amberlynn-gubitose1645912229 amber-lynn gubitose

Narcissa Moon is the Rat princess, she rules the Underground of Hallandale and Cove. Harlen Ordain is the Raccoon queen who bears the burden of her sister’s death. She runs the streets of Hallandale. Mei Lien is the Fox princess whose parents exiled her, and she is now vengeful of humans. She runs the outskirts of Cove and Hallandale. These women have two things in common. They have two special powers that keep them connected and in charge. The other is the Bear King seemed to have ruled all the common cities for generations. It was time for a queen to rein.


Teen Fiction Not for children under 13.

#interactive #295
1 / 1 CHAPTERS Interactive story
1
1.9k VIEWS
In progress - New chapter Every Thursday
reading time
AA Share

It begins

Can you smell that? The smell of hope and desire. If you can, what does it smell like to you? I’ll give you a minute…

I have another question.

If you can smell hope and desire like I can, can you taste Fear and vengeance?

My name is

Narcissa Moon

“What do we do with her, she’s too dangerous to stay here with us.”

“We could always call someone, like the police.”

“And tell them what, we locked our 8-year-old daughter in the basement because she told us the rats told her, about a kidnapping scheme the neighbors had to take her. Then it actually happened. We would sound like we were conspiring with them.”

“I don’t know but we have to do something before things get out of hand.”

“Out of hand, our daughter almost got kidnapped. And now she is saying she can talk to rats. What is that?”

“Sharon, Sharon just calm down.”

I can hear my parents pacing around the hall upstairs. I hate the basement; they didn’t even turn on the lights when they threw me down here. I always thought the basement hide evil clowns and Jackals that would eat me inside it. I stood by the bottom of the stairs; it is too dark to go anywhere else.

“Hey, hey you smell that?” The rats scurried around my feet. I knew they were rats because of their size. Mice don’t get this big.

“Narcissa! Nar, Nar. You smell that sweet decadent smell of berries.” I couldn’t see where the master rat was. I named him Rogue because he always disobeys his superiors.

“Rogue how would you know what berries smell like… And yeah, I smell black elderberry.”

“How would an eight-year-old know what a black Elderberry smells or even taste like?” Avery skeptical one hissed.

“My mother is vegan. She loves her berries.” I heard the crowd of the rat's snicker.

“What does that smell mean? Rogue?”

“It means you can smell their fear. Your family fears you. They’re going to either through you to us or worse. Be careful Narcissa. We can help but you must decide quickly.” I could see the colony's beedi eyes staring at me for my answer. I have never made a decision on my own. Can rats take care of me better than humans? Rats are superior in some ways… ha that’s a lie. But humans would never hurt other humans, although that is a lie too.

“Rogue, you have a plan?”

“Great choice.”

“Mom!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, so I know everyone heard me. I counted 12 Mississippi’s before I called again. I started to count a second time when I heard a rush of footsteps coming to the door.

“Narcissa are you okay?” I thought in my head. No, you threw me down in a dark, cold basement, with nothing but my sanity.

“I have to go the bathroom,” I said, without giving away any tip of me being eager to get out of the basement. I kind of did have to go to the bathroom but I also needed my mother to let me form this plan. The colony has other outlets of getting around, they just need me.

“Umm, one-second sweetie… James, she has to go to the bathroom.” Mom tried to whisper across the room at my dad. I think he was talking to someone, and she didn’t want me to know. I stared at her as she reacted to dad, her hand squeezed the door like her life depended on it, she shook her head like children do when they have no control over themselves. I learned to control myself when I was four. Why is mom acting younger than I am? The scent of Black Elderberry had gotten a lot stronger. They were afraid, purely afraid. Mom finally looked back at me with her fake endearing smile. She only gives those to annoying neighbors, petty teachers, or PTO staff. It's sad she is giving her own daughter this look.

“Okay, honey, you can come up and go to the bathroom.” I stared at her in disappointment, A look I’ve never gotten from my parents, but from my teachers, and some of my classmates. I finally start up the stairs, I went two at a time, and mom started screaming.

“Slowly!” I got scared and fell on my face. I whaled in pain; I held my face tightly because it burns. I start to cry, trying to ask why mom isn’t coming to help me? But I heard no footsteps on the stairs.

“Take a deep breath, Narcissa. She is not going to come for you. You are one of us now. Show her you are not afraid like she wants you to be.” Rogue came back to check on me. He did what mom did not. I took my hands away from my face. I took in a deep breath, seeing there was blood in my hands. I nodded my head.

“So, this is what it feels like to be at war with your parents.” Said in a whisper.

“Are you coming Narcissa, or are you going to stay down there?” I looked up at her not knowing exactly where the blood was coming from and smiled her fake endearing smile right back at her.

“Coming.”

As I got to the top of the stairs, I was led to the bathroom by my mother. She blocked my view of the living room.

“You need any help?” Mom asked, I could see her shaking. I tilted my head.

“Nope,” I said and walked into the bathroom. I waited for 45 Mississippi’s before locking the door. I turn to see Rogue, Avery, and triton on the bathroom sink. I can tell them apart for their distinctive look. Avery being a girl is slimmer than the boys, she is also the oldest of them so you can see her ribs. Rogue is fat, muscular, and evil-looking with scars on his back and his eye. The first time I met him I told him he looked like he could be a pirate. His exact words back to me were; argh better to steal your scraps. I laughed and he knew right away I was special. And then there is Triton, he is easy. He has a trident on his back.

“Narcissa, you’re bleeding. Come, get a towel, and dap some of that black bottle on it and put it on your nose.” I did as Avery said. I was still holding back tears, but I knew I had to be brave. I walked over to the rack of medicine on the corner of the toilet. The black bottle read peroxide, I cringed. Mom didn’t really like using chemicals, but she had it for disinfectant.

“Breath in, child, and then let out a silent scream when you put in on your nose,” Rogue said. I gulped down some spit. Reassuring myself I neared my face.

“Nar, before you do that put that washcloth in your mouth. The stupid human was going to get us caught. “Avery said. She was right I wouldn’t have screamed quietly. I put a washcloth in my mouth and bit down, then quietly put the towel on my face.

“ahmmm!” My screams were muffled. I dapped my head and got the blood off my head.

“What now?” I asked, the colony all came into the bathroom at once. They took over the whole room and this bathroom has a shower, bathtub, sink, and toilet. Michelangelo, the elder, came to the top of the toilet seat where only he was.

“Narcissa Moon, I am in my prime, meaning I am a very old man. 6 years old is a long time for a street rat to live. We as a whole are a family. Rats may fight but we always stay by our kind. You will become one of us. We will be everything you need in life, your eyes, and ears. But that scent of yours will get you very far in life. With us and your power, you will be unstoppable.” The elder was a white lab rat, with beedi red eyes, which pierced through me.

“I’m only eight. Why do I have to be Unstoppable now?” I asked.

“If you’re not known for the right reasons, later you will be for the wrong reasons.” I nodded my head.

“What do we do?”

“It is now your time to command us. We follow you.” I felt a smirk emerge on my face.

I walked out of the bathroom. Mom had waited by the door.

“Everything okay mom.” Mom looked angry now. She pushed me aside and slammed open the bathroom door. No rats were insight. She slammed the door shut, then turning back to me she folded her arms.

“Who were you talking to in there?” Mom said in her disciplined voice. I don’t usually talk back to mom when she is in this mood but I’m in charge now.

“No one. But I cleaned my face. See, looks pretty.” Mom gave me the stink eye.

“You have five seconds to tell me who you were talking to, or your father can get it out of you.” I just smiled at her. Which made her furious. She grabbed me by my arm and dragged me to the living room where there stood my dad and two police officers and 3 men in Men In Black suits.

“I thought you were taking me to dad, not the government,” I said ripping my arm away from my mom’s grip.

“She was talking to someone or something in the bathroom.” Mom said almost in a jealous whine.

“Narcissa, we just want to know who you were talking to and everything will be ok. Was it the rodents again?”

“Ha, they don’t like to be called rodents.”

“Really, I mean they live underground in the sewers and the basements and the dark. The grimy filthy vermin. What else should I call them sweetie?” Dad said with a thick grin.

“Yes, really, I don’t go around calling you a man whore when you cheat on mom with neighbors when I have play dates with kids I can’t stand. So, being grimy filthy vermin is something you should know pretty well. My friends are nothing like that.”

“How dare you!” Dad screamed. Dad started coming after me and I just stood there and smiled. The cops stopped him before getting to me.

“Sir, let us deal with this problem now.” The Men In Black had said.

“Problem… You haven’t seen a problem yet.” I said. I could smell the fear. The Black elderberries started mixing in with a new scent. A scent coming off of the rats. Vengeance and it smells like grapefruit and orange. I was so intoxicated by the scent I was drooling.

“Come to my friends, Ha, do your worst. Rid me of them. I never want to see them again.” I said, I was channeling my inner crazy witch and it felt good. The men in black had enough and start grabbing at me. They put me and handcuffs and threw me over their shoulder. I kicked, scratched, screamed, and then it happened. When the men were close to the door, with me third in the line, a sea of black started down the walls, every wall. The man holding me dropped me in shock. I fell on a pile of rats.

“Narcissa come with us to the kitchen.” I was not able to get up, the pile of rats moved me to another room. As I got into the kitchen the rats dispersed.

“Hey kiddo, you didn’t need to see what is about to go down.” I heard Rogue say. I turned to the kitchen counter and there he was.

“I want you to sit and meditate and listen to the screams. Smell fresh blood. See how the scent of blood mixes in with your power scent and the actual scent. Do it now.”

I did as I was told. The gut-wrenching screams were so painful I started to cry after 10 minutes. Everyone was calling me to make them stop. But I couldn’t. Then I smelled it, fresh blood. It’s a bitter smell like garbage, and then my power kicked in and there was that sweet smell of Boysenberries. The greatest tasting berries I have ever had.

Rogue kept me in meditation for another 15 minutes. I don't understand why.

"Time to leave Narcissa." I opened my eyes and took another breath in.

"I encourage you to look at what you have done. For clarity. It will help in the future." I nodded my head. I walked into the living room with my head held high, as I walked in the rats were dispersing out of the door. I feared what I was going to see. And I was right to fear. There in the middle of the room under scurrying rats, were carcasses, like when a cow is skinned and all that is left is the muscle and the meat.

"Kept in the bile. You need a strong stomach." I didn't answer Michelangelo, I just walked out of the house. But there was another problem I didn't think about. There were still other people in the neighborhood. A sea of rats has just scurried out of the front door. Also, there were screams.

As I walked out, the police, neighbors, and pest control surrounded me.

March 8, 2022, 4:53 a.m. 0 Report Embed Follow story
1
The End

Meet the author

Comment something

Post!
No comments yet. Be the first to say something!
~