But another screams as I kick up. It bites deep, incisors meeting somewhere above my heel before, releasing its grip, it pelts away…
Desperate to escape the swarming vermin, I shove my precious goods off the chair to stand on it myself, clearing my bare and vulnerable feet from the ground. The chair is cheap and lightweight, not intended to take the full load of a body and the wooden slats creak under my feet. Reaching upwards, I snag fingers into the grating of my water supply vent, the rusted iron harsh against my fingers.
Gripping with both hands, to keep my balance and to take some of my weight off the fragile chair, I resist the urge to squeeze my eyes, to bury my face against the wall. My breathing rasps and despite my best efforts, I’m trembling…
And clear of the rats, with the b
