My very first oneshot: This bunny had bounced through my head a long time until I was finally able to catch it…
Thanks to Cynlee for really fast beta reading and corrections!
Disclaimer: TMNT, Splinter etc are property of Mirage.
What I have to do
"'Tell me about it. When I came home, Susan expected me with …"
The voices of the two men softened and faded in the darkness. When the lights of their flashlights disappeared, the sewer tunnels were once again filled with a blackness no human eye could permeate. Other beings however didn't have this problem…
In a dark side tunnel the workers had passed without giving it much thought, something even darker moved. For a moment, the figure paused, strained its pointed ears and took a deep breath without paying attention to the various smells and stenches that belonged to this specific environment- the sewer systems of one of the biggest cities in the world. When he could sense the humans no longer and no other sign of danger also, the furred head nodded satisfied. Splinter reached behind him and took a brown bag, filled with the results of this evening scavenging tour. He hadn't planned to leave for such a long time, but the heavy thunderstorms of the last two weeks had forced him to stay underground, and their stocks had shrunk although he had fasted. Unfortunately, four little kids needed a lot of foot, especially when they were naturally cold-blooded and were shivering in the late autumn cold.
Splinter sighted deeply. He had just recently found an entrance to the basement and the magazine of the city library and had "borrowed" as many books as he could find about turtles, tortoises- and rats. After four years, he had gotten used to walking upright, but he still was very unsure about the proper diet for himself and his little sons. To complicate matters further, it was hard enough to find food at all. Not that his small sons would complain about pizza, hamburgers and French fries, but he had the feeling that this kind of food was not healthy.
He got close to his home and was very proud of his four-year-olds when he didn't hear a sound. He had impressed them upon being silent, especially when he wasn't around, but they were too small to fully understand how dangerous the world around them was. The thunderstorms had damaged parts of the subway system and of the sewers as well. Many surface dwellers came down these days, repairing the damage and prying around business they shouldn't. Fortunately, he had found neither damage nor any signs of humans around his home. He knocked at the door two times, paused and knocked again, the sign for his sons that it was safe to unlock the door which was otherwise blocked up with a big wooden bar. For a short moment, he was almost panicking. Something had happened while he was away, he was sure. Somewhat had come and taken his family away from him, again…
Then the door opened and four toddlers did their best to bury their father under them, and Splinter's worries melted like ice in the sunshine. He entered their modest home with small turtles clinging to both arms and legs and listened to their chatting with joy in his heart.
"Raphie has hurt me"
"Look the toaster you brought"
"M'kie painted my shell red"
"Dad wants to rest"
Finally he was able to sit down on the tattered sofa, while his sons tried to get his full attention and to tell him everything that had happened today in their small home- the only world they knew. It hurt him almost physically that they had to live without the sight of the blue sky, without playing in the park or without walking in the sunlight, but he had to protect them. He had lost his family once and would not allow himself to let this happen again.
He stood up again, and for a moment the world turned black. He paused, waited until his heartbeat had calmed down. Too little food, too much scavenging in the night and in the cold. Luckily they didn't notice. But this time, he had brought enough food home so that they all would have enough for another week or maybe even ten days. And the sheer delight in the eyes of his kids when he gave them the wax crayons and the plastic toys he found in the garbage can behind a fast-food restaurant did totally compensate him for the nasty weather. He prepared dinner, and then he sat down on the sofa again, grabbed a book and watched his little ones playing with the new toys. Life was great.
--
Ted Preston was glad his shift was nearly over. He did not really appreciate his job- heck, who would like it to walk through other people sewage- but the payment was okay. Susan constantly told him to look for another job, especially now as little junior had arrived. But for the moment, they needed every bit of money they could get.
On the other hand, he wouldn't commiserate too much about leaving this place once and for all. Sometimes, he had the eerie feeling of being watched, as if someone-something- would follow him through the shadows, merging with them when he jerked round sharply… and no one was to be seen. He was probably just seeing ghosts, but-
His workmate Doug asked him: "Hey, are you dreaming or what? Today's work's done!"
Ted paused for a moment, but suddenly he didn't want to let this matter rest.
"I'll follow you later."
Doug shrugged.
"Whatever. You know the working rules, don't ya? No walking around alone?"
"I just want to check something… won't need long."
Doug watched him disappearing into the darkness. Some people couldn't be helped.
Ted scanned the area which seemed the most suspicious. He had been down here so often recently, and there was nearly almost this feeling of being watched, of hearing something, a soft rustling of clothes… I am having a hallucination. But what if not?
He reached an area which was even more ruinous than the rest of these old tunnels. No matter how often he had repaired the emergency lights, they had always given out when he had checked them the next time. It was a little bit too strange. Did somebody break them on purpose? He walked further into the tunnel and switched his flashlight on. It became darker and darker, but then he got the feeling he heard something different than the constant dropping and rushing of the water- children laughter?
He shook his head energetically. His mind must have wandered to his own small son at home. He should really turn around and leave, his wife would worry. But then again, he heard it, this time a little bit louder, clearer. And it was more than one voice…
--
Splinter dozed on the sofa and listened half-heartedly to his sons. It was about time for them to go to bed and he was exhausted and tired, but it was rarely enough they played without the usual bickering, so he decided to give them another fifteen minutes. He smiled at his sons and was just thinking that he should really tug them in now when suddenly something caught his attention. Steps. In front of the door. And before he could even react, the door was torn open.
For a moment, everyone froze. They stared in disbelief and shock at each other, the human in his working overalls, the humanoid rat on the tattered sofa and the four little turtles, which had cuddled together. Silence. Then the human made something like "Uuuurgh" and ran away as if he was haunted by the devil himself. Splinter immediately jumped up and followed him. The devil? An angry father was worse.
--
A dream. This had to be a dream. He would wake up every moment. He was not running through the sewer system, followed by this freak of nature. He was not. He was safe. He had to run, his life depended on it. He had lost his flashlight somewhere on the way, the light was dim, he couldn't see, he couldn't see…
He did not even notice when he stumbled. One moment he was running, the next flying and then he lied in the filthy water, covered with dirt and things he did not even want to examine further. He squinted his eyes. What he didn't see couldn't see him also. Yeah.
He heard footsteps, which fall silent in front of him. He could feel it, someone, something was standing directly before him. He opened his eyes against better knowledge and raised his head slowly, hoping, praying…
The creature stood there, as real as any human. It held a knife in its right hand and the expression on its face, the look in its eyes told Ted that this creature was about to use it. Cold. Hard. Angry. Determined.
Ted swallowed hardly. He had never considered himself a fearful person, but this was beyond any situation he could have imagined.
"Please", he begged.
Could this thing understand him? He had heard voices…
"Please", he said again, hoping for a reaction, "please don't kill me".
He did not think about the absurdness of his situation, being cornered by some giant rat and begging for his life. He just wanted to get out of this nightmare.
The creature made another step in his direction. Ted crawled backwards on all fours until he sat with his back against a wall.
"Please", he screamed in panic, "I have family!"
And the creature stopped.
Ted dared to breathe again. What had happened? He was still alive. The expression in the rat monster's almost human eyes had changed- it looks sad and if it was- asking for forgiveness? Then the creature leaned forward, and Ted was shocked when he heard it speak for the first time:
"And what about my family?"
--
Splinter walked home very, very slowly. Over and over again he rubbed off his right hand at his robe, but that couldn't make him forget. When he reached the door, he noticed that his sons had closed them behind him. It took much time until they opened the door on his signal, and then they were too afraid to greet him in the tunnel.
It was his fault. He had been so tired and had forgotten the block up the door behind him when he had come home earlier. His fault. He sighted.
"Yes, my sons. I am home."
He stretched out his hand to gently touch Donatello's face, but them he withdrew his right hand and used his left instead. His sons were too terrified to notice.
In this night, sleep wouldn't come. Again and again he had washed his hand, but he still thought he could smell the blood. Finally he had gone to bed, only to turn around sleeplessly. He had killed before, street punks and homeless which had attacked him because they had hoped to get easy money, but he had never attacked someone. And never killed an unarmed person. He just couldn't forget this man's face, his fear, his last sentence…
"I am sorry", he whispered to the ceiling. "I had to do this. You do work down here… you would have remembered the place. I am sorry."
"Dad?"
Splinter turned around. His youngest stood behind the curtain to his room and entered now.
"With who d'you speak?"
Splinter spread his arms and the young turtle immediately followed this invitation. Splinter gentle stroke his head.
"With no one, my son. I was just thinking."
"Kay."
"Is there a problem? Can you not sleep?"
"Raphie snores. Can I sleep here?"
Normally he would have sent him back to his own bed if there was just such a minor problem, but this night he needed comfort as well. Besides, it had always been very hard to refuse these big eyes something, so he nodded.
Michelangelo hurried under the blanket at once and with his youngest cuddled to his side, Splinter finally fell asleep.
--
Susan Preston fed her little son and sighted. Four weeks had passed and there was still no sign of her husband. His working comrade had told the police he just wanted to check something, that he'd follow him soon- but he never came back.
She couldn't believe that he had left her. She was sure something had happened to him. Nevertheless, the police didn't find a clue, so they wanted to file the case. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks again- just what was she supposed to do? Without Ted…
She sat down at a kitchen stair and tried to calm herself. She needed to be strong, for her son. Ted would come back. Nothing could stand between him and his family.
When she had finally picked up courage, she went to the mailbox. Between the usual commercials and bills was a small packet, wrapped in old brown paper. She carefully opened it and became stiff as a poker. She knew this wallet inside; it had been a Christmas gift of her.
The wallet had a few dark brown stains. Blood, she was sure without doubt. A piece of paper fell out of the package and as if in a trance, she grabbed it.
I am sorry.
Nothing more.
She collapsed on the pavement.
--
The forensic unit didn't find finger prints, just a few hairs of animal fur- rat, they said. Although the police men inspected Ted's whole working area and the surrounding zone, they never found a corpse.
The End