Riley the cat heard the humans behind him. “What’s he doing?” One asked. “Don’t know. But he looks like he’s in time out!” 

“Shush!” He thought. “I can’t hear it if your talking!” He was reasonably sure he’d heard something not moments before. “There’s something in that wall. AND I NEED IT.” He was determined. 

So, still he sat, motionless and staring intently at the wall. A very blank wall. “It’s in there. I know it. I heard movement. I’m a cat. I have excellent hearing!” He thought. 

Riley continued to stare. He’d had many lives in his 12ish years, so he knew when he’d heard potential prey. Because let’s face it, hard has he tried, not everything was prey. 

After a few minutes, as cats–and Riley–were known to do, he got bored, and distracted. He forgot he’d been staring down the mystery noise. He started to meticulously clean his fur. “Gotta keep it clean and soft. The humans love clean and soft. It means more pets,” he said to himself. 

Then, the noise in the wall–which was most likely normal house shifting sounds–came again, startling Riley the cat. He leaped before he looked, right into the wall. He tumbled un-cat-like and completely unharmed, behind the television stand where he’d been sitting. 

“I’ve made a huge mistake.” He thought, meowing loudly for assistance. 

His human rushed to the rescue, retrieving him from the chasm into which he’d fallen. “Ah, it’s okay,” she cooed at him, comforting him. 

Enjoying the cuddles, he spared a glance at the spot in the wall he’d been staring at. “You win this round, noise.” He thought, squinting his eyes. “But the war has just begun.”