With apologies to Penny! A sudden fit of imagination late last night!
BAT SWARM
It was dusk. The first bats were coming out to hunt among the trees in the lane for insects in the autumn twilight.
In the little narrow shop the owner was thinking about calling it a day, closing up and going home. It had been a quiet day and there hadn’t been a customer in for over an hour. She was about to total the till when the door opened and pale faced man entered the shop.
“I want a morning suit,” he said, in an odd quiet lisping voice, with his head downcast. “I’m a 44, tall. Can you assist?”
“I think so,” she said. “Going to a fancy wedding?”
“No.”
“Oh!” She was embarrassed by his brusque reply but she prattled on desperately. “There’s not much call for morning suits nowadays – posh weddings, and of course visits to the Palace.”
She smiled.
He said nothing. Still his head was kept down, he seemed to want to avoid any eye contact with her.
She turned to check the rails.
“Yes, we are in luck, here’s a tall 44!” and she brought it to him.
He looked at it critically.
“There’s a changing room over there Sir,” she said.
“It’s all right, it will fit, I’m a stock size. It’s not the quality I’m used to but … I suppose it will have to do.”
“You already have one?” she said curiously.
“Five.”
“Goodness, most people would think that was enough!” She hadn’t been a shopkeeper for long and hadn’t yet learned to leave customers some space. But for some reason the pale stranger didn’t seem to resent her rudeness.
“The one I have with me is stained – and I couldn’t get out to the dry-cleaners earlier.”
“Seems a shame to have to buy a new one. Can’t you sponge it out? What is it? Coffee? Wine?”
“Blood.”
For the first time he raised his head and smiled.
She saw the two long teeth and remembered that the sun had set and that outside, among the trees, bats were hunting for their prey.
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