the night crawler

the interview

" you've heard the stories haven't you? the story of the mutant bat. no one knows for sure what its been cross-bred with, but everyone who's seen it, well lets just say that they haven't been talking much lately." i told the reporter who has been sent here from who knows where to do a story on a string of missing persons reports. i wasn't sure why he chose me to tell my side of the story. i was just a lonely street rat. but for some odd reason he's been listening to every word intently since i started talking.

"does the, ill use your word, 'crawler' kill them, or take them away?" he asked as he started to jot down some of the things I've told him. "or can you even tell me that much?" he eyed me with the look of skepticism plastered all over his ugly oily face.

"okay, so as far as i know anyone who's seen it hasn't been heard from in a while. hell, i may be the only one who's seen the damn thing who can tell you what it's like. anyway, the things been named the night crawler, story goes if you're caught outside when the suns completely down you'd be a very lucky man to see the sun ever again. my friend and i were out looking in the ruins of the old smith farm when the sun started to set. needless to say we didn't make it back to the shelter in time and we had to spend the night in the alleyway.

"neither one of us could get any sleep. the slightest noise scared us, we didn't know what was going to crawl out of the shadows. well we were out there till, oh i don't know one in the morning maybe before things turned from bad to worse. all i remember from that moment was the scream, gosh did Casey have a pair of lungs on her. she was hysterical screaming that she felt something lick her ear and that she felt we weren't alone. once i got her to calm down we heard it. footsteps and another thing." i emphasized the word thing, "was breathing heavily, in the shadows of the alley. we backed up as far as we could without putting ourselves in the direct light. it knew we were there and it was toying with us now."

a chill went up my spine talking about that night and from what i could tell something i was saying was getting to the reporter. "we placed ourselves behind a dumpster and placed two boxes on top of us on either side of us.."

"why would you do.."

"what did i tell you!" i screamed frustrated. "the thing was a mutated cross-bred bat! ever hear of echolocation? we knew that it would see us if something wasn't in front of us. we're street rats yeah, but don't for a second think that we're stupid." i took three deep breaths to calm myself down before continuing. "we hid there and tried to stay as quiet as possible. for a while we sat there huddled together trying not to scream or cry or make any noise what so ever. hell, my heart was beating so loud that i was afraid the damn thing would hear that! but i guess it didn't because we sat there a good hour and a half before we hard it walk in front of the dumpster. Casey made a small noise and a covered her mouth with my had quickly praying to what ever god could here me that it hadn't heard her.

"sadly it did..." my voice went soft and i had to look away from the reporter. "the thing screeched and rammed into the dumpster to what i presumed was head first. it had us pinned, now it was a good old game of cat and mouse. to bad for it these mice bite back." my gaze went cold and my voice was so serious i couldn't believe what i was hearing. "Casey and i knew how to fight and at that moment i had enough adrenaline pumping through my veins that i didn't care what it was out there. i pushed the boxes to my left aside and ran toward the streets. i hoped that the thing chased after me and didn't realize that Casey was still there." i looked the report in the eyes with a solemn look.

"what i tell you next i swear on everything is true. " i took a breath and continued, "the crawler took the bait. he had me pinned against the ground. i screamed for it to get off me the adrenaline wearing off, i yelled 'what are you? where did you come from? why are you terrorizing the streets.' anything that came to mind i yelled at the top of my lungs hoping that it would give Casey a chance to get away. i didn't expect a reply so you can imagine my surprise when it spoke to me. in a low voice the night crawler said, 'i'm part bat, part sapient. i came from a research lab out past the dilapidated farm, where the scientist cross-bred animal in hope to create a new super species. all of the other experiments were failures. i was the only success they had, but i didn't like always being watched and poked at. so i escaped and fled the facility. now the city streets are my hunting grounds and i take much pleasure in stealing your people.' with that it jumped off of me took Casey who was to slow to get away.

"i still feel it watching me waiting to add me to its collection of prey. it's coming for everyone and i don't think well be able to stop it. i just wish i caught a glimpse of it." with that i left the room and the reporter behind. i told my story and now i'm done, i just hope he listened.