Host, Please Be Honest! What Exactly Are You?

Chapter 640  Rat Attack

It was a little warmer out today. Yet, a freezing cold enveloped many, seeping deep into their bones. It was odd… No one could shake the feeling that something big was about to happen. Chaos came today in the world and vanished several months after. The soft platter of rain began falling, creating a soothing rhythm, quite contrary to turbulent atmosphere. "Hey…" Detective Jimai helplessly leaned against her old car, watching the source of her pain scurry from the sewer grates in armies. — Rats! Giant, fat, ugly rats in thousands, have been constantly fleeing out from the sewers and infesting the streets, the residence and even the hospitals. This wasn't a joke! It was as though the rats had taken a unanimous vote to plague the city. Who knew that one of the most luxurious and cleanest cities in the country had so many rats roaming deep underground? It was an unusual sight, that made reporters and many others curse the government and even the police forces for their laziness.

Jimai felt it was a little silly. They were police officers and not exterminators. So why were so many people angry at them? Some even suggested throwing grenades into the sewers, if it meant killing them all. Everyone has been on edge these days, except for the exterminators who made a shit load of money. "Ahhh!... There's a rat in my soul!" "Honey, there's a rat inside the toilet bowl! It bit my ass!" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Wooooo~... After watching that horror movie, I almost thought Jason, the psychopath, was coming to get me. Who knew it was these darn rats moving in the shadows? How come they also move when the scene on TV is heated?" "Kill! Kill! Kill them all!" …

~Wee-woh, Wee-woh. Sirens bellowed more frequently than usual, as the rate of infection and diseases grew rapidly in under a few weeks. And now, the entire city smelled like the sewers. Once anyone crossed the bridge over, they'd be instantly slapped in the face by these foul scents that made even a dead body smell good. Unbelievable! The pungent and u yielding odor clawed at their senses, making even newly born children wish they went back into their mothers' wombs. Perfume and body fragrance companies sold out in days. Household sprays also sol out, as though there was a pandemic in the city. Everyone was running through their fragrant supplies like crazy. Carrying hand sanitizers became a must, and companies already pushed out nose 'pegs' and other ingenious creations to combat the scent. Hey… there was even a nose spray and nose drops too. Jimai herself used one of those nose drops. One drop and rub inside her nose, made everything smell like strawberries for the next 3~4 hours. She didn't know the science behind it, but boy… did it help. You have to know that when the first wave hit the city, breathing became extremely hard for her with a sensitive stomach. Every time she breathed, her stomach would roil and coil, with coppery vomit-like saliva flooding her mouth. Yes, things have changed since the city was under attack by the foul stench. And when under attack, humans tend to be more aggressive than before. Everyone was completely fed up with the matter. At this point, they wanted the army to step in and eradicate all Rats in the city. It was incredible that at the start, some people protested against the idea of complete rat annihilation. In their words: "If we start doing this now, won't rats become completely extinct in the long run? We must ensure that protection!" (*^*)

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It was a sight to behold. They started attacking exterminators here and there, and even warning the police and fire departments to never get involved. However, several weeks later, the story changed. Now, they've all joined the battle, fighting against the rodents infesting their city. It seems they were angry that these rats attacked their homes and daily lives too. Heh. Did they think they were special or something? They kept talking about their bullshit theories on rats needing love. They came up with all sorts of theories about making the rats feel at home and at peace with everyone. However, only when things got real, did they throw down their protest signs and pick up new signs to wage war on rats. Screw extinction! So what if these rats disappear from the face of the planet? At this point, they would be willing to teleport all rats to Mars if it meant they won't keep bothering them in their homes any more. Whether one was rich or poor, these rats flooded their homes, kitchens, toilets, bedrooms and even pools. And then, there were the Theorists. There were those heavily convinced that this was the work of the Government to control the people. What conspiracy theories hasn't she heard these past few weeks? Some claimed that the rats were actually robots sent out to monitor them. Together claimed that the government had trained these seats in some sort of crazy lab-circle underground facility. They said these rats were spies that could even pick up pens to write. They even said the blood shown on bodies after killing these days, was nothing more than a special addictive red substance made to mind control the masses. Jimai shook her head wryly. Government spy robots or not, she just wanted them all out and gone. .

Qwee-qwee-qwee~

The rats sing in harmony while flooding the streets. Jimai had goosebumps just by looking. Can you feel it? Can you feel the ominous aura now looking above the city? "I've said it once, and I'll say it again… something just isn't right." Sigh…

Her partner, Detective Dhomark, approached with a coffee in hand.

"Rats acting weird again? What's so new about that?" he asked, handing her the cup.

It probably smells great, but with the nose-shattering smell plaguing the city, one will never know. "Yeah," Jimai replied, taking a sip. "They've been pouring out like this for days. Something's got them spooked."

Dhomark –popularly called Dom by everyone– also frowned, glancing at the nearby grate. {**A grate is like a sealed up block or drain allowing water and other substances to be collected. Some grates also block water and other items from entering…. They can be round like heavy discs on the roads, or even rectangular drains to collect water along the roads, parks and so on.}

Qweee-qwee-qwee-qwe~

The rats poured out from the sealed solid grate with sheer force. The grate that used to be extremely tight and impossible to yank out so easily, was now levitating in the air courtesy of the overly stream of rats pouring out. The round sewer disc wasn't a small one either. Once opened, there's typically a stairway that could lead workers far, far down below. Know that the intricate waterways in this city is one of the largest in the world. The Labyrinth was so massive and confusing that even old city workers got lost down there from time to time. .

Sipping her tea, Jimai was deep in thought when watching the overflow of rats escape the Labyrinth. "They're running from something." "Tell me something I don't know." Dom teased, with a face that soon turned grim. "Now, now, Mai, you know the Captain's orders. No one, not even a dog, must go in there until further notice." "Relax, I know." Jimai nodded, yet her expression remained stubborn. "However, don't you think it's worth checking out?"

"No!!!" "_"

Dom refused, making an X-cross mark against his chest. His head was moving left and right vigorously. Yet a part of him knew he would be roped into doing something he felt was a very, very, very bad idea. — several hours later, they returned to the scene. Only this time, they didn't have police attire on, nor did they drive close with their cop vehicles. "Why do I let you keep talking me into sh**?" "Because I'm your partner… you ride or die on the job, your buddy who's got your back." "Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Dom rolled his eyes heavenwards, swearing that this will be the last time he ever gets roped into anything. They were nowhere near their targeted point of entry into the sewers. Closing the boot of Jimai's vehicle, the duo carried various small equipment and ropes, suiting up like criminals preparing for a heist. They had torches, a map of the underground Labyrinth and even snacks and water to keep them hydrated. They also had Poison masks, in case there's some CO2 or other toxic gasses in the atmosphere. Of course, they also had gadgets to detect toxic gasses too. Let's not forget their weapons.

How dare they go under there without weapons? It's either the rats were running away from some toxic gas stream, or… a predator much scarier than them. So… could it be that some wild creature and its pack is lurking deep underneath the surface? (?~?)

They knew it was a ridiculous assumption, but right now, they were running out of options in understanding what argued about their great city. "Alright, let's go!" Dom shook his head wryly at the overly excited Jimai. Soon, they were both off. And as cops, they knew all angles to avoid for camera detection across the streets.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5… They made it! "There it is…" The Sewer Grate.