Bat girls

Chapter 1

I made a mistake. I made a huge, horrible mistake. And it was going to be my end. Sooner or later, one way or the other I would die, alone and in the cold. I tugged on my left wing with my hands, my back straining. I hadn't used those muscles in so long I wasn't able to wrap my own wings around me without a lot of tugging, and twisting, and turning. This all without falling off the tree branch I was on, or being noticed by the many creatures roaming this forest.

My wings formed a huge membranous cocoon, protecting me from the drizzling rain that was leaking through the leaves. I wasn't really cold, but still I was shivering. Maybe from the lack of water, food, or sleep. Or maybe because the weight of everything that happened in the last view days came crashing down on me.

I had nothing to do for the rest of the night but sit here, and listen to the monsters hunting and devouring each other on the ground below, while I thought about what I had done. The panic and adrenaline that had pushed me to keep moving, even at night, had worn off. I was too tired to move. Too scared. When the others where on my trail I had no choice but to keep moving, and now that I had manage to shake them off I couldn't move anymore.

A muscle cramped in my right wing, and I tried softly stretching and massaging it. I felt guilty as I sat there, moving my wings. I was suddenly very aware of the rule that I was breaking. The voice of the camp elder who had taught me and the other girls still echoed in my mind. "Keep your wings neatly tucked in behind your back. Stretching them is not ladylike. It should only be done after dressing to make sure your dress fits properly." Most of the girls in my camp had learned by then not to fly or show their wings too much. In some other camps young girls were allowed to fly, but in our camp even a female youngling who had flown on pure instinct would be reason enough for the camp elders or the lord to visit her family and punish them.

A flash of hurt went through me when I thought about the camp lord. My father. The first time I heard his voice while they were looking for me I almost went back. I was so used to obeying him, to being a good daughter, that I almost forgot I was on the run. It was the sound of his thoughts that stopped me. Mother had told me long ago not to use my powers to read others minds. Gifts like that weren't meant for females. The cauldron must have made a mistake with gifting me those powers. I was not allowed to use them. Ever. But sometimes thoughts were so loud, I couldn't help it.

It were those loud thoughts of my father that either saved me or doomed me, depending on the way you look at it. It was a thunderous storm of horrible, painful plans once they found me. Not just clipping my wings, but cutting them off entirely, crippling me so I wouldn't ever be able to run away again, taking out my eyes and my tongue, or just executing me to make an example to the others that not even the darling daughter of the camp lord was allowed to disobey. Or he would ship me off to the highest bidder. No decent male would be interested in taking my hand in marriage after this, but maybe someone wanted to take me, this would be the only reason for my father not to permanently damage my body.

I ran at those thoughts. As fast as my tired legs could carry me, until I couldn't hear them anymore. And I kept running even after that. I didn't stop until my legs gave out and I collapsed on the blanket of leaves on the forest floor. At nightfall, when the monsters in the forest came awoke, I used the little strength I had left to climb a tree and sit on the highest branch I could reach.

And that's where I still was. Praying to the mother, and the cauldron, and all others who might help that the night would end soon. Or that my life would end soon. I just wanted to rest. I wanted to be done with all the stress. I knew I wouldn't survive this, all I could do was hope that it would be painless and quick.

I must have dozed off at some point, because when I opened my eyes it was morning, and I was falling. I was tumbling off the branch, and I don't know how, but somewhere deep inside me some forgotten instinct moved my wings, and the talon at the apex grabbed the branch I had been sitting on moments earlier.

A horrible pain went trough my body. For a moment I was convinced my wings would tear of my back, and I tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that falling from this high was probably my best chance at a quick ending.

But my wings didn't tear off my body. I didn't fall to the ground. I was stuck. Deep inside me a laugh bubbled to the surface. A maniacal sound that described the insanity of this moment perfectly. I was stuck. I had run away from home so they wouldn't clip my wings, and now my damned wings were the reason I couldn't do anything. There was no way I could get the talons out of the branch, not with my entire weight on them. I never even used my wings and I had no idea how to lift hem, and I couldn't reach it with my hands.

I would dangle here until either thirst, hunger, some malicious beast, or the males of my camp found me. Either way it would be slow and painful. There was nothing I could do. Suddenly, I heard someone chuckle behind me. "Girl, you fucked up."