Page 71 of Hide and Keep

Heart racing, I push to standing and wrench the window up the rest of the way. Sticking my head out, I see Ever’s window still closed. A scan below reveals no one. Nothing on the driveway either.

If it wasn’t her, then what was it? I sensed…something.

Lowering the window halfway, I settle back into the chair and scrub a hand down my face.

IthoughtI sensed something. I could’ve sworn I did.

Was it just a dream? Could’ve been.

Must’ve been.

When I pull my hand away, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and look over to see a small…something…flying around the room. A bird? I squint through the darkness, straining to see it better. Its flight pattern isn’t like any bird I’ve ever seen and its wings… They’re almost like a bat’s.

My eyes lift, then the rest of my head. The ceiling is fucking moving. It’smoving.

It is a fucking bat. And it’s not alone.

One dips down close to my head.

“Fuck!” I run through the room, out the door, almost knocking Ever over.

Ever?

“What’s wrong?”

“What are you doing out here?”

“I heard you yell and came out to see if everything was okay. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Not a ghost. Bats.”

“Bats?”

“My room is full of them.”

“You’re sure? How would they have gotten in there?”

“I don’t know,” I tell her.

“They might’ve already been in there. No one goes in that room anymore, so they could have a whole roost.”

I gag, that fancy dinner threatening to make a reappearance. A roost. But wouldn’t I have noticed? It’s unlikely. I didn’t spend very much time in there today. And bats are nocturnal. They do all their activity at night.

“Shit.”

“What?”

“They could’ve got in through the window. I left it open.”

“Is it still open now?”

“Somewhat.”

“Maybe they’ll fly back out of it,” Ever offers.

“But how long will that take? All my shit’s in there.” My phone. All the new clothes Ever just bought me. Everything.

“We could try to guide them out.”

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