THE NIGHT I MET THE QUEEN

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. You could barely see it, but there it was. I was out walking my dog on his evening walk. We left a little later than we usually do otherwise I may have missed it. I wish I had.

The path on my side of the lake is fairly close to my cabin, which is my home. I am not a weekender or summer jetsetter. I moved here about two months ago and plan on living here all year round, I just love it!

I saw that light in the cabin across the lake and I thought, what is that? I squinted my eyes to hopefully see it better. But it was way to far away and all I could see was the faint glow of the flickering light.

We went home and Buddy was anxiously waiting at my feet for his food. I put his plate down and rubbed him on the head. “Good boy Bud Bud.” I was thinking about what I was gonna do for dinner, but my mind kept going back to the light in the cabin across the lake. Why was it there? Has someone bought it and is moving in? I have walked around the lake a few times and remember that cabin as being dilapidated and as far as I knew no one lived in it. Why is there just the one light in the window? I had to go see, dinner for me would have to wait because I could not.

I changed into long pants and put on a long-sleeved flannel shirt, grabbed a hat and a flashlight. My dog sat at my feet wagging his tail and looking up at me with that look. “I don’t know Bud Bud, maybe you should wait here for now, I’ll be back in a bit”

Something was telling me to leave him home. He walked slowly over to the couch and jumped up and tucked into the cushions.

I shouted to Buddy, “I’ll be back soon” and I shut the door. I didn’t bring my cell phone only because we have no cell reception at the lake, only land lines. I wondered if the old cabin had one, I laughed to myself.

I started walking to the path which would eventually bring me to the other side of the lake. As I was walking, I was second guessing my decision about bringing my cell phone, I could have at least used the camera. “Oh well” I said out loud to no one but myself. I really didn’t feel like going back. If I did, I may not have gone back out.

When I got to the cabin this time it didn’t look as dilapidated as I was remembering, which I thought was a little strange, but I shrugged it off. I went to the window with the candle in it and tried to peer in. Even with the lit candle in the window it was hard to see inside, I could only make out shadows.

I must admit I was a little scared, let’s face it, really scared. I went to the front door and knocked, I figured I would introduce myself to the owner. No answer, no one came to the door, I said in a loud voice “hello, anyone home?” No answer.

Don’t ask me why, but I felt compelled to try and go in anyway. I tried the doorknob and turned it slowly, hoping it would be locked, so I could just go home. Nervously laughing to myself I pushed the door and with no resistance the door opened.

I should have known.

The first thing I noticed was the smell, it was a musty old rotting leaf smell like the way an old unused cabin would smell. And as I entered the cabin the smell suddenly changed, it was a pleasant smell of herbs. It smelled sooo good and reminded me I had not had dinner yet.

As I was looking around the foyer, I saw a faint light coming from one of the back rooms and I walked toward it. I came to the kitchen and inside was a little old lady with grey hair stirring something on the stove. I cleared my throat and said, “I am so sorry I didn’t think anyone lived here.”

The woman turned and with a pleasant smile said, “oh hi, no worries my friend, you are more than welcome here.” I proceeded to ask her how long has she lived here? The old woman said “for a very long time, seems like an eternity" and she laughed. The laugh sent chills down my spine, and I thought, what am I doing here? And as I was thinking that, a smell so putrid hit me in the face. It smelled like animal, like there was one nearby and I looked around only I didn’t see any. It was such a strong profound smell that I had to cover my nose with my hand.

I turned to ask the old woman what was that smell? and I as I was turning to face her, she started to change right before my eyes and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! She was morphing into this large rat with long striking wavy grey hair embedded with pitch black, her eyes were a dark violet color and were mesmerizing, she had purple lips and very white teeth, her long whiskers curled at the end and her dark grey fingernails came to a point. She wore a black flowing gown and on her head was a crown that had different colored stones and something else I couldn’t tell you what they were, but they looked like bones. It was a magnificent looking crown to say the least, everything about her was magnificent looking, she was a glorious being to behold. Now I knew where that animal smell was coming from.

I was speechless and she said in a harmonic voice “as I said before my friend, you are more than welcome here and in fact I insist that you stay"… and with that she laughed, and it was just as harmonious as her voice and I felt myself become spellbound. I couldn’t move or speak at all, my feet were heavy with cement and my voice was gone but my eyes were wide and all I could do was watch.

What I saw next was rats, coming from all around us, out of the floorboards and the walls, somehow the cabin had turned dilapidated again and the rotting smell was back. There were so many rats and the sound that they were making was piercing and I had to cover my ears now. Then the Rat Queen looked at me and her eyes turned from dark violet to red and she no longer looked so magnificent, she just looked mean and evil, and still I could not move. She came to me and said “welcome home “and I could feel her cold teeth and warm breath on my neck and I knew what was coming, she bit me, she bit me on my neck. As soon as she did I felt my blood dripping down, I became nauseous and dizzy, the room was spinning and I could hear the rats all chattering and it was too much to bear.

I fainted and when I woke up I knew I was lying down, I looked around and saw the Rat Queen in her glorious state again and she was beautiful, oh so beautiful! I saw all the other rats gathered round me, staring at me.

It was then I noticed I was no longer human, I screamed, it came out as a high-pitched squeak and my nose twitched and I smelled all of us…. all of us rats!! I was one of them now!

The Rat Queen in her palace if you will and I was a part of this mischief, this was my family now.

The day after I disappeared the sheriff and others from the town were searching for me and they made their way to the old abandoned cabin. They were inside looking around and as I hid in the wall, I could hear them talking about how many hikers and weekenders have gone missing over the years. They mostly chalked it up to getting lost in the vast wilderness.

I then saw my beloved Bud Bud, someone had brought him to help find me and as soon as I saw him, I ran out to try and say I am here!! I’m here!!

When the deputy screamed and said “aahh a rat!” and tried to kick me, and my beloved dog just whined and ran to sniff the wall I had disappeared back into.

I wondered just how many of us rats in our Queens’ army had once been human. I wish I had never seen that candle in the window.

A few months later when new tenants moved into the cabin across the lake, funny how I still see a cabin across the lake, it’s just geography at this point. I could just make out shadows of images, but I knew they were people, new people in my house.

And some time later… I watched as our glorious Rat Queen lit a candle and gently placed it on the sill. I knew the poor soul that was in my house would get curious too and walk around the lake, curiosity getting the better of them and they would come and join our family. For you know rats hate to be lonely and can die from loneliness, so our Queen makes positively sure that would never happen to us…

die of loneliness.

The End

Rebecca A H Lavin