Nightswim

I excused myself after a little while and went out side. Tubby was following right along, but keeping his distance- he was acting weird anyway. Maybe he was bitten by one of those bats. I walked around in a sort of daze, thinking of the man- who until Mrs. Schultz's phone call, might have just been a dream. Could I have killed that man? No way- I just hit him once. And then well, then I'm not sure. But there was no way I killed him. I didn't think I had it in me. Thinking about it now, I guess no one knows until they're in a situation.

I decided I needed to talk to someone, so I went over to Tim's house. At first, his mom didn't want to let me in to see him- she was afraid I might get the pox as well- but I told a little white lie and said I had them when I was little so it should be okay.

Tim was a lucky dog. There he was, all broke out with some white stuff smeared all over him, propped up in the bed, dozens of comics all out around him. He had a big dopey smile on his face.

"So, what's up?" he asked.

"I think I might have killed someone this morning."

"Yeah- alright," he went back to his comics and I stood up.

"I'm serious- did you hear about that guy they found this morning down at the ball field?"

"Sure- my mom talked to Mrs. Shultz this morning."

I told him the whole story- the mine and the bats, the man at the ball field; even about blacking out and waking up in bed.

He thought about for a while and said with a sideways glance, "Are you shitting me? I'll never talk to you again if you are."

I swore I was telling the truth and he thought about it for a while longer.

"Man, you killed him?"

"I guess so- I don't know."

"Wow. With just one punch?"

"I guess."

Then, his eyes lit up and pointed to a comic book, "It was the bats! The big one probably! They affected you somehow- gave you some kind of I dunno bat powers!"

"What the hell can a bat do?"

He looked around his room and jumped out of bed, went to the closet and after searching around for a little bit came out with a Louisville Slugger, handing it to me.

"Here, break it over your knee."

"Are you crazy? I'll break my knee."

"I knew you were full of it- give me the bat and let me read my comics," he tried to grab the bat but I held it out from him and said I would try it.

I hesitated and tried it, but with little force- I was scared I would hurt myself. But then, I tried it for real, fully expecting an explosion of pain- but almost laughed when the thing splintered in my hands. We both looked at the pieces with open mouths.

"Holy shit- you weren't kidding," he said looking me with something like awe, but I could tell he was a little scared, too.

"I wonder what else you can do?" he asked but then his mother came in and said I had to go- Tim needed his rest. I promised I would come back the next day and left his house wondering just what else I could do.