For Your Dining Pleasure
Ch.3

Rena opened her eyes as the sun peeked through the bars that separated her from the world outside. She stood up and stretched herself out. She moaned tiredly, closed her eyes and leaned her head back to take in the warmth of the sun. The days were getting warmer now. She climbed her way out of the sewer and onto the streets. As she walked across the road she noticed her stomach growl. She put her paws on her stomach, when was the last time she had eaten? She scurried across the sidewalk glancing up at the shops she passed. Suddenly she noticed a sign with a rat on it. Ratatouille it was called. She shrugged as she made her way to the back of the restaurant, searching intently for a place to sneak in. On the side wall she noticed a hole that she could squeeze through. She eased herself in the hole and peeked into the restaurant. Jackpot, she thought to herself, she was in the kitchen. Chances were, they kept all their food locked up in a freezer so, Rena reasoned, she'd have to steal food right from the chefs. She picked a spot that seemed to be the easiest to steal from. She noticed a red headed chef not far from her that seemed more interested in the female chef next to him than what he was cooking. She ran from the crevice in the wall and took position in the shadows on the end of the counter. She stared intently at the arrangement of carrots the chef was chopping. She synchronized her breathing with the pattern of his chopping. At the second the man looked away she launched herself across the counter and stole a carrot right from under his hand but her timing was a bit off. The man jumped back from surprise, Rena took this opportunity to try and escape but she slipped on a puddle of spilt soup. She skidded into the tiled wall behind her but she was quick to rebound. She jumped to the floor and rushed to the hole she had entered through. She was almost there when a gray rat burst out in front of her and blocked her path. She stumbled back a few steps and dropped her carrot. The red headed chef took this opportunity to capture her under a pot.

"Rena?" Remy gasped recognizing the girl just before the pot covered her up.

--

Next thing Rena knew, she was in a cage. The red-headed man leaned over so he was eye level with her. His name tag said Linguini, Rena noticed. Rena glanced around her surroundings. She was no longer in the restaurant. She was in a place that looked to be a human home. She looked back at Linguini who was sighing.

"Alright," he said, "you can't go around stealing food like that." he told her. She rolled her eyes, of course a human wouldn't understand. "Hey, don't give me attitude." He said to her. Rena looked at him wide-eyed, what did he just say? Since when did humans notice a rat's emotions? She heard the sound of small paws pitter-pattering against the wooden counter she was on. She glanced sideways to see Remy.

"Well, she won't listen to me but maybe you can talk to her, little chef." Linguini said before walking off.

"So, Remy, hanging around the humans?"

"What do you care? I can't believe you were stealing food."

Rena rolled her eyes, "what do you care? Not all of us have human friends to get food for us. This is how I live."

Remy shrugged, "I just… thought you were better than that."

Rena growled, "Since when did you know anything about me?"

Remy glanced at her shocked and offended that she would say something like that but then he realized something, he didn't know her that well; she was just some street rat that he ran into a few times. "You're right." Remy murmured sadly before walking away.

Rena suddenly felt ashamed of herself as she watched Remy walk away. Disheartened,

Remy trailed across the floor. When had he become so attached to this girl he hardly knew?

"Hey, you alright little chef?" Linguini asked bending over so he was on eye level with the depressed little rodent. Remy looked up at Linguini with sad eyes. "Do you know her?" Linguini asked motioning his head towards Rena's cage. Remy started to nod but then, remembering what Rena had said, he shook his head. He felt as if his heart was in his throat and if he didn't get away soon, he'd cry.