The DUB (A Story About Dangerous Ugly Bats)
As spring break came to a close, Dubbers returned to 3 University like every other year. Giggles, gossip, and glitter filled the air and our hearts as we assembled for our final stretch of school. While we felt comforted by our reunion with one another, some of us had the feeling that we were not alone in the house. A feeling we now know all too well.
Like the strong independent feministas we are, we ignored any suspicion of danger and went about our day. Although we have house meetings every Sunday night, we planned to keep this one particularly brief as we were mourning the loss of spring break. As soon as we sat down and called our meeting to order, a screech brought us back to our feet. A bat had been discovered. We found it in the still, murky dish water that was clogged in our sink all break long. It had drowned, or so we thought.
Before I could understand what was happening, Mil and Gwen were executing a streamlined plan. They placed the bat in a Tupperware bin and brought it outside where it could fly away if it was still alive. The ecofeminism I witnessed that night was nothing short of inspirational and hot. But the Mil and Gwen we all know and love, changed that night. The moment those two walked back inside I got cold sweats. It could have been the smirk on Mil’s face or maybe the look in Gwen’s eye, but the rest of us agreed, we were not safe.
We struggled to put on a happy face during house meeting. This was hard to do though, because each time Mil spoke, we could see fangs peeking out of their teeth and Gwen was gnawing on a raw ribeye steak that “wasn’t bloody enough.” Mary and I texted each other furiously throughout the meeting, planning evacuation routes and questioning how we could get our friends back. We considered many options: sacrificing a case of Busch for Mil, dancing like Gwennie through the enchanted forest, or assembling in the attic to perform a hex. We were going to do whatever it took.
By the end of the meeting, the two of them dangled from the ceiling by their feet and had fallen asleep. We assumed we were in the clear for the night. We went to our respective bedrooms and hoped that the two of them would go back to their normal selves by dawn. I couldn’t have imagined what else was in store for us that evening.
Just as I laid my head on my pillow, I noticed something swoop through the trees outside my window. I heard a screech so faint, yet high pitched, that I couldn’t tell if it was real or if I had imagined it. Then, it happened all at once. A swarm of bats filled the Dub. So many that I could hardly breathe and could only see total darkness. I felt them biting everywhere and could hear eight screams of fear from the other rooms of our house. I was not alone in my experience. Then there was a flash and as my eyes struggled to refocus, the bats were gone.
We all wandered into the hall, dazed and confused by what had just transpired. I noticed that Emily C. had the same fangs I saw on Mil, and when I looked in the mirror, I had them too. As we gathered in our purple living room, we all knew what had happened to us. We had become vampires just like Mil and Gwen.
We didn’t know what to make of this. How would I tell my mom? We were scared by this new part of ourselves. How were we supposed to navigate this new part of our identity in a world which told us we were dangerous and ugly? We realized we had to do what we always do, turn to one another. We found beauty in our wings, power in our fangs, and intensity in our eyes. We allowed ourselves to indulge in our cravings and began to feel fulfilled. We realized that the things that scared us gave us strength and brought us closer to one another.
We may not be the same Dubbers we used to be, but that is okay. Being a bat vampire is something we have come to celebrate and take pride in. So, if you see a swoop in the sky, if you feel like you are not alone, or if you see a special look in someone’s eye, don’t be afraid like we were. You might just be the next to join our coven.