Three Skeleton Key

"Three Skeleton Key" is a short story by the French author George G. Toudouze.
George G. Toudouze (1877-1972) was born in Paris, France. Today he is remembered for a single work: "Three Skeleton Key".


The plot involves three men tending a lighthouse on an island off the coast of French Guiana. An abandoned ship, overrun by thousands of ferocious rats, makes landfall. A life-and-death struggle ensues as the men seek to save themselves from the hungry horde.

Vincent Price is the actor most associated with the play, performing it in 1950 for the radio show, Escape and in 1958 for the show, Suspense.
You can listen to the 1950 radio show by clicking on the link above.



 

But now, in real life, the Russian cruse ship, Lyubov Orlova, named after a somewhat psychotic looking Russian actress,

 has been missing in the North Atlantic since last January. 

The cruse ship was abandoned in Newfoundland in 2010 when the owners went bankrupt, and failed to pay the crew. So they docked the ship and left for parts unknown.


The Canadian government decided, last year to tow the ship to the Dominican Republic to be scrapped
 
Two problems.

1) the ship is infested with thousands of rats. The rats ate anything eatable some time ago, so now they are cannibalistic rats. The larger ones eating the small and weak.

2) The tow line snapped during a storm and the tug lost sight of the ship in the storm.

So.
So, now the ship is drifting towards England/Ireland with thousands of giant, cannibalistic rats as crew and complement. If it makes landfall the rats will disembark, looking for a meal.

 Belgian-based searcher Pim de Rhoodes said: 'She is floating around there somewhere. There will be a lot of rats and they eat each other.'

Irish coastguard Chris Reynolds said: 'We must stay vigilant.
'We don’t want rats from foreign ships coming onto Irish soil. If it came and broke up on shore, I’m sure local people wouldn’t be very happy about it.’

When asked what can be done, Pim de Rhoodes said: Try tucking your pant legs into your socks, for starters, boys.

Good call, guys. Let's see, locals not happy, pants in socks, hungry rats. what could go wrong?