Chapter Eight


Suddenly the door slammed shut, and Ratigan spun me around, pinning me to the door. "A little escape artist, eh?" His expression was cold and menacing. "What were you doing, Megana?!"

I should have known it! He must have noticed the pills; he's too smart to fool. He emptied it out when he left the room that one time. He was just pretending to sleep.

"I hate you, Professor!" I yelled. "I hate you! I never wanted to marry you! You forced me to, remember?"

"And then that no-good excuse for a mouse, Josh HAVERS," he spat out the name like poison, "he has to convince you to hate me! He's poisoned your mind, Meg. And you actually listened to him! Do you think he would've been able to save you when you were ill? Was he there defending you? No, he hid like a scared rabbit, Meg! He hid, and left you to die!"

"NO!" I slapped him on the cheek. I was about to do it again, but this time he grabbed my paw and held it above me. He leered at me.

"Well, I've WON, my dear. I"VE WON!"

"NO YOU HAVEN'T!" I screeched. "Good shall always prevail over evil!"

He laughed cruelly. "Always so dramatic. This is not one of your little 'plays'. No one is here to save you. You're quite alone," he said, clearly enjoying this.

"You... you... monster!" I spat in his face. In a flash I was on the ground, blood dripping from my mouth where he had hit me.

"A little lesson in appreciation, my dear," Ratigan said. "I attended you when you were on the brink of death, I took you into my own home, gave you food and shelter. And this is all I receive in return, hatred and disrespect?" When I didn't answer, he added, "Just ponder that thought, Mrs. Ratigan!" before he left the room.

My failed escape and Ratigan's abuse had tired my already weak spirit. I fell asleep on the floor, praying to God for help.


I woke up to soft piano music. At first I had thought I was back at Baker Street, but my stinging lip reminded me of what had happened before. I looked around me. It appeared as though Ratigan had not come back since our fight.

I pulled a blanket off the bed, wrapping myself up as I listened to the music. It was coming from the next room. I had a good guess of who the musician was, but got up anyway. The music sounded familiar.

I brushed a few strands of hair from my face, trying to remember when I had last heard it. I crept to the door, inching it open. I gazed into another room, which I now recognized as the place where I had been taken to Ratigan the night I was captured. I saw Ratigan, his back to me, playing at an old piano in the corner, playing the music I had heard.

I suddenly figured out where I had heard it before. I slowly walked up to him. His back was still turned towards me. Softly I sang out to the tune of the music, "Did you love me?"

Ratigan played a wrong note. He turned and looked at me. "Pardon?"

"The song. You sang it to me," I answered, not quite sure what to say next.

"Did you hear me?" He gave me a quizzical look.

"Every word." I blushed. Why was I having this conversation with him? I knew why. I wanted to know the truth, to hear it from him. "Do you love me?" I asked.

He walked up to me, taking my hair in his claws. "Come with me, my sweet Megana," he whispered. "You could have everything. You could live like a queen!"

"But, do you-"

He kissed me, slowly caressing my hair. His hands went from my hair down to my back, slowly tracing every curve of my body. I recoiled, suddenly aware of what he was up to. The professor held me more tightly, preventing me from moving.

At that moment, Josh barged in, Iggie at his heels. I pulled away from Ratigan, ashamed that Josh had seen that. Josh held up a gun. I could see a pained look in his eyes. "Stay away from her, scum!" I looked more closely at him. He looked horrible, sickly and pale. What had happened to him?

Ratigan pulled me in front of him. "Iggie, take that traitor out of here!" he roared. "Lock him up! Kill him! I don't care what you do with him. Just get rid of the miserable pip-squeak!"

"Josh!" I yelled, struggling to break free of Ratigan's claws. "Josh, I-"

"Meg! Unhand her, rat!"

Immediately, a score of thugs were upon him. Ratigan threw me to two of them, and walked up to my fiancé, grinning wickedly. "What did you call me?" he crooned softly.

"You heard it, sewer rat!" Josh spat at him.

Ratigan laughed. "You're in no position to say that, boy." He leaned in closer, and whispered something into Josh's ear.

"You didn't!" he screamed. "Meg! I'm sorry!"

"It was my fault I was captured-"

"SHUT UP, wench!" Ratigan yelled at me.

Josh glared at him, his eyes full of hatred. "I'll kill you, Ratigan, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Sorry, old chap, but it looks like you're the only one who will be killed anytime soon." Ratigan said.

"No! Leave him alone!" I cried. "Ratigan, James, please!"

"He wants to separate us, my dear," Ratigan replied.

"Please, I'll... I'll... I'll willingly sleep with you, if only you spare his life!"

Josh stared at me. "You haven't... you haven't slept with him yet?"

"No."

Josh struggled against the other mice. "You lied to me, rat! You told me. How dare you!"

Ratigan shrugged. He looked at me. "My dear, you ruined the fun. I believe I should just put your former fiancé out of his misery now."

"I refuse to become your whore if you kill him!"

"Do you have a choice?" he asked, a slow smile spreading across his lips. He pulled out a gun and walked over to me. "Just a reminder of all you will lose because you disobedience to me, Havers." Ratigan grabbed me and gave me another kiss. Too weak to struggle, I stood there, helpless in his grasp as Josh thrashed about, cursing Ratigan.


Lizz: That's horrible! Kill Ratigan!

RAEB: But then Meg would bring him back to life again.

JWJ: Hey, there were two kissing scenes in there, and none of you girls went, "Awwwwwwww," like you always do.

Sarah: No one wants to see the bad guy kiss the girl.

Lizz: Don't kill Josh!

Sarah: Hey, when's Basil going to make another 5-second appearance?

Emma: Ratigan's not bad, really. It's kind of interesting to read about him and Meg.

Meg: I just realized how many times I used terms like "scum," "cursing Ratigan," and "laughed cruelly." (Bangs head against wall.) Why was I so stupid?