shiny~

The fridge hummed quietly as it always did, and the keys of the man's laptop tapped scarcely louder.

Beady, calculating eyes watched from the shadow of the refrigerator. Black. Unblinking. Even to a trained ear, the skitter of tiny feet advancing was indiscernable.

There.
The little eyes squinted, and the twiggy legs paused mid-scuttle. Oblivious, the human leaned forward in his massive chair, laptop light flickering on his intent face. One giant shoe shifted, dangerously.

There!!
It glinted, halfway under the sole of the shoe. Shiny. A coveted prize. The little thief shot forward, recklessly, rocketing across the dining room floor like a possessed cottonball. Despite his previous concentration, the man started at the sudden movement. Curses spit from his mouth as he kicked one hulking leg to fend off his golfball-sized intruder.

Clink-clink-clink-clink-clink-clink--
Faster than a dog who's been asked what it has in its mouth, Norrit snatched up the stray paperclips. Dodged the shoe. Juked around a table leg. His paperclips clattered merrily behind him as he launched himself under the dishwasher and out of sight.

No doubt the human (still cursing and checking his belongings for fluffy vermin) would set out more glue traps later. But it was worth it.