The Night It Came
It’s been a long month, and we are barely halfway to next month. I shall not bore you with details. However, I will tell you a tale of the night I encountered it. I’m going to preface this by letting you know everyone was out of town. It was just me holding down the fort.
Night of Terror
It was a warm, humid night. After a cold shower, I laid down exhausted ready for the sandman. My muscles relaxed as the fan created a gentle breeze, lulling me into sleep.
Flutter, flutter.
I haven’t heard that sound before. Must be windy outside.
My eyes started to close again. Light and shadow flicker by me.
What the…was that a giant moth? Did I imagine that?
Reluctantly, I stood and turned on the light.
Whoosh, a bat flies past my head.
Cue panic. First thing, close the door so it can’t come back in the room. Door won’t close. It’s swooping back and forth in the hallway.
Brain fog clearing but my sleep stupor kept me cowering behind the door.
Shore up girl!
I crept out and into the next room where I could grab a broom. Must think. Room by room…sweep the floor, ceiling, close the door.
Not upstairs.
Clutching the broom, I tiptoed downstairs. No sign of my intruder.
I opened the front door wide and locked the screen door open.
Making my way around, I slipped on my thick garden gloves and grabbed a towel. I searched, broom in one hand, towel in the other.
Whoosh.
I ducked and screamed. It flew into the kitchen and did laps around the ceiling.
I yelled at it. “The door is over here. Get out. Right there.”
Bat darts to the next room, ignoring me.
I continued to scream at this creature of the night. It refused to listen to me. Swooping upstairs, back down, around, missing the open door every time.
I tried to push it out with my broom. Missed. That sucker was fast.
It landed and roosted on the curtain. The giant bat with his wings closed, looks so much smaller.
I calmly explained the situation to the bat. “There is a door right there, it’s open. You don’t want to be here. I don’t want you here. Just go, right there.”
The bat turns its head toward me, tilting it side to side.
Whoosh. And here we go again. Another round.
Sweat dripped down my back. My pulse racing, it was time to change tactics.
I stood near the open door at the ready.
Whoosh. Bop. Bat down. I had no choice but to knock it down while flying. I gently swept it out the door.
I fumbled to get the screen door closed.
My eyes fixated on the motionless creature.
Movement.
It lives!
I breathed a sigh of shaky relief. Yes, it needed to get out. No, I didn’t want to harm it. By morning it was gone.
It took me over a week to not be skittish at night. 😉 In case you’re curious, we determined it flew down the chimney. We are having work done and things got moved around, boards shifted — all the little fella needed to get in.
Tell me, have you ever had a bat in the house? Were you calm and collected? Any heart-pumping excitement this month?