Susan waited until the door started to creak open to move. She dove at the widening hole, deciding to take her chances escaping rather than waiting for the rats to take her away.
She tripped and fell, falling on a large, furry body that grunted in surprise and pain. "Hey!" A deep voice said. "Ow!"
Susan rolled over, staring at the huge cat she mistook for a rat. "Vinnie!" She reached out and hugged him, hard.
"Susan!" He hugged her back, furry arms going around her neck. "You're okay!
Tucker!"
She looked up and Tucker was there. She let go of Vinnie in time to catch her friend as he threw himself into her arms, purring and purring.
Susan buried her face in his shoulder and breathed in. She loved the familiar smell of his fur, the softness of it, the warmth of his cat body and the hea
