Just a few minutes earlier I had been pleasantly enmeshed in a king-sized mattress. I wasn’t happy, but I was asleep, and to me that was always the next-best thing.

But now there’s a [Rat] that won’t stop squeaking.

[Yuri]: I don’t like you, you know that?

[Rat]: Likes, dislikes, love, enmity, this isn’t some kind of rom-com, who cares. What’s important is the offer that I have for you.

[Yuri]: After you make this ‘offer’, will you let me be?

[Rat]: Perhaps; I can’t promise anything. Will you listen?

[Yuri]: Perhaps.

[Rat]: Meaning?

[Yuri]: I can’t promise anything.

The [Rat] sighs. The knolls on the wooden headboard I’m talking to in his place suddenly seem like an exasperated set of eyes. Then the [Rat] falls silent, and for a full minute I drift blissfully off.

Then he jolts me back.

[Rat]: As you know, the Seer is a dangerous role to have. Rather than use intuition he can make certain every night whether someone is Wolf or Town, and because of that-

[Yuri]: -the Wolves will always kill the Seer the first chance they get, I understand. You should be glad I’m not one of them, because if I were you’d be dead many times over.

[Rat]: I’m telling you all this because I already learned you were Town. Since, you know, I’m Seer.

Oh. Right.

[Rat]: If I told everyone my role, the Healer could protect me, but as soon as the Healer dies I’d be next.

[Yuri]: Ahhh, I feel so bad for you. Stuck with such a terrible, dangerous role, you’re left with no choice to vent your worries to total strangers in the absolute dead of the night.

[Rat]: Thanks for your sympathy.

I get the feeling that sarcasm doesn’t translate well with the wall in between us. But maybe his thank-you really is sincere; and maybe what I said isn’t wholly sarcastic either. Despite the nettle of having been woken in the middle of sleep, my pity gradually becomes genuine.

[Rat]: Yesterday you said you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for town.

[Yuri]: I did say that.

On the second thought,

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[Rat]: I have a plan for the two of us.

I don’t think that he tapped on my wall just to complain.

[Rat]: It’s a good plan.

[Yuri]: Just say it.

[Rat]: You lie to everyone that you’re Seer at the next meeting. Report that you checked me during the night and found out that I was Town.

[Rat]: The Wolves will target the imposter Seer instead of the real one. Since I’m the true source of information, it’s like giving the Seer an extra life - if you die while faking being Seer, I can still investigate.

[Rat]: The reason I ask you to do this isn’t on a whim. I think that aside from the [Monkey] and myself, you might have the most game sense of all the players here. If we work together it’ll be crushing.

The [Rat] would have reached out his hand here if he could; I sense that in his voice. But I slide under the covers.

[Yuri]: Not interested.

[Rat]: Sorry?

[Yuri]: There’s two reasons. One is personal, the other professional.

[Rat]: Let’s start with the professional complaint. Why isn’t this a good game move?

[Yuri]: It’s because I don’t know whether you’re Seer or you’re telling bald-faced lies. What happens to me if you’re actually Wolf?

[Yuri]: I’d pretend to be Seer tomorrow, and I would say that you’re Town. Then the ‘real Seer’ will object since they know there should only be one Seer in the game, and they’ll know I must be faking. They’ll call me a Wolf; when I say you put me up to this you’ll pretend this conversation never happened. And then I could be killed!

[Rat]: We both know that’s bullshit. This plan has risks but you sure didn’t mind dying in the trial today.

[Yuri]: The second reason is that there’s someone I want to protect, and for me to do that, I have to stay alive. Maybe I’d be willing to sacrifice myself at the last moment, but not before then.

[Rat]: I get it. There’s some causes I just won’t die for; on the other hand for some things I’d happily lay down my lil ole’ life. But [Snake], wouldn’t protecting the town also protect her?

[Yuri]: Maybe.

[Rat]: So then-

[Yuri]: -G’night.

The best way to stop unwanted messages is to ignore them. I’m not sure if that applies when the way someone is messaging you is by talking through your bedroom wall, but it’s worth trying nonetheless.

[Rat]: [Snake]…? Hey, [Snake]…? What are you thinking?

One sheep. Two sheep. Three sheep. Four sheep, bounding over a fence.

[Rat]: You’d like to win right… you’re just thinking it through?

Five sheep. Six sheep. Seven sheep.

[Rat]: Hey. I know you’re awake. Don’t think you can ignore me.

Eight sheep. Nine sheep. Ten sheep-

*THUD*

I flinch. The [Rat] had struck something in his room, whether by accident or in rage I don’t know. I bite back a sound and it takes some time before my heartbeat slows and I can feel calm once again.

But when I’m about to slip into sleep, I hear his voice, soft and low, as if it’s something I’m dreaming.

[Rat]: During today’s trial I thought you had the same drive to win as I did. But you’re not someone I can respect. You really are insane.

[Rat]: I already tried the nice way [Snake]. I tried to talk to you. But there are other ways to persuade you.

[Rat]: Tomorrow I’ll change your mind. So sleep well, you heartsick fuck.