Pest control

Night of the Fire-
Riku walked into his apartment and set his pizza on the table and walked over to the fridge to get a drink. He sat down at his table and opened the pizza box and took a slice and ate it. Riku ate about three slices and drank about five beers by now and the alcohol was making him sleepy. Riku got up and went to bed groggy as usual, his life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
Later that night Riku got up to use the bathroom and realized he had left the pizza out. He walked into the kitchen to put it up and when he reached for the pizza a rat jumped out and bit him on the finger. This surprise attack by the vermin knocked Riku back against the cabinets. The blow to his head from falling against the cabinets knocked him out and he fell to the floor. His hand fell against the stove and turned it on. Gas filled the apartment and sadly for Riku his neighbor was a very bad smoker and the gas had traveled through the cracks in the wall over to his neighbor’s apartment and caught fire as he lit the match. It only took seconds before the entire complex was up in flames. Riku was dead.
Present-
Riku walked along the road leading to a popular tourist town that was known for its taverns. “I could really use a drink to get my mind off of that night.”
“It could all go away you know just let me take away your pain.” Rei tempted.
“Shut up and go back to being quite.” Riku replied. He made his way to what looked like town square and he looked for someone to give him directions, or even a directory if there was one nearby. Riku came across a map of the town that pointed out the town’s main attractions. He noticed that around the corner was an old pub that was known for its whisky, “cool, it’s just around the corner and man do I need a drink.” Riku walked around the corner the map had specified and saw the pub. He walked into the place and sat at the bar. The bar tender came up and asked what he wanted, “What can I get you son?”
“I’ll just have a bottle of whisky and a glass. No ice.”
“You got it.” As Riku sat at the bar he listened to people to talk and tried to ease drop on conversations he couldn’t hear too well. “I hear that new bar that opened up is supposed to be amazing.”
“Yea, I and the misses went there one night when we were out on the town. The only problem is I hear they have rats in the cellar.”
“Rats?!”
“Yea and there giving out a cash reward for anyone who can get rid of them.” Riku processed everything he had just heard. “Here you are son.” The bartender had brought him his drink. Riku paid the man and took the bottle and put it in his bag and walked over to the gentlemen, “Excuse me but I couldn’t help but over hear, did you say a cash reward?”
The men had given Riku the directions to the bar, he needed a bit of money lately he was starting to get bleed dry from all the drinks. He didn’t have to eat or drink he just liked the way it tasted, even if he couldn’t get drunk. Riku walked up to the tavern and knocked on the door. After a few seconds a man answered, “Yes, I’m sorry were closed. We open again at nine tomorrow morning.”
“I’m hear about the rats.” The man grabbed Riku and pulled him inside. And locked the door.
“Please excuse earlier I didn’t realize you wear here for that. Please follow me.” The man lead Riku down the stairs to the cellar, “Now usually we see them over near that corner to your left, we think they may have a nest built up in there. But, if you remove them I’ll keep my end of the deal and you’ll get your money.” The man went back up stairs and left Riku alone to take care of business. Riku walked over to the corner the man pointed out and looked behind the wind shelf to see a nest of vermin. Riku went to reach for them as one shrieked at him. This startled Riku and sent him into a flash back of the night of the fire. Riku drew back and fell against the wall, “Crap, I really wish it wasn’t rats. Moreover I wish they had erased that part of my memories.”
“HAHAHA, you’re afraid of those little vermin that live off the scraps of bigger species. You’re pathetic, let me out and I’ll take care of those rats and I’ll even loot the shop for you so we have a bit of cash.”
“No, shut up and go away. I’m not scared of the rats, it just startled me that’s all.” Riku looked around the cellar and saw an old bag. He grabbed it off the shelf and quickly flung it over the rats and captured them in the bag. Riku walked back up the stairs and collected his money.
Outside he walked to a nearby field and let them loose. “You didn’t techniquely do the job you were supposed to.” Rei pointed out.
“Yea I did, the flier said to get rid of the rats, it didn’t specify how to get rid of them.” As Riku walked away he turned back to look at the field and for a minute though what it would be like to be free like the rats. Free of this mechanical burden he bared. Riku turned to walk away and continued down the road. As he walked he pulled out the bottle of whisky he had never drank, “Well, I guess down the hatch it goes.”

Word count: 1001

+780 PL
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