"Did you get it yet?"
"Give it a minute."
"What if our breakfast is below its standards?"
"It's a rat." I splattered a spoonful more of grey mesh, aka breakfast, on the floor in front of the rat hole.
"And that's gruel." Cliff made a face.
I followed his cringe to the discolored slush.
"Point taken."
I got up, sighed, and began to walk away.
"Look!"
I twisted to see our prey nibbling at our scraps, as well as Cliff's ash covered hands surging at it. Three cringeworthy sounds were heard simultaneously: a thud, a squeak, and a curse.
"The little bastard bit me!" Cliff clenched his middle finger and grimaced.
I blurted out laughing.
"Shut up! At least I got it." He held up a flattened rat by the tail; its toes still twitching.
"That's my man!" I slapped him on the back and looked at the rat, smudges of grey sludge on its muzzle. My wince was suppressed as I pinched the rat from him.
"Oh no."
I spun around happy to hear that distinctly dubious voice.
"Jasp!"
"That certainly isn't a broom or a dustpan," Jasper smiled, eyebrows remaining raised in worry. "What are you kids plotting this time?"
"Good god!" Fay gasped dramatically, dropping his bucket as soon as he walked in. "What is that!?"
"A rat." I smirked and stuck my tongue out, secretly grossly aware of the small amount of blood dripping to the floor.
"For our latest prank on the Matron. It's one of our best, thought up by the brilliant Sir Cal," Cliff gestured for me to bow while holding his finger.
I laughed to myself as the irony of his statement was lost on everyone but me, even the speaker didn't understand the real reason I laughed to that as I bowed.
"Why thank you but I couldn't have executed without the courageous Sir Cliff." This time he bowed. "And his noble sacrifice. You might want to wash that." He looked at me, the rat, Jasper; then nodded and scurried past a couple bunk beds to the bathroom.
I live with all my friends in an orphanage for boys headed by an eternally butthurt Matron who forces us to clean all day.
"Cute." Fay continued to stare at the furry corpse.
We ignored Fay's negativity.
So what's so ironic about the brilliant Sir Cal?
One word.
Sir.
"So we're gonna stuff this in the Matron's afternoon sandwich."
"The fat hag'll get so green when she sees it!" Cliff cackled from the sinks.
"Sh!"
The other orphans in the next room paused their cleaning and looked inside curiously.
"You guys got another prank?!" A younger boy inquired, his face lighting up with excitement.
I held my finger to my lips and he nodded enthusiastically. Then my chest started to hurt again. They weren't a real problem until few months ago when they started growing more.
I subtly pulled at the wrapping pretending to scratch my collarbone.
All the other orphans loved us; Cliff and I for our vengeful and scintillating pranks, Fay for his motherly spirit, and Jasper was simply their God for some apparent reason. I could never really figure out why. I hypothesized it was his good looks or dazzling smile, but boys probably don't look for that in other boys.
"The chefs are making the sandwich now! Did you catch it?"
Oh, and there's Shilohâ²» popular by association, but still quite the adorable little one.
Shiloh pushed the cover off and climbed out of a vent tunnel coughing.
"Yep we got it! We'll head over there right away." I looked into his bright, honest brownie eyes. Some higher force seems to love watching me squirm.
I called to Cliff as he tended to his hand and decided I would have to sneak it in myself. Just as I steeled myself up and grabbed the door handle, Jasper comes jogging along.
"What?" I released the knob.
"You may need help, allow me." He twisted the door open and held it for me.
"My, what a gentleman." I curtsied, unsure of whether I wanted to punch him or pinch his cheeks more.
They were all such great kids I didn't want to lie to them I was just following Mother's equation for success. Female = Suppressed ; Male = Freedom And I want to be free; that is why I lie about my gender.
Jasper followed me to the kitchen door. A shudder ran down my spine as I stuffed the corpse into my sleeve.
"Susie's making her sandwich alright," Jasper whispered, peeking through the small square window. I glanced up and confirmed the young cook's presence.
"How do you plan to get in there?"
"...A distraction would be nice." I smiled up at him.
"No. You know I don't like being the distractor."
"Tch."
Then I heard my salvation wheezing.
"You know you could've just walked here."
"Secret agents never take the obvious route!" Shiloh's smile was audible through the echo of the vent.
I chuckled.
"Anywho, I have come to assist!"
"Just the lad I needed!" I moved next the cover and muttered to the vent. "We need a distraction, get them out of the kitchen for seven seconds."
"Aye aye Sir."
In the next few moments, there was dramatic shuffling followed by a jiffy of silence then a metal clang, thud, and a gasp.
"Oh child are you okay?!" Jasper and I watched as the cook shuffled out of the room.
"It'd be mighty nice if you'd clean the tunnels every now and then."
We shared a single nod then slipped into the kitchen. Jasper slid up next to the door Susie left through as I hurried to the sandwich lifted the top bread, slapped the rat on top of the ham, and smacked the bread back on.
"What's going on here!?" Our cue.
We bolted out of the kitchen. I continued around into the main hallway where Shiloh lay on a grate under an opening in the ceiling vent. Susie blanched as the Matron approached, eyes managing to skim over the cook's head though the young lady was a good half a foot taller than the proud, stubby woman.
The Matron snorted at Shiloh who noticed us and nervously stood.
"Please excuse me." He shuffled up next to us holding my sleeve lightly.
"Get back to cleaning, maggots." Her sneer revealed a bit of leftover spinach in her crooked, yellow teeth.
Jasper pushed Shiloh and me slightly behind him.
How selfless. I thought displeased, my pride having taken a hit but something deeper honestly touched.
"Cook! My lunch?"
Susie jumped a bit and nodded feverishly.
"Why yes Madam! It's ready for you."
The Matron glared at the pale woman.
"Do you expect it to float over?"
Susie understood her mistake and kept eye contact with her toes as she rushed into the kitchen and came back out with the plate, eyes still down, rat unregistered.
We held our breathe as the Matron looked down at the sandwich.
"Did I miss it?" Cliff bumped into my back panting.
"Why are you still here!? Scram rats!"
None of us moved.
Her eyebrows lifted as she gave us a disgusted smile and nod.
"I see. You're jealous of my sandwich."
She gently took the plate from the cook and lifted the sub maintaining eye contact with us, but I couldn't return the favor as the rat's tail was hanging out.
We all waited expectedly for the Matron to notice and drop the disgusting thing, but we were all in for a surprise.
She shrugged then obnoxiously chomped into the sandwich.
She chewed with a sneer that quickly disappeared as her face turned fifty shades of green.
My stomach dropped as I grabbed my lips grateful I didn't have a breakfast to throw up today.
"Gross!" Cliff croaked.
"Madam!" Susie screamed uselessly as the now toad-looking woman's eyes started to glaze as she choked.
"We don't want to kill her!" I announced brows scrunched. Jasper understood and leaped to the Matron's side where he slapped her on the back telling her to keep coughing.
I understood she was beyond the coughing stage and flew to her rear. I flung my arms around her large waist and began abdominal thrusts. After four shoves, the beast gave a final heave and the soggy bread, ham, cheese, and half chewed dead rat head was chucked across the room, splattering on the grey wall next to Cliff's head.
The Matron gasped clenching her chest then began to growl as she regained her comprehension.
She puffed as she looked at the fallen sandwich, the visible headless rat corpse, and her teeth marks where the neck disappeared.
I jumped back as she spun around to point at the four of us.
"You tried to poison me!" Her jaw trembled as her face turned tomato red.
"We didn't know you'd eat it!" Cliff defended us.
The Matron pointed at him and slowly closed in.
Jasper threw him a look and he lowered his chin.
I glanced between the boys and gave them the signal. Jasper, Shiloh, and I bolted tugging Cliff along as well.
We thundered into the bedroom and slammed the door behind us startling the orphans who were scrubbing the walls there.
We sat in front of the door and stared at the opposite wall for a few moments before Cliff started chuckling.
"Did you see her face?"
"Yeah, we almost killed her." I held my head.
"Well now she's gonna kill us," Jasper sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from his hairline.
I sighed and pushed my knees against my binding and froze as I heard footsteps through the door. Then a voice, eerily calm, threatened through the wall.
"That'll be the last time you pull something like that. That's for sure."
My heart sunk as the footsteps faded.
*Author's note*
Okie... soooo after watching watching Pan one scene caught my interest and I wound up using it as inspiration for a story... Though it may not show yet you might get it next chapter if you've seen the movie (but of course I tried to keep it really different for sake of plagiarism just the idea behind the beginning is the same (dang am I spoiling it already? I can't tell).
ANYWHO! I wrote this more for myself but once I finished it I was all like, "Hey, why not post it?". So I'm sorry if there're a bunch of errors and the writing is just sucky and boring and the ending is terrible... I was just so excited to have finished writing a story for once I powered through it (so yeah, I begin to rush and ramble near the end end). Therefore, continue at your own risk of disappointment!
I shall tell you now, this story shall be 24 chapters of similar length text to this chapter... I'm sorry in advance if this is boring...
Oh and I'll try to post one chapter everyday or every other day (if I'm too busy). Why don't I just post it all at once? Idk. I feel a slight obligation to add these little notes of insecurities at the end also it builds up suspense, I think.
Weeeellllllllllllllllllllllll, I hope you liked the first chapter and be ready for me to post another tomorrow (or Wednesday, depends on how late I get home)!