Not About Baseball

Posted on Mon 25th May, 2020 @ 5:05am by Purulence Addams

676 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: The Addams House
Timeline: MD 15, 19:30

Experiment Number Six Addams was well aware that she lived within an artificial habitat. Her Aunt Chlamydia would refer to it flippantly as a "tin can" from time to time, but Six had read the station construction specifications and knew that the majority of the hull was not, in point of fact, made of tin, but of duranium foam with an eternium shell. Despite knowing these things, Six enjoyed sitting in the bay window in the tower, looking out across the cobblestone street on which her house sat, to the woods. Particularly in the evening, watching the simulated sky darken in a simulated sunset.

Content with her life and her place in the universe, the little girl sang a song to a tune believed to have been composed by Wolfgang Mozart when he was no older than she. "Flutter, flutter, little bat; off to eat a tasty gnat! Squeaker squeaking while you fly; a tiny darkness in the sky!"

Hearing her niece singing the bat song gave Ischemia pause as she climbed the stairs to her tower thinkin' spot. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who found the tower appealing. How long since she'd even thought of that family rhyme? It brought back a fond memory, standing in the dark with both of her sisters, watching the bats come out into the star lit night. Clouds of them, as she remembered.

Turning into the room where the song floated out, she walked over and stood behind Number Six, watching the sky, not really thinking of anything. The view was different from the one in her memory, but there were certainly bats to be seen by those who looked carefully.

Footsteps sounded behind Ischemia as Purulence too climbed up to the tower room. She kept quiet for a few minutes, sinking into the mood before speaking. "I should take all of you to the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas sometime," she said. "I was painting a portrait of the governor there once. That bridge is home to a gazillion bats that come out every night at sunset, spring to fall. It's quite a sight, watching them fly out over the lake. Reminds me of when your aunts and I were kids."

Six looked back over her shoulder, smiling at her Aunts. "I read in a journal from Aunt Chlamydia's office that one of our ancestors liked to sit at a 'circle-K' across from the 'Great Screw U' and watch bats emerge in the evening. I suppose that's some sort of ranch? Named for the brand they put on their cattle?"

Ischemia laughed, almost choking, "Uh, yes, I believe that's right, now that you mention it. I'm sure Purulence could draw the brand for you, if you really wanted her to." What in the world was Six doing reading Chlamydia's journals? The child was too precocious by half!

Purulence grinned. "Later, I will sketch you the brand for the Circle K Ranch. But right now, I just want to enjoy the evening with you and Ischemia." She glanced at her sister. "Do you think Chlamydia will be home soon?"

Her sister shrugged, "It's always who knows with that one. She can find more things to be interested in investigating and fewer ways to relax than anyone I know. I think the bats have all flown, though, so ... shall we get a jar and catch some spiders? If Thing is home, you know it loves playing beater and chasing them out of the corners for us." Turning to Six, she said, "What do you think? Interested in a little hunt?"

"No," Six answered with a shrug. "Spiders are my friends. I'll just sit here and watch the stars come out."

"Not a thing wrong with that," Purulence said, smiling. She would draw a picture of Six this evening, she thought, imagining it--Six with a spider crawling along the back of one hand as she sat in the bay window, looking out at the bats and the sparkling stars.

 

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