Challenging Shadows

You claim the bat lurks out there... wanting blood. Let him come. Night settled, and I took the high leather backrest of the sofa, overlooking the dark expanse of the floor. A rolled-up dark fleece blanket stood like a silhouette against the armrest—a false decoy. I didn't flinch. I stepped firm, planted my spiked boot against the heavy seam, and drove the cold steel muzzle of my rifle directly into the dense fabric fold. Nothing flinched back. Just empty thread and hollow shadows. If that shadow vigilante seeks a reckoning, he will find me dug in and waiting.