Maya
It was a hot summer night when Maya rolled over, leaving sweat marks on her bedsheets. Bear lifted his head sleepily, an annoyed sound coming from the cat. 'Also can't sleep, Bear?' She stroked the fluffy grey cat as it immediately forgave her and started spinning. The fur was smooth and stuck to her clammy fingers. 'God, this heatwave will be the death of us my boy.' Maya groaned as she stood up and moaned as she looked at the time. 3 AM and here she was, wide awake on a worknight. As she stood up, Bear let out a long sigh and resumed his slumber. Stupid to be so jealous of a cat but he looked so peaceful and comfortable in her bed, unlike her. No amount of nightcaps or sleep medicine could battle the sleepless nights Maya often had, and she would often spend them on her balcony in the dark smoking cigarettes or reading a book on the couch with a nightlight. Anything else was better than endlessly tossing and turning in her bedsheets, hoping that sleep would take her.
It was after 3 when she was on her balcony again, the sweat slowly drying as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the cooling night breeze that blew against her pink pyjamas. Even though she lived alone and had lost interest in romantic relationships a while ago, Maya could never resist a lacy and outrageous nightgown. It made her feel like an ancient emperor as she roamed in her living room, her blanket as a cape draped over her shoulders. She pulled the blanket across her legs, lit a cigarette, and inhaled. The tiny hiss of burning tobacco calmed her. The city was always so quiet at this time of night as she looked over it from high above on her balcony railing. The light spread out like a glimmering sea. Although it was as breathtaking as the first time she saw it, it also made her feel so small and alone. Like she was high up on her tower while life went on down there on those streets. Tomorrow people would wake up and roam the streets full of energy and ready to tackle the day. She would feel like a sleep deprived zombie among them, on her way to her job that lost it's sparkle a while ago. She sighed and took another drag, looking at the lit up bum of the cigarette. She had lived here for a year now, remembering that first day so clearly even now.
This place was beautiful and cozy, and rent was cheap with good reason. The building was in a "bad" neighbourhood and she had to walk 8 flights of stairs to get to her front door, but once she walked into the hallway with the wooden floors and high ceilings she was in love. Her mom had given her a taser to carry when walking home, she had gotten better at cardio, the contract was signed and that was that.
Her friend, Liv, had signed her up to dating apps after she moved to "get out there, girl! Long live the hoe phase!". Liv was the personification of a human fire cracker and Maya loved her for it.
And she had really, really tried, just to keep the peace with Liv.
Went on date after date with different guys. They always left her feeling unsatisfied and empty so she decided to just stop trying. In a world of maybe's and why not's, Maya was a touch starved romantic. It didn't mean she didn't invite a man into her bed from time to time, but that was usually after she went out clubbing with Liv and Liv had scouted the "perfect guy" for her again.
It was a Thursday night and tomorrow Liv would be at her front door at nine, probably with tequila and a smirk that would mean trouble. They had joked once, that they should just get married to each other. Force each other to love in that other way.
She took a last drag of her cigarette and tossed it from the balcony, watching the tiny red dot get tinier and tinier. If only love could be that easy. Just pick a person you click with, no matter the gender and love them forever. It was a shame they weren't gay, Maya thought. She smiled at the thought and was about to go inside when a great BOOM sounded and her glass balcony door shook on impact as a huge bat slammed into the glass. Maya screamed as she let out a quick yelp. The bat fell down from the window, leaving an imprint on the glass and hit the ground with a big splat. She held her breath as she ran to the bat. It was huge, its body the size of her whole underarm and great wings spread out as it lay slack on the floor. 'Please don't be dead...'
Maya grabbed her lighter and gave the beast a little poke. No reaction. Shit. Bear screamed behind the glass door as he scanned the prey that had so willingly flown to him even though he'd never even caught a single rat in his life. Maya looked from the bat to her cat and sighed.
In her closet that needed a deepclean months ago she found an old shoebox were she stored heels that were way too fancy for her to wear but that she had gotten from Liv on her 24th birthday. She threw the gold sparkly platform heels in a corner and put a blanket in the box and ran outside.
The city was still sleeping when Maya picked up the strange bat with oven mitts on, all while cursing, and placed the bat in the shoebox. The box felt heavy in her arms when she carried it inside where Bear anxiously waited.
'Behave, or no fish for you for a week!' A stern look to the little beast by her side. "I'm serious this time Bear.' She gave him a parental stare and the cat sat down, angry but subdued by the order.
Bats weren't poisonous right?
Could they bite?
Would she have to get a shot if it bit her?
What if she woke up tomorrow and it was flying like crazy and she couldn't catch it?
What did bats even eat?
Maya frowned as she put a bowl of water in the corner and some sliced banana on a plate. The internet told her that bats often enjoyed fruits but she couldn't find a species in her area that resembled this one. Sighing, suddenly feeling the weight of the long evening, her eyes started to droop. She sat down next to the bat and looked at it.
It was black as night, but its body was covered in fur that shimmered a dark red colour. It had long ears that pointed delicately and the most beautiful wings she had ever seen. Long and spindly like a spider with black membrane so thin she could almost see through it. Its tiny chest rose and fell slowly and it almost looked as if it was sleeping peacefully instead of being knocked out. It had a face that was almost fox-like, with a tiny shiny nose. Even with its mouth closed, she could see pointy teeth sticking out and just knew that yes, this bat could seriously bite. It was the most beautiful animal she had ever seen. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, maybe it was her stubborn curiosity, but she slowly took off her oven mitt. Her long, sleek and pale hand softly brushed the fur on the belly of the beast, and it was even softer than she imagined. Like a blood red cloud it glimmered in her fingers and she felt the strange fast heartbeat pulsing through the skin. For how scared she was before, the bat was actually kind of adorable.
'Don't die on me tonight okay? I promise to find you a home tomorrow.' Maya stood up then, finally ready for sleep and maybe another cigarette.
