von Jacques Pinard Brown (Copyright)

Batty was flying through the darkness of space. Flutter, flutter, flutter.

He flew until he came to the other place. He glided gently on the light evening breeze and wafted to the ground. He could see that the people had been here, but were here no longer. He flew through the silent and deserted streets and buildings, until he met a bat from the other place.

“Hello Bat, I’m Batty from ‘the place’, did the people come past here?” he inquired from the strange bat. “Oh, you’re that bloodsucker.” Said the bat from the other place “Yeah, the people stayed for a while and then moved on. They said they were going where your kind could not find them.”

Batty flew around looking for a second opinion. Out in the country he came across another Bat from another place. “Hello Bat, I’m Batty” he said “Have you any idea where all the people might have gone?” The other bat thought a while and answered “No idea, but I know its nowhere near here. Try a good search engine.” “I’m not computer literate.” Said Batty and fluttered on.

He flew to the top of the tallest building in town; the thin bower. Here he sat on the ledge and rolled a joint. He sat looking out over the dark city skyline in the silence, as he smoked it, longing for the taste of fresh blood. Then he flew around in crooked circles as he pondered his predicament. “What to do, what to do.” He said to himself, and then slowly the realization hit him, like a bolt from out of the blue. The people must have gone beyond the other place, which meant; he would have to keep on flying. The lure of blood was calling.

He brushed his fangs with herbal toothpaste, and combed his hair in the traditional middle-path of all Bats. Then he packed his comb and toothbrush back into his overnight bag, zipped it up, and flew off into the everlasting darkness of space. He was once again looking for mankind’s new home, ever flying, ever searching.

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.