Internecion
Peter Burghardt

While cleaning his storm cellar, Jonathon Strauss
happened upon a nest of sleeping rats. The
momma rat was obese and her babies looked
like small bald droppings. The children lay nuzzled
against their mother. In line with her
swollen nipples. Perturbed and fearing infestation,
Jonathon fled the cellar, returning with an old bolt
action rifle. One by one, he pressed
barrel to the babies' heads. Firing and reloading
while they slept. Undisturbed. Once all the
children were dead, he leveled the gun's muzzle
to the mother's maw. She opened her eyes for a second
before closing them again, offering her jaw
with fat deliverance. When it was done, Jonathon dropped
his gun and fetched the family cat.