the Halloween Butterfly

Before that terrifying Halloween night, I was an elegant monarch butterfly with magnificent orange and black wings but I was very unique. First, instead of just small, white spots on my wings, I had a big skull face on each wing.  I never understood why. My wings were always that way ever since my metamorphosis to a butterfly. Secondly, while other butterflies couldn’t survive in the cold and migrated to somewhere warmer during the fall and winter, I stayed and survived. This didn’t mean that I was immortal; I could be killed by predators, humans, sickness, etc. The chill just didn’t bother me. Finally, there was one characteristic that I wish that I never had. While other butterflies remained still at night, I would flutter about into the darkness, never noticing the ominous figures in the shadows.

It was Halloween night and the wind was whistling like singing ghosts. A wolf howled wildly somewhere and an owl hooted quietly nearby. I was flying among the trees. In the distance, beyond the trees, I could also hear happy children giggling and yelling, “TRICK OR TREAT!” All of these sounds made my heart smile and the beautiful, full moon was shining brightly through the clouds. I felt at ease and was enjoying the brisk air. Then, I heard a horrific sound that made me turn cold. It was a loud flapping of massive wings and high-pitched chirping of big, hungry bats. I knew that bats preyed on insects so I always tried my best to avoid them but that night, an attack on me was inevitable.  

They came closer, closer, and CLOSER!! I fluttered around in complete panic. I tried to hide but there was no use. Coming up behind me, one of the bats snatched me in mid-air by my wings with its gigantic, clawed feet. I tried to squirm lose but its grip was excruciatingly tight. It was about to toss me into the air and devour me when I miraculously escaped and flew away. Even though my left wing was torn, I kept on flying with all of my might. I couldn’t see behind me but I heard the bats chasing me. My tiny heart was beating crazily but I began to stagger, as I got weaker and weaker .

Then, in my blurred vision, I could see their snarled faces and grotesque fangs in front of me. Two bats on each side grabbed me by my wings. Then with their fangs, they greedily tore off both wings from my body and ate them. I screamed in agony but of course, I was unheard. They then tried to eat my whole body. They managed to take a bite out of me but one of the bats lost their grip.

I plummeted down, down, down! I didn’t know where I was falling because I was dying. I didn’t remember the landing. When I opened my eyes for the last time, I realized that I was now inside of an unlit jack-o’-lantern and saw a child dressed as a goblin watching me from the top with curiosity and sadness. My heart smiled again, seeing such innocence, as I slowly died. My spirit rose up into the clouds and roamed the mysterious, Halloween night.          

(c)Lena Holdman, all rights reserved 2014 

Happy Halloween! :) This story was inspired from a scary dream. In the dream, I was a butterfly and bats ate me alive. I know that bats aren't bad. The story is from the butterfly's point-of-view.