that was cool :0 the writing is excellent, i could imagine the scenes so vividly! super spooky too, especially that sack of potatoes bit :000 was NOT expecting that oml
spoilers below
so was our rat already dead basically and this was a sort of post-death hallucination or afterlife or something? from my understanding of the story they poisoned them all, and quite some time has passed given the rotting, so it seems unlikely our buddy just slept through that time unharmed. plus also the whole rising-from-the-dead thing seems just a little unnatural hehe, so my best guess is either the rat is dying and recapping everything, plus some hallucinationy elements, or its in purgatory?? :0
regardless, super cool! and leaving bits vague is really making my mind wander! for a minute i thought the sailors had committed a religious suicide what with the arsenic and the crosses- super unsettling in the best way :D great job!!!