31 Short Horror Stories for Halloween

Rats

Rats. That's what it was; rats. He'd told them they were getting out of hand but who listens to the janitor? It wasn't until they got into the cafeteria that the Principal took notice but by then, things had gotten out of hand.

Still, he wasn't complaining. In the end, the situation benefitted him. The school had asked him to take care of the problem and they'd pay him for it. It would cheaper than calling an expert in and he'd be able to make some money under the table.

He knew rats liked to nest in warm places and the boilers in the basement were a perfect place. It was getting cold and the warmth would be too much for them to resist. He went down into the basement which was screaming neglect. Lights needed changing and you could practically breathe in the mold that was growing on the walls. Worst of all was the stench. It was putrid. How long had the vermin been living down here, eating, pissing, shitting, and copulating. In the dark, he heard their high pitched shrieks.

He sighed and pulled the cloth over his face to keep the smell out. He would inspect the area today and find their nests. Tomorrow, he'd put down the traps. The shrieks came at random but he didn't see a single rat. He went deeper, climbing between pipes, and trying to find their lair. At the very back, where the pipes met the sewers, he stopped.

He had to fight off the nausea as the full smell hit him. It was decay; vile decay that would take you with it. He squinted and saw the carcass of many rats strewn on the floor. He also saw the remains of uncountable dogs, and cats piled high. This was disgusting, and he should've been disgusted but he was perplexed; what had brought all these animals down here and killed them? There were squirrels, raccoons, and even a few ferrets. He backed away and that's when he felt it.

Something warm. Something fury. Something that breathed. He turned and came face to face with a snout, and a large pair of red eyes looking down on him. He smelled its breath as it opened its mouth for its next meal. It wasn't rats after all.