Friday, 29 March 2013


by Ray Paterson

Hickory was born first.
Tiny. Furless.
Eyes bulging beneath closed lids.
Subdued by her ordeal.

Dickory followed twenty seconds later. Larger by several grammes.
Twitching whiskers and thrashing tail.
Her eyes a stigmata of blood.

Doc left the birth rat a lifeless husk.
Already alert. She watched. Her heaving slimy hackles raised.
Pink-red eyes aglow. Knowing.

The laboratory technician surveyed the carnage.
Cloned ears lay ripped from backs, and Doc had somehow levered her huge body between the bars of her prison cage. Her appendage was a bloody stump.
He stared in disbelief. Even at her death, was she grinning?

Author bio: Ray is still writing for "The love of it " and is actively seeking assistance to increase his web presence. Surprises are on the way.


  1. This is great, Ray!

    Good names for the rats and nicely sinister. I particularly liked the opening.

    Curious about the surprises too...

  2. Yikes - nursery re-visited decades after, with supreme nastiness.

  3. Woah. That's... disturbing and freakish. (Compliments, my friend, only compliments!)
    Seriously, this is awesome.