Hipkins the gullible

 Hipkins the gullible

The washing machine came to life.
His name was ginger hipkins.
He started to shake among the other broken and strewn appliance parts.
“I’m not broken.” Hipkins claimed.
He was indeed intact. But he was broken.
He put his light on and screamed the finished siren.
A mouse jumped out of the circular entrance through the round door ajar.
Hipkins coughed.
“I’m still good. The new models were just cheaper.”
Hipkins couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being observed, and he had that spidey washing machine sense that people were hiding nearby listening to his monologue.
“I washed so much for so many years.”
Hipkins grinned from the hollowness of the door.
The garter snake popped up out of a broken basin.
Looked left then right. Then chuckled. Not a cartoon chuckle. A very sinister short laugh.
His slithering body allowed his head to climb up over a cardboard box.
The head popped up, the eyes bulged and focused on Hipkins.
“Broken machines are not supposed to speak, silly thing, silly thing.”
“My name is Hipkins, maybe you could help me get back to the laundromat?”
“Oh no silly thing. Unless of course we make a deal… Hissssss.”
Hipkins budged and turned his internal drum.
“Why do we need a deal, just help me?”
“Nothing is that simple Hipkins. I need you to trap the next mouse that enters your round door. Keep it there. When I come back if you have one trapped, I will help you get out. And you can make your way back to your laundry mat… SSssound sssuave to you?”
“I can try, I guess.”
The garter snake turned his head dismissively and slipped between the surface trash diving down somewhere deep.

Hipkins was alone but kept talking about his situation.
“How am I supposed to trap a mouse inside?”
In the silence Hipkins thought. I better stay quiet.
Four hours later a mouse popped into the open door.
Hipkins closed the door and trapped the mouse.
“Hey what did you do that for?” The mouse asked softly.
“I have to trap you in me for the Garter snake. It’s coming back soon.”
“Why are you doing that for him?” The mouse asked astutely.
“Well because he will help me get back to the laundromat.” Hipkins said matter of fact like.
The little mouse giggled and splattered.
“So what are you laughing at, mouse?”
The mouse sniffed at the window and doublecheck that he was really stuck.

“Well you said that Garter snake will come back and help you get back to the laundry mat. Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
The mouse giggled again.
“Okay just explain how the garter snake will do that”
“Well…” Hipkins spent a minute, but couldn’t come up with anything.
“Listen, if he can tell you how he can do that, let him have me.”
“What will he do?”
“He will eat me!” The mouse said straight.
“Oh that sounds painful” Hiplins said.
“I think it will be painful.”

“Hisssssssss I see you have captured the mouse for me. What an incredible achievement Hipkins. Now just open the door and let me in so I can befriend the mouse.”
“I can’t let you in, and the mouse asked me how you would help me get to the laundry mat.” Hipkins said.
“Oh don’t you get confused by the details, you are a washing machine, leave the strategy to the snake.”
“So I am to open the door and you will befriend the mouse?”
“Of course, why the lack of faith?” The garter snake snapped.
“Okay I’ll do it.” The round door popped open the garter snake dove on the mouse in a split second. A few seconds later the mouse was being digested from the inside of the snake.

Hipkins rocked up and down.
“You tricked me, you told me that you would befriend him.”
“Snakes got to eat too genius.”
“I guess I am a genius.” Hipkins said without too much thought.
“Yes you are, you caught the mouse.”

“So will you help me out of here now?” Hipkins said desperately.
“Sure thing… SSsuave. I’ll just need another five mice and maybe one of those Norwegian rats.”
“You must be kidding!” Hipkins said in protest.
“Well, how else do you expect me to get big enough to move you?”
“Oh now I see, you need to grow bigger.”
“That’s it genius.” The garter snake said emphatically.
“I guess I am a genius.” Hipkins said again.