Rat Tails

Chapter 1

“Rats, the final frontier; these are the voyages of the star-ship Plagueman....”

“Will you turn that shit off?” The gruff voice of Lord Smork called from his office.

Young Hod flinched and turned off the TV, his tiny rat paws pressing the red power button on the remote that was longer than his furry body even on a good day.

“Sorry sir!” Hod said, his voice squeaking anxiously.

“Get in here Skittles.” Lord Smork demanded, and Hod twitched his whiskers at the derogatory nickname before making his way towards the office.

He entered trying to hide his shaking paws.

The office was made from bits of cardboard pasted together with scraps of tape and old gum and it was fitted snugly in the walls next to other intricate buildings and passages where the rats convened and carried out their daily routines.

During the day the inside of the walls was a bustling hub filled with a conglomerate of soldier and civilian rats carrying out their elective duties, but at night was when the patrols began.

Once all the humans left the store it was time to get to work.

All the soldier rats knew the drill and did their best to collect items for the pack; scurrying and shuffling through the aisles of the Get-Go while those lucky enough to be wealthy civilians got to stay safe in their cardboard castles.

Hod was not one of those citizens.

He trembled now standing in front of his short tempered boss,

“What can I do for you, sir?” he asked.

Smork tossed his tiny pencil and leaned back in his bottle cap chair with a disgruntled sigh.

“Hod,” he spoke, “Why were you watching TV again instead of prepping for the evening raid?”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Hod swallowed nervously, “Sorry sir, but the clerk was outside on a smoke break and I thought...”

Hod was interrupted by a soldier rat scuttling into the office, the butt of a cigarette between his paws.

He gingerly placed it into Smork's outstretched hands.

Hod folded his paws behind his back while Smork took the filter in his grip, both paws holding it tight as he took a drag of the used cigarette and coughing as ash fell onto the cereal box desk.

The soldier rat swept it off quickly with his jacket sleeve before lifting the spent cigarette from Lord Smork, carrying it away with as much dignity as he'd delivered it.

Smork settled back into his chair with a satisfied huff, brushing bits of ash off his lap.

“Now then, what nonsensical excuse were you about to make?” he challenged, his eyebrow whiskers bobbing rhythmically.

Hod sighed, “No excuses sir, I'm sorry.”

He knew it was important to remain unseen before the store closed but sometimes he swore the clerk left the TV on just for him.

He'd never tell anyone, but once the clerk had caught him on the counter watching TV but instead of yelling or screaming like most humans he'd nodded approvingly, telling someone through the phone,

“Hey man, this little rat is watching TV!” he laughed, the sound startling Hod out of his trance and the little rat leapt away and out of sight, his heart hammering in his chest like a drum.

He was lucky nobody from the pack saw him, and he was extra lucky the clerk thought he was amusing.

But every day the TV would turn on and the clerk would leave the remote near the entrance to Lord Smork's office where Hod was stationed as AM lookout.

It couldn't be a coincidence right?

Perhaps it was foolish to trust a human but there had to be some that were kind, right?

Smork shook his head, “Get back to work Skittles and don't let me catch you outside the walls again before close.”

Hod gritted his teeth, he hated being called that but he didn't have a death wish so he nodded solemnly, “Yes sir” and returned to his post.

Hod stifled his anger and breathed deeply, his job of standing by the entrance was dull and boring but it wasn't the worst especially since his punishment could have been worse after “the incident”. That was a memory he'd rather not re-live.

A flutter of movement caught his eye outside of the wall.

It was a scrap of paper about the size of a gum wrapper and it was placed in front of the entrance with the letters facing Hod.

Something stirred in his blood, a sense of purpose as he read the words-

Be Ready

The writing was too big to be from a rat.

It had to be the clerk but what could it mean?

Hod reluctantly snatched up the letter before scurrying back to safety.

Be ready for what?

Then, the walls shook and Hod gasped when he saw the gas station doors open.

“No!” he breathed before the alarm went off....