Real LJ Idol: Week 5
**Trigger warning for rodent phobias.
It was dusk on a warm summer evening in the city. The number 10 bus pulled up to the curb and released a dozen commuters. Pearl paused on the sidewalk, to double check that she had her purse and computer bag before crossing the street to her apartment. The building was grey and dingy, to make it stand out from the neighboring buildings which were brown and grimy. Pearl fumbled in her purse for her keys and let herself in the building.
She set her bags down and checked the traps she had placed around the house. In one of the kitchen traps she found a large brown rat. Its neck was snapped and its fur was matted with blood. "Damn, I just put that trap down this morning," Pearl groaned. The infestation was getting worse. She made a note to leave another urgent message with the landlord as she grabbed two plastic bags from the cupboard. She fashioned them into a glove, picked up the trap with the rat, and let it fall into the bag. "Not like they're gonna do anything about it," she muttered. There was a reason the rent was so cheap, and it wasn't for fancy things like maintenance or fumigation. She dumped the bag with the dead rat in the dumpster outside and returned to the apartment, setting another trap in the same place before making herself a small dinner, watching some television, and going to bed.
She awoke several hours later to the sound of a trap snapping in her bedroom. She closed her eyes tighter and pulled the covers over her head, not wanting to deal with it. But then she heard another snap and then another from the kitchen. "Oh, for the love of -" she muttered, throwing off the covers and switching on the light. She started to put her feet on the floor and screamed in disgust and yanked her feet up when a large rat ran out from under her bed.
She sat on the bed, watching as two, no, three rats scurried out from under the dresser, under the bed, and out of her closet. They ran out of the room, and she heard a snap from one of the traps in the living room. Pearl was nauseous at the thought of so many dirty city rats running all over her apartment, but she couldn't get back to sleep after seeing them scampering freely and setting off traps every few minutes. She grabbed the lamp on her bedside table, took the shade off, and used the base to hook her boots closer to the bed. She pulled them on and followed the rats out of the bedroom.
The sight she came upon made her retch, and she grabbed the wall as her stomach heaved. There were dozens of them, the brown squirmy creatures, crawling all over themselves and all over her floor, her couch, her kitchen. The six traps she'd set were full of freshly dead rats, and their compatriots scampered up to them, sniffed them, and carried on.
She heard a scratching sound and saw several of the rats at the front door, gnawing at it with their teeth. "Ugh!" she cried as she lurched forward through the swarm and yanked the door open, hoping to shoo them outside. The rats ran past her, through her legs, making her trip and nearly fall into a sea of brown. They moved singularly, as if being called. She watched the last of them disappear down the stairs. Pearl looked around the apartment. Except for the dead and injured rats, the apartment was empty.
Against her better judgment, she took a step into the hall. She looked down the stairs. Nothing. She rubbed her temples and began to wonder if everything had been a dream. She closed the apartment door behind her and walked to the stairs. She couldn't bear to see the horde squirming and chattering and trampling each other, but she had to know. Were they gone?
The two flights below her were empty. Not even any droppings to show that a rat had ever been here. She went down the last flight of stairs into the basement laundry room. It was dark, but she could hear them. They had all gathered here in the basement. She reached for the string that hung from the bulb in the center of the room, trying to turn the light on without stepping too far into the writhing mess. What on Earth had gathered them down here? Was someone feeding them?
Unfortunately for Pearl, she found the cord and turned the light on. When her eyes adjusted, they were rewarded with a large, angry rat king. Eight of the largest sewer rats she'd ever seen wriggled and fought and snapped at her. They were connected to each other by the tails, some entwined and knotted, some matted with feces, dirt, and blood. They turned to her collectively and bared their teeth. Pearl had walked right into their trap. She screamed as the rat king jumped at her, knocking her to the floor.
They feasted well that night.
This piece was written for the Real LJ Idol Competition. Please feel free to vote for me and any other stories you like!
It was dusk on a warm summer evening in the city. The number 10 bus pulled up to the curb and released a dozen commuters. Pearl paused on the sidewalk, to double check that she had her purse and computer bag before crossing the street to her apartment. The building was grey and dingy, to make it stand out from the neighboring buildings which were brown and grimy. Pearl fumbled in her purse for her keys and let herself in the building.
She set her bags down and checked the traps she had placed around the house. In one of the kitchen traps she found a large brown rat. Its neck was snapped and its fur was matted with blood. "Damn, I just put that trap down this morning," Pearl groaned. The infestation was getting worse. She made a note to leave another urgent message with the landlord as she grabbed two plastic bags from the cupboard. She fashioned them into a glove, picked up the trap with the rat, and let it fall into the bag. "Not like they're gonna do anything about it," she muttered. There was a reason the rent was so cheap, and it wasn't for fancy things like maintenance or fumigation. She dumped the bag with the dead rat in the dumpster outside and returned to the apartment, setting another trap in the same place before making herself a small dinner, watching some television, and going to bed.
She awoke several hours later to the sound of a trap snapping in her bedroom. She closed her eyes tighter and pulled the covers over her head, not wanting to deal with it. But then she heard another snap and then another from the kitchen. "Oh, for the love of -" she muttered, throwing off the covers and switching on the light. She started to put her feet on the floor and screamed in disgust and yanked her feet up when a large rat ran out from under her bed.
She sat on the bed, watching as two, no, three rats scurried out from under the dresser, under the bed, and out of her closet. They ran out of the room, and she heard a snap from one of the traps in the living room. Pearl was nauseous at the thought of so many dirty city rats running all over her apartment, but she couldn't get back to sleep after seeing them scampering freely and setting off traps every few minutes. She grabbed the lamp on her bedside table, took the shade off, and used the base to hook her boots closer to the bed. She pulled them on and followed the rats out of the bedroom.
The sight she came upon made her retch, and she grabbed the wall as her stomach heaved. There were dozens of them, the brown squirmy creatures, crawling all over themselves and all over her floor, her couch, her kitchen. The six traps she'd set were full of freshly dead rats, and their compatriots scampered up to them, sniffed them, and carried on.
She heard a scratching sound and saw several of the rats at the front door, gnawing at it with their teeth. "Ugh!" she cried as she lurched forward through the swarm and yanked the door open, hoping to shoo them outside. The rats ran past her, through her legs, making her trip and nearly fall into a sea of brown. They moved singularly, as if being called. She watched the last of them disappear down the stairs. Pearl looked around the apartment. Except for the dead and injured rats, the apartment was empty.
Against her better judgment, she took a step into the hall. She looked down the stairs. Nothing. She rubbed her temples and began to wonder if everything had been a dream. She closed the apartment door behind her and walked to the stairs. She couldn't bear to see the horde squirming and chattering and trampling each other, but she had to know. Were they gone?
The two flights below her were empty. Not even any droppings to show that a rat had ever been here. She went down the last flight of stairs into the basement laundry room. It was dark, but she could hear them. They had all gathered here in the basement. She reached for the string that hung from the bulb in the center of the room, trying to turn the light on without stepping too far into the writhing mess. What on Earth had gathered them down here? Was someone feeding them?
Unfortunately for Pearl, she found the cord and turned the light on. When her eyes adjusted, they were rewarded with a large, angry rat king. Eight of the largest sewer rats she'd ever seen wriggled and fought and snapped at her. They were connected to each other by the tails, some entwined and knotted, some matted with feces, dirt, and blood. They turned to her collectively and bared their teeth. Pearl had walked right into their trap. She screamed as the rat king jumped at her, knocking her to the floor.
They feasted well that night.
This piece was written for the Real LJ Idol Competition. Please feel free to vote for me and any other stories you like!