UPSIDE DOWN BATS

The kids had gathered around in Miss Evelyn's potato basement, tiptoeing around as they gazed up with wide eyes. The sound of the rain was coming in from the outside, mingling with silent exclamations of awe. 

A miniature creature hung off the ceiling with leathery wings tightly wrapped around its body. Two spiky ears poked out, and a serenely sleeping face emerged from the crook of its wings.

"See? I told you there was a bat," the eight-year-old Marshall whispered.

A frenzy of murmurs broke out, adoring the slumbering creature. Another kid exhaled in wonder. "How can it sleep upside-down like that?"

"By holding on with its feet?" Marshall replied with a chuckle.

"Isn't it hard? I don't think I'd be able to do that."

Marshall shrugged. "You wouldn't because you think you can't. The bat can do it because it doesn't think. It just does."

"My mom said you have to think before you do something."

"Well, she only told it to you, so we don't have to listen to it," Marshall remarked, then poked the bat to prove his point.

The other kids gaped with restrained breaths, expecting the creature to wake up and fly away. But the bat remained undisturbed, peacefully sleeping without a care in the world.

"It's so cute!" the youngest whispered, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Yeah, I want to try sleeping like that too," another chimed in.

A playful grin crossed Marshall's face. "Then let's try!"

The idea sparked excitement among the group, who waited for the night when the parents would send the kids upstairs to carry on with their own event. Instead of going to bed, the kids sneaked into Miss Evelyn's greenery room on the second floor, where large pots of plants hung from the ceiling.

"We can use those!" Marshall pointed at the metal hooks embedded in the wooden beams above.

The kids nodded energetically, waiting for the eldest to tell them what to do. Marshall divided the tasks, sending the youngest to fetch blankets and the middle kids to block the staircase in case any of the adults came to check.

After giving out directions, he himself discreetly carried over a ladder to remove the plants from the ceiling.

Once the preparations had been made and the blankets had been tied to the hooks, enthusiastic grins and giggles filled the room. They stared at the wonky, unstable hammocks, exchanging anticipatory glances.

"Let's climb in!" Marshall declared, crawling into one of the hammocks.

Squealing, the kids followed the example, settling into their bat roosts. For a while, everything seemed fine—the kids were hanging upside down, swinging around and having fun. But then, one of the hooks dislodged with a sudden pop.

A kid tumbled down to the ground, tangled-up in the blanket. The loudest of cries echoed through the house. Parents came running up, just to be stopped by the barricade the kids had created on the stairs.

What followed next was a round of harsh words and scoldings. Once Marshall was let go, he shamefully crept downstairs and hid deep under the kitchen table to avoid the glares.

However, he hadn't thought it through, because soon the adults returned to the table. The tablecloth was long enough to conceal his presence, so nobody knew a kid was hiding under the table. He was trapped between stools and legs.

"My kids never cause any trouble, yet the moment Marshall's involved, it's nothing but a headache!" one of the mothers fumed, her stool scraping against the ground with a loud squeak.

Another mother agreed, "As the eldest, he should be watching over the others, but instead he puts them in harm's way. Something's seriously wrong with him."

"Eh-hey!" Miss Evelyn interjected. "Don't you ever say that again! What if the kids heard you? They have feelings just like you and me. Think before you speak, eh?"

Marshall hunched over his knees, biting down on his lip as he listened to Miss Evelyn's angered voice. She usually didn't get mad... This time everyone was angry at him. It was all a huge mistake. He never meant for anyone to get hurt.

One of the mothers slammed her foot down in frustration, and Marshall shrunk back. "Evelyn, there's a line that must not be crossed, and that boy crosses it every time!"

The woman rose from her seat, the stool falling over from the forceful movement. "I won't allow it anymore. Either have him gone or we're not coming over again."

"Do as you please, eh?" Miss Evelyn crossed her legs. "I don't care what you decide, but you won't tell me who I can or can't have in my own house."

"Tch," the furious mother yanked up her handbag, the contents of it rattling inside. "That's what happens to bastard kids," she muttered. "No one takes care of them, and they grow up thinking only about themselves."

That night, the main door received the loudest slam it had ever witnessed.