Chapter 8

Before sun-up, Ray was already mobile. Needing to make sure he catches The Rat at home, he makes an early start.

"I always get the fucking dirty job" he mutters to himself as he shuffled through the piles of bird shit and rotting maggot infested rat corpses.

Working his way through the corridors of an old long abandoned building, he cannot help but imagine how grand and pompous the rooms would have looked in its heyday. The many rooms, with their high ceilings and huge picture windows still showed signs of the magnificent tapestries and murals that once hung on the walls. The vibrant colours, adorning every inch of this long forgotten mansion, that would have looked stunning in its day were all but worn away. Mother Nature relentlessly screamed through the numerous holes in the roof and broken windows as if to warn that the mansion was no longer a place for the living.

Once all welcoming to the highest echelons of society, it is now home to a dozen or so bums. Each one taking a room, making it home, and declaring it their possession. Some by graffiti on the door, others by a blunt sign that read FUCK OFF and STAY OUT.

The smell of human shit and weed being smoked filled Ray's nose and made him wretch violently. Turning the corner of the long corridor of the first floor, he was pleased to finally come to the door of The Rat. Stained with a mixture of puke beer and blood, he kicked the door.

No-way am I touching that with my hands he thought as a shiver went down his spine.

Hearing the latch of the door yanked back, Ray stepped back ready for whatever came out. The door creaked open to show a grotty figure of what used to be a man. His dirty grey beard and long ponytail looked like the only water it had seen in years was from the sewers. Ray shuddered as the thought of the reason for the Rats constant scratching was obvious. Stained trousers hanging off his body showed signs of weight loss. He was worse than Ray had remembered and that was bad enough.

"What do you want? The Rat whistled through black chipped teeth"

"You owe many people favours and its payback time"

"You better come in"

The door pushed open and Ray stepped inside.

What greeted him was a complete assault on all senses of the body.

The smell was resembled a mixture of rotting meat and veg mixed with a good dose of the shits. Instantly the hairs up his nose retreated as though they burnt off. The urge to gag was virtually uncontrollable as the back of the throat received a dose of the same treatment.

The air was so heavy and full of smoke his skin began to tingle.

Looking around the room, he could not believe anyone could live like this by choice. Scanning his gaze around him, he noticed movement at the far side of the room. On a piss stained mattress lay what must be The Rats girlfriend. Looking about sixty years old, although probably younger under the dirt and mess, she had reddish hair that lay lank and straw like on her shoulders. Her eyes were soulless, her face still had makeup splashed all over and looked as though it had been there for many a year.