They both heard the sound.
They were sitting quietly, each doing their own thing when it started. He was reading while she was sowing. It just happened to be one of those nights when they decided to give the television a rest. It was hard to tell whether it came from inside or outside the house. They lived in a quiet street. After whispering to each other, they got up slowly. It was coming from the kitchen. It was definitely a nibbling. He tracked it down as coming from behind the tea towel, hanging from a rail to dry. He pointed, then gradually lifted it. What they saw was a large, black rat, sitting upright and nibbling on a fragment of crisp.
She instantly ran around the kitchen in a panic. She thought about insect spray; no, that wouldn’t be enough! She opened drawers finding knives and forks, then she picked up the large wooden mallet, the meat tenderiser. That would do the job, she thought. One good blow with this should finish the thing off. Then they could simply drop it in the dustbin. She shuddered. She might have to get him to do it. As she approached, she saw him still crouched down watching the creature eat. Before she could say anything, he pointed to the small bowl of water he’d put down.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“These crisps,” he said, pointing to the remaining scraps, “they’re Salt and Vinegar. They make you really thirsty!”