Deadly Lullaby

In a time long, long ago—so long ago that many have forgotten—lived a happy town. People rejoiced in happiness and lived gratefully each day. Such a wonderful place.

However, I’m not going to tell you about its bliss or glory. About how humble they were or how they felt blessed
.
Oh no. I’m going to tell you the unknown story. Its fall. The story of how that little happy town became forgotten. The unknown story of that unknown little town.

It all happened that “normal” day. Maybe Fate was tire of seeing people happy. Maybe Fate finally got sick of their smiles. Or maybe, Fate finally carried out his twisted plan.
From one of the little houses, came a squeaky noises that bothered the entire family—soon it spread all across town. No one knew what it was, but they knew it came from the rat holes that invaded the house. They set on traps to kill these unwanted visitors. They used the classic mouse trap and some chemicals—incredible poisons they found in an unwanted temple—to catch them and kill them. It was a total success. It seemed that all those rats died upon the venom of the chemicals. But, oh boy, of course that was not the end of it—Fate loves to play.

After some days of peace and joy, the horror attacked that little town once more. The squeaky noises that were once heard, invaded each house again. However, this time was stronger, more horrifying. They put on traps and spread out chemicals and noticed that it did nothing but increase the noises and the mess that were created at night.

-It can’t be rats- A man in the crowd yelled out during the meeting the town made.

-We should check what are enemy are before attacking.- Another suggested.

The entire town decided that was the best way to go.

They held on to their improvised weapons as they walked toward the biggest house of the entire town, where the noises were heard the most. The mayor of the town knocked on its huge wooden door, but no one replied. The mayor waited and then knocked again.

-No one is there.- A husky voice suddenly called out from the crowd. Everyone turned to see an old winkled woman. Her eyes were filled with hatred and her skinny self was shaking with agony. –That family disappeared already- She said with pain. No one believed her. –The chemicals you used were treasures of our ancestors to keep peace with this hollow world’s pests. You used them, now you have no protection. You cursed yourself.-

Everyone stared in disbelief. What was this old lady saying? Where did she come from?

-Stop saying nonsense!-The mayor yelled.

-Well, you’ll soon believe me and you’ll soon be begging for my help- The old woman replied and in a zaash she disappeared.

Everyone began to look around and to each other looking for answer to what just happened.

-That’s the old woman that lives outside town.- A little boy remembered.
-No matter who she is, is still nonsense what she was saying.- The mayor replied and with a kick he opened the wooden door.

The house was indeed empty. Everyone stood there in shock, as the words of the old lady echoed the empty house.

-They must be inside.- The sheriff said with encouragement.

A small crowd separated from the original one and entered the big house with small and light steps. They turned to the right, and the house was empty—a total mess, but empty. They headed to the left, but it was the same situation. Fearing what the old lady had said, they walked with shivering legs toward the second floor. All of the sudden, those familiar noises began to sound again. They stopped. Stared at each other; none of them were brave enough to accept they were afraid, so they were looking for a total coward between them. However, all of them were too proud to accept they were scared.

After a moment of no movement, they turned to the right and began to walk with even smaller steps. As they got nearer to the first room, the annoying noises grew. They stopped for a while, hesitating…now, looking for the bravest one among them all. The sheriff took a deep breath and put his hand in the handle. The door opened slowly, showing an imaged that made them wished it never opened.

From that wooden door, the darkness emerged. The sounds were now like pounding hammers in everyone’s head. No one dare to enter, no one dare to move. All of the sudden, two little red light balls surfaced in the dark room. They glittered away with evilness.

-What…- One of the men tried to speak. The words were struggling in his throat. A second later, the entire room was covered with red light balls. The sheriff in an accidental move taken because of fear, stretched out his hand and making his flash light illuminate the entire room.

It WAS rats after all. They were somehow deformed. Their skin seemed to be so much darker and their eyes now shone like blood. Their teeth were bigger and their entire body seemed as if they were ready to explode. Part of their flesh and bones were exposed, creating an intoxicating smell—or was it the devoured dead bodies of the former owners? Even with all of these, they were indeed rats.

They froze in horror. Was it true the gruesome scene they were watching? In that exact moment, the old lady’s voice began to ring in their minds. A cursed. It kept repeating. A curse.
No one outside knew what was going on, until a loud scream astonished everyone. In the confusion, they managed to see one of the guys that had entered coming out with his shirt all splattered with blood.

-The…the…rats…-He tried to say as he crawled out to the sun light.

What happened next was the most fun for Fate. The entire town was being attacked. The little rats that once wanted only cheese and leftovers, were craving for human flesh and had a thirst for human blood as they turned each time bigger, each time more gruesome.

-Help!- A voice called out with desperation from the outside yard. The man stopped roughly as he tried to catch his breath back. The wooden house in front of him seemed so old as if it had millions of years. It looked as if it was going to fall down at any moment. The man wanted to call out again, but his throat had given up upon him and he was afraid to knock.

When he tried to open his mouth again, the door opened slowly, giving away it was old; the old woman that was once in front of the big house appeared.

-What is it that you want?- The old lady was exhausted.

-You were right.- the man admitted-We need your help!-

The old lady grinned. –oh young man.- She began to say with all the patience of the world now, still smiling. -I won’t be of any help. Is too late now.- She added.

-But there must be something!- The man cried out.-We will pay any cost!

The old lady noticed how desperate the man was, and that blissful yet twisted smile draw itself in her face again. –Well, well. I think I have something that might help you.- The woman turned around and disappeared in the darkness of her house. The man waited patiently in the deserted yard.

Minutes later, the old lady came out with a little girl-She’s Aliza.- The man’s eyes were fixed on the girl. Her long dark hair flowed like the water of a dark damp into her waist and her dark eyes were as big as the moon. –She will help you.- The old lady assured.

The man stared in disbelief. There was no way a little girl that looked of almost 10 could do any good in a time of massacre. –You are not going to trust me again?- The old lady threaten. The girl stayed quite.

The man shook his head and grabbed the little girl’s hand in desperation and ran away. As they both began to fade in the road toward the town the old lady yelled-Now she is yours! Remember to pay her back well!- But the warning was never heard.

At the entrance of the now doomed little town, appeared a sweaty and bloody man holding the hand of a little girl wearing a beautiful black dress.

-Now..now…what?- The man asked to himself as the screams grew louder from his beloved town.

The little girl saw the shadows; the rats moving, hunting people. She smiled to herself as she let go of the man’s hand, and walked toward the town with no fear at all.

She walked ‘til she was further enough, and she opened her little mouth and began to move her little lips. The most angelical voice began to sing and hum a song that was filled with hope. She turned away when she noticed she had finally caught the attentions of the little creatures that looked like rats. She turned away and began to skip her way toward the nearest river. She skipped and skipped and skipped as she continued emitting that beautiful song, and the rats followed her all the way.

Finally, in front of the river she jumped to one of the wet rocks and turned away to watch how the rats that followed her drawn in the clear river.

The work was done, and the girl smiled with satisfaction. The little girl skipped back to the town, with her prized already in mind.

-Oh my dear!- The mayor cried with joy in the entrance of the town. –You saved us all!- The little girl stayed quiet, waiting anxiously for her reward. The bunch of adults that were looking down at her were perplexed when they noticed she wanted something in return.

-Oh little girl, we have nothing to give you.- The mayor lied. –All our goods have been turned to trash because of those hideous creatures.- The little girl knew they were lying. -How about this? In reward for helping us all, you can come and play whenever you want!- The mayor’s wife suggested. The girl’s eyes were filled with sadness. She wanted a prize. She didn’t want a place to play. She wanted something she could play with alone. She didn’t want company, not at all.

-What are you staring?- One man of the crowd grumped. We have to work now, go back to where you came from. Play time will be another day. – And they all turned away, leaving the little girl alone.

The little girl grinned again, but this time her eyes were mad. She was gone by night, but the next day she returned for she was granted the liberty to play. She went to the park were all the other little boys and girls where and she sat in a lonely spot. They played and played but none of them talked to her—not that she wished for someone to talk to her. She had returned to town for her prize.

After a moment of being silent, the little girl opened her little mouth again and the song began to ring loud throughout the town once more. However, this time a bunch of diabolic rats didn’t follow her. This time, the little kids that were in the playground dropped their toys and walked back home with their eyes blank and their smiles wiped away. The little girl smiled again.

That night of that fateful day, the voice of the little girl sounded again in a low volume in each house. The first to wake up were the little kids. Their eyes were popping out, their skin were turning gray, and their smiles were now complete wiped away. They stood up from their cozy bed and stumbled their way outside. They were no longer conscious, they were no longer kids.

The kids that once wanted only sweets and wished for toys to play with now craved for human flesh and had a thirst for human blood. The ones that woke up saw their kids’ dead eyes before they were devoured. The ones that didn’t woke up, never got to… and this deadly scene in Fate’s favorite game was accompanied with the little girl’s song sounding loud through the town from the dark skies. The next day, the town was deserted. The kids were gone. The adults were nothing but bones. The entire town was empty. The houses, the restaurants, the school, the playground…everything; now the little girl got her prize: Something she can play with—in—all by herself.