Thebes the Not-So-Fraidy Cat

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