Page 45 of Rat

Ollie darted panicked looks between them. “Look, this was my idea, not Rory’s.”

Sebastian stepped into the cell, then leaned back against the door. “What was your idea?”

“Teddy had some maggots, and I got the officers to kill them. He was upset, and I felt shit. I asked Rory to help me get some more.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows shot up. “Help you get maggots?”

“And I tried to go through the bin, but I couldn’t do it, so I begged Rory.”

“That explains the smell.” Sebastian smirked.

“The short story is, Rory found a dead rat.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and took a step closer. The amusement had gone, and the anger returned in full force.

“Have you got this rat?”

Ollie nodded. “Rory’s got it—”

“Give it to me now.”

Rory hesitantly held out the bag, and Sebastian snatched it away.

“It was moving with maggots.”

Sebastian reached into the bag and pulled out the rat. Ollie scrunched his eyes shut and turned to the sink.

“This is mine,” Sebastian muttered.

Rory blinked—he thought he’d heard wrong. Every long-serving inmate had lost their mind. Teddy, obsessed with maggots, and Sebastian, territorial over dead rats.

“It’s yours?” Rory said.

“I’ve been waiting for it.” Sebastian ripped the rat open with his hands. “My old one got found by the officers.”

Rory pinched himself. It must’ve been a dream. He wanted to wake up. It was too strange; the stress of being undercover had made him lose his mind.

There was no blood, or guts, or smell. Sebastian grinned, then turned the gaping rat to Rory.

“They look good, don’t they?”

Rory leaned closer. “It—it’s fake?”

Sebastian nodded.

“But it was moving?”

Sebastian opened up the rat like a purse, and Rory spotted something inside.

“Take it…”

Rory reached, and his fingers closed around something plastic. A phone. He smirked and studied it intently.

“As I said, I’ve been waiting for a new one.”

“Did he just rip the rat’s head off?” Ollie whispered.

Rory turned to him. He was leaning over the sink with his eyes still scrunched shut.

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