Bat
von Jacques Pinard Brown (Copyright)
Batty the vampire bat could feel there was something amiss when he awoke this evening.
It was as if the whole place was deserted. His suspicions where confirmed when he went out on his early evening flight. There was not a human about on the street, the whole place was deathly quiet.
He flew passed farmer Brown’s fruit grove and found Guava fruit bat munching on some granadilla’s. Every so often he spat out seeds or bits of shell.
“Hello Guava.”
“Hello Batty”
“The place seems mighty quiet tonight. I wonder where all the people are?” said Batty.
“They headed off for town early this morning, which would have been late last night for you, in a manner of speaking. Yes… all baggaged up and in a great hurry. Said something about them being tired of being bled to death by the likes of you. Said taxes and insurance sales men where bad enough, but they didn’t literally have to get their blood sucked from their veins. Said they where heading for the launch pad in town.” Replied Guava.
Batty flew as quickly as his little wings could flap towards town.
Flutter, flutter, flutter, went the wings of little Batty until he reached the city.
Here he found no sign of human existence also, but came across Billy the half-brained bat.
“Hello Billy.”
“Hello Batty.”
“Where have all the people gone?” asked Batty.
“All hopped onto the first pod out of here early this morning. Shot right out to space and out of this place. Didn’t even leave a forwarding address. Looks like your bloodsucking days are over.” Said Billy the half-brained bat.
Batty flew around aimlessly. He stopped to roll a joint, that would help him think. He sat cross-legged on a ledge smoking it. When he had finished he proceeded to fly about aimlessly some more, in not at all concentric circles. How could they leave him, a poor bloodsucking bat, all on his own? What was he supposed to live on, fruit? He shuddered at the word. No, there was only one thing to do; he would have to find them. Wherever they were in this wide universe, he would have to sniff them out. He packed his overnight bag and flew out into the everlasting darkness of space. Ever flying, ever searching, for man’s new home.
So sons and daughters, beware, this very night, in the dark reaches of space, a vampire bat is flying in search of the earth, in search of mankind, in search of blood.