Pest Control- 2

Read part 1 - here

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‘Do you have oats? We could eat oats for breakfast.’ Uma’s mother in law regarded her husband who had disappeared between folds of newspaper reappearing momentarily to nod before diving amongst headlines again. 

Uma had already decided to make some sandwiches and this sudden request caught her off guard because she didn’t even remember the last time they had oats seeing how much she disliked them and hardly bothered buying any but she recalled having bought some, perhaps last month or was it last year? Who could remember these things and so Uma stole to the pantry unsure about the location of said oats.

Hmm, she mumbled to herself pulling out tins and containers in search of the elusive item until buried behind a box of walnuts she found a tin that possibly housed the needful.

Absent-minded she unscrewed the lid still trying to remember the date of purchase when a wave of shock and terror smacked her right across the face before scrunching her features with pronounced horror and she screamed in revulsion throwing the tin into the kitchen basin and ran out screaming till her lungs ached.

‘What? What?’ Manu sprang out of the bedroom his face creased with worry. ‘What is it?’

Uma hysterical and overcome with passion spoke gibberish, jumping as if she’d been standing atop needle points. Her hands waved above her head and her shuddering made it look like she was having a seizure. 

‘Ugh, ack, ack’ Uma was flinging her hands and dry heaving.

‘Darling, sweetheart.’ Manu gently placed a hand over her shoulder. ‘What is it?’

 Tears streamed down her now gagging face and Manu was finally able to decipher that she was screaming ‘Eww eww’ 

‘Oh,’ he said with a sudden realization and walked into the kitchen staring at the spilt contents of the tin that contained oats in the basin.

It was alive with a hundred little green maggots, crawling out of the tin and squirming about in the basin. 

Gross little worms fattened with the feed twitching in that obnoxious way which made it hard to look at them, especially for Uma who had an absurd fear of anything that wriggled. Maggots, earthworms, caterpillars, slugs, anything that was wormy affected her senses in an absurd manner and Manu empathized. 

He turned on the tap and declared he’d be making breakfast and Uma stood still shuddering now conscious of her in-laws' amused facial expressions and judging glare.

Ugh, she didn't care.

How they disgusted her..worms, maggots, horrible little spineless creatures for no fault of theirs. 

This is just how they were created but she loathed them with a frenzy. They struck terror within her, tortured her mind to even think of them and yet they crawled all over her now. She could feel the trail of a writhing larva climbing up her back, entering her mouth, eating her voice. They were everywhere. 

The number without a name had creeped out of her guts and began to move inside her spine.

The door clicked open and Uma ran to the bathroom and locked herself inside. 

Shaking, unable to keep herself from crying muffling a scream.

‘Darling?’ a familiar voice intoned 

Uma felt a comforting hand slide over her fingers under the table. She glanced at Manu’s face that silently asked her if she was alright to which she nodded. 

His warm palm felt soothing over her shivering cold fingers and hunger eluded her today. She swallowed with caution trying to keep down her lunch and made back to her workspace after the meal was done.

That she hadn’t uttered a word nor smiled or made any conversation throughout the afternoon wasn’t an observation Manu dwelled over since she’d quietly let him know that she was fine and that was enough for him.

The weekend called for long afternoon naps especially after a busy day and soon the house was silent like a shrine but Uma found herself sitting atop an unrested grave that deafened her with screams. 

The calmness was ritually slaughtered by the loud thwacking of her heart against her teeth. What would she do now? 

Why? Why today? After ten peaceful years why did it happen and how? How on earth did the bastard find her?

Uma put her head down on her worktable and cried uncontrollably. 

The phone rang again. 

There was no name, just a number and she screeched voicelessly. Her heart boiled with fury, fear and regret.