Beloved, You Are

noryzon & null

The forest lies silent under the night sky. Moonlight seeps through the gaps in between leaves which shift gently back and forth with the breeze. There is a rustle from a nearby tree as a lone bat hangs upside down on one of the branches, restless.

Will this ever change? Davi’s thoughts linger on the other bats — those who have excluded him and left him alone. Yet, they are also the ones he longs to call his own and finally belong. It’s these eyes. He peeks open one eye, a shining gold, then the other, a peanut brown.

An idea pops up: What if he did something for them? Provide food, perhaps? Would that get them to accept him?

With newfound motivation, he sets out but eventually bumps into another bat who seems older and frail.

“Slow down there,” the older bat, Chiro, says. “What’s a young fellow like you doing out here?”

“I’m looking for food! Maybe if I find some to share with the others, they’ll accept me! Can you help me?”

The older bat softens. “Of course,” he agrees. They fly together, Chiro leading and not once looking back at the young bat.

“I was like you before. I wasn’t originally from this colony, and naturally, others were suspicious at first. But sharing blood meals with them showed I was willing to put in the effort. Over time, I earned their trust through hard work.”

Davi’s eyes squint with glee, his wings straightening with firm resolve. His plan would definitely work; he was sure of it! “And? What happened after that?” he eagerly asks.

“Well, I’m one of the colony’s caregivers now. I regularly go out to hunt on nights like these to bring back meals for the others.”

Chiro flies smoothly past the trees, swiftly evading the branches with nimble movements. The young bat follows him, awestruck. It must be a tiring but fulfilling duty, Davi ponders. Chiro said it with enough seriousness that he must be so devoted to this role. But he also heard his voice strain, almost as if he was exhausted.

Davi felt doubt beginning to set in.

What matters is finally being accepted, no matter the cost, right? Right? Davi thought restlessly. He didn’t notice their trail until he heard a loud thunk in front of him.

“Are you alright?” Davi asks, worried that Chiro crashed headfirst into a large trunk.

“I’m fine,” the latter replies, a little dazed. “We’re close to the pasture; it’ll take less than an hour.”

“The pasture? You should’ve said so earlier!” Davi exclaims, almost exasperated. “Let me lead the way, then.”

Chiro trails behind him slowly and speaks up after a while. “I was actually hunting earlier… I didn’t find much, but it should be enough for the others.”

“For the others?”

“They need it more than I do.”

“You’ve been bumping into everything because you’re exhausted from all the searching!” Davi frowns and feels that Chiro isn’t being fair to himself. “You don’t even plan to eat any of the food yourself!”

“I don’t mind,” the old bat says with a soft smile. “I don’t need much in return, and they give back in their own way.”

“By saying thank you and moving on? You give them everything, yet they give almost nothing in return.”

At that, the older bat falls silent. What of himself has he not given to others? When was the last time he prioritized himself? Has he ever done so, to begin with?

Lost in thought, Chiro fails to notice a tree in his way until it is too late. He crashes to the ground, rolling to a stop beside a river. As he gets up, his reflection stares back from the water. Instead of turning away, he smiles at his eyes. Gold and brown.

There are short shrieks in the distance, but he does not hear them this time.

What he hears is soft chirping in a tree branch above. He goes for the kill. In a flash, streaks of red seep from the bird’s body. Chiro takes his time and softly laps at the dripping blood.

He eats alone fully under the moonlight and, for the first time, feels satisfied.