The Rat

Author's note:

This is a very rough draft of something I might work on and get published into a novella of some kind. I haven't decided yet.

Any and all criticism is appreciated! Have at it! :)

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Paws the size of a grown man’s hand sank into the soggy ground. The creature to whom the paws belonged, a large rat the size of a wolf, known only as Montrell, kept low to the ground, blending in as best he could while he navigated through the dense foliage.

It was rare for Montrell to venture this far into the swamp. The swamp was a dangerous place for many reasons. It wasn’t because of the swamp’s inhabitants, which varied from gators to deadly plants either. Some say there was dark magic within the very grounds. He believed it, of course –he has seen these forces at work.

But that is for another time.

It had rained the previous night. He had seen this as an opportunity to gather some food, since most of the creatures around these parts were waiting for the weather to improve. The swamp was already a dense, wet place. The rain made it worse. Quite frankly, Montrell was not partial to the mud either. But he had to eat, it would soon be winter, and if that meant walking through the mud then so be it.

He didn’t really mind, of course, he needed the exercise. It wasn’t often he venture far from his home, and this past month he hasn’t done much aside from eat and sleep. He has gained a bit of weight as a result.

Upon reaching a small clearing, the rat slowed his pace and stopped just before he was out in the open.

This was an area he didn’t know very well, but frequented enough to where he was at least familiar with it. On the occasions he did come around these parts, came to know it as a place he was comfortable with at the very least. He noticed was fairly quiet here; the only sound was the rush of the small stream of water nearby.

Much to his relief, coast seemed clear for the most part. He decided now was a good time to take a drink of water. He took small sips, taking care to check his surroundings every now and then. This was one of the only clean places to get a drink of water from in the swamp. Though he was a large rat, the competition was even larger. He thought it best to avoid any fights. Becoming someone’s meal did not sound appealing.

Unfortunately, Montrell wasn’t going to be that lucky.

It was soon apparent that he was not alone. However, what he found when he turned around was not a predator. It was a girl, a little human girl to be exact.

This made him extremely wary. Humans didn’t usually come this deep into the swamp very often. Most of them were afraid of it. Not to mention it wasn’t like humans were normally accepting of a rat the size of a large wolf with scars all over him, at least not the normal ones, either. This little girl was an exception to the rule it seems. Her lack of fear was the disturbing to say the least.

Where were her parents? Shouldn’t they be watching their child?

That area was ruled by some nasty gators he would much rather avoid an encounter with. Part of him wondered if her parents were eaten by the gators. It wouldn’t have surprised him. The gators ate anyone who trespassed upon their land. On the other hand, she didn’t have the demeanor of someone who watched their parents being eaten.

Maybe her parents were nearby. There was a good chance they were hunters, and were hiding, waiting for their moment to strike.

Humans were not to be trusted, something he learned long ago.

“You aren’t going to run?” The girl said suddenly. “Weird… the animals around here usually run.” She had a soft voice, which had come as a surprise. Montrell had been expecting a voice that was a lot more high-pitched.

The girl had posed a good question. More than anything, Montrell did want to run. He was a wild animal, and running would be the most logical thing for him to do. Then again, it wasn’t exactly in his nature to run away. It wasn’t how his creator brought him up. He was a fighter.

But more importantly, he was a hunter as well.

Despite his size, leaping at her and killing her wouldn’t be too difficult. His fangs would saw her in half easily and she didn’t look like she was going to budge any time soon. He was hungry, and that instinct was beginning to outweigh most of what was running though his mind. Killing her would also provide him with a meal for the next day or so.

Montrell would rather avoid eating humans. The only time he does turn to that is when he is desperate. He wasn’t a fan of how human’s tasted, especially their blood. However, human blood did make a nice broth for soups.

The girl continued speaking, “Well, at least this is a good angle.”

Montrell tensed when she pulled something out of her bag. Sharp uneasiness dropped into his stomach. She now seemed to be holding something odd in her hands, most likely something a human would use to draw or write. Seeing something like that began to send off all sorts of red flags, as horrible memories were brought back to him. Memories of that place, that man, the Doctor, with that clipboard in his hands, all things he had tried to forget.

His dark eyes narrowed, not once taking their attention away from the girl, as if the swamp was blocked out and she was his only focus. Could this girl be one of them? Could they have found him after all these years?. No… It seemed impossible but then again he has never really known the fate of everyone in that lab after he had escaped and he wouldn’t put it past the Doctor to throw a small child out to do his dirty work.

The girl dropped her pen on the ground. Montrell’s gaze went from the girl, to the pen, to the girl again. She was not paying attention to him, this was his chance! He slowly approached, opening his mouth slightly to reveal his teeth.

He could almost taste her blood on his tongue.

Up close he was a lot larger than she was and could probably saw her in half with his teeth. She was probably aware of that as well. For a brief moment, as she looked up at him, there was a terrified look on her face. He reveled in that moment. Any fear he felt was gone by that point. He showed her his razor sharp teeth as he raised his head slightly, squaring his shoulders.

Sensing him close to her, she looked up at him with a start. “Oh…I..” Her tone was shaky. He had thought he had accomplished his mission however she did not cower in fear, but instead her demeanor completely changed. She giggled and said, “Wait a minute, I don’t think you’re not a monster!”

Montrell just stood there. He was so taken aback by this that he didn’t know how to react. Why was she not afraid? He tensed a little as she began to stroke his fur, disgusted that she would dare touch him. What did he look like, someone’s pet? He shook his head and then snapped at her without warning.

She let out a squeal of surprise, quickly withdrawing her hand which had been mere millimeters away from his teeth. Lucky little brat, he thought. If only he could have taken her filthy little hand off. It would have made his day.

“Stop trying to act like a monster!” She said once she regained her composure. Just when Montrell thought he was going to get rid of her.

What was he going to need to do to get her away from him?

“Oh! I know!” The girl continued speaking, “I have just the thing for you. It’s a good thing my mom and dad always told me to come prepared.” He couldn’t help but feel somewhat worried when she reached into her bag again. It could be anything in there. Truth be told, he was expecting her to pull out a weapon of some sort, or a signal to tell her parents to come and strike.

But to his surprise, she pulled out what looked to be… oh Hell…

It was cheese.

Montrell narrowed his eyes at it, wrinkling his nose in disgust. How utterly insulting. Just because he was a rat doesn’t mean he likes to eat cheese, in fact he doesn’t really like it at all. That was what they fed him most days back at the lab, he had no choice then. He wasn’t very fond of the thought of starving to death.

Whenever he looked at it he was reminded of those horrible feeding times. They would just throw the food in the cages and it was survival of the fittest. Looking back, it was amazing that had managed.

He never wanted to go through that again, living like this was easier. But now it felt as if he had no choice. How was he supposed to live in peace when every where he looked there were reminders of that lab? It sent chills down his spine and made him feel sick to his stomach.

“Go on, eat it. It’s cheese,” The girl spoke again, clearly taking his lack of action as confusion. “Rats like cheese, don’t they?”

“I know what it is.” Montrell growled in response. “And while some rats might like cheese, I don’t, for your information.”

“Woah… You… you can talk?”

Montrell tilted his head, amusement flickering in his gaze, “You’ve ventured deep into these parts of the swamp, and are surprised to see a talking rat?” He sneered. Considering the odds of finding talking rats in this place of all things, he wasn’t all that surprised she reacted the way she did. He was a special case after all. But still, with everything in this swamp, he couldn’t help but be amused.

“A little. It’s not something you see every day. And you’re huge! The rats I see back home fit into my hands.” There was a brief pause, “How come you aren’t like the other rats?”

“My, someone likes to ask personal questions. What’s it to you?”

“Well, I’m just curious.”

“Curious?” Montrell’s tone ooze with skepticism, “Curiosity is a dangerous thing, girl.” He took a few steps toward her, his expression forming something like a smirk. “I don’t see any benefits from telling you about myself. With that kind of attitude, you’re extremely lucky something else hasn’t come along and gobbled you up by now.”

The girl frowned, “Well… I guess I am kind of lucky. You haven’t gobbled me up.”

“Yet. Who is to say such thoughts aren’t on my mind?”

“Well… Like I said, I don’t think you’re a monster. I mean, you don’t seem like one.”

Montrell laughed, “I don’t seem like one she says… bah…”

“Oh!” Suddenly she pointed at him, “What is that around your neck?”

Montrell knew exactly what she was looking at. Slowly, he reached for the necklace he was wearing. “None of your business,” he hissed.

“There’s no need to be grouchy.”

Montrell stopped laughing, “Grouchy?” He snorted. “Girl, if I was grouchy you would know it. If anything, I’m being generous. I should kill you and drag your carcass back to my home. You would provide me with a meal for the next few days.”

He could see the girl shudder a little, and turn pale. But she remained where she was. It didn’t really matter to him if she didn’t run, however, though a small part of him still wished she would. He would have loved to give her a good chase. But alas, nobody always gets what they want all of the time. At least he had the satisfaction of making her feel a little uneasy.

“I grow tired of this conversation, girl. Now, you have two choices,” he continued. “You can either go back to your parents, or become my dinner.

“Well… I…”

“Out with it, girl.”

“I got lost.”

“I see. So instead of hiding back to the city you ventured onward? Do you even realize how dangerous this place is?”

“Yeah… I can sense the dangers.” The girl looked down, clutching her bag. “But… I’m, fine. And, like I just told you, I don’t see you as one of those dangers.”

Bold words for someone who looked like she was about to piss herself, Montrell thought, little brat. “Oh?” He inquired. “And why is that?”

“I was born with a gift,” she explained. “I can see into people’s hearts. That’s how I know you’re not as bad as you make yourself out to be.”

“Interesting.” Montrell replied. He didn’t sound interested, however; his annoyance was still simmering down. “Listen… you should leave.” The girl gave him a certain look and he cut her off. “If you’re going to be stubborn then I will just let you get eaten by something bigger and nastier than I.”

It was true. Humans were a favorite snack amongst the creatures here, since they were always on top of the food chain. There was always something out there feeling the need to prove it was bigger and better than a human. Luckily for this girl, the rat was not that kind of creature. Never has been, probably never will be, it was just how he chose to live his life. Luckily he has avoided such encounters with creatures like that too.

He did not like the idea of escorting her out of here but he might not have any other choice if she’s lost. The hike would take a few hours, though. She must have been wandering about for quite some time.

The girl looked at the ground, “Well… I… I was with my parents, and got lost. I’m not sure how to get back home.”

“I knew it,” Montrell grumbled. “Humans don’t usually venture into these parts unless they have a reason, or are lost. How unfortunate.” He started to circle the girl.

She did not show fear, but seemed a little apprehensive. “My parents are hunters….”

“Hunters you say? I suppose that does make sense for them. But what about you? You said you ‘got lost’? How?”

“This is a pretty big place. A lot of things look the same.”

Montrell’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. Her story wasn’t making a lot of sense to him. She was right about the swamp being huge, and things do look the same. As well as he knew the swamp, for as long as he’s been here, even he has gotten lost on occasion, he has yet to explore everything.

“Will you help me find my way home?”

“Fine,” the rat grunted in response.

The girl smiled and slipped her arms around his neck again. “Thanks. I hope I can find my parents.” After taking a step back, she added. “Hey, um… if it’s ok with you. Could I ride on your back?”

“What?” Montrell studied the girl. She seemed far too happy about this, and it made him even more uncomfortable than he was.

“My name’s Gracie by the way.”

“Montrell.” He said, looking over his shoulder.

With that brief introduction over and done with he proceeded to take Gracie out of the swamp.

“Do you know where you had become separated from your parents?” Montrell asked once they were about half a mile away from the clearing. He kept alert as always, and stuck to a few paths he knew which would avoid some of the nesting grounds of the more dangerous creatures.

Gracie shook her head, “No… not really.”

“Well that figures. No, it would be too easy, too convenient, if you remembered.”

“Sorry…”

Montrell didn’t respond. He had paused, head raised and ears alert. Something was nearby and coming closer to where they were. “This way,” he muttered, taking refuge in some nearby foliage.

Gracie followed much to his relief.

From their position, it was difficult to tell what was there. He saw a large shadow. It moved slowly, and made an odd noise he didn’t quite recognize. Low gurgling noises, sounds that would be made if it was sick or if something was stuck in its throat. The kind of noises that would make anyone uncomfortable.

He sat very still as the shadow passed them. His breathing was fast, and his heart began pounding heavily in his chest. The closer the shadow came, the more he positioned himself to where it was easier to sprint off felt the need. He didn’t want to think about what something so large could do to him. It wasn’t his intention to find out if rat was on this thing’s menu either.

As soon as Montrell saw an opening, he looked to Gracie and muttered, “Go. Now.” Then he sprinted away from the shadow.

He didn’t stop running until he noticed Gracie was a few feet behind him. Leaping onto a log, he paused, and looked behind him. He found a small sense of relief building inside of him when he saw she was still following. It might not have been as closely as he would have liked, but she was still there nonetheless.

“You’re quick,” she commented. She placed her hands on her knees and took a moment to catch her breath before adding, “What as that about?”

Montrell didn’t answer. Instead he said, “Let’s keep moving. If we hurry, we’ll reach the outer area by nightfall. The sooner the better, I say.”

Gracie looked concerned but said nothing more.

Here and there they would rest a little, but kept at a reasonable pace so they wouldn’t take too long to make it to the city. He wasn’t in any particular hurry to get to the city. The humans wouldn’t take kindly to his presence, as proven by some run-ins with the guards.

Slipping past the guards was something he would deal with when they got there. He wasn’t looking forward to it. They were nasty and mean, he was sure the city folk weren’t very fond of them either. His hope was that Gracie would be able to pass by them without issue. But he didn’t want to completely rely on that hope.

Montrell was not the most hopeful of creatures.

When Evening came around, Montrell decided that they should find a place to call it a night.

“Hey, wait. I thought you wanted to make it to the city before nightfall?” Gracie inquired, pouting a little.

Montrell sighed heavily, “No, I said I wanted to reach the outer area by nightfall. We have. Now, we rest for awhile.” The girl was stubborn, but she was not sly. Or good at hiding anything. He had noticed she was lagging behind again.

Of course, he didn’t mention that he noticed.

Gracie nodded and murmured, “Okay…”

The two had found a safe area to set up camp around an hour later. Montrell had been right about Gracie pushing herself far too hard. By the time they reached the site, she was completely exhausted. They used leaves and rocks to make a shelter, and dry twigs for a fire. Gracie had been entertained at how quickly a rat could make fire.

“You’re amazing!” She commented.

Montrell snorted, “It isn’t that big of a deal. Humans build fires all the time, don’t they?”

“Well, yeah. They do! But it’s not every day you see a rat build a fire.”

“Well, you learn something new every day! A lot of creatures build fires, kid.”

“How come I never see them?”

“Good question,” Montrell said with a heavy sigh, “Maybe it’s because they don’t like to be seen. They fear the humans will just come in and kill them out of jealousy.” He made a chopping motion with his paw, much a like a human would their hand. Then he shook his head and tried to find a good, comfortable place to finally catch some shut-eye.

Gracie didn’t slow down; the hint went right over her head, “Jealousy? Why?” She inquired.

“I don’t think you’d understand a word of it, even if I put it in simple terms.”

“Oh yeah? Well… what if I said I would?”

“I’d say you’re a liar and need to work on your silver tongue.”

Gracie huffed, and groaned, but said nothing more. Apparently Montrell had won that little battle. If it could even be called that; she was a girl, and he was much older than she was, much wiser. If anything this could be compared to a father telling his daughter off.

There was silence between them for the longest time after that. It was surprisingly peaceful, though every now and then Montrell would check to make sure Gracie had not wandered off. There wasn’t anywhere for her to go. He didn’t have the intension of following after her should she decide to run off either. But he did not want to get there and find out she was not there.

Oh yeah, her parents would love to hear their daughter was lost in the swamp, from a rat no less. It was an amusing thought but he was not fond of actually facing that situation.

Better to be safe than sorry.

Montrell had paused to wake up early so they could get a move on as quickly as possible, come morning. Gracie, though looking like she hadn’t slept well, didn’t object to this.

There have been no signs of any other humans around during the trip so far Montrell wasn’t sure whether he should be grateful or worried. No humans could mean they were still in town doing whatever they did during the day. Or, they could be rallying. Perhaps they were gathering a large group to go hunting, and Montrell and Gracie would be unlucky enough to cross them while they were on the hunt. That aside, deep down, there was a part of him that wondered if they were even looking for Gracie.

Humans tended to do that, especially when it was a child they had lost. They would search to the ends of the planet to find one of their own. Something he could not relate to. He probably wouldn’t ever fully understand it even if someone were to sit him down and discuss it with him proper. He simply had no interest.

“I’m hungry,” Gracie said suddenly after they had been walking awhile.

Montrell, who was also feeling hungry, chuckled, “Tough.”

“Can’t we get something to eat?”

“No.”

“But I’m hungry.”

“So am I. You don’t see me complaining about it, now do you? And trust me, you will be better of waiting to eat anything. There’s hardly anything around here a human would want anyway.”

“Well… we could hunt something. Maybe an elk or some birds? Rats?”

Montrell looked at her over his shoulder, scowling, “Yeah, sure. Go ahead and take a bite out of me.”

The way Gracie looked at him made him wonder if she thought he was being serious. There was an unreadable expression on her face, and she backed up a little, her hands clenched. If he were to take some sort of wild guess, he would say she looked nervous. If not nervous, it surely seemed to make her very uncomfortable. Admittedly, something about it made him feel good.

Made him feel powerful.

Montrell chuckled, “Come on. We’ll reach the city by noon. I’m pretty sure you won’t die of starvation within that amount of time.”

“Fine…” Gracie replied, defeated.

If Montrell did not have to babysit this brat, he would be able to reach the city sooner. There was a shortcut humans were not aware of. It would take him right to the city within at least two hours, three at most, if he hurried. But he wanted to keep a secret. He couldn’t risk having her going back and revealing that pathway. Hunters would feel entitled to use it and, next thing anyone knew, they would be crawling all over the place.

How troublesome, he thought. This trip has already lasted longer than he liked. The sooner he got away from this girl, the better.

While he spent this time with Gracie he couldn’t help but grow a little attached. That much had been obvious before, but now… Now it was becoming more and more difficult to hide. Of all the humans he has met in his life, this little girl was probably the most tolerable. She was an interesting character and he enjoyed listening to her stories. The sketches in her book were more than enough proof that she was also a notable artist.

Gracie’s voice took him away from his thoughts, “Hey… Montrell?” Her voice was shaky with worry. It was a good thing. If she had spoken in any other tone, he might have continued tuning her out.

It was the only time he was glad she spoke up.

Halting stride, the large rat turned to meet her gaze, “What is it?”

“I… I can sense something. I don’t know how to explain it. But I feel something. It’s watching us…”

“Is that it? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. It’s to be expected here.”

“No! This is different.”

Montrell ignored her, turned back around, and kept going.

Gracie, frustrated, stomped her foot, and marched up to him. She was standing right next to him now. He noted it was the quickest she has moved since they set off. “Look,” he said in a sharp tone, “whatever it is, I’m sure it’s nothing. Like I said, it’s to be expected.”

He tried to keep going, but she stopped him.

“Do you remember when I told you of my gift?”

“I do. What of it?”

“I… I think we should hide,” she lowered her tone. “Please… We need to hide!”

“And I said we’ll be fine. Keep moving,” Montrell practically shoved her out of the way and continued along down the path.

But what he saw standing a few feet away made him realize that he should have listened.

Hunters. There had to be at least seven of them, all heavily armed. Amongst the hunters, he noticed there were two other humans. A male and a female from the looks of it. Something told him they were not there to aid them on their hunt either. No, they seemed very out of place. In fact, the whole group was out of place. It seemed a little early for the humans to be going on a hunt.

Unless…

Montrell looked at Gracie. She was just standing there, unsure.

The group of hunters advanced a bit closer, and then stopped as soon as they saw the two of them. The one in front looked to the others. A few men aimed their guns at Montrell.

His entire body tensed, eyes narrowed, gazing at him with apprehension. Every part of him was expecting him to shoot him. Gracie, he was almost positive, would be fine. These men would not harm her. He, on the other hand, would not be so lucky. They looked like they were ready to take down anything that was in their way.

Flight instinct was starting to surface. Technically, there was a chance he could take them all in a fight if it came down to it, if he didn’t value his life. He had fangs and claws. They, more than likely, were better equipped.

He wasn’t going to take that risk.

“Let’s go…” he murmured to Gracie.

She just stood there staring at the group. More specifically, she appeared to be staring at the two in the front who were slowly approaching them, who still looked out of place.

“Gracie!” The rat urged, slowly beginning to back away.

“Gracie?” A woman’s voice called out.

At that moment, something clicked in Montrell’s brain. Was it possible? Were these people out here looking for Gracie?

Gracie stepped forward, tears beginning to flow down her cheek. She looked like she was about to pass Judging from that, it made sense that these were in fact the people they were looking for. If that was the case, his job was done. He could go back home and put this all behind him. If… if it was as easy at that.

The men had not lowered their guns.

Daring to step toward Gracie, Montrell nudged her, “Answer me quickly. Are these your parents?”

She nodded, “Yeah. That’s my mom… and that’s my dad.” She pointed to each person accordingly.

“We were worried,” said Gracie’s mother. “Your father and I… as soon as we saw you were missing, we gathered the group and went looking. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Montrell helped me, mom.”

“Who?”

“Montrell!” As soon as she spoke his name, she turned to face him. He could have killed her. If she thought this would ease the hunters she was wrong. They were still as tense as ever, and it looked like a few of the other hunters were putting their hands on their weapons as well.

“The rat?” Gracie’s father chuckled. He might have appeared lighthearted but as soon as he looked at Montrell, he could see the apprehension in his eyes.

“Yes,” Gracie replied with a nod. She sounded like she was defending Montrell which, admittedly, did give him some hope. Some, not a lot, he knew better than to think he could walk away easily.

He was regretting not listening to her. He should have hid. But no, he was in such a hurry…

Gracie’s parents started to pull her away. “He looks dangerous,” her father said.

“He’s not!” Gracie frowned.

One of the hunters spoke out just then, “If the rat is giving you trouble, we shall get rid of it.”

“It?” Montrell growled, anger suddenly boiling inside of him.

The hunters, and Gracie’s parents, all looked at each other. There was a lot of muttering. Montrell’s head was pounding; he needed to get out of there now.

He took the chance. As slowly as he could, he started to back away. But he was spotted by one of the hunters, who shouted, “Monster! I’m sure its pelt will fetch a high price, men. Kill it!”

Gracie gasped, “What?”

“It’s hideous. And it could have hurt you!” Gracie’s father growled, holding his daughter tightly. Gracie’s mother was aiding him. She was trying to whisper in Gracie’s ear, but it wasn’t working. The little girl was screaming at the to pof her lungs, begging her parents to call the hunters off.

Montrell’s eyes narrowed. He showed his teeth as a warning but they were not budging. It was silly to him. Never once has he heard of a rat’s pelt selling for a high price. Who would buy such a thing? It seemed like something that was more of a trophy, which was even worse. He could not allow them to make him their stupid trophy!

The pendant around his neck started to glow. “You did ask me what this pendant was for, girl,” he said. “Now, you will find out.” Without wasting any more time, he lunged at the men with the guns.

No sooner had his paws left the ground, shards of earth shot up from the dirt. They were large, sturdy-looking. They blocked any bullets that were fired. Two more spikes shot up, and impaled two of the men. The rat landed on the largest one, staring to the eyes of one horrified hunter. He didn’t even need to growl at him to get him to run away.

Montrell did not attempt to attack the other men. Now that he had used up his element of surprise (quite literally) he was all out of magic tricks. The best thing to do was to get the hell out of there while he still could. There was no point in killing these men and having the entire city after him. He was sure he couldn’t reason with them either.

He just ran as fast as his legs would carry him, without looking back.

He was exhausted when he got home, around evening, which was to be expected. Feeling tiredness settle deeper in, he made his way towards where he slept. As soon as he curled up and closed his eyes, he was fast asleep.