January 11th, just as the day officially began, I caught my third mouse, small and frail. These mice sneak into my kitchen at night for food and warmth. My actions led to their demise. I spoke with the night watch as they removed the dead body from under my kitchen sink. A simple task made difficult as I think about the small creature suddenly coming alive.

Night watch warns with his tired raspy voice "this has been a problem for a long while--well forever... we used to trap the mice and set them free but they always just returned to the house to find refuge from the cold. Now, the best thing is to get rid of them and be done with it."
"These mice will take over your life if you let them."

I nod in agreement as he reaches into his pocket removing a brown paper towel, a loose-fitting coffin for the mouse's remains. My dear friends sit in the living room just off to the side of the action.

I make my peace with the situation and continue to write a paper on spirituality and science. Slowly friends get up to leave as the night grew old. Soon I am the only one left. Just as I begin to doze off I hear a sharp noise emitted from the death trap under our kitchen sink and sure enough mouse number four lay dead, caught in a chokehold around the neck.

I call night watch once more to request a proper removal.

Here I sit, waiting for the night watch to take care of our most unfortunate and unwanted guest.