It is widely believed that cats can easily be afraid of just about everything. They're afraid of water, loud noises, even cucumbers.

And then there's Thebes, who's certainly not afraid of anything. She loves to take baths, dances to rock-and-roll music, and her favorite toy is a cucumber!

A gang of four neighborhood cats, jealous of her inability to be scared, decided to challenge her.

"Hey, Thebes!", shouted one of the cats so sneeringly. "We dare you to spend the night in that!" They point to the creepiest, most abandoned house in the neighborhood, its shattered windows and deteriorating roof making it look all the more ghastly.

"Unless you're afraid to do so!", the other cat in the gang added. Thebes simply replied, "Sure! It looks like a pretty normal house to me."

That night, Thebes walks over to the ghastly-looking house with a big smile on her face. The other cats join with her, hoping to see just one moment of her being terrified.

They all walk through the front door, seeing nothing but cobwebs and broken floorboards. They can hear ticking coming from the old, rusted grandfather clock on the side and wind howling from upstairs.

All of the cats were shaking in their paws. All except, of course, Thebes, who simply shrugs her shoulder and says, "This place looks okay. A little drab, maybe."

As they started to walk towards the stairwell, the clock immediately tolled the loudest toll ever. DING! DONG!

One of the cats SCREECHED before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply commented, "Wow, I didn't think an old clock would work that well!"

Thebes reached the stairwell while the other cats were lagging behind her, treading as slowly and cautiously as they could. One cat's paw stepped on a loose floorboard and... SQUEAK!

The cat let out a loud REER before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply shook her head and said, "Boy, somebody needs to fix this floor."

Thebes then walks up the stairs. The two remaining cats followed her, but very carefully so as to avoid creating another noise. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they started to move into the dark hallway.

As the other cats are fearfully shivering with their teeth chattering, Thebes gleefully stated, "Boy, this is fun!"

The cats continued to walk down the scary hallway when suddenly, out of nowhere, a spider dropped down from the webbed ceiling.

"MEEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!!", screamed one of the cats before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply greeted the spider with a friendly smile, "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Spider!"

So now, it was down to Thebes and one more cat. The lone cat sassed to Thebes, "Those other guys may be scared, but I'm not! I can outlast you! You're a fraidy cat and I'm going to prove it! I..."

CREAK! The lone cat suddenly heard a noise. The door at the end of the hallway slowly opened, making an eerie creaking noise.

The lone cat started to freak out. Even Thebes is a little spooked, and yet a little curious as well. The door opened wide, revealing a tall, dark figure with evil-looking eyes.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!", hollered the lone cat right before bolting towards the front door, like the last three cats.

Thebes was all alone with the tall, dark figure who soon turned on the lights and revealed itself to be...

...a kind old caretaker of the house, his evil-looking eyes the reflections on his glasses. "Well, hello there!", the old man said to Thebes. "I guess I gave that other fellow quite a fright, huh?"

The old man laughed as he picked up the smiling, meowing Thebes to look at the collar around her neck. "Well, Thebes, I guess I better take you home", said the old man.

As soon as Thebes came back home, she went right to sleep on her nice soft bed, happy in knowing she was still not a fraidy cat.

THE END

Title: Thebes the Not-So-Fraidy Cat

Genre: Children's Book, with a great dose of Comedy and a little bit of Thriller

Age Range: It could be for ages 4 to 8, although I like to think that this story can appeal to readers of all ages, especially if they're cat lovers.

Word Count: 664 words

Author Name: T.J. Mulvaney

Why my project is a good fit: As I mentioned, I believe this story will appeal to especially cat lovers of all ages, and many of them would be happy to see it bust the stereotype that every single feline is a "fraidy cat." And if you're not a major cat lover (or even a little one), it can still be a story that's fit for those who are different than others and not quite accepted or taken seriously as such. And if for no other better reason, it is a delightful story to read to children who seek for something fun and funny.

The Hook: A cat named Thebes is not a fraidy cat, and a couple of jealous cats in her neighborhood decide to prove that she is.

Synopsis: Cats are known to be scared of just about everything. But not Thebes; she's a not-so-fraidy cat. Naturally, the other cats in her neighborhood doubt her fearless nature and decides to put it to the test by daring her to spend the night in a creepy, abandoned house, a challenge of which Thebes happily accepts. Will Thebes survive an entire night in the house without being a fraidy cat?

Target audience: Cat lovers of all ages, but really, it can be meant for families whose children are different than others and proud of it.

Bio: T.J. Mulvaney is an aspiring writer, having written a few children's stories (alongside a few screenplays), as well as an aspiring illustrator, creating greeting card and children's book illustrations and a few comics using the Microsoft Paint app on his computer.

Platform:

https://ko-fi.com/tjthemoviefreak

https://www.instagram.com/tjthemoviefreak/

https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/mr-mccarey-keith/list?title_no=705157

Education: High School Diploma and a few years at college.

Experience: I don't have much in the way of experience other than writing a few stories and creating all the artwork you see in the links by Platform.

Personality/Writing Style: Introverted and socially awkward around people, but fun and funny in writing, which is mostly geared to children's stories.

Likes/hobbies: The top of that list definitely will be films, watching films, discussing films, critiquing films, etc. Anything with cinema is my ultimate hobby.

Hometown: I was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and now lived in Davenport, Florida.

Age: 33

Phil Smith has a very special dream. While other little boys dreamed of being a construction worker or a basketball player, Phil dreams to be a tap dancer.

He loves to watch old movies that featured his idol, Fred Astaire, who himself is a tap-dancing legend.

Phil watched good old Fred’s every move and learned them quite impressively.

Phil showed his unique talent to everyone he knew, including his parents, his brothers and sisters, and even the family dog. They all enjoyed his performance.

During show-and-tell, Phil revealed his unique tap-dancing talents to his class. He told them of his dream. “One day, I want to be as great a tap-dancer as my idol, Fred Astaire,” he said with excitement.

Unfortunately, his classmates had a different opinion. “That was lame!” someone yelled. “Yea and it was stupid!” another person called out. “And it was dumb, too!” a person in the back of the class added.

Phil was hurt. He could not believe his classmates were making fun of the thing he loves so much. He felt really bad inside. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tap dance anymore.

As soon as class was over, Phil’s teacher, Miss Potter, approached him. “Don’t listen to them, Phil,” she said sweetly. “You have such a wonderful talent. In fact, there’s a school talent show coming up this weekend. I think you should enter.”

“You really think so, Miss Potter?” Phil asked with uncertainty.

“Yes I do, Phil,” Miss Potter explained. “It does not matter what other people think. If you love something, you HAVE to keep doing it.”

Phil knew Miss Potter was right. He signed up for the talent show and then spent the whole week doing nothing but practice, practice, and then even more practicing.

One day, some kids from his class saw Phil practicing in his bedroom and shouted out to him, “Hey, Phil, are you still doing your lame tap-dancing?”

Phil responded, “Yes, I am! I’m preparing myself for the talent show. I just signed in. And I know in my heart I will win!”

His classmates didn’t agree at all and guffawed at his display of confidence. “Yeah, right, weirdo!” one of them shouted. “You will lose and everybody at the show will laugh at you!”

As they walked away chortling, Phil felt extremely bad. He felt more hurt than he did during show-and-tell.

Letting his classmates’ teasing get the best of him, Phil decided to go back to school to withdraw from the talent show.

As he walked into the school, he ran into Mr. Baker, the school’s custodian, who noticed Phil looking very depressed.

“What’s the matter, Phil?” Mr. Baker asked him. “You’re never usually the depressed type. What’s got you feeling down?”

“I want to be a great tap-dancer like Fred Astaire. But all of my classmates think that tap-dancing is lame,” Phil said sadly. “I wanted to show the whole school my tap-dancing at the talent show, but really, what’s the point? They’re all going to laugh at me.”

Mr. Baker shakes his head and said quietly, “Ah, this sounds all too familiar!”

“What do you mean?” Phil queried with curiosity.

Mr. Baker answered Phil’s question not through words but instead… by showing Phil the most awesome tap-dancing moves he had ever witnessed in his entire life!

By the time Mr. Baker finished his awesome tap-dancing showmanship, Phil was left astonished beyond belief. “Wow, Mr. Baker, that was cool!”

Mr. Baker then said to Phil with a bit of sadness in his voice. “You see, Phil, I was like you. I myself loved to tap-dance and knew some pretty amazing moves. However, my peers had made fun of me too and told me my talents would be good for nothing. So eventually, I let their taunting get the best of me and as a result, I gave up on my dreams. I still regret that choice to this very day.”

Mr. Baker continued to encourage Phil. “Take it from me, Phil: quitting is not the answer. You must pursue your dreams, no matter the obstacles. Your life will be so much better and fulfilling when you do the things you love.”

Phil understood Mr. Baker perfectly but still felt doubtful about the talent show. “But what happens if I mess up or fail on stage? What happens if I get too nervous?”

“Then remember this advice,” Mr. Baker told Phil politely. “Look deeply at the crowd and find the people who have loved you and have believed in you from the start and pretend that they are the only ones that you are performing for. I guarantee you, you won’t be nervous and you will do exceptionally well.”

Phil smiled as he left the school, waving to the friendly custodian. “Thanks, Mr. Baker!” he said as he ran back home and resumed practicing.

It is now the night of the talent show, and Phil’s performance was the last one of the evening.

Phil anxiously waited for his turn on the stage. As he does so, he took a picture of Fred Astaire out of his pocket that he keeps for good luck and said to it, “Please let me do good tonight.”

Finally, he heard the announcement: “And now, ladies and gentlemen, here’s Phil Smith performing his tap-dancing routine.”

Phil was more than a tiny bit nervous as he made his way up onto the stage.

Just as Mr. Baker had told him to do, he looked into the audience and saw his parents, his brothers and sisters, Miss Potter and Mr. Baker. Even the family dog was there! They all believed in him and they were all waiting to see him demonstrate his outstanding talent. Suddenly he wasn’t nervous anymore.

So before he knew it, Phil began his tap-dancing routine and boy, was he putting on an extraordinary performance!

When he finished, he saw that everyone was cheering for him. His family, Miss Potter and Mr. Baker were up on their feet, clapping for Phil. Except for the family dog, who was happily barking instead.

Phil smiled in amazement before bowing to the audience.

Then the announcement came. “It’s official! Phil Smith is the winner of the talent show!”

Phil then received his ribbon and gave his speech. “I’d like to thank everyone who believed in me.”

Then he pulled out his lucky picture of Fred Astaire. “And most importantly, I’d like to thank two of my idols, Fred Astaire and Mr. Baker. Both have inspired me in the ways that any hero would inspire anyone.”

Phil, the boy who loves to tap-dance, was as happy as he could be.

THE END

It is widely believed that cats can easily be afraid of just about everything. They're afraid of water, loud noises, even cucumbers.

And then there's Thebes, who's certainly not afraid of anything. She loves to take baths, dances to rock-and-roll music, and her favorite toy is a cucumber!

A gang of four neighborhood cats, jealous of her inability to be scared, decided to challenge her.

"Hey, Thebes!", shouted one of the cats so sneeringly. "We dare you to spend the night in that!" They point to the creepiest, most abandoned house in the neighborhood, its shattered windows and deteriorating roof making it look all the more ghastly.

"Unless you're afraid to do so!", the other cat in the gang added. Thebes simply replied, "Sure! It looks like a pretty normal house to me."

That night, Thebes walks over to the ghastly-looking house with a big smile on her face. The other cats join with her, hoping to see just one moment of her being terrified.

They all walk through the front door, seeing nothing but cobwebs and broken floorboards. They can hear ticking coming from the old, rusted grandfather clock on the side and wind howling from upstairs.

All of the cats were shaking in their paws. All except, of course, Thebes, who simply shrugs her shoulder and says, "This place looks okay. A little drab, maybe."

As they started to walk towards the stairwell, the clock immediately tolled the loudest toll ever. DING! DONG!

One of the cats SCREECHED before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply commented, "Wow, I didn't think an old clock would work that well!"

Thebes reached the stairwell while the other cats were lagging behind her, treading as slowly and cautiously as they could. One cat's paw stepped on a loose floorboard and... SQUEAK!

The cat let out a loud REER before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply shook her head and said, "Boy, somebody needs to fix this floor."

Thebes then walks up the stairs. The two remaining cats followed her, but very carefully so as to avoid creating another noise. Once they reached the top of the stairs, they started to move into the dark hallway.

As the other cats are fearfully shivering with their teeth chattering, Thebes gleefully stated, "Boy, this is fun!"

The cats continued to walk down the scary hallway when suddenly, out of nowhere, a spider dropped down from the webbed ceiling.

"MEEEEOOOOWWWWW!!!!", screamed one of the cats before bolting towards the front door. Thebes simply greeted the spider with a friendly smile, "It's very nice to meet you, Miss Spider!"

So now, it was down to Thebes and one more cat. The lone cat sassed to Thebes, "Those other guys may be scared, but I'm not! I can outlast you! You're a fraidy cat and I'm going to prove it! I..."

CREAK! The lone cat suddenly heard a noise. The door at the end of the hallway slowly opened, making an eerie creaking noise.

The lone cat started to freak out. Even Thebes is a little spooked, and yet a little curious as well. The door opened wide, revealing a tall, dark figure with evil-looking eyes.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!", hollered the lone cat right before bolting towards the front door, like the last three cats.

Thebes was all alone with the tall, dark figure who soon turned on the lights and revealed itself to be...

...a kind old caretaker of the house, his evil-looking eyes the reflections on his glasses. "Well, hello there!", the old man said to Thebes. "I guess I gave that other fellow quite a fright, huh?"

The old man laughed as he picked up the smiling, meowing Thebes to look at the collar around her neck. "Well, Thebes, I guess I better take you home", said the old man.

As soon as Thebes came back home, she went right to sleep on her nice soft bed, happy in knowing she was still not a fraidy cat.

THE END