Ooh! This is Wendy and Kaethel's wonderful
Desperate Measures 
Apologies if this one has already been used...
The ficus tree rustled unhappily. The unfamiliar human,
small and flower-scented, had come right up to self as soon
as it had arrived, and the words it had addressed to self
had sounded vaguely sympathetic. Then it had moved into
the kitchen area, from where self often heard the sound of
running water, and self had dared to hope for a minute that
it would actually bring self a drink.
But then the big human had arrived, smelling strongly of
something sweet and spicy, and there had been lots more
words, but no water sounds at all. Now the big one had
gone again, in quite a hurry but without its usual
swooshing noise; and the small one was just standing there,
stone still, breathing rapidly and unevenly.
At last it moved, coming across the floor towards self.
Still no water smell. The couch let out a little puff of
dust as the human picked up whatever it had dropped there
when it first came in. Then its footsteps scuffed up the
stairs and paused beside the door.
"You can get your shower now," it said; and a few seconds
later, the lock clicked behind it. It was gone.
Self wilted a little.
Sara
