NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Monday, September 17, 2012

I am a killer

It started innocently enough, all good intentions. I am, after all, a nice person. Some might say, too nice. 

I was imagining things. Paranoid. Maybe losing my tiny mind. But then little things started to make sense. The furtive glances. The feeling of being watched. When it came, the confirmation was a sharp and terrible blade, twisted in my gut. 

Mice.

We had bloody mice.

Again. 

*sigh*

I thought for a long time about how to deal with the problem. I'm allergic to cats. I had to act but I was nervous about the consequences. I tried lacing a humane trap with peanut butter but got nothing except a sticky mess. Then I used the spring-loaded killing machines that had me terrified of snapping my fingers in half. Nothing. 

Lights continued to flicker. Walls continued to rustle. 

Poison and tangle-foot pads were deployed.

It's interesting how setting out to kill something feels. Reluctance at first, followed by firm determination. As someone who is basically a wimp, I felt huge sympathy for the wee bastards. But they'd chosen the wrong place to make their lair. (Oh--how many of you read all THE RATS books all those years ago? *shudder*.) I digress. 

It's hard to kill but you get used to it. To the idea. To the act. I'm assuming this is how we learned to survive over the centuries.Or more likely it is an instinct we suppressed in so-called civilized society (some of us, not all). There was no joy in killing these mice although there was a fierce sense of triumph when we had success. 

I am a serial killer of mice and feel like I'm getting rather good at it (although I'll never be complacent again).I'm not sure if we've 'removed' every last mouse from the house but I've recently been rewarded with a most unpleasant odor that I can only assume is mouse decay. I feel like the journey is complete. I am a killer and I hide the bodies in the walls. 

Anyone for tea?


17 comments:

Jean Harrington said...

Loved your post, Toni, First mice, then rats, then . . . omigod! . . . it's too late, you're hooked.

Here in Florida, our pest of choice is the ghekko (phonetic spelling there!), and then, of course, there are the roaches, euphemistically called water bugs by some, and the alligators. Hmm . . . I see your point.

Rita said...

I have the water and marsh 100 feet one direction, creek and ponds in two others and a lovely swamp about a 100 yards in the other. critters of every kind are possible. One time the coons were trying to get in the attic during the early morning. I was tempted to use my .38. I think it’s much easier to get rid of the big vermin. It’s a long process with those little besties. Good luck Killer Lady.

Rita said...

Oh! BYW what time is tea?

Toni Anderson said...

Thanks, Jean. Ironically we keep geckos as pets :) I love them :) Although I wouldn't want them in the walls.

I really hate roaches. I mean really.

Toni Anderson said...

Rita--your whole life is an adventure! Little beasties are a PITA.

We'll have afternoon tea around 3 pm. Cakes and scones provided :)

Wynter said...

We had a go-round with mice int he attic years ago. Hearty bastards, aren't they? But the smell, oh my. Brace yourself. But it does eventually go away.

Anne Marie Becker said...

"...I hide the bodies in the walls..." LOL

We had a mouse issue when we lived in a very old cottage-type house. Luckily, they seemed to prefer the attic. And luckily, we had a cat who was more than happy to hunt the mice.

Ironically, our cat's name was Dexter (this was long before the serial killer show). I just realized that. LOL

Cynthia Justlin said...

Once, when my husband and I were watching TV I felt something scurry across my foot. I yelped and told him what I'd felt. We looked around, didn't see anything. I convinced myself it was just the blanket I'd had over my legs brushing against my foot. Nope. A mouse. *shudder*

Luckily, we do have a cat, and a few days later, he left a nice little present in our room for when we woke up! :)

JB Lynn said...

Hmmmm.....my earlier comment is nowhere to be found.

I wouldn't want to cross you and I'd be afraid your scones would be laced with rat poison.

Kathy Ivan said...

Ah, yes, the mice. Where I used to live a neighbor kept deer feed in his garage for hunting season. Did he get the mice at his house--oh, no, they all migrated to my house. Nothing like waking up at 2 in the morning to a rustling noise, looking down beside your bed and seeing the momma mouse and a whole passle of young 'uns on the floor next to your slippers.

Since I didn't have a cat, poison bait was the next best solution. I agree, the smell is one of the most obnoxious things I think I've ever experienced.

I'll be over soon, but if you don't mind, I'll bring my own tea bags. LOL

Great post, Toni.

Toni Anderson said...

LOL--I can see I am not alone!!

Sadly this makes me very happy.

Cats seem to work wonders, but not only am I allergic, my dog chases cats. I'm afraid my life would become even more of a Tom & Jerry cartoon than it already is :)

Maureen A. Miller said...

Uggggggggggggg I had to kill a mouse once. It was horrible. Now I know who I'm going to call. Toni, my hero! :)

J Wachowski said...

I apologize every time a slap a moth out of the air. This time of year, the cabinet gets the woolies and there's nothing but...
smack!
"Sorry moth-y."
I wonder how it is I kill the peeps off so casually in stories, when it pains me to kill the bugs eating my imported Italian pasta.
People are complicated.

J Wachowski said...

I apologize every time a slap a moth out of the air. This time of year, the cabinet gets the woolies and there's nothing but...
smack!
"Sorry moth-y."
I wonder how it is I kill the peeps off so casually in stories, when it pains me to kill the bugs eating my imported Italian pasta.
People are complicated.

Toni Anderson said...

Maureen--now we're even!

Jules--I know! People are complicated :)

Shelley Munro said...

You hooked me in at the start of your confession. I was riveted, but I have to say I'm glad the mice are visiting you rather than me!

Toni Anderson said...

Shelley--I am usually a better host to people. Usually :)

More Popular Posts