Nightswim

Before I knew it they were all around me, flying into me; in my hair, on my face, all over my arms and legs. I don't think I've ever been that scared. I screamed and started waving my hands- I managed to hold onto the lantern, though- don't ask me how. I started running- hoping to God it was back toward the entrance. It seemed like I ran for half an hour- it was probably just a few minutes at most, but it didn't seem like it with all those bats around me.

And I could feel them biting me. Nothing too terrible, but at the time, me in a panic and running like hell, screaming the whole way, it seemed worse. It was like fire-ant bites I guess.

Then, finally, I could see the light with the boards across the opening and I all but broke my neck diving into the broken hole Tubby and I had come through. I squirmed my way through, cutting myself in several places and getting some bad splinters, but I just about made it through when all of a sudden this big thing slammed into me. I screamed louder than I ever have before and I could feel it bite down hard on my leg. It hurt like hell and, at first, I didn't think I was going to get out of there. But, with all my strength, I pulled myself out into the daylight.

I looked back behind those busted boards and all those bats were screaming out of there. And I saw it. The big one that had bitten me so hard. It was there in the mouth of the mine. It was looking at me with those beady eyes. And it was big. It was like a small dog with wings- almost as big as Tubby and it was itching to come at me finish its meal, I guess. But it stayed right where it was. As a matter of fact, when it turned and flapped back down into the cave, all the other bats came fluttering back in right after it.

I turned over on the ground, face down and threw my arms over my head for protection, but none of them came at me. All those bats were just anxious to get back to their home, I guess. When just about all of them were back down the mine, I rolled over and breathed hard. Tubby came up to me licking my face but I was madder than hell and I pushed him away.

After some inspection, I decided I had come out alright. Just a few scrapes and bruises, some splinters, and of course the bites. They were all over my face and neck- my arms and even some through my jeans on my legs. They hurt a little, but mostly itched. What did hurt is where that big one got me. Right on my right calf. But funny thing, I looked at it and it looked much worse than it felt. He took a big chunk out of me but it didn't bleed and I just rolled my jeans back over it and went on home.