Page 74 of Wild Life

“Say what again?” I asked.

“You called mebabe.”

“I did?” I hadn’t realized it.

“You did.”

“Oh.” He was calling uswe, and I was calling himbabe, and neither of us was aware of the words coming out of our mouths.

“Say it again,” he urged.

“Give me a minute. I’m trying to recollect what provoked me to say it.”

“Don’t think. You’ll strip the magic,” he teased.

“Babe,” I said slowly, tone dripping with honey.

“Now say, ‘Babe, I love you.’”

I rolled my eyes. “What are you, a ventriloquist?”

“Speak, sexy little puppet. Speak,” he ordered. He had been hanging out with me too much because I could clearly hear my smart remarks on his lips.

“Babe, I love you.” Surprisingly, I didn’t cringe. I didn’t hold my breath. No words had ever felt more natural to me.

“I love you, too, babe.” He pressed into me for a soft kiss.

“You’re so cheesy.” I pushed my palms against his firm chest. “Oh my God, look!”

A shadow fluttered by, resembling a black orb. It was fleeting and moved through the cave’s entrance. We’d found the roost!

I jumped up and down, clapping as quietly as I could, not wanting to spook the bats with my excitement.

“Should we go in?” Aleki asked.

“No, let’s give them a chance to settle. It’ll be easier to see the whole colony when they’re asleep.”

One by one, we watched the little creatures return. I couldn’t decipher the species since we waited off to the side, too far to see them close up, especially in the low predawn light.

It was like waiting for the popping of popcorn kernels to slow in the microwave. After a few minutes had passed without another animal returning, I pulled out the ponchos. I slipped on my outfit first to show Aleki how to wear it. He wasn’t a fan of the cloth masks I’d made to cover our mouths and noses, but at least everything had been sterilized. I wore the rubber gloves, and I had made some plastic “mittens” for Aleki out of two clear food storage bags.

I took the lantern from him, since my hand coverings weren’t capable of melting as easily as his, and we entered quietly. The entrance was longer and darker than I’d anticipated. Aleki followed along behind me.

We moved without speaking, yet our garb was rather noisy. I slipped on the ground from the bags on my feet, and thankfully, Aleki was quick to catch me before I fell on my ass.

We traveled through the maze of stone. The entrance was tight but sturdy. The air was thicker inside, and our coverings added to the claustrophobia. I reminded myself it was a good sign that the air was warm enough to keep the bats comfortable through the day as they slept.

The entrance narrowed to the point that I didn’t think we could go deeper. I could’ve squeezed through, but Aleki was too broad to fit.

I glanced back at him, silently asking how to proceed. He motioned for me to go alone.

It was impossible to know what lay ahead, but I trusted that Aleki wouldn’t urge me if he believed it was dangerous.

I crouched down so as not to hit my head and advanced slowly.

The atmosphere condensed so much that I knew I was going to pass out.It’s all in my mind.If I slowed my breathing, I could avoid the risk of fainting. Hyperventilating would make matters worse, and if I couldn’t regain control, Aleki couldn’t get to me.

Loose debris shuffled under my steps, and I lost balance and slid onto my back. My hand shot up, saving the lantern. I visually followed the upward bounce of my voice from the yelp that had escaped.

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