Pumpkin Jacked

Tabasco was terrified of trick-or-treating hordes. 300-word flash

Pumpkin Jacked

Tabasco sat up taller and pricked up his ears. What was that? Hordes of young humans dressed up to fool him! But he wasn’t fooled.
He ran to the nearest decoration and pried off the lid. He snaked inside and pulled the top back over him. With a cautious eye, he watched from the safety of inside.
“It’s really quite cozy,” he thought. He curled up and began to purr. Soon he was asleep.

Being jostled awake first thing in the morning, was not Tabasco’s idea of a good time. The pumpkin was rolling away! Frantically he clawed at the lid of his prison.
He screamed “Let me out of here,” in cat language, but no one heard. The cat began to get motion sick from the bumping of the jack-o-lantern. It smacked into something and split open.

Dazed, Tabasco staggered out to the debris of his hiding place. When he recovered, he looked around.
“Where am I?” he wondered. Being a mostly indoor cat, he knew he’d never been this far from home before! He wandered in several directions, sniffing the air. He stopped when he smelled that smell.
With a leap of joy, he began to run toward that scent. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. The smell got stronger.
He threw himself at the porch and ran up to the door. He climbed the screen and began to meow pitifully.
“Where have you been, Tab?” said her mistress as she pried him off. He leaped from her arms and ran to his favorite toy, a catnip mouse. He lost his mind over it until he felt better. Since his mistress made his catnip toys and treats, she grew it fresh in the garden. That heavenly smell had led him back home.