I furtively poked my head out of the gaping crevice that formed the entrance-and exit- of my humble abode, my nose twitching almost compulsively.


Fish. Fried fish to be precise. Garnished with an assorted kind of pepper.

I could smell it in the humid air. My stomach growled treacherously, once again reminding me of hunger. I wiped my drooping whiskers with a shaky paw, rubbing off what looked suspiciously like sweat. I gave a wry chuckle, but it ended up coming out as a feeble squeak. Who would have thought that rats sweat?.


With a weary sigh, I withdrew my head to contemplate the new turn of events within the relative safety of my illicit lodge.

The humans never willingly left behind edible food. Instead, they locked food in jars and behind steel fortresses, never considering the plight of any other creature but themselves.


I let out a squeaky sneeze as the dry harmattan air brought in a particularly strong waft of fried fish. It was already night and the humans had gone to bed. So to find-or smell-such a bounty during my nocturnal prowl left me understandably astounded, and a little skeptical. One could argue that perhaps the humans left the fish behind after diner, but again,I knew they would never leave food lying around, especially not fried fish. Something was truly fishy, pun intended.


Huffing slightly, I peered out of the hole again, scanning the dank cavern with my beady eyes. It was a palour(funny name, don't asked me what it means, the humans came up with it), the floor was adorned with a smooth slippery material that I could neither make head nor tail of, which was rather ironic considering the fact that I have both. I once heard the big male human of the house call it "tiles", whatever that meant, all I know is that it impedes my locomotion.


The cavern - parlour - was littered with strange devices and constructs which the humans seemed to find important. Personally, I had gnawed at most of the objects in this place a few times, and none of them seemed particularly digestible. Well, maybe the sofas. But I preferred burrowing into them than eating the foam.


Despite my cursory inspection, I still could not locate the whereabout of the fish that persistently tickled my nostrils. No matter, I trusted my nose to lead me to it.


Briefly, I considered recruiting the assistance of some of my litter mates. However, I remembered granny is sick, she had swallowed an infectious cockroach yesterday. Great-uncle Longtail was in no condition for a foodnapping mission right now. Apparently the little humans in the house had caught him snout deep in a carton of noodles. Strangely enough, they had been quite upset and determined to kill the offending rodent.


I wonder what prompted such extraordinarily aggressive actions from them, the noodles perhaps?. Maybe they felt particularly attached to it. Humans were funny that way. It was a miracle that Longtail had escaped with just a head wound and a mouthful of looted noodles.
Oh, have I mentioned the little humans?, lousy and vicious creatures, viler than even the big humans. A truly monstrous danger to rodent-kind. The house had three of them.


I quickly scurried across the tile floor, allowing my nose to guide me. The floor was cool against my padded paws and I skidded a few times due to the smooth surface. The smell was getting stronger and stronger,I could practically taste it - the fish I mean. I moved deftly between towering furnitures and all manners of infernal human contraptions, careful not to make noise. The big female human was a light sleeper, and she was sure to wake at any major noise. She had once chased Greyfur-a litter mate of mine-around the house at midnight, wielding a dangerous looking broom and screaming like a maniac. I don't want anyone to smell a rat, figuratively speaking.


With practice ease, I tiptoed, well, more like tippawed my way across the room until I finally reached my bounty; a large piece of fried fish placed perilously in the middle of what I suddenly identified as rat gum.


I squeaked out a rodentine laughter. The humans must truly think we are dumb, attempting to snare us with rat gum,what year are we, 1960?. I stared at the sight before me in amusement until my belly let out another growling sound.


Well,the solution was obvious. It didn't take me more than a few minutes(yeah, we rats can measure time too, duh) to run to the garage, where the big generator was located. The walls and ground were smeared with grease and engine oil, I located the largest puddle and promptly rolled myself in it, coating my fur with lubricant till I was drenched. Once accomplished, I hurried back to the fishy gum, a wide ratty grin plastered across my face.


Standing at the edge of the gum, I eyed my bounty covetously, the garish yellow colour of the gum pad was almost fluorescent in the gloom. With utmost care and precision, I plunged into the gummy mush, feeling my paws and belly sink into the sticky vile glue. However, with my body generously coated in lubricant, I waddled slowly across to the centre and seized the fish between my incisors. Dragging my loot out of the mush proved rather daunting, but drag I did, and it took few minutes for me to clamber out of the gum, fish in mouth and snout dripping with fish oil.


I tore greedily into the sumptuous meal, swallowing large gulps of fish. I nearly choked on a bone or two, but managed to finish without riddling my throat with fish bone. With my hunger sated, I stared at the rat gum. One part of me wanted to carry the bone back to my litter so that my litter mates would at least gnaw on something tonight, but another vengeful part wanted me to leave the bones beside the gum to spite the humans. Naturally, I listened to my vengeful part.
Satisfied with my rebuttal, I scurried leisurely back to my hole, and would have whistled if I could.


My belly gave a painful twinge, and I paused mid stride. Strange. Another more painful twinge, then a lance of hot pain tore through my stomach, driving home the realization that I just ate a poisoned fish. How foolish I had been, in my haste to devour the meal, I didn't sniff it well enough to detect the poison.


Blood dribbled out of my nose and I felt my limbs spasm. The pain. It was unbearable. I have been outwitted by the humans.


Yet I stubbornly dragged myself onward, just a few paces and I'd be back in my hole. I prefer to die there than to suffer the indignity of dying in public view, to be mocked by those vile humans. My senses slowly dulled, and soon, I couldn't move. The hole was right in front of me, yet I couldn't move. My vision became blurry, I knew I was about to die. At least I died eating fried fish. Not many rats can boast of that.


Darkness.

Cc: Obinnau Divepen1

This is fantastic, I really enjoyed reading this.

Interesting

I have nor read anything like this before, this is so beautifully crafted

@ Rosemary33, Ann 2012, Kington, thanks for the good review.

@ Rosemary33, Ann2012, KingTom, thanks for the good review.

OMG this is beautiful. reading stuffs like this actually makes me think rats think their way through things too lol

Mzposh001:
OMG this is beautiful. reading stuffs like this actually makes me think rats think their way through things too lol

Thanks. Who knows, perhaps they do

Awesome bro this is seriously unique!

This is wonderful bro. Well written. This piece can get you an award in a competition.

Ann2012:
Interesting

Hi

you are almost on every thread. I guess you are a literature freak ?

When are we going to read your story ?

@TheAk, Onetop, thanks.

EVarn I keep coming back to read this over and over again. Wow

rabazamba:
EVarn I keep coming back to read this over and over again. Wow

Thanks dear. I have been off Nairaland for a while now.

But I will soon start putting up my short stories in this section

EVarn:
Thanks dear. I have been off Nairaland for a while now.

But I will soon start putting up my short stories in this section

Tag me if it's animal themed, like this one

rabazamba:

Tag me if it's animal themed, like this one

Alright