The Beast of Burden

The pile of newspapers was nearing disasterous. For some time now, Nickel's life had been consumed with an unquenchable desire for the written word of columnists. Each morning, as he awoke to shards of light piercing through his mini-blinds, a clock began to tick. In his head. It must be gotten. Before they're gone! If ever Nickel were to reach the paper bin and find it empty, he was sure that he could not go on. He would have no excuse, no answer to the grumblings of his guinea pig Max. Max would not understand. And he would not forgive. Max needed to know those papers were there, sitting on the coffee table. "What an unfair relationship" Nickel would think as he braved the cold, shifting winds, block after block. But it was his compromise, his sacrifice, his expression of love for the furry beast. And as Nickel had always sought to be consistent, he would rise, morning after morning.