Deep in the ground where the water slows down and swirls in murky eddys; the rats gather.
The ground is squirming and heaving with so many hungry rats; rolling and jumping, in a wave. They are drawn to the cats who come to gorge themselves. The rats are not afraid. They’ve forgotten their fear. The worms in their brains make them forget. The rats twirl and jump, dancing on hind legs as the cats devour them.
Jack was optimistic when he arrived. The town felt welcoming, even if that feeling was purely because it was different than home.
He was making an effort. Staying late at work. Helping students after class. One student, named Emi, started bringing him homemade snacks during lunch. She would come into the teacher’s room silently, nod in his direction and leave the neatly wrapped rice balls at the edge of his desk without a word. He wondered what they were filled with but didn’t know how to ask without being rude. He was hungry, and had no allergies.
Jack felt lucky to make an immediate connection with Kinoko, his relocation assistant. She was a little older, but easy to talk to. And she liked to drink.
They enjoyed talking. She would tell him about local culture and he would listen. She asked if he’d been to the local shrine and offered to take him during the upcoming mushroom festival.
Every region has a specialty product, usually food. The little valley was perpetually damp, so it was famous for mushrooms and fermented foods like soy sauce and sake.
