You Can't Ignore The Rat

You Can't Ignore The Rat

(Trigger Warning: death)

Chapter One 

Welcome to Alberta...

    1950. Norway rats have just been found on a farm on the Albertan border. Unlike other rats, Norway rats must live with humans. Either in various structures or in their homes. The Norway rats cannot survive in natural areas. They are not native to North America but were introduced around 1775. The Rat Control Program has just been established and takes reports.

Introducing the Tremblays, just an average Albertan family. Mr. Trembaly went to work as a farmer. Mrs. Trembaly saw the kids off to third and fifth grade, she went in to work as a teacher for the sixth grade. One day the eldest of the children, Anne, found four baby rats behind the back shed. She had always had a love for animals. After a search for a mother, Anne picked up the babies and brought them into the shed. She knew as well as any that the creatures would not make it through the winter. She knew of the control programs and the eradication of rats in Alberta but, she took pity on the small fuzzy forms. 

During dinner, she slipped a few pieces of bread into her pocket. She left for the shed with the excuse of wanting to do her homework without the noise of her little brother. She found the rats where she had left them, in the corner wrapped warmly in a sheet. She unwrapped them and placed the bread in front of them. Anne watched as they ate, and once the bread had disappeared she wrapped them back up.

"Sleep well," she whispered as she got up and left. 

The next morning after breakfast Anne left for the shed to collect the homework she had left. She left some cereal on the floor in front of the rats. She took them out of their sheet and placed them closer to the food. She crafted their sheet into something resembling a cat bed. Once done the rats were placed back into their bed and Anne left for school. 

When Anne and her brother, Henry, arrived home they saw their mother with a frightened look on her face.

 "Mother, what is it?" Anne asks.

Mrs. Trembaly pauses for a second then responds, "I have found rats in the shed." 

Anne, terrified stays silent. 

"Have you killed them?" Henry asks with a saddened look. 

"No, I have not, for it seems as if someone in this household has been keeping them," she says looking at Anne. 

"I'm sorry mom! They wouldn't have survived another day. I just had to!" Anne exclaimed. 

"Well," said Mrs. Trembaly, "If you're going to harbor rats in our home you'd better pick a better place to hide them."

Anne ran to hug her mother. "Oh, really mom?"

"And you must do it soon because your aunt will be visiting tonight."

So Anne went off to find a new hiding place for the rodents and her mother went to prepare a dinner. 

Chapter Two 

A Night To Remember

By the time Aunt May came for dinner, the rats had been safely tucked away in a dark corner of the basement. They sat down at the table and ate. As they ate they talked. When the adults were talking Anne slipped a segment of bread into her pocket. 

"Saving it for later?" asked Aunt May. 

"Mm mhm," responded Anne realizing she had been caught.

"Smart girl you have here."

"That she is," said Mrs. Trembaly.

"Say, I heard that rats can break into basements now, is yours up to code?" asked Aunt May. 

"Yes!" Anne exclaimed, "I believe, I do believe it is. 

"Hmm, why don't I just go check," said Aunt May with grade suspicion. 

"I can, and I will but, why don't we eat this dinner first," said Mrs.Trembaly.

"Oh, no. I'm quite full."

Then Aunt May rose and walked to the basement door. 

"May, I assure you I can do this later," said Mrs. Trembaly. But, May kept walking. She walked down the stairs and stepped into the basement. Anne walked close behind her mother who walked close behind her sister. Aunt May walked around the edges of the room checking the rat-tight capabilities of the wall. 

Anne tugged on her mother's dress to alert her to her sister's dangerous closeness to the rats. 

"Well?" asked Mrs. Trembaly, "how does it fare?"

"It's well," Aunt May asked, still walking. "I'll have to check the rest to see if it's the best."

As she walked closer and closer to the rats hiding place Anne grew more and more scared. 

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said Aunt May. 

'Rats!' thought Anne.

Aunt May walked to grab a shovel. She lifted the object above her head. As the shovel flew down quickly. The mouse squeaked in terror, too shocked to move. Then in a moment of pure evil, the side of the shovel hit directly on the mouse's throat. A final squeak and the floor around was covered in blood. The children's screams of horror could be heard for miles. The lifeless body lying still on the barn floor. The shovel came away red. The children turned to each other quaking in their shoes. Anne couldn't believe that she had done it. That the mouse was truly dead. Anne knew it was a bad idea to keep and care for the wee creature but, she had no clue that its death would be such a cruel one. The small creature, its weeks alive so filled with joy. Anne wondered how someone would take that from it with such a smile. Her heart has surely gone dark. 

"Oh my! Is it dead?" asked Mrs. Trembaly, sure to stay innocent. 

"Sure as hell it is," answered Aunt May.

Anne tried to hold back her tears as she had become so very attached to the little ones. 

A while later after a bit of talking from the adults, silence from the children, and cleaning of the basement, Aunt May went home. Anne was so very surprised that her aunt had not seen or heard about the other babies. Although she supposed, the other babies had been still wrapped up. One of the braver must have when to check the noise and then been found. But, it did not matter, they were alive. 

Chapter Three

Older

Thirty years in the future.

1982, New York City

As Anne stepped into her new apartment she looked at the drab walls and the hard concrete floors. She dropped her bag to the floor and pulled out her Walkman. She turned on and started playing the song Rats by Ghost because she can and time doesn't need to make sense. As she listened rats started coming out of the walls and surrounding her. She was soon covered in rats. She was finally at peace.

Ellie