By Tamar Wilson

When the light of day came, Rudy realized he was no longer a rat.  He tried to maneuver onto all fours, but this new body made it awkward and uncomfortable.

So he lay still, fighting the panic and confusion that rose inside him. After several minutes and some breathing exercises he realized it must have been a dream.  He looked at his hands and feet and the room around him.

That’s right, I’m Rudy the accountant, I need to get up, get dressed, and go face another day in the cubicle maze.

But all day he had a nagging need, a gnawing desire.  Trying to shake it off he walked through the office, peering into each cubicle, hoping to find what would quench his desire.  

Rudy’s unusual behavior was causing a small commotion in the office.  During meetings he could not sit still and the way he nibbled at the donuts was causing some concern.

One night Rudy stayed late.  He hoped if he had the office to himself he could satisfy what this feeling was.

He roamed around for hours.  Then he saw something move across the floor.  His nose twitched and he got down on his hands and knees.  Crawling around he looked under desks and chairs then crawled into the breakroom. He saw a rat eating something under the lunch table. It did not run, or stop eating, so he moved toward it, unsure of what he was doing, but he did know, he wanted whatever it was eating.

When Rudy’s co-workers came in the next day there was clothing on the break room floor and some rat droppings.

To this day no one has ever seen Rudy again.

Tamar Wilson is a native of the beautiful, coastal city San Diego.  She has been writing poetry and short stories since she was a child.  An avid reader of many genres she has always had a desire to be a writer, but like most people, life got in the way. As a young girl she published a poem in American Anthology, on Ocean Beach, a small community she grew up in within the county of San Diego.  She self published a novella on Amazon and had an article on Rving published on Vagabond.com.  Tales Before The Crypt is a Facebook page that she writes short descriptions of her senior clients, she currently works as a caregiver.  Her stories are thought provoking, but also fun and light.