Feeling Batty V.2

"Still, you don't belong with us as a bat," Larry says. "You belong with us as a human! We gotta change you back!" "And don't you have any human friends who miss you?" Fonk squeaks. "I mean," Bryce responds, "I don't have many friends. Just an arch-nemesis. Well, I guess there's Cal and Deanne but-" "Exactly!" Fonk chirps. "We got to get you back! How did you turn into a bat in the first place?" "I ate this lemon cake," Bryce points with the tip of his wing. They all stare at the empty cake box for a moment, before looking at each other. "So... You maybe need to eat this type of cake again, to change back? [[Where can we find it->International Network]]?"

A bat looks at him. Snout wrinkled, a furrow betwen his eyes. Bryce stares back. "I heard you scream, are you alright?" the bat asks. //A bat is talking to me//, Bryce thinks. //I can understand bat.// "That was a pretty big fall there," the bat tries again. //I don't want the bat to talk to me. I don't want to understand bat.// "I'm Fonk." The bat nods. "You seem like you could use some help, learning to fly?" [["... Possibly," says Bryce. ->Lesson: Fly]] [["No!" Bryce yells.->No help?]]

He opens his eyes to nothing. Rustling. Clicking noises. Cocooned in warmth. But still, all he can see is pitch black. [[The last thing he remembers... ->He remembers...?]] "Where am I...?" he thinks. [[He looks around. ->Where is he?]]

"Just follow my lead!" Fonk squeaks, inching closer. Bryce refrains from inching backwards. "You stick your hands out like so-" Bryce hesitantly copies. "-Head up, eyes on a target-" Bryce frantically looks for a target, and spots another wall on the opposite side. "-Don't forget to start beating your arms up and down, slowly, when you're ready to go-" Bryce is NOT ready to go. "-Flex your feet, and release!" [[Exploring the cave]]

//Locator?// Bryce follows. //What's a Locator?// He turns to Fonk- CRUNCH! Fonk chews on a mosquito. Bryce stares. //He's eating a mosquito? Not... blood?// "What's wrong?" Fonk's snout wrinkles again. "I thought you- I mean, we-" Bryce stammers. "I thought we drank blood?" "Ha!" Fonk chirps, mosquito bits flying. "That's what humans think! We little brown bats actually eat insects. One time, I ate eaten almost 1,000 mosquitos in just one hour." [[//Huh//, Bryce thought. //I didn't know that.//->Echolocation]]

"The humans also call our Locate superpower, 'Echolocation,'" Fonk continues, "Because we pick up on our squeaks when they bounce back to us after hitting what we're looking for. "You should try [[Locating->Try Echolocation]] your missing thingy!" [["It's okay."->Return to Cave]] Bryce interrupts. "I don't think I can find what I'm looking for out here."

Okay, maybe it's not quite "pitch black" around him. He sees shapes start to form in front of him. Sharp edged. Ridges. Crevices? Pieces of rocks? No, a rock wall... A little further, open space. He smells a mineral-y, mustiness in the air. He tastes that moisture in the air. He hears those rustling sounds, again. And the wind, far off in the distance. But he does not feel the wind. Instead, he feels something soft, brushing up against him. In fact, several [[small, fuzzy blob-things, all surrounding him... ->Fuzzballs]] He tries to [[remember what's going on->He remembers...?]]

Bryce falls, shrieks, beats his arms up and down, shrieks some more.. But he's doing it. He's flying. "You're doing great! Keep going!" Bryce makes it over to [[the wall on the other side of the cave->The Nursery]].

Bryce follows Fonk out of the cave, into the open night sky. A cacophony of sounds erupts around him. The wind rustles underneath his arms, his wings. The moon shines bright upon the trees ahead. "Here, try this!" Fonk squeaks out a short, high chirp. He pauses in mid-air for a moment, then swerves left. "We call this superpower our [[Locator->Lesson #2: Bugs]] !"

"Wowwww!" Bryce, swinging upside down and panting, looks around. A bunch of baby bats stare back, awestruck. "That was amazing!" The baby bats start shifting closer. "You did it!" Fonk glides in, gracefully. Bryce is not jealous of how easy Fonk makes it look. "You made it over to the nursery." The baby bats clamor around Bryce and Fonk. "Why are you so tall?" "Are you and Fonk friends?" "What's your name?" Bryce looks at Fonk. [["My name is Bryce."->New friends...]] [[He remains silent.->Name?]]

"Hiiii Bryce!" The baby bats repeat back. "You didn't know how to fly?" One baby bat asks. "Namp," Fonk tucks the baby bat under his wing. "We all need a little help sometimes. That's why we depend on each other!" Namp snuggles against him. Fonk looks towards the far end of the cave. "It's almost sun-up! Time to go to bed." Fonk, Namp, and the baby bats turn to Bryce. "Stay here?" [[Bryce, unsure, moves in closer and settles in the nursery.->Dream]] [[Bryce, unsure, moves away and spends the night alone.->Dream]]

Bryce gives his wings a shake. "Let's go." --- They fly back to the cave. Bryce tips his wings towards Fonk, who flies back to the nursery. Bryce heads over to a more secluded spot in the cave. //Huh, maybe bats... Aren't that scary at all?// Bryce watches Namp and the baby bats swarm Fonk as he lands and swings himself upside down, hanging by his feet claws. //They're VERY friendly with each other. It was nice? But I still need to find a way back to being a human again.// "Hey, youngster!" [[Bryce startles, turning around.->Elders]] [[Bryce stiffens, offended.->Elders]] [[Bryce looks around, confused at who's talking to who.->Elders]]

Three bats look at Bryce. One is small, one is medium, one is large. All have faded fur and old scars. All of them are glaring at him. Bryce gulps. [[He divebombs off the wall as fast as possible, hurrying away.->Escape]] [[He replies, hesitantly, "... Me?"->New Friends]]

Bryce's eyes open. He feels warm, protected. Not alone anymore. He looks around. The other bats have shifted closer to him, during the night. They sleep around him, soft huffs or low, droning snores. Bryce feels something he hasn't felt in a while. Something like... Belonging? Belonging with the bats... Because he's //still// a bat. //I have to find SOME way to change back into a human//, Bryce thinks. An image from his dream comes to mind. The manor house. //I need to find the manor. Perhaps there are clues there!// [[Fly around to search for it.->Outside]] [[... Ask for help?->A little help]]

Fonk! Bryce forgot Fonk was here! Bryce turns. He sees Fonk... As well as Namp, Larry, the baby bats, and the elder bats, all looking at him. "Bryce? Is something wrong?" He gulps. Pauses. Opens his mouth. [["I need to tell you all something...->Reveal]] [["It's fine... Nothing is wrong...->Reveal]]

Despite a long search, Bryce and his many, many bat friends, have no luck on finding this mysterious cake. And yet, Bryce doesn't feel that bad about being a bat anymore. [[In fact...->Acceptance]]

Larry chuckles. "Let's ask some of our friends! We got: [[Our fruit-lovers->Fruit Bats]] [[Our friends, all over the world->Global Cultural Significance of Bats]] [[Our pollinators->Pollinator Bats]] [[Our... vampire friend?->Blood Bat]]

Bryce stares up at three giant, furry fruit bats in front of him. They grin back. "Hello, Bryce-" "-The little brown bat-" "-We're here to help!" they speak in turns. Bryce glances over at Larry. "Our fruit bat family friends can be pretty perceptive," Larry reassures him. Behind Larry's head, the three fruit bats nod in unison, before taking off. "When they're not stuffin' themselves on fruit," Larry grumbles under his breath, "Or poopin' the fruit seeds out all over the place." Bryce decideds not to comment and [[returns to the others->International Network]].

"Just how many friends and family do you have?" Bryce asks. "Uh, there are more than like 1,400 species of us all around the world," Fonk shrugs a wing. "And we have better relationships with humans in some places versus others." "Yeah!" Namps cheers. "In some places, the humans //worship// us!"

"Okay," Fonk sighs. "So, maybe there is one bat cousin of mine who drinks blood." He gestures ahead to small, fanged bat crawling towards them. "The vampire bat. Nose-Fur Atoo." "WHAT!?!?" Bryce whispers back, furiously. "Hey now!" Nose-Fur grins. Her canines glisten in the moonlight. "We only drink from other animals, like cows, pigs, horses, and birds! And it's not like those animals turn //into// bats when I bite them!" Bryce decides to leave Nose-Fur Atoo to Fonk, and [[returns to the others->International Network]].

"My pollinator bat friends might have seen something that can help us," Namp squeaks. "They see all sorts of things as they go from flower to flower!" "That's right," one of the baby pollinator bats exclaims. "Yesterday, we saw a blue flower-" "I saw a red flower!" "I went to a yellow one!" "-and a purple one, and a-" "Okay!" Bryce interrupts. "Sounds like you've seen a LOT of flowers! But [[has anyone found anything that could change me back into a human?"->No Solution?!]]

"It's okay," Bryce says. The others turn to look at him. "If there's any animal I had to turn into forever... I'm glad I turned into a bat. "Because I got to meet all of you." The baby bats cheer. Fonk wraps his wings around him in a hug, with Larry and the senior bats chuckling. Bryce lifts his wings and hugs back, and they all settle down in the cave's nursery [[to sleep.->Transformation]]

A searing, white FLASH of light! Squeaks and wings flap! Then, [[darkness...->Human Again]]

A new night. Time to wake up! Bryce slowly wakes up as Namp and the baby bats around him begin to rustle, getting louder and louder. "Bryce!" Fonk inches his way over, swinging claw to claw around a pair of pretend-fighting baby bats. "Want to do some more flying?" [["Sure?"->The Night Sky]] [["Sorry, I need to look for something I lost." //My memories//, he thinks.->Fonk could help?]]

"Yeah, you!" The short one shifts forward. Bryce shifts a little backwards. The medium and big ones shift forward. Bryce stops. The bats eye him. There's a pause. "Wanna come with us to the nursery?" "The nursery?" Bryce is confused. The medium and big one chuckle before taking off toward Fonk and the baby bats. The short one motions a wing for Bryce to [[follow->Larry]]. "I'm Larry," he introduces himself.

They approach the human cave. The manor. Beautiful stonework with ivy trailing up its wall. Three stories tall (with a secret attic), and two wings enveloping the courtyard out front. Not a single light on. He's stuck by a memory... //Nights of reading by the fireside. Alone. Hunched over a desk, scribbling furiously. Alone. Sitting at the dining table, picking at his food. Alone// Bryce sighs. He [[flies in->Inside the manor]]. "Oh, so we're going inside?" Fonk shakes his head a little, before following. "Time for an adventure!"

He panics. //I can't be a bat! I need to be... whoever... whoever I was before!// ''//I have to become human again!//'' "Hey!" A voice squeaks. [[Bryce turns to look at the squeaker->Befriend Bat #1]] [[Bryce stiffens, but doesn't turn around.->"You okay?"]] [[Bryce continues crying to himself.->"You okay?"]]

He... He can't remember. Where his memories should be, there's just... nothing. [[He tries harder to remember...->FLASH]] [[He looks around ->Where is he?]]

All he remembers is the taste of lemons- //BANG!// -A searing WHITE LIGHT! And then... Nothing. He winces. [[Looks around.->Where is he?]]

He takes a closer look at a blob on his right. The blob is round, a plump oval shape. The blob shifts slightly. He flinches. Wait a minute... [[Is it alive?->An animal?]]

He REMEMBERS. --- His name is ''Bryce Wyne''. The world's most reknown and reclusive children's horror author, famous for his series about the evil villain, the vampire Bat-Lord! A monster inspired by that dreadful birthday party all those years ago... When he fell into that cave of bats. When he became the "Bat Freak" at school. But now, he's mastered that fear through his writing! He doesn't isn't lonely, he //chooses// to live alone in big, empty manor home on the outskirts of town, where he can write in peace. Besides a crippling fear of bats, a professional rivalry with his former classmate, J. Laffs (soured by the bitterness of that sixth birthday party), and the occasional drinks with his old friends, Cal and Deanne, he couldn't be happier.... [[Right?->The Cake]]

He takes a closer look at one of these fuzzy blobs as it shifts. Are these... animals? The animal has clawed feet and hands... A small snout... Pointy triangles for ears... And, tucked against the body, thin, membrane wings... [[Wait a minute.... these are...->FEAR]]

''BATS!!!'' Something rises in the back of his throat... He can't remember his name or where he is. But, as a shiver works its way up his spine, he's sure of one thing: Bats are monsters. [[An image comes to mind...->Memory of bats]]

''BRYCE IS A BAT!'' [[He hits the wall->Survive! And Turn Back!]]

He falls... in the wrong direction!? Towards his head?! He puts his arms out to stop himself and- //WHOOSH!// He's yanked backwards as the wind catches onto the skin between his fingers, skin that almost looks like... Wings?!? Bryce yells in [[realization and horror->Realization!]]

"You okay there, buddy?" The voice squeaks again. Something nudges Bryce's hands, no, wings. [[Bryce flinches and looks up.->Befriend Bat #1]].

Fonk startles, before readjusting his position. He wrinkles his snout at Bryce. Bryce stares back, defiant. "Oooookay," Fonk says, then shrugs a wing. "Suit yourself!" Fonk takes off, springing off the rocky cave wall and begins gliding around the cave. Bryce hesistates, wondering what to do next. [[Should he attempt to fly on his own?->Flying...]] [[Or should he call Fonk back?->Call Fonk]]

He dreams. --- // They whisper as he enters the school cafeteria. Bryce can see them glancing at him. His classmates see him look and quickly glance away, snickering. He can hear them what they call him. "Bat Freak." He grits his teeth and ignores them. He sits by himself. Alone.// --- He [[wakes.->Wake Up... Again]]

"Huh," a baby bat chirps. "Your new friend isn't very nice, Fonk." "He's just shy!" Fonk squeaks, glancing at Bryce. Bryce winces. A voice rings in his head. //"Bryce, seriously man, you gotta loosen up a little!"// Bryce shakes himself, looks up. The baby bats look at him expectantly. [["... Bryce."->Introductions]]

"Oh?" Fonk cocks his head. The baby bats behind him also cock their heads. "What are you looking for?" Bryce hesitates, "Um-" "Maybe it's [[outside->The Night Sky]]!"

Fonk gets distracted by another mosquito and zips after it, squeaks growing fainter as he darts away. Bryce tries his own squeak. The sound echoes back the shape of... an opening. In the ground? //What's this?// He flies [[closer.->The Opening]]

"We like helpin' Fonk out at the nursery," Larry explains to Bryce as they fly around the cave. "Especially on account of happened to those kiddos' parents." [["What happened?"->White Nose]] Bryce glances at Larry.

"This house- I mean, this human cave," Bryce gestures with his wing. "All of this, it belongs to me. Bryce Wyne," He glances at Fonk. "The human who lives here? He's me. I was transformed into a bat." Everyone stares at Bryce. Namps, the baby bat, [[coasts down->Duh]] in front of Bryce.

"Duh," Namps chirps. Everyone laughs. Bryce is shocked. "Wait... You knew?" "Bryce," Namp gazes solemnly into his eyes. "No real bat flies that badly their first time." "Or thinks all bats drink blood," Fonk adds. "Plus, we might know a thing or two about human writer Bryce Wyne," Larry side-eyes him, "Our next door neighbor? Famously does not like bats?" "Oh... Well..." Bryce shakes his head. "I may have not liked bats at one point, but you all have shown me the truth about bats." He looks around. "Bats are kind, resourceful, and helpful. Most importantly, they're... my friends." Everyone swarms Bryce in [[bat hugs->Change back!]].

//Squeak?// Bryce opens his eyes. He's... Lying flat on the ground. In a cave. Bryce slowly raises himself upright, and rubs his face with one hand. He freezes, before lifting that hand in front of his eyes. His human hand. //Squeak?!// Bryce looks up. A tiny brown bat looks down at him, upside down. "Fonk?" //Squeak!// Bryce looks around. Bats swarm above. He shakily stands up and begins to [[laugh->Epilogue]].

A newspaper. It reads: //BRYCE WYNE, THE NEW "BAT-LORD?" Bryce Wyne, world reknown children's horror writer, might be starting a new chapter in his life. After successfully suing J. Laffs in court, Bryce announced he will no longer be continuing his wildly successful children's series about the monstrous, vampiric villian, "Bat-Lord." Instead, with old childhood friends Cal Kint and Deanne Pinec, Wyne has just opened a new bat sanctuary on his property. Partnering with local animal wildlife and conservation non-profits, the three friends hope to educate the public about the wonders and joys of bats, starting with Wyne's next-door-neighbors, a small colony of little brown bats that live near Wyne Manor. We can't wait to see what this new Lord of Bats will do. // ''Fin. ''

//They're in the woods- An opening in the ground- "Bryce, look out!!!" Something heavy hits his back. He stumbles- Falls- Hits the ground- A pause. Something brushes his face- Sharp claws snatch his hair- Bats swarm and he can't- He can't [[get out->Get out!]].//

He comes back to himself. //Bryce,// he thinks. //My name is Bryce?// Bryce shakes himself, looks around. Here. In a cave. Surrounded by bats once more. [[Escape quickly->Falls]] [[Sneak out, slowly and quietly->Falls]]

They fly through an open window on the second floor. Inside... a bedroom? //My bedroom//, he thinks. "What do you want to look at first?" Fonk zips around the room. Bryce looks around and sees: A sprawling, ornately carved, wooden [[writing desk]]. Paper stacks messily surround it. A pen lies on a notebook on top of the desk, next to opened envelope. A [[folded newspaper]], resting on a couch. The couch has a pillow propped up on one side, a blanket half falling off. There's nothing else to see... [[except...->pink cardboard box]]

"Bryce?" Fonk pokes his head in the opening. "Everything okay?" Bryce turns around. "I've..." [["I've been here before... I think."]] [["Nevermind. Let's go."->Return to Cave]].

There's a pink cardboard box placed on a side table, a small piece of paper next to it.. The box is labeled, "Lemon meringue cake." Inside the box, it's empty. Only crumbs. Next to the box lies a note. It reads: //B.W. Let's talk. It's gone on long enough. Also, happy birthday, old friend. - J. L.// [[Memories Flood]]

He flies around the cave... Wait a minute. At the very back, there is a long passage. At the end of the passage, there is a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs, [[there is...->Inside the manor]]

"It's Bryce." "Hiiii, Bryyyyce," the baby bats repeat back. "You don't know how to fly?" One baby bat asks. "Namp," Fonk tucks the baby bat under his wing. "We all need a little help sometimes. That's why we depend on each other!" Namp snuggles happily against him. Fonk looks towards the far end of the cave. "It's almost sun-up! Time to go to bed." Fonk, Namp, and the baby bats turn to Bryce. "Stay here?" [[Bryce, unsure, moves in closer and settles in the nursery.->Wake Up... Again]] [[Bryce, unsure, moves away and spends the night alone.->Dream]]

There's a small hole in the ground, partially covered by fallen branches and leaves. He pushes them aside and peers inside. And [[remembers.->Memory]]

"They got white-nose syndrome. This white fungus, it got all over their snouts and wings, making it difficult to fly. Worst of all, the white stuff, it messed up their internal systems or somethin' and these parents kept waking up in the middle of winter, when we hibernate and they gotta keep their energy saved. Too much energy lost, and..." Larry trails off. [["I'm... sorry."->Family]] [["They... died?"->Family]]

"At least we got the kiddos moved someplace safe, so they didn't get infected." Larry sniffs. "But we gotta be careful, amongst other bats and careless humans who bring it with them by accident." Bryce and Larry proceed to the nursery. [[Bryce stays the night.->Dream Again]]. [[Bryce leaves Larry with Fonk and settles off in his own spot.->Dream Again]]

He dreams again. --- //Bryce shivers under his blanket, studying the scratch marks on his arms. Around him, the yellow lights of the firetrucks clash with the flashing red and blue of police cars. His parents are yelling at the officers. It's been five hours since J pushed him into the bat cave. His friends, Cal and Deanne, had hurried back to the manor to get help, with J running after them saying it was all a prank and not to tell anyone. By the time the firefighters and police had shown up, night had fallen, and they couldn't remember nor see where the cave opening was. Bryce sees something small and dark flit past overhead. He flinches, and hears someone laugh. He glances to his left to see J, grinning at him. [[Bryce closes his eyes.->Waking up]]//

Bryce flies over near the nursery, then settles in a spot nearby. He lets out a breath. //Man, those bats sure looked upset,// he thinks. //... I mean, they were upset with me... right?// Bryce re-examines the situation. Those bats looked old, battle-scarred, and angry. But was that an angry look? Or had it just been a scrunched up face with so many wrinkles, he might have misjudged the whole situation... [["Fonk!"->Who is Larry?]]

"Fonk," Bryce hisses. Fonk stirs, slowly opening an eye to peer at him. "Hmmm?" "Fonk, I need your help." --- "You want to find what now?" Fonk yawns as they fly away from the mouth of the cave. "Another... cave." Bryce hesistates. "A cave... for humans?" "Oh, don't they call that a 'house?'" Fonk nods his head to the right. "We can check out that human cave over the hill, if you want? It's pretty abandoned, not many humans live there. Actually, come to think of it, there may only be one human there now." "One human?" Bryce asks sharply as they take off. "Yeah, there used to be more, but not anymore." Fonk glances over. "Why do you want to go to the human cave?" Bryce hesistates. [["There's just something I got to do."->The Manor]] [["I'll tell you... but later. Let's go."->The Manor]]

He slips out of the cave, the moon lighting his path through the woods. He circles back to the opening in the ground. No new memories come. He tries a new direction, away from both the cave and this opening in the ground. He darts between trees, over bushes and under branches. The forest goes on and on and on... Suddenly, a high-pitched squeak, from his left. Bryce feels the sound reverberate through him, before [[bouncing off.->Who's there?]]

"Bryce!" Fonk flaps over to him. "There you are!" "Fonk? What are you doing here?" "Looking for you!" Fonk pants. "Whew, you sure took off early! Everything alright?" He peers at Bryce. Bryce hesitates. [["There's just something I got to do."->Fonk tags along]] [["I'll tell you... but later."->Fonk tags along]]

"Well, you're not doing it alone." Fonk nods gravely. "Especially this close to the human cave!" "Human cave?" "Oh, yeah, don't they call that a 'house?'" Fonk nods his head to the right. "It's over the hill, that way. Seems pretty abandoned, not many humans live there. Actually, come to think of it, there may only be one human there now." "One human?" Bryce asks sharply. "Yeah, there used to be more, but not anymore." Fonk glances over. "You sure everything is okay?" "It's fine." Bruce takes off. [["You coming?"->The Manor]]

The notebook seems to contain... An unfinished manuscript? He reads it: //She looks up from the body and sees red eyes staring back at her. Bat-Lord grins, transforming into a bat as he leaves Gladys behind, her screams chasing him into the night.// He glances over at the opened envelope. There's a note underneath. [[He nudges the envelope aside->Letter]].

Bryce flits over to the newspaper on the couch. It reads: // CLASH OF THE TITANS! Bryce Wyne and J. Laffs, titans of horror literature, are at it once more. Wyne recently threatend to sue Laffs on copyright infringement for stealing beloved villainous character, Bat-Lord. Laffs has shot back that Wyne simply "can't take a joke." The ten years-long rivalry between the former friends has only grown more heated and bitter over time. Although Wyne refuses to answer what has caused such a schism between the two, Laffs claims it all goes back to one fateful birthday party, "full of bats and childhood trauma."// There's nothing else here to see. Bryce [[looks around some more->Inside the manor]].

//Bryce, Just reaching out to see if there's a slim, even the tiniest possibility, that you might want to grab drinks with us next week? Haven't seen you in a long time, Deanne and I are... not worried! But would like to see our friend. Soon. Sometime? But we understand if not... Birthdays are hard. Let us know. ~ Cal// Bryce turns away from the letter. There's [[nothing more here to see->Inside the manor]]..

//They're playing in the woods. It's his birthday. He's just turned six years old. "Bryce! Come check this out!" His classmate, J, points at something on the ground and motions him to come over. "What do you see, J?" Bryce leans over. Is that a... hole in the ground? Something flutters and squeaks, but his eyes can't make out what. "Wait, can you hear that?" [["Bryce, look out!!!"->Memory, continued]] Someone else calls.//

And hey, even this feud with J might be coming to an end. J sent him a birthday apology cake, after all, which... He remembers taking a bite of, the lemon flavor bursting on his tongue, before... "The cake! It transformed me into a bat!" Bryce flapped away from the cake. "It was a trick!" [["What?"->Confession]]

//Something heavy hits his back and pushes him forward. Bryce stumbles and falls into the hole. He twists to look behind him, and sees J, laughing, having pushed him in. He falls. And falls. [[Into the darkness]].//

//Bryce hits the ground. Hard. He groans, and sits up. Waves his hand in front of him. Nothing. He can't see anything. It's pitch black. He glances up. A tiny pinprick of light in the distance. But... it's so far away. Heart pounding in his chest, the air is filled with the echo of Bryce's harsh breathing. He tries to stand, but something [[brushes his face->What is it?]].//

//Bryce freezes. Something sharp snags his hair. He yelps. Suddenly, a furious flurry of movement, wings, claws, and squeaks bombard and surround him. He flails his arms, trying to stop them, and trips and falls. What are they- Get them off! "Someone, help me!" Bryce sobs. His voice echoes around him. No one responds.// --- [["What are you doing here?"]]

Bryce spreads his arms and wings out wide, and awkwardly shifts on the ledge. He tenses into a squat and then [[jumps-->Not flying]]

"Wait, Fonk," Bryce calls. Fonk swoops overhead, and lands next to Bryce. Fonk tilts his head, questioning. "I... may need your assistance." Bryce coughs. "If you're still [[offering->Lesson: Fly]]?"

-Before falling again. Bryce shrieks, and beats his arms arms up and down as fast as he can. He shoots up in the air! "Woah- Stop, stop flapping!" he tells himself. He stops flapping so hard, but keeps his wings spread. Bryce begins to glide across the cavern. He gives an experimenal flap of his wings, and is buoyed up a little. He does it again, slowly. Bryce... He's flying. He laughs, before making it over to [[the wall on the other side of the cave->The Nursery]].

"What?!" Fonk looks around him. "Here, at the old bat cave?" "The old bat cave?" "Yeah, some of our cousins lived over here, but a loooong time ago." Fonk lands and swings upside down onto a nearby tree. He peers at the opening in the ground, before looking up at Bryce. "What happened?" Bryce flaps over and swings upside down next to Fonk. He heistates, before replying, "I got lost, down here." He swallows a sudden lump in his throat. "And... [[I couldn't find the way out.->Comfort]]"

"Aww, Bryce!" Fonk scoots closer and wraps a wing around Bryce, who leans, ever so slightly, into the bat hug. "I'm sorry about what happened to you!" "It was... a long time ago." "Do you need a moment here? Or do you want to go back to the cave?" [["Not yet," Bryce replies. "Let's just stay here a moment."->A moment]] [["Let's get going."->Return to Cave]]

The pair rest on the branch. Moonlight peeks around different branches and leaves, bathing them in its silvery light. Mosquitos buzz past, but Fonk makes no move towards them. Bryce can feel his heartbeat slow down, settle back into its normal pace. Here, with Fonk... It feels nice. They stay a [[moment longer->Return to Cave]].

Bryce peeks over the rock outcropping near his makeshift nest. Below him, at the nursery, the three older bats have arrived and are talking to Fonk. Fonk laughs, "Larry! Good to see all of you! Did you get a chance to meet Bryce, yet?" Larry, the shortest of the three bats, snorts. "Bryce, the new kid? Yeah, we got to meet him, until he took off without a word!" Bryce [[winces->White nose]].

"What were you going to talk to him about?" Fonk furrows his snout. "Was just gonna thank him for helpin' ya out at the nursery," Larry nods, "on account of the kiddos' parents gettin' white nose syndrome." //White nose syndrome?// Bryce wonders. Fonk sighs. "That was pretty scary, when that white fungus got all over their snouts and wings. They could barely move, let alone fly!" Larry lowers his voice. Bryce strains to hear. "And y'know that white stuff, it messed up their internal systems or somethin' because the parents kept wakin' up in the middle of winter. Peak hibernation time, when energy has go to be conserved, or else..." Larry trails off. Fonk squeaks sadly. Larry gives himself a shake. "Anyways, enough of that now. Let's get ready for bed!" Bryce regrets not saying hi to Larry and the senior bats. He could fly over and [[apologize]] for the misunderstanding... or was it best to just [[stay where he was and leave it be->Dream Again]]?

Bryce glides down to the nursery, awkwardly looking at Fonk and Larry. Fonk squeaks about forgetting something, and quickly dashes away. Larry stares at Bryce, no expression on his face. Bryce gulps, then says, "I'm... sorry, we got off on the wrong foot there." He shifts. "I'm Bryce. Is there anything I can do, to help?" Larry gives him a long searching look, before grunting. "The name's Larry." He give Bryce a side glance. "Why don't you start coralling Namp and the rest of her friends over, and we'll get ready for the night?" "Can do!" Bryce nods. Larry nods back. [["Good."->Dream Again]]