go on in life without fear.

Chris Jungle is accepting donations for the survivors of this tragedy.