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A Rat
Copyright © 2006 Melissa Lopez
- 1 -
Rats.
The hair along Morgan's arms and back of his neck stood up, sending a violent shiver down his spine. Rats.
Lord, I hate rats.
Disliked listening to them scurrying back and forth. Worse, he hated to listen to them eat. Trash. Wood. Flesh. Bone. Rats would consume anything.
Hundreds waited down below in the dank wine cellar. The rodents nested inside and under buildings, or in piles of wood debris and other rubbish. He'd grown up street poor in Philadelphia slums, and rats had been his roomies. One nasty rat bite was enough for him.
Morgan reached down to scratch Kali behind the ears. "Stay put, girl."
She woofed.
He released her lead and straightened up. Snapping his cane into its full length, he eased his way down a single step. The plank was old, creaking under his weight.
"You're going down there?" Rob Wills asked. Morgan could still smell the strong onion and sausage from the man's breath.
"It's why you called me, isn't it? To investigate?" Wills had hired him to investigate sounds in a historical home on the southern border of Kansas City. Wills was sure the home he inherited was overrun by ghosts. By now, Morgan was damn sure the old place was infested by rodents.
Kali whined. He listened as she shuffled forward in hopes of getting closer. Knowing she sensed his distress, he forced a slower heart rate.
"It's fine, girl. Wills, tell me about your home again."
"Well, it's not my home. I want to sell it to the historical society. But, they won't consider it with the unexplained noises and all."
Of course. Ten to one the man's ancestors, including his father, had loved the old home. Wills was out to make a buck. No one kept antique cars either. There was something about running your hand over the frame of a truly classic car, but everyone wanted the hot rods.
He risked moving down three more stairs, creating more creaking of unstable wood. The stairs were an insurance claim in waiting.
"You want a flashlight? Um... Guess not." The man laughed to cover embarrassment.
"You were telling me of the home's history." His cane tested the next step.
"Oh, sure. This original building was built in 1826. The rest of the structures were built in the early 1830's. This farm has one of the oldest slave cabins in Missouri on it. The estate is one of the few pioneer homes left in our area that represents the era of the early Latter Day Saints."
The homestead would make a nice ghost haunt. A former slave or a lingering bride could still call the place home. If he remembered his history right, the Latter Day Saints of old were polygamists. "Impressive." He slowly shuffled down three more steps.
"Say." Wills cleared his throat. "You really believe in ghosts?" His voice lowered to a whisper.
"Yes." He'd grown used to the question.
"So does my wife. She's the one who had me call you. I think it's pure BS."
Morgan grunted. The man may not believe in ghosts, but he didn't have big enough balls to investigate the cellar himself. His beliefs may be BS to some, but none had ever considered him a chickenshit
"What kind of noises have you heard around here?
The man cleared his throat. It had to be a nervous habit. He'd repeated the sound a dozen times since Morgan had arrived by taxi.
"Well, it was my wife who heard the noises."
Morgan sighed and then, used his cane to make his way down two more rickety steps. It was slow going. He wouldn't risk his neck in a bad fall. "What were the noises? What did she hear?"
"My wife had our daughters upstairs in the master bedroom. You know, a girls' sleepover type of thing…"
Urgent scurrying and growing squeaks sent his heart racing. Though rats had poor eyesight, they had excellent senses of smell, taste and touch. They sensed his presence. Rats were sensitive enough to detect motion up to fifty feet away. Hell, they'd known he was coming when he stood at the top of the steps.
Kali whined.
"What specific noises have been heard upstairs?"
"Like I was saying..."
Morgan gritted his teeth. He was about to enter a pit full of rats, and Wills wanted to yak about a family outing. "Were there any noises coming from inside the walls that might be caused by gnawing, climbing, or clawing?" His cane explored the next step. The temperature had dropped. The stink of decay and death had risen. "Squeaks, and fighting; particularly at night."
The squeaks and scurrying increased ten fold.
Morgan shivered as Kali growled.
"God almighty, what is that noise?" Morgan heard a rustle. The man had probably crossed himself.
"How long has it been since this place was last appraised?"
"Not sure. My father passed away three months ago. He never let anyone near the place. He called it his personal sanctuary, given to him by his Daddy."
"Did your wife spend an entire day and night out here?" Using his guide, he explored the ground. It was dirt, packed under the pressure of his stick.
"Yes." Wills cleared his throat.
"Did she mention the noises increased at night?"
"Yes."
"Rats. The old place is infested with rats. They are excellent climbers and are often found in the upper parts of structures as well. "
Kali whimpered.
"You saying my family stayed out here with rats? My wife will have a heart attack over all the diseases rats can carry."
On solid ground where he was able to concentrate, Morgan inhaled, but smelled nothing he didn't expect to encounter. Dirt. Mold. Death of both rodent and spirits. A century of decay and neglect. He gagged, the stench was so thick at the bottom of the steps. He turned around and moved back up a step, then another. If there was a ghost out here, there was nothing he could do until a professional, or an army of professionals, took care of the infestation.
"I'd get someone out here to handle them as soon as you can. Rats can do serious damage to structures, chew wiring and can cause electrical fires."
"Sonofabitch. The old man never mentioned a word about rats. He stayed out here all the time."
Another warning chill raced along his spine. No way in hell he'd be able to stay anywhere with rats as company.
He moved up the steps as carefully as he could.
Kali's growl caused his brow to crease. He nearly lost his footing when the house above him shook on its very foundation.
"Christ Almighty!! What the…" Wills' panicked cry froze in his throat. A rumbling thud came from one direction of the house, then another; it happened over and over, as if something was randomly crashing into walls. The rats went into a frenzy. Several raced over his feet.
Rats.
Kali burst into a nervous string of low-key barks. Like most wolves she didn't bark much, only for play, or when she was surprised. As quickly as it started, it stopped.
"Dr. Dursten," Wills swallowed audibly, "Do you think rats caused that, too?"
- 2 -
At the top of the stairs, Morgan shoved his condensed cane into his back pocket. Kali danced nervously at the end of her lead. "Take me upstairs, girl."
She yipped once, a sure sign she was alarmed. Her rough tongue lapped at his hand before she led him upward.
"You're going up there?" Wills cleared his throat.
"Yes." Above them - somewhere - lingered a spirit. From the havoc it just caused, it was more than likely malevolent. At times, ghosts showed intense, often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred to those around them.
Odd that the former Mr. Wills never mentioned any noises.
"Is there another way down from up there?" He took it easy on the unfamiliar stairs. They were solid beneath his weight and thinly carpeted.
"Yes. There is a servant's stairwell at the back of the house. Though, it's very narrow."
Damn. Easy escape for the spirit.
"Well, I guess I'll go outside and make a couple phone calls." The man cleared his throat in nervousness. "Maybe try to get someone out here for the rats. And call the wife. If you don't need me?"
"No. I'm fine."
"Good. Good." Wills' feet beat a rapid pace to freedom.
A heavy huff of breath burst from Kali.
Morgan grinned. His guide was annoyed. Sometimes her intelligence surprised him. He agreed with his canine's assessment of Wills. The man hadn't been able to get out of the house fast enough.
After another dozen steps, she whimpered, a signaling that her emotions stirred. Kali had never been fond of spirits, especially those with the potential to cause harm.
Once comfortably on the landing, he inhaled deeply with his senses fully alert. His natural antennas reached out. His psyche searched for a connection, any connection. No strong presence bombarded his senses. Not even a weak connection sought to taunt him.
Damn.
"Think the spirit took the back way down?"
Kali whimpered, earning a frown.
So the spirit wants to play.
He hadn't expected this. Considering the ruckus it had unleashed, he been expecting a bold, brash entity.
"Let's do some exploring."
His guide didn't hesitate as she led him through a maze of rooms. He investigated by touch. He discovered a bed in one room. A surprisingly thick quilt covered the too firm mattress. In another room his fingertips traced nicks on the top of a desk. And in a children's room his palm gently sent a cradle to rocking. A nursery, no doubt, indicated by other furnishings.
"What's left, girl?"
She woofed softly twice and slowly led him to an area of the home that had been corded off. They located a tiny bathroom. A steady drip pinged from a leaky faucet.
He didn't care for the rancid acrid odor of calcium. Sulfuric burnt his nose and mildew turned his stomach. He had always been over sensitive to scents.
They moved on quickly to reach the back stairwell along with another tiny staircase. This one led up.
"You know the drill, girl."
Kali woofed once. Her footpads scratching the bare wood stairs as they proceeded upwards.
A closed door greeted them at the top. His guide whimpered as he turned the knob. The door creaked as it swung inward. A hot blast of stagnant air engulfed them as they entered the room.
A servant's room. Only a servant would have been forced to live with no ventilation in days gone by.
Kali growled, backing into his legs, positioning her body to protect him.
A shiver raced along his spine. The room was domain to a strong clear presence. Anger vibrated within the room.
The door slammed behind them.
- 3 -
A growl rumbled through Kali, vibrating against Morgan's legs.
"Easy, girl." He tried to calm her, although, suddenly, he'd rather face the rats.
Kali took her role as guide and guard far beyond any previous companion he'd ever had. There was no convincing the canine there was nothing she could do when it came to spirits. They simply had no limbs for her to tear apart.
The growls turned to a vicious snarl, she strained against his hold. Morgan tightened his grip on the lead. "Enough."
With another growl, she settled, but remained standing, still tense.
Morgan took the opportunity to seek out a connection. Immediately, he sensed two presences hovering in the room. One powerful in its strength. Another was very weak, a newer spirit. Most likely, the stronger ghost had taken to guiding the newly departed.
"You sense us?" a masculine voice demanded from his left. The slow southern drawl emanated from the stronger presence.
He turned his head. "Yes."
"You are a medium?" A second male voice, roughened probably by years of smoking, sounded from the other spirit on the opposite side of the room.
"Yes."
"I knew it. I knew the bitch would try to get rid of me again."
Morgan turned toward the second entity. "Again?"
Stifling silence reigned. He waited. Nothing more he could do. The spirit had opened the communication; it was up to the ghost to answer the questions.
Kali whined and shifted uncomfortably.
"You heard me. Again. I knew she'd try to get rid of me again." The spirit moved to stand before him. "You tell her it won't work."
The entity threw off angry energy, chilling the room, removing all the stagnant summer heat.
"I'll do my best." He nodded.
The spirit lingered in hopes of righting a wrong. A common occurrence among hauntings. Now the fun would begin. Who did the ghost feel wronged him? The situation called for some careful questioning.
"You tell her, her plan didn't work. You tell her, I'm not leaving," it commanded. Icy fingers poked at his chest.
"Who is she?"
"Dr. Durston?" A feminine voice called out from downstairs.
Always in tune with him, Kali whined at the bad timing.
Morgan's sensitive hearing picked up heels clicking on wood floors below them.
"Speak of the bitch," the spirit sneered too close to his ear. The chilling vehemence made him shiver.
The door at the foot of the servant stairs creaked open, allowing the spirits to escape.
"Dr. Durston? Are you upstairs?" The voice carried easily up the stairs and into the room.
He released a breath. He'd been thwarted.
Damn. "Yes, Mrs. Wills, I'll be right down." There was no mistaking Rose Wills' voice. He'd briefly spoken to her on the telephone earlier.
Nothing more he could do now, the spirits had retreated at her arrival.
"Take me downstairs."
With a woof, the canine led the way.
Maybe the current lady of the house could shed some light on things.
- 4 -
Downstairs, Kali pulled him along, picking up the pace. Morgan kept a tight grip on her lead, never knowing if a spirit could set her off.
"Hello, Dr. Durston. It's such a pleasure to meet you." Mrs. Wills's heels clicked as she moved forward. Her hand grasped his for a brief shake. "We spoke on the phone."
"A pleasure, Mrs. Wills." He sniffed, smelling an unusual scent. One he'd rarely caught. A baby.
"Oh, call me, Rose." She shifted, her heels scuffing the wood floor. "I brought my niece with me. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not." Though, babies and children made him uncomfortable, never spending time with either.
"Good. Would you mind holding her for just a minute?"
Kali made a sound that he'd swear was a laugh.
Rose gave him no time to answer, only pressed the bundle into his arms. He let Kali's lead drop from his hand. "I'm not worried. After all, you can't drive off with her." She laughed as if joking.
He went to stop her. The sound of her steps closed his mouth.
"Thank you, I'll be right back."
Morgan clutched the baby to his chest and inhaled. Powder, milk, and urine teased his sense of smell.
The next moment, cigarette smoke wafted from the bathroom.
Great.
The baby rooted around on his chest. Frowning, he eased her toward his shoulder. Ruffled lace on her clothes caught on his rough fingertips.
Kali sat back on her haunches, her body brushed his leg.
The baby's head nuzzled his neck, it's wet mouth suckling at his chin.
Another sound quite like laughter rolled from inside his companion. He wasn't amused. "This is not funny."
He cradled the baby's back as it tried to root downward.
Impatiently, he willed the woman to hurry. How long did it take to sneak a smoke? He simply had no business holding a baby. Didn't the woman see that? He could see that, and he was blind.
The bundle in his arms stirred, emitting little frantic sounds.
Morgan boosted it up once more, realizing what it was in search of. Not a chance of him helping with that one. "Rose, I believe the baby is hungry." He kept his voice even.
"I'll be out in just another moment."
He sighed.
Kali made another suspicious sound.
The baby whimpered. It was a sound he didn't care for. The woman should hurry, for the baby's sake.
"Your aunt will be out any minute." He gently rubbed her fragile back.
She rooted once more, followed by slurping sounds. Cradling her, he used his free hand to discover she sucked her thumb or fist. He couldn't quite tell which.
Finally, the bathroom door opened. Rose's heels clicked on the wood floor.
Morgan let out a relieved breath as she took the baby from him.
"You handled her well. Thank you."
"You're welcome. I do think she's hungry."
He listened while she unzipped a bag and rummaged though items. He assumed she sought a bottle.
"My husband tells me you've discovered a ghost?"
"Two actually," He reached down and buried his hand in Kali's fur. "Tell me, do you know of anyone recently deceased?"
- 5 -
Morgan waited to give her time to think of those she'd recently lost. Perhaps the ghost didn't know Rose after all. Ghosts, like humans, made mistakes.
Rose sighed. "My father-in-law." He listened as she settled onto a chair. "I can't bring myself to miss him."
He hadn't thought there'd been much love lost when he heard Wills speak of his father earlier. "Bad memories?"
"The man never gave a care for anyone but himself."
His sense of empathy picked up her building emotions. Sadness. Anger. Hate... All were volatile charged emotions, yet he picked up no ill-will towards him from the woman.
Years of life saving intuition told him, she'd done the deceased Wills no harm.
"The man..." Agitation burst from her as she spoke, she paused to compose herself. "The man would still be alive now, if he hadn't... hadn't always wanted his way."
Kali stiffened at his side a moment before he noted the malevolent shift in the atmosphere around them. His heart pounded. The baby started to cry again. No doubt it was sensitive to the disturbance. Rose shushed her, trying to soothe the squalling infant. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong."
"I do." The room vibrated otherworldly currents, making his hair stand on end. His heart rate accelerated. He needed to get them out of here. "Rose, take the baby and get out of the house."
"What?"
"Just go. Now!" he ordered. There wasn't time for explanation.
She gasped at his tone, but by the sound of items shifting, he knew she complied. He wrapped Kali's lead tightly around his hand. If things turned ugly as he suspected they might, he wanted complete control over his companion.
The sound of scraping heels grated on his already heightened senses. As Rose moved, Kali led him after her. The front door slammed closed behind them. The oppressive air cleared, the baby quieted, and they all drew air into their lungs.
He hoped he was wrong about the shift inside, though his instinct told him he wasn't. He had to try. There had to be some information that could help. Why hadn't Wills moved on? "Rose, tell me, did the elder Wills sin against God?"
Her steps faltered on the walkway. "How would I know that?" Confusion was clear in her voice. "I mean, well, doesn't everybody at some time? I suppose he did more than most."
He tried more specific questions. "Was he in prison?"
"No."
"Cheat on his wife? Steal? Kill anyone?"
At the car, she opened a door, and he heard the baby's car seat buckle, which rested in the back seat. "I don't know what this is all about." He heard her car keys jingle. "Wills Sr. was an unfair man. Yes, he cheated on his wife. Repeatedly. He was mean to a lot of people, too. Steal? I don't know. Kill?" She inhaled a sharp breath. "Oh, he did a tour in Vietnam. He used to tell Rob horrid stories..."
Kali whined.
That had to be it. The elder Wills had to have felt regret and contrition over some of the decisions he'd made in his life. He'd have left the world by now if he hadn't.
He stepped back as she opened the driver's side door. "Did he repent?"
"He never attended church."
"Spirituality is personal, and prayer can take place anywhere."
"Who knows what the man did in private? Never heard him say he was sorry to anyone." He heard her shift into the seat. "You don't think it's him, do you? Figures the one person I wasn't sad to see go, stays around."
"I believe he's regretting some of his actions. Once he repents, he'll move on."
"Well, if you can get him to say he's sorry, it'll be a first." She laughed uncomfortably. "I hope it works."
"Me, too. Drive safely. I'll call once the house is cleared." He stepped away. A cry from the baby shattered the silence as the door closed.
Kali led him back to the house. Anxiety had his hand trembling. With a fortifying breath, he pulled the door open. There was little time. "Wills!" His chest vibrated with his call. "Wills, listen to me. I have to talk to you."
Laughter rumbled through out the house, vibrating within the walls.
Dammit. The second entity wasn't on his side. The stronger, angry spirit had been allowed to linger in the hopes of crossing others over with him.
Kali growled menacingly.
"Hush, girl." His nose curled at the sudden scent of raw hamburger. Sweat beaded his palms. Soon the smell would turn to the gagging stench of rotting meat.
"Wills, listen to me. The other spirit is not your friend. Do you hear me?"
His head pulsed, a slow ache, as he fought to catch a vibration. There it was. Wills's essence hovered nearby.
No sooner had he detected Wills, than the mentoring ghost's presence swelled around him to a frightening level. He was trying to keep him from Wills. The time to pay his debt had come, and Wills's soul was the price.
Kali danced nervously at his side.
The smell of spoiling meat grew harsher.
"Wills, ask forgiveness, it's your only chance."
Eerie laughter scratched at his sensitive ears. "Do you think he still has time?"
Morgan turned his head to the right. The second spirit was there. He could practically reach out and touch him.
"You can help him," Morgan stated, in a last ditch effort to save Wills. "You know it's not too late until they arrive. " A shudder racked his body at the thought of soul suckers arriving when he was still in the house. The two times he'd been in their presences had been two too many.
His companion whined and brushed up against his leg. She trembled. He reached down and stroked her fur in attempt to calm them both.
"I can help no one. He's as damned as I am."
Morgan gave a firm shake of his head. "No. Wills can be saved. All he needs is to feel shame for what he's done. To atone. To ask forgiveness."
'"And me, medium?"
Compassion curled deep, sorrow tightening in his chest. "I'm sorry... I can't help you. But you can help Wills." If the spirit wouldn't vacate his dominating position, he couldn't get past him to connect with Wills.
"I was never given the chance..." The spirit broke off as if in pain.
"That's not true, is it? You were given the chance for forgiveness, everyone is. You became trapped in your anger, your selfishness. How many others have you sent to this fate with their remorse adding to your own as they pass?" He knew the mentor was in pain, was afraid. His sins on earth would bring endless agony. "Is your existence now any worse than it would be with them?"
The stink of meat grew. Morgan swallowed, already knowing what was coming. "Let me pass so I can talk to Wills." The mentor remained silent, but his presence retreated.
Taking small steps, he prodded Kali along. "Wills, you can save yourself. If you are sorry at all, say so now."
Kali growled, doing her best to nudge him backwards.
The hair along his forearms rose up on end, sending a shiver down his spine. The floor beneath them shook. Suddenly he knew. Too late. There would be no saving Wills. The larger spirit had emerged again. Morgan knew he had been given his one chance. Wills had remained silent.
"Leave him to repent!" The spirit spoke harshly, almost madly. To Morgan's surprise, he stepped forward to go in Wills's place. "I am willing to pay for my sins now. I only wish those I harmed knew how sorry I was...am." The mentor was sacrificing himself.
Kali whined, nudging him harder. His heart ached, swelling with compassion. He didn't know what the spirit had done, and at that point, he didn't care. He couldn't imagine damning anyone who was truly sorry to an eternity in the netherworld.
Coldness seeped into his bones, his teeth chattered. The angry entities began swirling around the larger spirit. He waited for the screams to start. They, the soul collectors, had arrived. The violently strong emotions threatened to bring him to his knees. Hate. Anger. Malice. Vengeance. All streaked around through the room.
Kali danced nervously.
Scurrying rats got Morgan's feet moving. He backed up. "Ask forgiveness..."
Wills laughed.
"Wills, ask forgiveness!" His chest hurt with the force he used.
Kali barked. His body tensed at the dropping temperature. The vacuum created as the room emptied of air made his body feel as if it were being ripped apart.
Rats swarmed, scurrying and squeaking.
The stench of rancid meat turned his stomach, drove bile up his throat. He placed the back of his hand over his mouth as he gagged.
Screams erupted around him. A high-pitched screeching as if a bird of prey had found its target.
Kali's barks turned frenzied. The cold, presences moved past the larger spirit and Wills's laughter suddenly turned to shrieks of a tortured soul being shredded apart.
Just as quickly as the soul collectors arrived, they disappeared. Morgan leaned back along the wall, trying to clear his ears of the ringing. Dammit, he'd been wrong, Wills hadn't been repentant. He'd remained to torment his family.
"Why? Why didn't they take me?" The mentor spirit remained. "They took him anyway, even when I tried to do the right thing."
Morgan studied the presence. The malice, the oppressive darkness, he used to cause in the room was gone. He smiled. "I was wrong. Wills wasn't sorry. They would have taken him anyway. But you didn't know that... Don't you know what happens when you freely sacrifice your self for another's?"
By the sound of joy in the spirit's laughter as he moved on, blending with the sudden healing warmth that filled the room, he did.
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